Christmas in the Big Apple

For Christmas I finally had the chance to get out of Texas and experience New York City for the holidays. It was a much needed departure from the scenery and pace of Texas during the Winter. The differences in almost everything were so overwhelming at first that I barely shot anything the first day I was there. It is still amazing to me how a simple change in scenery makes you think in a completely different way such as walking 20 or 30 blocks really isn't that bad. Me and Victoria only scratched the surface of what the city has to offer in our short time there and I definitely want to go back for more once the World Trade Center memorial is completed. Below is the almost 13 minute video of what we experienced over the week and a few of my favorite shots. There is so much to see that it just couldn't fit on one page so check out the rest of my images from the trip on my Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2242323&id=25316359

Manhattan from the sky during our helicopter tour of New York City. It was my first time in a helicopter and was surprised at how smooth it was compared to a small plane.

A drummer plays for tips in Central Park. There is so much to see just in the park that it would take weeks just to explore it all. Even then, performers and wildlife always offer a new experience.

Steam rising from a manhole cover in Manhattan. For some reason this image is an inherently New York scene to me. Maybe its because of movies and TV.

Times Square on our last night in New York. Our hotel was in Times Square so it and all of the taxis flying by were a daily experience for us.

This shot was taken at 11:30 p.m. on the last night of our trip. It was amazing to me how many people would be in Times Square all day and night regardless of the 26 degree temperature.

Victoria searches for a Starbucks on her phone as we walk through Wall Street.

The Statue of Liberty with New Jersey, left, and Manhattan in the background. It was interesting that security was more strict than at any airport I've ever been to. There were two "full body" checkpoints between Manhattan and the inside of the statue.

Central Park at sunset. This is one of the best parks I have ever been to because of its diverse landscape with grassy fields and rocky hills. Check out the rest of my images like the one above on my Facebook.

This display at the American Museum of Natural History was amazing. It seemed like it had every species of crustacean, reptile, plant, etc. known to man. Just looking at this image makes me want to go out and have a huge lobster dinner.

The view from our hotel window in Times Square. Taxis really define the landscape in Midtown Manhattan and they somehow coexist with hundreds of thousands of pedestrians walking in the street at their own risk.