Turning 80 in New York!: Day 2 (April 21, 2016): Take me to the Met!

Our first full day in the Big Apple! And to boot, this is Pam's birthday! She kept saying, "This isn't about my birthday, it's all Mom's!" But in fact, today was indeed about her birthday, with a huge pre-birthday surprise in the mix for June, as well.

We all met in the breakfast area at the Hampton at 8:45am. It was great to see everyone together at last for this long-anticipated trip.

By 10am, we set out together for our first day of exploring, with the objective of doing two main things: Lincoln Center and the Empire State Building. When traveling with a large group spanning ages 8 to 80, one cannot do what a couple of sight-zippers might be able to cover in a day. So although it may not have been what Pam and I are used to on our of our typical touring days, it was probably a good thing to take it slowly, given that I'm trying to see this massive city on crutches.

Everyone except Pam and I set out on foot to trek from the hotel to the Lincoln Center. Pam and I hopped the Subway to Columbus Circle (where there is a monument to Columbus!) and walked the rest of the way. We wanted to make it there ahead of the rest of the gang so that we could pick up our opera tickets, which have been booked since June 2015. It was so amazing to see the Met, Julliard, the ballet company, etc., all in one massive conglomeration of buildings in Lincoln Center.

When the gang arrived on foot, we all gathered around Mrs. Knight to announce the big opera surprise. She was so moved! It was a heart-warming moment for all of us. Tonight at 7:30pm, we will finally get to see an opera at The Met: Puccini's La Boheme.

After the dust settled on the big surprise, we all set out for the Empire State Building via Subway. The labyrinth of lines to get the tickets, then to the 82th floor elevator, and then to the 86th floor observatory took forever, but the sunny skies over Manhatten and the warm day made the views spectacular.

From there, we took in a quick lunch at Wendy's, and then walked back to the hotel. A walk that was much longer than we thought. With Manhatten's grid layout, one tends to forget that a block between streets is very short, but a block from one avenue to the next takes forever!

We took a breather when we got back to the Hampton Inn, and then assembled at 4:30pm to cab or subway it to Ed's Chowder House, across from Lincoln Center, where we celebrated Pam's birthday dinner. The food was great and they brought out a nice birthday dessert and candle for Pam.

At 7pm, we went across the street to Lincoln Center and took in the ambiance before the 7:30 start. The crystal chandeliers in the lobby are a sight to behold in and of themselves! And the well-heeled New Yorkers attending the sold-out performance of La Boheme made people watching a lot of fun.

I'm not an opera fan -- let's just put that out there right now. However, the quality of the performance, the sets, the costumes, the hoards of people on stage -- everything -- made it a real sight to behold. It was one of those rare performance opportunities of a lifetime, without a doubt. Mrs. Knight was in her glee throughout the whole three hours. The standing ovation went on and on and on, and for good reason.

Hailing a cab in NYC is an art. One which we aren't so good at yet! It took a long time to get a taxi after the show, but we did make it home by 11pm.

All told, it was a wonderful first day, filled with celebrations and surprises.