le blog

So, exactly how did a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar? We braved the torrential downpour and wind unleashed upon NYC today to find out the answer to that very question!  Our tour guide, Gregory, from Outside In Tours was PHENOMENAL! He was part historian, part thespian and had Madison and I hanging on his every word! Bill thought it was fantastic, and even Will, who was very skeptical about this whole walking tour business admitted in the end that it was pretty cool. We began at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Battery Park. I could not even get clear photos of Lady Liberty due to the inclement weather, but did my best... We talked inside for awhile about Hamilton's childhood (hoping that the rain would let up a bit - and much to our chagrin, it did not). Gregory recited pieces of a letter Hamilton wrote at the tende...

We arrived in Manhattan this afternoon and could not wait to walk around - the weather was gorgeous, albeit a bit chilly. Our hotel is right on the corner of Chinatown and Little Italy, so we started there.  The Chinese markets were fascinating, although Will and Madison did not appreciate the smells emanating from the fish and mushrooms... As we turned the corner, the cafés - and even the fire hydrants - let us know we had left Chinatown. Little Italy was like, well, a little piece of Italy right here in the US. Little Italy was certainly in the Holiday spirit - lots of Christmas decor filled the streets. As we were leaving Little Italy, several fire trucks arrived...not sure what was going on, but even they were festive! On our way to dinner, we saw some incredible street art... We stumbled upon Lafayette Street - where Madison had to rap a little Guns and Ships,  naturally . .. We also saw an adorable pup patiently waiting for...