I took a five-day vacation to NYC.  This clearly meant that California should have amazing, wonderful, sunny weather with near-record highs, and the east coast had one day of beautiful weather when we flew in.  It snowed the next morning, and the really big snowstorm hit the morning we were supposed to fly out.

Even on my non-horsey vacations, I take pictures of ponies.  I even found the carriage horses by Central Park without even trying and petted the poor tourist-tolerant soul.

Be warned: this is a very photo-heavy post with zero ‘Fetti photos. 

Wandering the city, looking at stuff with our local friend as tour guide.  “One moment,” I say, and I turn around a take a picture.  This surprised neither my boyfriend nor our local friend.  They know me well.

Sorry, there’s definitely historical significance of some sort. I did zero research to remember what it was.

I also took photos of trees and snow.  In the middle of the city, and I’m staring at trees.  Trees make me happy.  Snow-covered trees are oddly pretty.

This bar has zero significance except that it made me smile walking past, so it gets a photo feature too.

I did some research on this: Worth served in the Mexican-American War, was moderately famous, I had definitely never heard of him, and this is the second-oldest monument in New York.

This is not a horse.  This is an Apple Store/Genius Bar at Grand Central Station.  Because we are tech folks who not only find such things, but go to them, and get a phone replaced in less time than it would take to wait for the queue back home.  Gold stars all around, y’all.

We actually almost went back a second time to get my phone battery replaced.  Sadly the timing could not quite be managed.  Alas, I will have to schedule and go to a mall somewhere in the vague area of home to get that done, and right now other things are taking priority again.  Someday..

There was a pony at Grand Central, though.

Horse flying out of the clouds at Grand Central.

My friend had mentioned that there were horses at Central Park.  I absolutely did not find it necessary to take a carriage ride, or really even to take a horseback ride in NYC (although I found out later that might have been possible.. and I might have considered that if I had been alone!), given the likely exorbitant costs.  I have a pony at home, she is amazing, I am content to admire from afar.

I wasn’t actually planning to go look for the horses at Central Park.  But then I stumbled upon them on my way to the Met.  Photos ensued.  There was a “running a few minutes late, found ponies” text somewhere in the process.

I will admit to liking the gray better.  I don’t know anything about the carriage industry in NYC.  I know that the drivers were polite and the horses were calm and blanketed while standing in brisk winds.  They looked to be in good condition and well cared for.

For everyone else curious about the number on the front left hoof, I refer you to this article.  Apparently it’s traditional to have their four-digit letter burned into the hoof.  Huh.

Eventually I did make it to the Met.  We found ponies there too.  There were ponies that looked like very confused Dachshunds, and then there were slightly more pony-like ponies.  I actually did take the weird-looking horses photo for comparison.  It’s not uploading.  I’m tired of fighting with WordPress uploads.  Imagine a Dachshund crossed with a horse and make it into a statue.  Be confused.  Mentally compare with these horses.  Mission accomplished.

(No, seriously, if it ever uploads, I’ll edit it in.  Sorry!)

We went to Rockefeller Center.  It was really cold.  It was even colder and windier at the very top.  Thankfully the sunset was very pretty.  As soon as the sun was done setting, we got the hell out of there and I think we found dinner somewhere warm.  Brrrrrrrr.

Not a landscape or a pony, but this feels like a good note to end on.  Found on a NYC sidewalk.  Wholeheartedly agree.