New York City and Hamptons - Christmas 2007

We arrived in NYC about 6 PM and were checked in and ready for touring by 7 PM. As you can see Tourist George did not change from his travel clothes and was suffering from Jet lag as he started touring NYC with Marguerite that evening. George never did wear long pants the entire trip and never a coat in the daytime (he got many strange remarks from New Yorkers as he walked around town). Temperature was between 45 and 35 degrees.

Rockefeller Plaza was very crowded. Marguerite enjoyed the famous Christmas Tree and the “Skater People” skating in the Plaza skating rink.

In this photo Marguerite is watching the skater people. Crowds were very heavy and getting a good vantage point was difficult. But it was warm among all the humans.

This shows Marguerite in Macys. Macys has many holiday decorations and animated window presentations. The is a NYC tradition.

Every time we go to NYC we end up in Times Square. Mostly because Marguerite wants to check out the Broadway Shows and plan her trip so that she maximizes her entertainment opportunities.

The next day we slept late and here Marguerite is ready to get in line to enter Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Show and Rockettes. The show was very good with a movie in 3D showing Santa doing his thing and then a little play with the Rockettes integrated into the play. This is the first time Marguerite saw the Rockettes.

That night we went to the play Grease. This had the winners of the Grease try-outs, which were done on TV, and the show was very good. It was in a small theater so you felt like you were a part of the action. The play was somewhat different than the movie with Travolta. Actually enjoyed it more in some aspects.

The next day we toured much of NYC, for the 4th time, going to many museums and walking through Central Park. In this photo you can see snow was still on the ground in Central Park. We covered a lot of ground that day and were ready for another musical that night. We saw Legally Blonde the Musical at the Palace Theater. It was most entertaining and the cast was full of energy (all were very young!)

We then rented a car and drove out to Westhampton Beach on Long Island. Betsy, Marguerite’s sister, has four sons. Son number 3, Neville, married a woman who is a member of the Cox family and the Cox family compound was available for a little family gathering. Fun was had by all.

The main home in the Cox Compound (compound has 6 homes) has a great Sun Room. Amazing how it can be 35 degrees outside yet the sunroom is warm and toasty.

It just happened that Chandi’s parents also live in Westhampton Beach so we drove over for a Christmas Eve brunch. We had a wonderful time and had a tour of Mr. Neubauer’s family owned company where they make precision metal parts for the aircraft industry.

In the photo are Ralph Neubauer, Marguerite, Gar, Chandi’s nephew Griffin, Chandi, Karen Neubauer, and Chandi’s niece Miriam.

There were 22 for Christmas Dinner. In this photo are Gar, Marguerite, and Chandi.

Here all the participants were trying to get on the stairs (to our bedroom and the upstairs den) for a group photo. We mostly fit.

A departure photo was taken by George of the McCaghren clan. From left to right -- Liz McCaghren and her husband, Grant (son #4), Polly Calhoun & Kirk (son #1) who were engaged on 12/26/07, Keith (son #2), grandchild Anne with her parents, Neville (son #3) and Dune (Cox Thorne) who are expecting a baby boy in April, and Grandfolks Brent and Betsy. The photo was taken at the Compound boat dock.

We had a very Merry Christmas with lots of activities, came home 12/27, and brought in the New Year quietly at home where we relaxed and went to bed early.