New York, New York

The last stop on the Mendelson-Woytek Summer Tour 2010 was New York. Ah, the Big Apple. We shoved as much as possible in the two days we were in the city. Times Square. Check. Little Italy. Check. Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Central Park, Yankee Stadium. Check. Asher was amazing in his backpack...a real trooper. We think he's now well acquainted with the MTA Subway system, so he'll be the tour guide on the next trip.

Asher at Stage Deli on Broadway taking his first bite of cheesecake.

From Left to Right: Alisha, the Naked Cowboy, Cori. Wait, the Naked Cowboy?

Brooklyn Bridge

Asher was far more impressed with the traffic below than with the Frenchman taking our picture. Fromage!

New Yankee Stadium for the Yanks-M's game. Asher felt obliged to wear a Yankees shirt as he was with the New Yorkophile Mendelsons. Daddy, however, wondered how much trouble he could get into with a Phillies hat...and a Mariners shirt. The answer was none. The Bronx ain't so bad. Go figure.

From Asher's Crib to the Cradle of Liberty

From Atlantic City, we headed to the City of Brotherly Love, aka The Cradle of Liberty, aka Philadelphia. We hit all the major attractions, from Independence Hall to the Art Museum to everything in between. It was a whirlwind of a day, but a great time was had by all. We started with cheese steaks at Pat's and Geno's (Pat's unanimously won the taste-test), headed to Old City for a history tour, walked to City Hall, Love Park, saw "The Thinker," posed with Rocky's statue, and had ice cream at Reading Terminal Market. The day was capped off by Russ and Alisha making fish tacos with ingredients bought at the Market!

Independence Hall

Asher's second to visit to the Liberty Bell

Asher's first taste of a Snow Cone in Fairmount Park

The Galapagos Islands' most famous animal...the Philly Phanatic in JFK Plaza

The City of Motherly (and Fatherly) LOVE

AC, Bay-by!

In June, Russ and Alisha made the cross-country trek to the Garden State and we started our whirlwind week with a trip "Down the Shore." (You don't got to the beach in Jersey, you go down the shore). Not only was it Russ and 'Lish's first trip to the Jersey Shore, it was Asher's first dip in the Atlantic Ocean...well, the first dip in ANY ocean for the matter. He was a bit wary of both the sand and the water, but warmed up by the end of the day. It was a true Jersey Shore experience, complete with fried Oreos, White House Hoagies and all the Jersey Fist Pumping we could handle.

Mommy with a very cautious Asher

Alisha and Russ Mendelson

Asher's first dip in the ocean

Checking out the sand

Fightin' Phils

After Asher's first baseball game on Father's Day, he went to his first Phillies game on the following Tuesday. (Actually he went to three baseball games in nine days, but more on that later). Asher donned his red pinstripes and had a great time watching Jamie Moyer get the win and Colorado native Brad Lidge get the save.

Heading into the Bank. Asher means business.

The ticket lady gave Asher a Phillie Phanatic figure. It went straight into the mouth.

Enjoying the game

Mommy and Asher celebrating a Phillies' win!

Asher, Dad, Mom, Bruce, Danielle, Katie (carrying a player to be named later), and Louie

Father's Day

We had a really awesome First Father's Day here in New Jersey. Pop-Pop and Nana made their way out on a road trip with pit stops in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Toledo for (shocker!) baseball games! So, what did we do to celebrate Ed's 35th and Jimmy's first Father's Day? We wen to Camden to watch the Riversharks play the Bridgeport Bluefish in the shadow of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. It was Asher's first professional baseball game, which was a really cool experience for everyone, especially on Father's Day.

Asher and Daddy After the Game

Three Generations of Woytek Baseball Fans

Asher didn't quite understand the whole 7th Inning Stretch concept.

Cori and her Diamond

Asher, quoting Red Barber, says, "Baseball is dull only to dull minds."