The Arch (1889) in Washington Square Park
Meanwhile, the birthday gals and I waited out our departure in the, um, Dunkin' Donuts Business Lounge 😜 in Terminal A.
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Day 5 (April 24, 2016): All good things come to an end.
Day 4 (April 23, 2016): Central Park and other delights
This rat kept us company as we waited for a subway train. The train whooshed into the station, about two inches from him as he walked along the platform edge, and he didn't even wince!
Central Park was in splendid spring bloom mode! Tulips and flowering trees were everywhere.
A caleche in Central Park.
Simply called "The Lake" in the mid-western section of Central Park.
The kids had fun with the topography in the Park.
A so-called ‘Victorian folly,’ Belvedere Castle in Central Park is a Gothic-Romanesque castle serving no other purpose than to
be a very dramatic lookout point.
Friday, 22 April 2016
Day 3 (April 22, 2016): Big day, big birthday, Big Apple!
The famous ball atop Times Square. We will have to return some day on New Years Eve to see it drop!
Ellis Island, where millions of people arrived in America.
And, of course, the piece de resistance -- Lady Liberty herself!
Nothing can describe the feeling of seeing this statue with Manhatten in the background.
The Financial District, dominated by the Freedom Tower.
It may be an island of concrete, but Battery Park (jump off point for the Statue of Liberty) also had an unexpected surprise: beehives!
The site of the two former World Trade Center towers now contains two reflecting pools, each surrounded by engraved names of the 3000 people who died on September 11th, 2001.
The 911 Museum hard to describe: architecturally inspring... gut-wrenching in its content... sombre. The story told here is of major importance to NYC, and to all of us who lived through that time and remember it like yesterday.
The remnants of a firetruck from Ladder 3, partially destroyed by the fall of the Towers on 911. All the crew members perished in the collapse.
And the same view when darkness fell.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Day 2 (April 21, 2016): Take me to the Met!
Our first full day in the Big Apple! And to boot, this is Pam's birthday! She kept saying, "This isn't about my birthday, it's all Mom's!" But in fact, today was indeed about her birthday, with a huge pre-birthday surprise in the mix for June, as well.
We all met in the breakfast area at the Hampton at 8:45am. It was great to see everyone together at last for this long-anticipated trip.
By 10am, we set out together for our first day of exploring, with the objective of doing two main things: Lincoln Center and the Empire State Building. When traveling with a large group spanning ages 8 to 80, one cannot do what a couple of sight-zippers might be able to cover in a day. So although it may not have been what Pam and I are used to on our of our typical touring days, it was probably a good thing to take it slowly, given that I'm trying to see this massive city on crutches.
Everyone except Pam and I set out on foot to trek from the hotel to the Lincoln Center. Pam and I hopped the Subway to Columbus Circle (where there is a monument to Columbus!) and walked the rest of the way. We wanted to make it there ahead of the rest of the gang so that we could pick up our opera tickets, which have been booked since June 2015. It was so amazing to see the Met, Julliard, the ballet company, etc., all in one massive conglomeration of buildings in Lincoln Center.
When the gang arrived on foot, we all gathered around Mrs. Knight to announce the big opera surprise. She was so moved! It was a heart-warming moment for all of us. Tonight at 7:30pm, we will finally get to see an opera at The Met: Puccini's La Boheme.
After the dust settled on the big surprise, we all set out for the Empire State Building via Subway. The labyrinth of lines to get the tickets, then to the 82th floor elevator, and then to the 86th floor observatory took forever, but the sunny skies over Manhatten and the warm day made the views spectacular.
From there, we took in a quick lunch at Wendy's, and then walked back to the hotel. A walk that was much longer than we thought. With Manhatten's grid layout, one tends to forget that a block between streets is very short, but a block from one avenue to the next takes forever!
We took a breather when we got back to the Hampton Inn, and then assembled at 4:30pm to cab or subway it to Ed's Chowder House, across from Lincoln Center, where we celebrated Pam's birthday dinner. The food was great and they brought out a nice birthday dessert and candle for Pam.
At 7pm, we went across the street to Lincoln Center and took in the ambiance before the 7:30 start. The crystal chandeliers in the lobby are a sight to behold in and of themselves! And the well-heeled New Yorkers attending the sold-out performance of La Boheme made people watching a lot of fun.
I'm not an opera fan -- let's just put that out there right now. However, the quality of the performance, the sets, the costumes, the hoards of people on stage -- everything -- made it a real sight to behold. It was one of those rare performance opportunities of a lifetime, without a doubt. Mrs. Knight was in her glee throughout the whole three hours. The standing ovation went on and on and on, and for good reason.
Hailing a cab in NYC is an art. One which we aren't so good at yet! It took a long time to get a taxi after the show, but we did make it home by 11pm.
All told, it was a wonderful first day, filled with celebrations and surprises.
The New York Times offices, close to our hotel.
Funky NYC architecture near Times Square.
Tulips and cherry blossoms on Broadway.
Presenting a La Boheme mug to Mrs. Knight -- with an opera ticket inside! What a wonderful moment of surprise, none of us will ever forget.
Trying to stay together in the New York subway
The Macy's flag ship store on 34th Street.
Foyer of the Empire State Building.
The views of Manhatten were stunning on such a warm, clear spring day!
Does the world possess another collection of bricks and mortar this dense and impressive?
The view south, towards the Financial District, with the relatively new Freedom Tower dominating the skyline.
This 50-year old ambulance was sitting near our hotel on the way home. Very impressive!
Celebrating Pam's birthday at Ed's Chowder House.
Pam was in her birthday glee. Having the entire family together made turning another year older much more palpable.
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