Overnight we stayed at a wonderful hotel. We tried to check in early and our room wasn’t ready, but a king suite was. They upgraded us for free. It was a two room suite, but it was three sides of the building. The views were amazing. Unfortunately, it was just for one night and we had to check out today. Given all the amazing things we saw, it may sound crazy, but the views from the hotel room may have been my favorite part of New York City. From my hotel, we took the subway to Time Square. It really was incredible. I’m not sure if it was the cargo pants with double water bottles in each pocket, the two kids in tow, the backpack, or the general look of awe on my face, but just about every street performer and garbage seller had me pegged as a tourist. We quickly learned a scowl and intentional not-seeing works the best. We walked from Times Square to Rockefeller Square. We did a lot of walking. Throughout this trip we’ve tried to find a bakery as good as Nana’s. If you don’t know my mother-in-law Laurie, then you’ve never experienced the best cookies in the world. We had heard of several amazing bakeries in New York City. And they were amazing, but nothing bested Nana. (Because I’m writing this a few days late, we later found one that compared equally to Nana’s cookies. It was a food truck in Boston.) From Time Square, we took the subway again to the World Trade Center Memorial. I expected it to be more emotional, since it was one of the few memorials that I’ve lived for the event. It was a powerful tribute and an amazing space, but so much in the world has happened as a result of those towers coming down. I just had a sense of longing for what could’ve been if none of it had ever happened. From there we walked to the Brooklyn Bridge, took a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, and walked around the business district. On our ferry trip, we noticed that every ferry was shadowed by a Coast Guard boat. It was both welcome and a reminder of what we lost when the WTCs came down. Later, we found an airstream in the city (not ours), used as a food truck. Both the little girl and the Bull were more touristy than I had imagined. Both were shiny in places where tourists had rubbed. You can see it on the girl’s arms, the bull’s head, and one other place. We found some great pizza, fun carousel, and the really quiet little park. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the park. There are a couple boys about Ben’s age running around in the splash park less-than-fully-clothed. (Ben refused to join! 😆) It wasn’t a time that I could take pictures. But it was surprisingly quiet and peaceful. Lastly, we took public transportation back out to New Jersey and said goodbye to New York City. It was a wonderful time, but a really expensive time. And, a really busy time. I was ready to leave, but I think I was the only one.
Finally, I want to give a shout-out to friends. Jason Scully and his family hosted us in New Jersey and made it possible for us to leave Eisley and the truck. Jason joined us for the first day, helped direct our route, figure out the transportation, and gave us great advice. We spent two nights with them and very thankful for their help. Sara‘s friend Wayne Petro was very helpful giving us directions in the city and walking us around the second day.
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AuthorI'm not an Airstream Jedi, yet. Airstream Jedi would have sounded presumptuous, like I know what I'm doing. That couldn't be further from the truth. Padawan is a title I can hope to live up to. Favorite Links:Knots Per Hour
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August 2018
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