New York City and the power of Yelp - DAY 1

Unfortunately I did not have any responses to my plea for restaurant recommendations before my husband and daughter had to head off to their big adventure in New York.  So I did what any self-respecting blogger would do-  I hit Yelp for some ideas to help them find cheap food while enjoying the NYC experience.  They wanted to try NY pizza, and a NY deli, other than that they wanted to be within walking distance to their hotel.  Armed with that information and the hotel address, in an hour-ish I had identified some restaurants that they could get to and that would help my diabetic husband stay on track.

I printed out walking directions to each place, included menus for those where they were available, and put all of these in a travel folder that Bridget had in her carry-on.  The folder also included directions to St. Malachy's since my husband wanted to go to Mass, and directions to attractions like Rockefeller Center, the Hershey store, and any place they could go nearby on a limited budget and limited time (Bridget's schedule for the Draft events was very heavy and they were not sure how much time they would have).

Let me back up and tell you how Bridget came to win this trip .  Verizon sponsored the Dream Draft Sweepstakes and Bridget  was determined to win, texting in her entry faithfully everyday for the chance to attend the 2012 draft  and announce a draft pick.  She joked that she was going to win and of course  we all laughed.  The day that the winner was to be called, she was going to go target shooting with her dad, but her dad was concerned that she might miss the call from the Sweepstakes (ha ha, right?), but her light response was "No problem,  I have Verizon" and off they went.  Sure enough, they were on their way to the range when Bridget got the call notifying her that she had been selected.

A room with a view- Times Square!!

What can I tell you about a trip that I didn't go on?  Well thanks to texting, constant pictures and phone calls, actually quite a lot. After a somewhat tense flight (Bridget's first time flying!), they arrived in New York to an official NFL limo driver waiting for them to take them to the Marriott Marquis in the center of Times Square where they checked into their room and checked in with the NFL office in the hotel and thus the star treatment began.

Patzeria Perfect Pizza hit the spot!!

After they grabbed a bite of pizza at Patzeria Perfect Pizza, a place I had scoped out nearby, they freshened up and were again picked up by an NFL car and driven to Radio City Music Hall for the VIP reception that preceded the 1st round of the draft.  The reception seemed to have unlimited food and drink, and even with her nerves, Bridget was tempted by some barbecue sliders and other assorted dishes that they had there.  Gavin particularly mentioned some steamed green beans that had been tossed with a light oil and garlic dressing that he said were great.

And then the main event-  As a diehard Redskins fan, Bridget was most excited to see the Skins pick RGIII and she really got caught up in the excitement that is the NFL.  She used her new camera to snap pictures like a paparazzi and thoroughly enjoyed the experience despite leaving Newport News with a bad cold and sore throat. Back at the hotel at about 11:30, the travelers got some rest in the City that Never Sleeps!!