American Natural History Museum and MJ the Musical

The American Museum of Natural History was massive - I did as much as I could in a day, including a couple science shows. I was particularly impressed by their dinosaur collections. Who doesn't like learning new dinosaur facts?! There was a beautiful but sad exhibit on extinct and endangered insects - photographs blown up to wall size that took around a month each to create. And a special sharks exhibit with more shark facts to learn. The day rounded off with a Broadway show - MJ (Michael Jackson) the Musical - with amazing dancing, singing, and music. The amount of energy coming off the stage was palpable.

Snow leftovers from yesterday

Experienced NYers have snow booties for their dogs!

Special "Sharks" exhibit was interesting

More shark facts to learn!

Mineral room

Mineral room

Mineral room

Patagotitan mayorum – a dinosaur from the titanosaurus group – needed a long room to hold it

Nice exhibit by photographer Levon Biss called Extinct & Endangered – it took around 4 weeks for each of these intricate photographs of insects

Xerces Blue Butterfly - from Extinct & Endangered

Mount Hermon June Beetle - from Extinct & Endangered

Butterflies from Extinct & Endangered

For those of us who insist on Brontosaurus

Track examples

Dinosaur speed

Dinosaur with head and neck curved back – apparently this happened post-death when neck muscles contracted

T-Rex

Some familiar NZ Māori exhibits

And a Broadway show to end the night - MJ (Michael Jackson) the Musical. Amazing dancing, singing, and music.

Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo was fairly empty of people on this cold winter's day so it was easy to take it at a leisurely pace. It had some big animals I haven't seen elsewhere, such as American Bison and grizzly bears, more cool birds, and some NZ & Australian animals. Afterward, I walked to a fro-yo place and discovered yummy Dole Whip soft serve (like at Disneyland). 

 

Bronx neighborhood

Bronx Zoo entrance

Rhino sculptures

 

Grizzly bears

Red panda

Birds

Birds

Birds

American Bison

Alligator

Frogs

Red lemurs (very loud)

Blue jay

Sleepy owl

Little blue penguins from NZ

Kookaburra from Australia

Birds with mustaches

Dole Whip fro-yo

 

Central Park and Times Square

As I walked into Central Park, it started to snow - magical! Robins and cardinals were a pop of color amid the bare trees. A very comfortable squirrel climbed my leg outside of the Central Park Zoo - this experience was a trip highlight. The zoo had all manner of cool creatures, including a snow leopard, red panda, and exotic-looking birds. I learned how to take the subway by myself. Meeting up with friends, we explored downtown and soaked up the atmosphere.

 

Taking the subway, getting used to meaning of downtown and uptown  

Robins and cardinals in Central Park

Lost in Central Park among the literary and historic statues

 

Squirrel that climbed my leg

Red panda

Gorgeous snow leopard

Cool birds

Church downtown

Mega LEGO store

Rockefeller Center

Ice skating

Everything was big and moving