Star Struck

We were very fortunate to be able to meet one of the stars of In the Heights, the musical we attended on Friday evening. She came to our acting workshop with her boyfriend who is one of the stars of the new Broadway production of "Hair." The two of them took questions from our girls for about an hour. These two young actors were very generous with their time and their answers- very down to earth, humble, and sweet. They shared with us how they came to Broadway and what a typical day is like for them. I am posting pictures of Courtney Reed and Paris Remillard.

The Ghost of St. John the Divine

I wanted to have a really cool story to post, but alas the real story is rather ordinary. Tessa O. has admitted to us that she was standing on tip toes and actually fell back as I snapped the picture which created the blur or transparent figure. Darn!

A Few More Pics

Here are a few more pictures from our trip - the girls on Times Square, subway pictures, and our visit to the Hotel Chelsea

More NY Pictures

I am going to be posting more pictures and information about each picture so stay tuned. I will tell you when the posting is the last one.

These pictures are a few of the snow conditions when we arrived. New York handles snow very well. There was quite a bit of snow on the side streets. Snow plows had buried some of the cars parked on the streets. We passed Central Park a few times and it was beautiful.

Out of bed- Onto the subway- Across town. . . . . .

We packed a lot into this day. We began our day at St. John the Divine Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in the world, very peaceful and beautiful. We proceeded to the very unusual Chelsea Hotel, the home to some very famous people over the years - Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, Dylan Thomas, Bob Dylan, and Sid Vicious. We spent two hours in Chinatown and Little Italy where we shopped and ate lunch. Later in the afternoon we visited the City of New York Museum. In the evening we ate pizza and saw "In the Heights", a wonderful production with great music, dancing, and very nice looking young men. We got in fairly early tonight - 10:45. We are happily exhausted.

I forgot to mention that last night at the theater Phil Donahue sat right in front of us. The girls did not have a clue who he was, but those of us over 40 enjoyed the celebrity sighting.

The group picture was taken at St. John. I am adding a picture of a few of the girls on the subway.

A Long and Lovely Day

First let me say that these young ladies are a pleasure to have on this trip. They are polite, considerate, and always on time. What a joy they are!

We have had a very long day. We arrived on time and hit the ground running, just as we knew we would. The weather is beautiful - clear blue skies, very little wind and temps above freezing. There is snow piled everywhere, but it is not a problem at all. All girls were dressed appropriately and we were all very comfortable.

After dropping luggage at the hotel, our first stop was at Tommy Hilfiger. His sister Betsy gave us a tour that was interesting and exciting. We were even allowed into Tommy's office to look around. (He was not in.) We got to see the workings of the design world, with fabrics, sketches and clothes stacked all around. We returned to the hotel only long enough to freshen up before we left for dinner and the theater. The girls LOVED "Billy Elliot". It was a great show to start our broadway experience. We are now "home" and room checks are being made. I am attaching pics of our arrival at LaGuardia, Times Square, and Billy Elliot.

We will start again tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. Nite nite!

Atlanta -we have arrived & flight to NYC is supposed to leave on time at 10:09.

Wake up Everyone!!! We are going to New York City!

As of 2:45 a.m. Both legs of our flight are to depart and arrive on time. (Yawn!!) I'll see everyone in front of the AirTran ticket office at 4:30.

And DON'T FORGET YOUR PICTURE ID!

Update at 9:00 pm

Airtran still has our NY flight listed as "on time." The weather channel said that they are expecting NY airports to reopen in the morning. They also reported that the streets are in "pretty good shape." I think it is looking a little more positive.

Airline Information - Read Now

We will be checking flight information all night. It is your job to get a good night's sleep. If there is a change you will hear from us before 4:00 a.m. If you do not hear from us by that time, head to the airport and be there by 4:30 a.m.

We will try your cell number first and your home number next and any other numbers after that. Please answer the phone.

NYC Travel Update

We just spoke with Ed Lenderman from M T and T. He understands our concerns and assures us that he will let us know ASAP about any cancellations due to weather. We asked him about worse case scenario. He said that in the event we have to cancel the trip (which he feels is very unlikely) the airlines should refund our $$ and the theatres are usually very good to do the same. He also said that the forecast looks very good after midnight tonight and the next few days are to be sunny, cold, and beautiful. He has a flight out of New York and into Atlanta tonight and it has not been canceled. I know that they will do everything in their power to make it right and keep us informed. We will continue to check the airtran website to make sure that we are good to go. Please continue to check this site for updated information and know that we are in constant contact with Manhattan Tour and Travel. We always consider your daughter's best interest.

Last Minute Notice

The airline has told us that each student will be paying $15 for each checked bag. ( Remember, we can only check one.) HOWEVER, Manhattan Tour and Travel has told us that it could possibly be $25 when we get to the airport. Please be prepared to pay this fee when you check in.

Here is the weather report from Weather Underground for New York City. I'll be updating this every day.

Updated Information for our trip

Girls please make note of these IMPORTANT updates:

Make sure that all bags and carry ons have a tag with your name and St. Agnes Academy written clearly on the tag. We will not be able to go to our rooms when we arrive in NYC. The hotel will store our bags only if they are clearly labeled. Be sure that you put a tag on anything that will be stored by the hotel. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

When you arrive at the airport you must be dressed and ready to hit the streets running in NYC. You will NOT be able to change clothes or shoes when you arrive. You will not be able to get into your luggage. Do Not wear pajama pants on the plane.

Bring $8.00 in change to the airport with you. We need this money as soon as we arrive in NYC. We will probably take this up at the airport. You must have correct change!

Updated Information for our trip

Our trip is drawing near and we can hardly wait to experience the Big Apple with you. We are in constant contact with Manhattan Tour and Travel as we tweak our itinerary and updates. Here are a few and reminders for you and your parents.

1. DEPARTURE TIME HAS CHANGED. Our flight departs at 6:00 a.m.; therefore, you must arrive by 4:30 a.m.

2. Reminder: Be sure and bring any and all medications that you will need over the four days of this travel event. Teachers are not allowed to administer medications to students. Those of you taking daily meds during school days will need to bring these with you.

3. Reminder: Every student will need to pay $8 for the Metro Pass as soon as we arrive in NYC. YOU MUST HAVE EXACT CHANGE. NO CHANGE WILL BE GIVEN.

4. The make-up meeting for NYC travelers and their parents is Wed., Feb. 3 at 7:15 a.m. in the PAC.

5. The following girls have not turned in forms and will not be allowed to go on the trip if these are not turned by Wed. Feb. 3 at the conclusion of the make-up meeting:

Alee Bono

Carol Cepeda

Amelia Donati

Caroline Graves

Katherine E. Green

Natalie Jones

Mary Elizabeth O'Neill

Elizabeth Petit

Mary Virginia Portera

Mary Claire Walsh