NYC Part 4 Monkey Building

You know what the monkey building is, right?  Every time we said this, we received odd looks.  It's one of Dad's quotes.  The kind of terminology that is funny enough it sticks with you.  Ok, here's the monkey building:

Empire State Building

My Dad bought the tickets ahead of time and also opted for the more expensive "express" passes, including the 102nd floor (very top).  Those who go to the top are called the 102 Members :)

If your'e going to visit the Empire State building, get the express pass!  It's great!  There are rooms and rooms and rooms of crowds being herded like cattle through maze lines.  But the express pass?  We bypassed all of that and had preferential treatment for the elevators going up and coming back down.  Mom said, "Half the fun of going there was passing up the Disney like forever long lines!"  But ohhhh, the dirty looks we got, as if they wanted to yell out, "Why do they get special treatment?"

We went at the perfect time, twilight.  Just before it turns to night, where the city lights show and the sun is going down.  (If we didn't have the express pass, we would have started the line during twilight and wouldn't have made it to the top until nightfall.  If we had waited in those long lines, we would have been tired and not as able to really enjoy the view.  So, yes, I recommend the express pass!)

I used the iPhone for all the pictures, hanging my hands out far, so that I wouldn't get the ledge in the picture.  Greg said a couple of times, "Don't drop the phone!"  Which only made me more nervous!  Truly a perfect place to take pictures of the city.

Ok, cool story!  While we were looking around at the top, we would see people taking a picture and offer to take a group shot, so that everyone was in them.  This is just something we do for strangers, because it seems like a nice thing to do.  We did this for a group of navy guys, some families and then saw a guy and girl.  The guy had an iPhone and was trying to take a picture of the two of them with his phone extended out.  We offered to take the picture for him.

As we took the picture, the guy goes into his pocket and takes out an engagement ring!!  Greg put the phone on movies and videoed while the guy proposed (and she said yes!).  Awwww, how absolutely romantic.  The couple thanked us (I think the girl was still in shock :) and the guy told us, "You made it a perfect night."  He said he would have struggled with the camera and ring at the same time.  Really sweet to be a part of that :)  Seeing romance shared, keeps the romance glowing for those who are privy to special moments like that :)

Next post - Part 4 - Lady Liberty

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