Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

We got to the parade route at 8:00 am - a little later than the web sites suggest. Look at all the people on the sidewalks. There was no place for us to stand without being in the way of the one line of people walking by to find their own place. There were benches not too far from the street, and we figured we'd be able to wait in relative comfort yet still see the floats and the balloons.





Rick tried not to smile while he ate an apple fritter from Starbucks.









Woo hoo! It's finally 9:00 am - the parade is starting!

Now that it's all starting Rick's smiling :)

Wow - we need to make friends with these people - an apartment overlooking Central Park West with a balcony .... I bet they were warm and they had mimosas and bloody marys... and turkey and stuffing...

Note to self - when we do come and get here at o-dark-thirty to claim a space on the street, be sure to pick a part of the wall that doesn't have vegetation - people will climb ANYTHING to get a better view.

Oooohhh - it's starting!!!

New Smurf balloon!

Snoopy as the Red Baron!

Hey! That's Dora the Explorer! At the parade she had her own special cheering section :) She brought Map and Backpack too!

She is REALLY BIG!

This is Abbey Kidabra - no idea who she is actually... but the kids seemed to like her :)

Hello kitty!

Ronald McDonald

The very special music balloon

Pikachu!

Buzz Lightyear!

Things I want to be sure to remember the next time I attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:

1. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE JUST HOW COLD YOU WILL BE SITTING OR STANDING STILL FOR HOURS.

2. Get there early. You can see the floats and balloons while not right on the street, but the handlers and band members are part of the show, and you will miss that if you aren't on the street. Better than nothing if you get there late is to find a high spot on the west side of the park.

3. Do not accept a spot with vegetation above it unless you have to. People will climb EVERYTHING in order to get a better view.

4. Bring breakfast snacks and a coffee thermos. Don't drink too much - if you leave to go to the bathroom you will lose your spot.

5. Bring a wool blanket - if you are lucky enough to get a spot on the park wall, it will add cushion under your butt. If not, it will make you warm when you are freezing.

6. Be sure your camera has fully charged batteries and an empty memory card - you will want to take lots of pictures!

7. Expect and acknowledge that there will be a 2 or 3 or 4 year old experiencing the biggest most horrible temper tantrum you have ever seen. If you are not able to actually see the child, you will wonder whether s/he is being stabbed to death or having their fingernails pulled out one by one.

8. Bring advil for the point where your feet are killing you and prior to when your feet are numb from the cold and standing still.

9. Make friends with those people near you so when you dance to the drum cores and marching bands they don't mind as much when you bump them.

10. Be sure to participate in the traditional Thanksgiving Hot Dog brunch. I like to add ketchup.

For all the things to remember, the biggest one is that the parade it like NOTHING you have seen anywhere else, and it is exciting and joyous! And yes, I am geeky enought that I TiVo the show on TV and then watch it later in the day. That way you get to see the Broadway selections and performers - it is a whole nother perspective which is part of the experience :)