Arrival & preparation

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28–29 February 2008

At 8.10 on Thursday, 28 February 2008, Amtrak train number 56, the Vermonter, departed from Washington’s Union Station. We were on board, along with Susan’s sister and brother-in-law and their children. The train slowly pulled out of the railyard then quickly gained speed as it made its way up the Northeast Corridor. Through Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Trenton we sped, across the countryside of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey on the way to our destination—New York City. We were officially off to get married!

We arrived at New York’s Pennsylvania Station a little over three hours later, at 11.18. We hopped aboard the 1/2/3 line of the New York City Subway and traveled uptown one stop, to Times Square-42 St. That was where we would find our hotel, the Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square at 1568 Broadway.

Dustin anxiously checked in and went to his room. In making the reservation online, he had included a note indicating that the stay was for his own wedding and asking, if possible, for an extra-special room. And the hotel delivered! They had put him in room 3903. It was a corner room, with wraparound windows that offered stunning views up 7th Avenue to Central Park, of the Hudson River to the west, of Times Square below, and of the tops of the skyscrapers all around. The suite had a sitting area, a dining table, a separate bedroom, and two bathrooms. It was far nicer than we had expected.

That evening, Susan’s parents took us and everyone already in New York for the wedding—Karen, Bob, M.H.G., C.H.G., Matt H., Matthew B., and Rebecca—out to eat at Our Place Shanghai Tea Garden, a Chinese restaurant at 141 East 55th Street. The food was good, but the company on the night before our wedding was best of all.

Dustin and Susan on the train to New York

M.H.G. and Karen on the train to New York

C.H.G. on the train to New York

Dustin in his hotel room overlooking Times Square

Susan in her hotel room

Dustin

DoubleTree Guest Suites Times Square

To the 39th floor

7th Avenue at West 48th Street

Looking down West 47th Street across Manhattan toward the Hudson River from Dustin’s hotel room

Times Square from Dustin’s hotel room

Looking up 7th Avenue toward Central Park from Dustin’s hotel room

Matthew B., Matt H., Dustin, and Susan at dinner

M.H.G., Bob, and C.H.G. at dinner

David, Matthew B., Matt H., and Dustin at dinner

Bob and C.H.G. at dinner

C.H.G., Karen, Mary, and David at dinner

C.H.G. at dinner

Matthew B., Matt H., and Dustin at dinner

Susan’s wedding dress

Susan wasn’t sure what jewelry would best match her wedding dress, so she bought gobs of it shortly before we went to New York City. The night before our wedding she and Rebecca selected some items for her to wear. Susan returned the rest of it when we got back to Washington, D.C.