New York City - Day 3

Monday the weather was a lot nicer with sunshine and temps in the upper 50's.  We headed out early because we had to get to WABC Channel 7 studios for Live with Regis and Kelly.  When we pulled up at 7:15am there were two lines (one long one short) already forming around the building. Luckily we had tickets so we was directed to go stand in the shorter line.  The taping of Regis and Kelly was interesting to see up close and personal.   During commercial breaks Kelly talks to the audience and answers questions from the audience.  There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes during commercial breaks such as rearranging the set, changing props, wardrobe changes etc etc.  Before the show went on live TV the executive producer Michael Gellman asked the audience to stay an additional 30 minutes after the show to participate in a special taping that would be airing on Tuesday. So we actually got to participate in two shows which was an added benefit.

Next, we went to Rockefeller Plaza and took the express elevator to the observation deck known as Top of the Rock. The express elevator takes you from floor level to the 67 floor observation deck in a matter of seconds. Once the elevator starts going up (or down) the lights dim and the ceiling of the elevator becomes transparent and you see the elevator shaft as you are racing up or down.  The views from the observation deck are spectacular and some of the things you can see are the Empire State Bldg, Hudson and East Rivers, Times Square and New Jersey.  When we left Rockefeller Plaza we walked around town and visited some of the more famous stores such as FAO Schwartz, Apple Store, American Girl Store, and of course Macy's. All the stores were full of people (elbow to elbow) and several stores we passed had lines standing outside waiting to get in, so we didn't even attempt to go in those stores.

St. Patrick's Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the United States with a seating capacity of 2,400. The pipe organ has more than 7,380 pipes. Twin spires 330 feet high grace the 14th century Gothic style structure.  The foundation of the church was laid before the Civil War, but the church was not open until 14 years after the war ended. The public can go inside the church and walk around as long as they are considerate of others inside.  St. Patrick's Cathedral is a must see for anyone visiting and I highly recommend that you see this Cathedral if you are ever in New York City.