Adventure in the City, Part 2

I had to include another elevator picture, because Jonathan loved those zooming elevators so much, and we enjoyed a clear, beautifully non-foggy day!

We rode them twice Wednesday evening as a family, twice Thursday morning before the three of us went out exploring, and twice before the kids and I checked out and went home. He was fascinated by the cables and pulleys that ran them, and he could watch the other elevators working since there are five (I think) running side-by-side. So fun for our little engineer.

After naptime and snacks on Wednesday, Jeff got off of work and we were able to spend some time in the city as a family. Among other things, we went to the bookstore. Kids' books were on the third floor. Even Jeff enjoyed them before he left for the business section.

These Transformers books caught Jonathan's eye, and he has decided he wants to go back to read about more robots and monsters and aliens. I am not a fan of these books...the stories are lame and just market toys to kids. But, he is a little boy, and little boys like monsters and aliens and robots, so I did read one to him. And I will humor him and let him read some more. :)

We decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, not only because it was a huge treat but because it's a very loud restaurant, which is great when you're bringing kids. (I have been to a Cheesecake Factory one other time, after dinner with girlfriends at P.F. Chang's, which I told about here.) Here we are up on their patio looking down at the Square. (The people are dancing down there.) Jonathan thought it was pretty neat to be up in the sky behind the letters of the Macy's sign.

A closer look at the dancing in Union Square.

Of course, what makes people hungrier than drooling over cheesecake while waiting for a table? I can't remember whether the legislation requiring restaurants to display calorie counts has already gone into effect, but this restaurant has the calories up already. So, a piece of cheesecake supplies most of the calories a person needs in a day. (Don't count that low carb cheesecake, which we would not eat.) Did that dampen our enthusiasm?

I don't think so!

The food was incredible. Jeff and I shared all our food, including avocado egg rolls. They sound strange but were scrumptious.

This guy wanted some cheesecake.