Sleep in for the troops until 7:30 am... All rested for the days trip Uptown. I got up early for some Starbucks, the morning NY Times, and a look at the days stops. Shortly after Janie's departure we made tracks for the subway and the Uptown ride through to 86th St and a short walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We visited for a couple of hours, checking out the Arms and Armour, 18th Century and Modern Art sections. Got to see a couple of Jackson Pollock canvases, a Hopper and some Picasso's. I really liked several works done by Tanguay, which reminded me so much of Dali's work. Monica took loads of pictures and she and Peter both found lots to look at!

We picked up roughly 2 hrs into the visit and headed across Central Park to the Museum of Natural History. The park was busy with runner, biker, stroller and vendor. We stopped for a listen to a happenin' jazz set at the bandstand as well as a minute or so in the Strawberry Field to sit beside the Imagine Mosaic, adorned with a fresh rose. Monica was running low, so the Ben & Jerry's didn't hurt in making it all happen!

Next stop, the Natural History Museum, was busy with kids and adults everywhere at all levels of readiness. We picked off the Dino Exhibits, a look at the reptiles area and "Journey to the Stars" in the Hayden Planetarium. Whoopi got us across the universe!!! With that, we had gone far enough and, after a huge Chocolate Chip / M&M cookie and some fancy flavored water, caught a series of trains home to Murray Hill. Sandwiches, Gatorade, and baths for all hands got us back on track. The evening was to be all ball and bleacher seats at Yankee Stadium.

I started to worry at about 4:00 pm when the skies darkened, then opened. This was not only because Janie was walking home, but that Yankee Stadium and our ball game could get rained out!!! Hot it may be, but sitting in the stands soaked would make for a nasty evening with the kids. Janie was close to drenched on her walk home, but her conference was too good to let a short walk in the rain dampen her spirits.

We set out for the subway at about 4:45... Rush hour or what? We knew it would be busy... Should be with a couple of million people on the move. Anyway, on a jammed Green Line we made our way uptown to Yankee Stadium. It took a little over an hour after all was said and done.

161st St is right in front of the ball park. After a walk through to Gate 8, we were greeted with free visors which was a nice treat! What an awesome venue. When inside you could feel the energy and history, even before the game started. The fans we sat with in the bleachers were super friendly and made us welcome. To boot, there was some added excitement as Derek Jeter inched his way toward hit number 3,000! First at bat he picked up 2,998 but got no further. The Yankees actually got thumped pretty good getting handled comfortably by the Rays and served up a 5-1 loss. Great time though, with beers and hot dogs and some of the most passionate baseball fans on the globe. The only parallel I could draw from North America might be the attention the Habs get in Montreal. Perfect visit... Enjoyed by the kids, Mom and Dad!

Smooth trip home with a lot less pedestrian traffic on the subway. I used the MTA more than any previous visit, and despite the heat in stations the air conditioned cars and economy of transportation make it a solid deal!