Lessons in Serendipity

Setting the alarm early by vacation standards, we woke in time to grab a shower and head out for a quick breakfast.  Not only anxious to explore more of New York, I was also very excited to visit MOMA this morning - the Museum of Modern Art.  Walking up along 5th Avenue we were tempted into a few shops along the way but it was only killing time before the 10:30am opening time for the museum.  Arriving just after opening, there was already a line up to get in.  One of the few drawbacks to travel during the summer months is the crowds.  The staff at MOMA have adapted well though, and the line up moved quickly.  We headed directly for the elevators and made it up to the 5th floor before most of the crowds figured out where they planned on starting their museum tour.  Out of the elevator, I asked the information booth girl where Gallery 1 was located and she directed me around the first corner.  I couldn't move fast enough to get there, and the casual, calm museum patrons walking in zigzag patterns in front of me only made me more impatient, until finally I found my way into the middle of Gallery 1.  Moments you wait for, sometimes for many years have a way of making your heart skip a beat.  Seeing Starry Night from Vincent Van Gogh was one of those moments for me.  I was surprised at its unimpressive poster size display, but even behind the glass and despite the tacky thick gold frame surrounding it, its greatness shined through and for a moment or two, everything and everyone around me disappeared and the painting took me in.  As the crowds grew heavier, the painting became more and more challenging to see, so we left Gallery 1 and made our way through more great works of art, including Picasso, Monet and Matisse.  Maybe I shouldn't have started out with my absolute favourite, because although the other pieces we saw were brilliant, its tough to compare to my bucketlist worthy viewing of Starry Night.  MOMA is a place I'd love to return to, and take the time to see all the great works of art, but the crowds and two teenagers in tow made the suggestion of moving on a pretty easy sell and we headed back to 5th Avenue.
We stopped into Tiffany's - and although didn't bring any little blue boxes home with us, it was impressive to see the floors and floors of beautiful jewelry.  Next up was FAO Schwarz.  We recently watched the movie Big, some for the first time, others for the one hundred and first time...so FAO was a must see on our New York Adventure.  A toy soldier doorman welcomed us in and posed for a picture before we stepped foot into the ultimate children's toy store.  An entire floor just for stuffed animals, a giant candy store near the back, and a maze of toy sections on the second floor make it easy to get lost and end up wandering in circles with no sign of an exit (a kid's toy store using the same design as casino's - bright shiny things to keep you amused making it far too easy to lose track of time, or your savings...ingenious!).  The highlight, thanks again to Hollywood, is the Big Piano.  Although not the original from the movie, there is no shortage of people waiting to try out their chopsticks talents using their sock feet to play a tune.  The keys light up when you step on them, and if you don't mind sharing your keyboard with a dozen others at a time, it's a fun attraction to visit.   We also checked out the Apple store out front of FAO Schwarz, which staircase entrance takes you down below the sidewalk to a massive area lit by the glass ceiling above.  It wasn't any more exciting than a regular Apple store, except for it's size and cavernous design, so we headed back up into the daylight and walked over to Central Park.  
There is so much to see through downtown Manhattan, it's easy to lose track of how far you've walked, and by the time we got to Central Park, our legs were screaming out for a break so we walked for just a bit and found an empty bench to rest.  Lots of people walking their dogs, couples holding hands strolling up and down the many pathway, kids of all ages running and playing on the many massive rocks and play areas, You can almost forget you are in a city - unless you look up and see the massive buildings overlooking the park.  We walked past the Central Park Zoo, and checked out a map of the area.  It is surprisingly small, and I'm very sad to say, is not the home to lion of any kind, not even one named Alex.  Nor is a home to any giraffes, zebras, or hippos. They might have had a few penguins, but seriously - finding out Madagascar the movie was a bit of a fake was a HUGE disappointment.  We moved onwards into the park on our search for our lunchtime restaurant, The Boathouse.  Again, Hollywood inspired although also recommended for scenery alone, we made a lunch reservation and planned on celebrating our daughter's birthday there.  Glad we made a reservation, the restaurant was packed and we were one of the lucky few to get a table right up against the pond.  The pond was filled with couples, and families out in rented rowboats, each more entertaining then the next at their attempts to figure out how to row.  Forget graceful, most were lucky to stop going around in circles and I was slightly disappointed there weren't more collisions.  Although pricey, we hoped that the food and service would be worth it.  Wrong on both accounts :(. The food was adequate, but not anything special and the wait staff made it easy to see why the service charges were already included on everyones bill.  All of us exhausted, we hailed a cab just outside the park and made our way back to our hotel for an afternoon of rest.
Around dinner time, we left our room and headed down to the front desk of our hotel to ask where we could find a good Mexican restaurant close by. Our new friend Ryan at the front desk recommended Siniqual, which was thankfully (as per my feet), very close by.  An awesome recommendation.  A well decorated and busy for a Monday restaurant and bar, serving delicious Mexican cuisine and an impressive selection of tequila!  The staff were attentive and friendly, even putting a candle in our daughters deep fried ice cream, while we sang her Happy Birthday.  For all the planning I had put in at the Boathouse to make her birthday meal special, it turns out our best meal yet was at a restaurant right around the corner from our hotel.  A good reminder to me that the best memories you can make on any vacation are the ones you couldn't have planned.  Cheers to Serendipity! (which, by the way, also a movie filmed in NYC!).