Travel Adventures with Wil: 2015

Manhattan, September 14 - 17, 2015

For our 30th wedding anniversary, we wanted an adventure that would be exciting and something different than anything we'd done before, so we chose a venture to Manhattan in New York City.

As country bumpkins, we were in awe of the height of the sky scrapers. This is the first one we encountered upon emerging from Penn Station. It really does go up into the clouds.

I had to see Radio City Music Hall and touch the door handle and go inside and think of my beloved Mrs. Borg. She was an original Rockette - the shortest on the right.

The building I found most beautiful was Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It took up a whole block from font to back with layers and layers of intricate carvings. It is an old, elegant building with modern skyscrapers popping up all around it.

The inside was as magnificent as the outside.
There was a funeral about to take place and the mourners were taking their places in the pews, dressed all in black, with the tourists traipsing around on both sides of the pews. Tourists were even walking past the priests and behind the altar to the other chapels in the rear of the building.

Wil was asked to remove his hat, but we were not asked to leave, even as the funeral seemed about to start. We left soon because I did not feel right infringing on a funeral.

At night it looked like an ice sculpture against the sky.

"We're a couple of swells..."

Walking down 5th Avenue, (not up like the couple of swells) we went into Saks 5th Avenue where Wil couldn't resist his typical antics of posing with the mannequins.

He browsed at a necklace and pin set for $51,000 and a fashion scarf for $1,050. I knew I would not be taking home a little something special for myself from this store.

We were intrigued by the hugeness of the buildings,

and the number of them.

Making our way down the ramp into
Grand Central Terminal it seemed pretty quiet.

Then we found the crowd and the buzz of activity.

I couldn't find platform nine and three-quarters.

This is the ceiling in the main terminal. It had exquisite carvings and detail.

Grand Central Terminal was huge - three levels and the full width of a block. It was like a shopping mall and food court. It did have a nice Market with fresh produce and fancy foods. We bought a bag of fresh fruit, which I thought would be scarce in the concrete city.

We were surprised at the price
of Sockeye Salmon - $31.99 a pound. The most we have paid at Pendleton Farmers' Market is $10 a pound.

Next on our walking loop - The New York Public Library - another beautifully ornate building.

The inside was as much a museum as it was a library. We could have spent hours looking around.

Wil can't resist his photographic yearning, even on vacation.

The ceiling and walls on the top floor had murals painted all around. It also housed the first book ever printed on a printing press - the Gutenberg Bible.

I knew we would see pigeons in the city. This one outside the library was apparently named Kevin, since he was strutting around this name tag taped to a step.

Bryant Park at the back of the library was a relaxing place smack dab in the middle of the bustle of the city.

Is it any wonder Wil's favorite place was Times Square? The girl on the right was especially articulate and personable.

The Naked Cowboy was not to be outdone. He was very bold. He took my water bottles and set them at Wil's feet and before I knew it, there I was.

He asked if we were cowboys

out in Oregon.

I asked if he was really a cowboy and he said,

"not at all."

We visited Greenwich Village at night and entered Washington Square Park where a band was playing and people were casually milling about. It was a different vibe than Midtown. We liked it.

It was impossible to take a photo of anything without people or traffic in the frame. We actually came to like the activity in the shots because it depicts the business of the city.

We tried, unsuccessfully, to find delicious New York style pizza, but we chose the wrong restaurants. This pizza was okay, but New York Ritchie's in Pendleton is way better. The comedy barkers on the street recommended this place. They probably have a deal to promote each other. We hadn't yet figured out to go to restaurants with high recommendations on Yelp and that had an A rating.

Back at Times Square after Greenwich Village, we were all smiles after seeing Louis C. K. at Comedy Cellar. Wil was delighted - "oh my!" I laughed till I cried. His intro was about middle aged people, and we, along with one other couple, were the only middle aged people in the audience. The village seemed to be the nightly hangout for New York University students, and other hip couples younger than us.

The next morning we toured Central Park in a pedicab driven by Yacouba from the Ivory Coast of East Africa. He also served as photographer, although I still like some of our selfies, with and without the selfie stick.
yaka76@gmail.com 917-679-1986

There were many places in Central Park and Yacouba told us multiple facts, or stories. Either way, it was entertaining. It took us a few minutes to learn to understand his accent. This is Bethesda Fountain.

Yacouba told us all the celebrities who lived in the buildings around the park and how much they paid for them. Yacouba said Jerry Seinfeld purchased an entire column of the building behind us for $35 million.

That is the Bow Bridge behind us where, according to Yacouba, couples go to make their marriage proposals.

So, of course, we had to do something romantic.

Construction on the park began in 1821, according to Yacouba, and all the rocks were left intact. The park was preserved as the city sprung up around it.

It amazes me how there is a distinct line between huge sprawling city and huge sprawling park. Two opposite worlds next to each other.

Our first subway venture was to Harlem where we ate at Amy Ruth's and ordered The Reverend Al Sharpton - fried chicken on a waffle. This was our first good meal and it was delicious.

Amy Ruth's offered southern comfort soul food.

Harlem had an entirely different feel. It was not touristy. We encountered real people going about their daily lives and engaged in friendly banter with each other as they walked along or as they sat in folding chairs in a semi circle in front of their stores.

On the way back to Midtown from Harlem, we passed the ominous Trump International Hotel. The reflection of the buildings across the street is cool.

The Professional Performing Arts School on 48th Street. Students must audition for admission and only 1 in 20 are admitted. They even have a middle school. There are residential areas and homey areas throughout the city. You can be walking down a crowded, noisy street, then turn down a side street and be in a quieter, family type neighborhood.

We were surprised by the piles of garbage that accumulated at the end of each day. There are 1.6 million people on the island of Manhattan, not counting the tourists. I suppose that does create a lot of trash. Garbage trucks picked up garbage every night.

We were drawn to this mounted policeman, perhaps because we were missing the Round-Up.

We saw Jersey Boys on Broadway. It was a history lesson on The Four Seasons as well as entertainment. Great fun. Even Wil gave a standing ovation.

After the theater, we enjoyed another fine meal at

Patzeria Family & Friends in the Theater District:

Chicken Parmigiana and Lasagna.

Our favorite meals were actually at "holes in the wall." Tiny little buildings just a step off the sidewalk.

New York cheesecake is divine. It is unlike any cheesecake I've had. Silky and delicious; it melts in your mouth. We had it twice.

Times Square was busiest after
the Broadway shows ended.
It is, after all,
the city that doesn't sleep.

Even the street carts are decorated in city style.

Rockefeller Center. The views were so tall our camera couldn't get it all.

At first, we were timid on the subway, but by the third ride we were competent. We did not encounter our stereotype of rude New Yorkers. The people we asked for directions were friendly and helpful. Some went out of their way to help us. Maybe New Yorkers aren't rude - just moving at a different pace.

Breakfast in
Greenwich Village at
La Bonbonniere.
The streets of the village
were quaint - and diagonal. It took us forever
to find this place.

I'm realizing how relaxed he looked. We need to take more vacations - or he needs to work less.

The Ground Zero Memorial was a somber place. Walking in, we could feel a weight push down on us. The energy seemed to change to heavy and sad.

Seven buildings fell, and seven are being re-built around the memorials. This is the Freedom Tower.

This is a piece of sculpture that was pulled from the 911 wreckage, currently on display at Battery Park. We also saw the Survivor Tree, which survived 911 and was moved to a nursery, then re-planted at the site when construction allowed. We did not photograph the tree as the somber atmosphere evoked respectful reflection.

We avoided lines and crowds, so did not ride the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We viewed it from Battery Park, and were just as pleased.

In the city, we saw some birds, and two squirrels, and on the walkway leading to Battery Park, it was quiet enough that we heard crickets.

I thought the city would be a solid concrete jungle. Much of it was, and interestingly, with new concrete and glass buildings built right around the old buildings. But, there was plenty of greenery and residential life, too.

Mmm...my favorite meal was at Mamoun's Falafel in Greenwich Village (we liked the village). Mine was the falafel in back. Wil had a shawarma.

Wil stood at a table outside to eat. I was fortunate to get a seat at a bench. Wil snapped a photo from the doorway to show the smallness of the establishment.