Grandmas Still Go Wild Over New York City

When Robin, Stacy and I booked this year's trip it never crossed my mind that we have been doing this for FIVE years now. But this was our fifth Grandmas Gone Wild (GGW) trip...and it found us right back where it all began. New York City!

We arrived at the Warwick on the corner of Avenue of the Americas and West 54th Street just about 3 PM.  This is the same place that Robin and I stayed during our 'star-gazing' trip back in 2009 and it is still one of my absolute favorite places to stay!

The room was laid out a little differently from our last one, but it had a cozy fireplace in the corner which just makes me smile!

Since we had big dinner plans, we ordered in just a tidbit of refreshment before getting dressed for the evening's festivities. 

Seriously, can anyone resist champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to kick off their vacation?  I couldn't!  It was the perfect compliment to our Girl Time ahead.

We had early dinner reservations at the only place for three self-respecting Texas girls..."The Greatest Steakhouse in Manhattan", Sparks.  

Yes, this place was filled with tables of men...wheelin' and dealin' in their suits and ties.  But the staff made us feel right at home.  The food was excellent (I had their signature Prime Sirloin Steak -- MM MM!), but the personnel are what really sold me on this place.  Everyone was friendly and super courteous.  (The waiter even gave us a little bit of the story (as had been told to him) that happened out front on that cold December afternoon in 1985.)

After dinner, we caught a car over to see the Off Broadway hit Love, Loss and What I Wore at the Westside Theatre. 

From the website:
"Love, Loss, and What I Wore, an intimate collection of stories by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron is based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons' friends...Like the popular book, Love, Loss and What I Wore uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to."

This show was great fun, and yet at times, it was also heart wrenching.  It transported me back to special occasions (like proms and shopping for Easter dresses) and reminded me of more than a few events in my life that are closely tied (at least in my mind) to particular articles of clothing.  I'm not a big shopper and had not thought about many of those things in years...but it was a powerful experience.

This play, which has a rotating cast, will be closing at the end of this month.  We had the privilege of seeing Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Alexandra Silber (keep your eyes open for her!), Zuzanna Szadlkowski, Dawn Wells (of Gilligan's Island fame) and the very gracious and lovely, Robin Strasser.

Yes, she stopped, chatted and even agreed to take pictures...

...with all three of us!

Such a sweet lady.  She worried about us because we were not wearing our coats after the show!  In all honesty, we had taken a car everywhere we went our first night out because of the rain...and we had a car picking us up after the show...so we saw no reason to wear our coats.

And that may or may not be why Robin and I both have been fighting off a cold since returning home.  But, you know what they say...what happens on Grandmas Trip stays on Grandmas Trip!