Waking Up in the City that Doesn't Sleep

This may come as a surprise to all of you (my two readers out there) but Trent and I went on a vacation to some place besides Chicago. We ventured past the Central time zone and survived! Last weekend we visited New York City. Check that off my bucket list.

We had planned to attend a Mets game right when we landed but due to Tropical Storm Andrea we were delayed and all games were canceled. That gave us time to introduce ourselves to the MTA subway system and New York style pizza. Chicago still wins the pizza contest, by the way. Since it was raining, no ... pouring, we decided we had better get umbrellas. They only helped a little. The wind was crazy and the water was deep on the sidewalks. Pretty much the only things that was dry were our heads. We had some great laughs as we watched umbrella parts blow along the sidewalks and float in puddles. Apparently, in New York, if your umbrella breaks you just drop it and continue moving.

Everything in New York is always moving. And NOTHING moves slowly. In fact, there are these signs everywhere:

I think they are serious. JUST KEEP MOVING PEOPLE! I guess with 9,000,000 people in the city there isn't really anywhere to just stand. Except, this place seemed to have some quiet, slow-paced patches. 

Central Park is a breath of fresh air. We biked around the perimeter of it. But, even the bike/running paths were like a freeway in Idaho (maybe Utah). It was busy and people were still moving FAST. Because of my broken toe, we didn't get to walk inside it. I feel bad about that but I loved our bike ride.

I loved the views from the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock). Once the storm passed, the view was beautiful and clear. I did learn something about myself while on these buildings. Architecture is not my thing. I would much rather stare at mountains, rivers, and wild flowers than a mega skyscraper. Trent, on the other hand, loves the city and the hustle and the bustle. I guess we should compromise and live somewhere in between the two - perhaps Portland or Denver. Even up here the crowd of tourists must keep moving. And down below, the streets are full of moving people. You can see them even at 84 stories in the air.

   

Times Square is a wonder. It is like the Las Vegas Strip on steroids. It is place of multi-sensory overload. The lights, the people, the sights, the PEOple, the smells, the PEOPLE, the movement, THE PEOPLE! I think it is something that everyone should experience. We did it during the day when it was just crowded. Then we experienced it after watching the Broadway play "Chicago" (does anyone else see the humor in that) at night. It was WAY WAY WAY more crowded then. We managed to swim our way through the crowd to a street vendor where we got a hotdog and went to a couple stores. The place is CRAZY!!! Would I go there again? Absolutely ... YES!!!

Another thing to cross off the bucket list ... Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love that movie. I love Audrey Hepburn and I LOVE THE WINDOWS AT TIFFANY'S. We packed our pastries at the hotel and took them to Tiffany's on 5th Avenue and I ate it there while Trent took pictures. I have always wanted to do that. We weren't exactly alone. On nearly each street corner were a hundred or so NY police officers. They were gathering for their patrol of the Puerto Rican Heritage Parade that would be coming down the street. They were expecting nearly 2 million people to watch the parade. Do you realize that is more people than live in ALL of Idaho? Crazy!!!

No trip to New York would be complete without a little American history. We went to the 9/11 Memorial Park which is a very special, reverent, and QUIET place. People slow down here to look, feel, and think. I like this place. I love the reflection pools and was touched by the names of all the people who lost their lives on that day. We also took a cruise out to the Statue of Liberty. Both Ellis Island and Liberty Island are closed due to damage from Super-storm Sandy and so you can only get close on the cruise. After having been disappointed (perhaps my expectations were too high) at Mount Rushmore, I had set myself up for just a little lady out there in the harbor. But, NO, Miss Liberty is AWESOME! She is beautiful and giant and a true symbol of America. She deserves to be because she is so great. I could have stared at her FOREVER!!!! I want to go back and visit her up close someday.

As recommended by my friend Don, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge. That was a lot of fun and quite a view. The bridge is under construction and so we saw a lot of nothing sometimes but when it was open then AWE!!! If I lived in New York I would walk that bridge everyday. Ok, probably not. Because if I lived in New York then I would have to work 24/7 just to afford some low-end apartment in Brooklyn.

On our last day, we stepped away from all the traditional touristy stuff and went to Highline Park. The park was built above ground utilizing the old rail lines in the meatpacking district. Someone with great vision turned this possible eyesore into a beautiful green spot. Once again, it was raining, but still the walk was enjoyable. 

I love museums and I was excited to go several in NYC. First we went to the Museum of Natural History. Mostly, I wanted to see it because I expected it to be just as exciting as "Night at the Museum" and guess what, it WASN'T that great. There is no Sacajawea or Teddy Roosevelt on his horse. There aren't any little village people building cities next to other village people with bows and arrows. The Easter Island head is just a plastic cast. Poor museum. I give it a thumbs down because of a fiction movie. I can't help it. I didn't like it. But, the MoMA is awesome because you come out of there thinking, "WHAT the HECK?" I am still giggling about some of the art in there. I am way too simple minded to appreciate its greatness. 

We quickly popped over to the Manhattan Temple, just so I could say I had been there. As you walk up from the subway, there it is. Moroni just standing there. Way different than any other temple I have been to. I slipped into the front door and took a *snap*. That was fun.

I absolutely loved our trip. We did so many things and came home exhausted. We did a lot more things than I have written about, too. We ate delicious dumplings at a dive in Chinatown. Walked thousands of miles. People watched at Columbus Square. Listened to thousands of different languages being spoken.  And we rode public transportation EVERYWHERE and it was so easy and cheap. Trent says all you need in New York is a metro card and smartphone. The system has to work in order to keep those nine million people moving, and not standing, because this city truly doesn't sleep. I can't wait to go again.

Life is good - and New York with Trent was great!!!