2013 NYC by Train 8 - Brooklyn to 8th to 44th

We got off the bus at Greenpoint. Teshia's summer apartment is located nearby in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. She said it is kind of an up and coming area with lots of little restaurants and bars. Per Wikipedia, it is an influential hub for indie rock, hipster culture, and the local art community. Sounds like Teshia picked the perfect spot for her summer stay in Brooklyn, NYC.

She took us to Spritzenhaus33 for a refresher. It had an expansive bar with lots of beer choices, as well as hard liquor. There was a huge fire place in the middle of the hall and high stacks of oak firewood waiting for cold weather. Picnic tables were plentiful for seating and the 
"wall" windows were garage door style. They were all open today because the weather was so pleasant. See www.spritzenhaus33.com.

Mike was a little dehydrated so a large water for him. Teshia had beer and I had my usual cuba libra (rum and coke with lime). They didn't have Myers Dark, but Goslings worked. The menu was limilted, at least at this time of day, mostly appetizers and sandwiches. We weren't starved, so we shared a German style pretzel with peanut sauce for dipping. Teshia paid (on dad's credit card). Thanks, Tom! 

A big entertainment attraction here is the Jenga game. There were boxes scattered everywhere--on the fireplace, tables, bar, floor. Just grab one and start playing with your friends. The goal is to remove a block from the pre-arranged wooden tower and place it back on the topmost level in a balanced way. The person that places a block just before it falls is the loser. It is all based on manual dexterity and mental skill. See www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenga. We were not up for a game, but enjoyed snooping at the challenges going on around us.

After our quick refreshment stop, we wandered a bit through some iffy neighborhood back streets. I wasn't nervous in the late afternoon, but night might have been different. Lots of trash, not so good graffiti on abandoned buildings, bicycle frame padlocked to a street sign pole (no wheels or handle bars, rusted, long abandoned, but still locked to the pole). People we passed said "Hi" and we felt safe passing through.

No sure what subway line (M or L maybe?) we took from the Brooklyn side, under the East River, and back to Manhattan. When we hit daylight again we were near Teshia's favorite NY book store, The Strand, at 8th and Broadway. We popped in for a browse. It reminded us of the original Border's in Ann Arbor--several floors and every nook and cranny packed to the brim. If you want it, they have it or they can get it. Rare, out of print, hot off the press, and book related necessaries. This 1927 establishment's motto is "Where books are loved" and you can tell it is true.

Here we unwillingly parted ways from our niece. We so enjoyed our short but sweet visit with her. But she had things to do and places yet to go this day. It was strange to see the little one that we so wanted to hold on to now evolved into a butterfly of independence and confidence. It was inevitable. We are so proud of her and her parents that led her through the zigzag steps of life to this point. Nothing but promise ahead.

We could have taken a subway back, but decided to walk as far as we could. We were at 8th Street and Broadway and our hotel was at 44th Street and 5th Avenue. That meant about 40 blocks. One thing about the blocks in NYC is that they are SHORT. Thank goodness. You feel like you make quick progress.

What touched us as we plodded along was the architecture. Every era represented, some very innovative, some classic, some traditional, some perplexing, some ugly. Also, saw street artists, news stands, public works of art. At Union Square Park we cut off onto Park Street (which is also 5th Ave). That took us through the Gramercy and Murray Hill districts. Awesome people and pet watching. It made the time fly.

We spotted the flagship Brooks Brothers store. It was a fashion icon in our youth, but not as much in the limelight these days. We continued within eye shot of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building (one of our favorite structures in the world). We again strolled past the grand NYC public library on 5th and the historic Grand Central Station.

We finally turned left on 44th and discovered the New York City Yacht Club building. It is out of this world with windows that look like the sterns of ancient sailing ships. It was built in 1900 in the Beaux-Arts style with lots of sea-faring details carved in the stone facing. The history of this building and the NYC Yacht Club are definitely worth reading more about at www.nyyc.org. Mike stated this may be his new favorite building in the world and what a great loft it would make!!

Back at our hotel we were both pooped with feet aching. We took a brief siesta and then ventured out again for dinner around 7p. We asked the front desk where we could get some good New York pizza. He suggested John's, which I had seen in our wanderings, so away we went.

  

John's was on 44th west of Times Square, but when we got there the line spilled into the street. We were hungry, but Mike does not usually stand in line for anything. We left a little disappointed and headed back across Times Square looking for a deli.

Pausing in Times Square is a must. It is amazing. We wondered how many light bulbs, LEDs, etc there could possible be in just this little area of NYC. Every color, every shape. Unreal, but very real. So many people. Lots of cops, too. Reassuring. After about 5 minutes of jaw-dropping awe we continued on.

We saw a sign with parking rates. A bit hard to read above, but per car monthly rates are $497.90 between 6a-5p and an additional $497.90 between 5p-6a. One hour is $18.59. Plus there is an 18-3/8% parking tax!!

Shortly after that we came across a promising deli and cafe. We opted to grab a sandwich and eat back at the hotel. We got a turkey/bacon/avocado on ciabatta. It came with half a kosher dill (all mine!!!).  You could make a whole sandwich at home with just the avocado on this one. We got cold drinks and cookies for dessert. We were hungry, it was good, and I ate my whole half (meat and all). What a way to end the night and great inspiration to hit the hay, so we did.

2013 NYC by Train 7 - The Teshia Tour

Teshia met us about 1pm at our hotel. We chatted about all that was happening in her life, and then headed for MoMA-PS1 in Brooklyn. She has become quite the NYC expert and tour guide...thank goodness.

The hotel is in Midtown Manhattan, so we headed south or downtown to find a subway entrance. We walked past the NYC Public Library on 5th Ave with its stately marble lions guarding the Beaux Arts building doors. It looked more like a museum than any library we had seen. Wish we had time to go in and browse. Next trip.

Behind the library, we passed through Bryant Park, a lush oasis snuggled in a canyon of high-rise buildings.  The lovely park includes a grassy lawn for sunbathing, a plaza with fountain, park benches, and a charming carousel. Several dining choices and tables were available to catch a snack. There are outdoor game areas set up for chess, backgammon, ping pong, and Petanque (French version of bocce ball). It was a warm day, but shade from numerous trees made it quite comfortable.

We paused for a minute while Teshia helped us download and explain the NY Subway System app. We were glad she was with us to dissipate the mystery of this underground transportation labyrinth. We found the closest station. To pay, the best plan was for each to buy a Metro Card. Each entry to the subway is $2.50. For that price you could transfer any number of times until you exited the subway system. We each bought $10 worth of fares.

As we waited for our train, we listened to a fiddle player doing Yiddish Klezmer style music. We hopped on the #7 subway at Bryant Park, traversed under the East River, and exited at Court Square. The stations and subway cars were much more clean and welcoming than we expected (from watching TV shows). Clientele were students, business and everyday folks, not intimating at all.

The exit on the Brooklyn side was above ground on a raised platform. We had a nice view of the area. Many buildings were graffitied with exceptional spray paintings up several stories high. More works of art than works of vandalism. A block or two walk, past an old fashioned art deco diner and we had arrived at MoMA-PS1 (Museum of Modern Art - Public School #1), where Teshia is interning for the summer.

The public school building itself was erected around 1892 in the Romanesque Revivalist style. It was the first school in this Long Island City neighborhood of NYC and closed in 1963 due to low attendance. It then became a warehouse.

In 1971, the Institute for Art and Urban Resources was founded there as part of an effort to use abandoned and underutilized spaces in NYC. PS1 transitioned through several phases before a renovation in 2000. At that time it became formally affiliated with MoMA and is an exhibition site rather than a collecting institution.

Much of the original space was preserved, including its classroom-sized exhibition rooms and galleries. It devotes its energy and resources to experimental art, emerging artists, and dialogue regarding new ideas, trends, and genres. They also schedule music and performance art events. Per its website, it is a true artistic laboratory.

I hope I have all this right. If not, I'm sure Teshia will let us know and we can fix it. Anyway, you will get the idea. -- We started our tour by entering the lobby and gift shop. There were fish-eyed peep holes bored through the wall, which gave you had a tiny view to the outside world. Not sure the reasoning ... probably no reason, just fun.
Next we passed through a courtyard containing a huge wood art piece. It was erected with re-purposed wood from a skateboard factory and held down with big bundles filled with water. You could see where the skateboards had been cut out from the plywood boards. There were other water features and places for kids (all ages) to play and relax.

To one side was located The Colony, a "commune" of artists living on the property trying experimental ways of living and doing art simultaneously. And a very cool 90-degree community garden space.

Community engagement is a big feature of this 125,000 square foot facility. All the space is open to the public for browsing and interaction, even the basement with its gold painted original furnace system and waterworks. Remnants of a bygone era, steam-punkish, and very cool. (Sorry, no photos allowed here.) 

Warm Up was this year's summer music series event and Teshia was very involved with "curating" these weekly happenings as part of her internship. These are held in the courtyard with the "stage" on the wide steps leading up to the school entrance.

Currently, inside were environmental works, including a basement room filled with water, goldfish, flora. It felt and smelled like a tropical oasis, but visually was rough and raw. In other rooms, sound and light became art objects. In another, old pipes, dust-filled furnace filters, and rusty tools were displayed as art. So much more. Each classroom a different artist, a different idea, a different feel. Some nicely unique and some oddly weird.


Next we peeked into the gourmet-ish "cafeteria," out of place modern compared to the rest of the site. Then a quick back room tour of the offices, meeting rooms and library, and then off to lunch. 

We waited for about 20 minutes for a bus, but time flew as we chatted and surveyed the area. We studied more art/graffiti on the old warehouse buildings. Very inventive and clever ideas. Political statements. Art from the heart. We finally hopped on the bus to the Greenpoint stop and our snack spot in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

PS1 is also where the NY Art Book Fair is held each September. For more info on PS1, see www.momaps1.org and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moma_PS1. 

PS - Forgot to tell you about The Hole at P.S.1, Fifth Solar Chthonic (definition: concerning, belonging to, or inhabiting the underworld) Wall Temple art piece by Alan Saret. As we walked from the subway station to PS1 our niece pointed out a small hole in the brick work on the third floor outside wall. It is on the eastern end of the north wing of PS1. She commented that we should remember it.

Then, near the end of our tour (on the third floor), she pointed out the same hole from the inside of the building. Sunlight streams down from the small orifice to the floor. At different times of day and season, the sunlight pierces in at differing angles and strengths, and makes various sun spot shapes on the floor below it. The sun becomes the medium that makes an evolving natural art piece. This is the kind of interesting stuff that goes on at MoMA-PS1.

For more info, read www.momaps1.org/exhibitions/view/171. This may make the holes through the wall in the lobby mentioned above more significant...mimicking this original.

2013 NYC by Train 6 - Daylight Delight in NYC

Woke up to a perfect weather day. Maybe slightly warm, but not a scorcher. Mike was refreshed and feeling great, to my delight. After last night I was not sure how things would go.

Today we had a date with our niece, Teshia. She is interning at MoMA-PS1 in Brooklyn and seeing her is what really motivated our visit here. We had been longing to get to NYC for an extended trip for forever, but just never got around to it. Teshia here, was the incentive to actually travel to this must-see city.

We were to meet her later in the day, so we started a morning trek to pass the time. Some North Carolinians we met in the lobby recommended a French place for breakfast, so we headed that way. But a few doors down we saw The Red Flame, a typical NY diner. It was full and hopping. If this many people liked it, so would we.

We got a seat in the back across from the kitchen order window and we were amazed at how quick and crazy orders were coming in and going out. Wait persons of many different nationalities hollered out orders to the cooks, each order having adjustments to the menu listing. Service was excellent and soon our pancakes and avocado/spinach/Swiss omelet arrived (served to order with all our "adjustments"). Coffee was good, orange juice was fresh squeezed, food was tasty and plentiful, and service was excellent. We were in and out in a jiffy and on our wandering way.


We continued west on 44th to Times Square. We would cross this famous corner many times during our stay. It was exhilarating and fascinating no matter what time of day, and always worth a pause in our venture. People watching is at its utmost here. Even at 10am, there were throngs. Per Wikipedia: "Although Times Square is only 1% of NYC's total land size, it generates 11% of the city's economic output and 10% of the city's jobs."

Many of the "jobs" are photo opportunists. These folks are costumed as every pop art character you can think of--many Muppet look-alikes;  Spiderman; Dora, the Explorer; Builder Bob; Mario; Angelina, the Ballerina; and a host of others. These all appealing to kids (of all ages) who then want their photo taken with the "personality," whose parents than have to pay a "tip." We overheard one little boy say as he headed away, "OK, Spidey, we're going to the park now" (as if he wanted Spidey to look after him in this big, over the top, maybe foreign to him, city).

We also saw the famous Naked Cowboy. Yes, he has his own Wikipedia entry at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_Cowboy. He is a "street performer" that runs around Times Square in cowboy boots and hat and white jockey style briefs. Today he did not play his guitar, but was still VERY popular with his attire (or lack thereof) and longish blond curly hair. The gals run up to him for a hug and a photo. Imagine getting paid for hugging pretty girls! Sometimes he picks them up in his arms like going-over-the-threshold-on-your-wedding-night style or smooches them. I was not up for any of that, but I must say "That guy is really hunky!"

We meandered north and west along interesting looking blocks, marveling at the variety of architecture--classic buildings from NYC-Manhattan's beginnings to mirrored skyscrapers where you could hardly tell the reflections of clouds in the windows from the actual clouds above. We continued through the main and fringe areas of the Theatre District. It is our plan to see Book of Mormon sometime on this trip, but didn't happen past the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where it is playing.

We window shopped at many fun stores along our way. One was NY Gifts which had a replica of the Statue of Liberty outside. I told Mike to stand by Her for a photo as we were not sure we would see Lady Liberty in person on this trip. Good thing, too, as we were not able to fit Her in. Big reason to return here.

Another thing we noticed was the abundance of NYC police. They take their security seriously here. Lots of police and lots of video monitors. Times Square even has an NYPD station located in its heart. And American flags everywhere. After 9-11, this must have become the most patriotic city in America.

Winding our way back to the hotel to catch up with our niece, Teshia, we came across a great little beer bar named Beer Culture. It is on West 45th between 8th and 9th Avenues. It has been open only two weeks, but we could tell this is going to be a booming place and a plus for Hell's Kitchen. (We found out later that was its neighborhood, but we didn't find it imposing or hellish at all.) See www.beerculturenyc.com for more info.

It was only 11:50am and they didn't open til 12n on Sunday per NY law. They invited us in and until we could get served we chatted with the owner, Matt, and his sidekick, Eddie. Mike "delved" into beer his whole life and did some home brew stints in California. (Abigail Ale, an experimental IPA, was one of his favorites, named after our first cat Abigail.) So he could keep up with the beer minutia conversation very well.

I, on the other hand, know very little and have only drunk one whole bottle of beer in my life that I can think of. That was a Modelo in Puerto Rico with our good friends Lynn and Sandy. We were motoring around the hot and high mountains when we ran across a little hole in the wall roadside bar in the middle of the jungle-y terrain. We were all perspiring heartily and needed rehydration. Beer was the only option and I downed one pronto. I wish I could say different, but that was the only time I enjoyed a beer. Personally, I'd rather have water, wine, or tequila. 


Anyway at noon we ordered. Not sure what Mike had but I ordered a Lindemans Framboise Lambic ale. That is a Belgium fruit style beer that tastes more like fizzy raspberry juice than beer. I have had this many times as a pseudo beer. They had several other brands, but they were bigger bottles and I didn't want to get too "relaxed" as we had a long day ahead. So I stuck with my tried and true.

This place is called Beer Culture for good reason. It has numerous coolers filled with 415 varieties of beers and they hope to get up to 600 at their max. The beers are place by east to west origin in the cooler so you can easily find one from any area of the U.S. or the world. We looked for Bells (brewed in our home town of Kalamazoo), but they said they were in sore need of that. They had Founders (nearby Grand Rapids brewed) and a few other Michigan brews.

Most of the 400 are artisan, designer, or micorbrew kind of stuff. They also have an old fashion refrigerator with some old time working men's beers--Miller, Papst, Schlitz, Rolling Rock. Stuff your grandpa would drink. No Bud though. On the inside door is a photo of a naked lady. Matt said most people miss that as they are really enjoying looking at the "vintage" beers.

They had about 10 brews on tap that change constantly depending on what Matt can get his hands on. The curiosity of "what's new" keeps the clientele coming back he said. While Mike was in the restroom, Matt came out and asked me which tap beer should go in the chili that day. I was not a good person to ask, but he said, "This one is kind of smoky," so I said, "Sure!" Now I'm a beer aficionado and a cook! HaHa!

Matt also has a unique collection of beer locked in a wrought iron cage. These are mostly Belgium beers valued at several hundred dollars per bottle. Some of the bottles are magnum size! Matt advised beers, if tapped and stored properly, can last 60-70 years. You think of wine in this regard, but not beer. I was only there about an hour but learned more about beer than I had my whole life--bottling, serving, styles, etc.

The menu sounded delicious, especially coming from the little 4x4 corner kitchen. We will come back to try the hot Caprese sandwich. And another surprise, they have USB ports and power sources below the bar counter for patrons. That is a first, as far as I know.

During our chit-chat Matt said that they put a different quote on the outdoor sandwich board each day. He was using a line from Mike's conversation for the quote today. He wouldn't tell us what it was, but said look on our way out. When we finally and reluctantly had to leave to catch up with our niece, he came out with us to see the board and took our photo. Fun, fun, fun!

On YELP Mike says "Beer Culture is one of the best thought out beer selling operations he has ever seen. Plus they were playing George Benson and Lou Reed on VINYL for background music!!" That is really making a statement for Mike and he bought a T-shirt, too.


On the way back to our hotel we had to pause at 7th Avenue. There was a Gay Pride Parade going on today. This was huge, lasting from 1-5pm. When we arrived, the Dominican Republic contingent was passing. It was a colorful display, somewhat political, cultural, and gay mixed in together. We had to wait a bit to cross to our side of 5th Ave. It would have been fun to watch for awhile, but we were anxious to catch up with Teshia.

2013 NYC by Train 5 - The Gonk

We arrived to our hotel about 8pm, warmly greeted by the "confused" hotel clerk. Many apologies. Mike feeling weak, sat down in a comfy arm chair while I handled check-in. Without asking, a bell man appeared with a wine glass full of cool water. Mike guzzled. Some color returning. Check-in was smooth and we were soon headed to our 6th floor room.

We like lodging at places with historical significance and that's why we choose the Algonquin Hotel in the heart of NYC. It is famous in literary circles, even today. In 1919, "The Gonk" (as it was lovingly known) was located around the corner from the New Yorker Magazine offices.

A group of journalists, editors, and critics regularly lunched at one particular table in the lobby lounge and it became known as the Round Table. Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, and Edna Ferber were the core group, but actors, authors, and playwrights (such as Tallulah Bankhead, George S. Kaufman, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner, and Harpo Marx) joined on a "rotating" basis. 

Today the hotel is designated as a NYC Landmark (1987) , a Literary Landmark (1996) , and named as one of "America's Ten Great Historic Hotels" in Historic Travel Magazine's premier issue. See www.algonquinhotel.com/algonquin-hotel-times-square-autograph-collection and www.algonquinroundtable.org for more info.

Although the hotel was built in 1902, it had a huge makeover in 2012, which embodies the original spirit of the hotel. The decor is a mix of elegant 1920's and art deco. Color scheme is dark woods, earth tones, gold and black. There is a wonderful portrait of the prime Round Table members in the lobby lounge (see bar photo above) and a display case with some of their autographs.

And we didn't see the latest, but there has also been a series of hotel cats given full roaming privileges since the 1930's. All the male cats are named Hamlet and the females are Matilda. The current Matilda even has her own Facebook page: Matilda-The Algonquin Cat.


In the public hallways are original narrow staircases with wrought iron railings. Walls are decorated with framed and famed New Yorker Magazine covers. There are also framed copies of cartoons from the New Yorker. Mike and I had to laugh because we talked about how we often did not "get" the cartoons when we saw them in the magazine. We read them now as we waited for the elevator and said we STILL did not get them or at least did not find them so humorous. For the most part too wry, subtle, NYC "insider" for us to think funny.

Each room door has a plaque with a famous quote. Ours said, "I don't believe in astrology. The only stars I can blame for my failures are those that walk about the stage," by Noel Coward (the playwright). We had to laugh at that, as Deb is such a big theatre buff.

Our room was small, but fabulous. Although we usually get a king, we had a queen bed on this trip. Just enough room to walk around the bed at the foot, but adequate otherwise. We're thinking the room size was original and we were OK with that. Above the bed was a blown-up photograph of NYC street life. Very cool, because it was back-lit and offered a very theatrical effect. The reading lights were also intriguing as they were flat to the wall, but turned on when they were pivoted down. Quite clever.


The bathroom was minuscule (still not complaining, just "reporting"), but was luxurious. The shower might be the smallest we have ever experienced in a hotel room. Hard to reach your feet. The toilet was very modern with separate light and "heavy" flush buttons. Towels were plush and toiletries were deluxe.


We actually had three windows, but the views were not on the street side. Still we didn't mind. They were the backs of high-rises, the courtyard of a closed restaurant (tables, chairs, and planters piled high), and typical NYC fire escapes. A street view might have been better, but this was quite quiet. A plus for us.

Overall, we love-loved our room. Good service. No complaints. You felt really good there. We would definitely go back.

As an aside, when I was a little girl I would often visit my grandparents near downtown Chicago. After my afternoon naps, I would sit on my Gramma's lap and chit-chat until I fully awoke. At these times, she kiddingly called me Tallulah. We also had little fashion shows where I would dress up in some new outfit she bought and I was "Tallulah" then, too. I thought that was a silly made-up name, but a really cool name. I sometimes wished that was my real name. But later I figured she took it from Tallulah Bankhead, a pretty wild and rowdy woman for her day. Go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallulah_Bankhead for more info. To this day, I think maybe it fits (a little)!

2013 NYC by Train 4 - Penn Station to Algonquin Hotel

Pennsylvania or Penn Station was not what we expected. It seemed old, dark, dirty, with questionable clientele interspersed with weary travelers. It is a major inter-city station and commuter rail hub, and services an amazing 300,000 passengers a day.

About an hour before we arrived into Penn Station, Mike got the queasies--sweats and nausea. This we guess from him being awake for 36 hours straight. When we arrived at the station he went into the restroom to splash cold water into his face. It helped a little, but I was quite concerned because we had about a 15 block walk to the hotel and we were dragging our wheelie bags. Not sure if Mike was ready for that. I suggested a cab, but he said to soldier on.

We labyrinthed our way up two levels to the street, one by escalator and one by stairs. Outdoors felt a little more refreshing after the stuffy train and claustrophobic train station. We were at 32nd and 8th Street and had to schlep our way north or uptown to 44 Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 

I had studied the Manhattan map and I thought I knew which way to head, but decided to ask. Did not want to waste time getting Mikie to bed. Glad I asked because we would have gone the wrong way. (Darn, in this old age I'm losing my spot-on sense of direction.)

The streets were busy and crowded. We weren't the only ones trudging along with bags, but we sure weren't used to trekking through hoards of people with these awkward "pets" slothing along behind us and with worries of people toes being crushed underneath our wheels.

There was every type of human creature you can imagine--females of all ages in skimpy clothing, couples in formal attire and jewels headed to a Saturday night play, one sickly homeless guy laying on the street with his precious belongings scattered around him, heads together in confidence wrangling drug deals, kids running in play, everyday people headed home or shopping or leaning against walls taking it all in, some "normal," some suspicious. Me keeping an eye on Mike ahead and my trailing bag behind.

Eighth Ave was not a particular memorable street, at least at this particular moment in time. Mostly stores selling knock-off type jewelry, purses, luggage, cameras, knick-knack treasures, some higher end stores, but we were not in a shopping or sight-seeing kind of mood. Wall-to-wall people, unknown territory, sick husband. Get us to our hotel !!!

Twelve blocks later (at least they were short blocks) we turned right onto 44th. Ugh. The crowd got more dense with long, thick lines of people waiting to get into theaters. People huddled around ticket windows. Cabbies, dropping off fares. Street vendors lined up taking advantage of your tired, your hungry, your thirsty,... Oh, the hordes of humanity. OK, so now I'm being a bit flippant and a tad exaggerated, but geez.

It all peaked when we hit the crossroads of Broadway, 44th, and 7th--Times Square. I cannot imagine what New Year's Eve must be like here, as this was beyond anything we had experienced since Bangkok, Thailand. The lights. The battalions of people. The difference was I weirdly felt like I was in slow motion. Yes, there were hawkers and walkers, but for the most part everyone was standing still, with mouths open, looking at the dreamlike backdrop of a million-trillion lights illuminating the skyscraper-sized billboards. People mesmerized and trying to verbalize the panorama in every foreign language. Heck, I felt like a foreigner. No photo or TV show could portray the reality of this moment.

My brother-in-law Tom recently reminded me of the classic photo of the sailor kissing the girl in Times Square after WWII. That historic scene never entered my mind, as this was so far removed from that moment in time. We were stuck in our own time warp, trying to take it all in. Overwhelming, but wonderful at the same time. Stop, stare, our mouths hung open, too; not sure where to look, high, low, American flag created in lights, animation, movement, flood of color, flood of humanity. Drowning?!

Oh, boy, back to reality. Catch breath. Mike white as a sheet. Where is our hotel? It should be nearby, but the building numbers were confusing. We need 59 West 44th. But the numbers kept bouncing high and low. 329, then 1109, the 244, then 1549. What the heck. Ask a cop. He should know (the hotel had only been open since 1902 and is quite famous for its literary history). "Could you direct us to the Algonquin Hotel?" He says we are going in the wrong way.

Head back across Times Square. Building numbers still not making sense. Go two blocks. Ask a few more people. Call the hotel. She says keep going, just a bit further. Go two more blocks. Ask a waitress at an outdoor cafe. She checks with the boss. Looks at our map. First person to really stop and take an honest moment to help us.

Sends us back the way we came. Go two blocks back. Worried. Crying. I ask Mike, "Are you ready for a cab?" No, just go. I trust that he is OK if he says he is OK. Call the hotel. Desk clerk confused. I thought it was just us. Says now to continue this way. Cross back across Times Square. By this time, it's not so foreign. Just hot, dense, and over the top, bordering on obnoxious. I tell Mike to rest and hold the bags, while I venture further to make sure we are still not an a wild goose chase. Two blocks later I see the sign. Hallelujah! We were almost there when we had talked to the cop. Just a block and a half beyond that point. Dang it!

OK, no matter now. Get Mike. Get to hotel. Get to room. Exhausted. Both. Get to bed. Happy now. Sweet dreams.

2013 NYC by Train 3 - Trackin' Down the Rails

Our route began in the midnight darkness and continued that way until just past Cleveland. Could not see much except flashing lights and reflections. No details, no outlines, a bit boring. I was able to catch a few winks off and on, but really could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. We bought fresh new neck pillows to support our heads, but that really didn't take the place of our fave bed pillows. Mike just could not sleep for even a moment, but was entertained by his iPod and Kindle books.

Near Cleveland (6am), I was up for the count. We had visited Cleveland recently (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) and knew some other landmarks to look for (Cleveland Browns Stadium, wind turbine, Lake Erie, downtown skyline). It was still dark, but we could recognize a few. It's hard to get a good photo on the train, especially at night. The train is so bumpy, there are lots of unwanted reflections, and the windows are dirty/streaky.

Near Erie PA the sun burst through the clouds in a lovely sunrise and a sign of wonderful traveling days ahead. Around 6:30am we jolted our way to the dining car. It was a bustle. We got the last open table and were soon joined by Brett, an interesting man from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He and his son had sleeper-ette seats (not a sleeper room but reserved seats that completely recline to make a bed) and told us all about how that works. He owns a recording business and travels on the train a lot. We chatted about the interesting places we had all been to and experienced.

You had four choices for breakfast. I chose the scrambled egg and grits. I always get grits when they are available on vacation, cuz I never make them at home. Mike had pancakes. Our table mate had a spicy Mexican frittata. All the dishes and silverware were thin plastic, unlike the fancy china you see on trains in movies. I was expecting at least ceramic, but it did display the Amtrak logo. The food was not outstanding, but acceptable. The waiter was brusque, but likable. The coffee was excellent.

Back in our seats, we traveled along the Erie Canal with its numerous mini-locks. After seeing the Soo Locks earlier this year in upper Michigan, these seemed VERY small. Here's a photo of our two engines as we traveled around a wide curve. We figured there were nearly 20 cars on our train including the sleepers, lounge, dining, baggage and cargo storage, and reserve seat cars.
We saw train after freight train going in the opposite direction and some passing along side us in the same direction. I mean one at least every 10 minutes or so. One complaint of many avid train travelers seems to be that they feel Amtrak should own its own tracks rather than sharing with freight trains. I have to say many places along the way were very bumpy and sway-y. So bumpy at times that I was looking for my non-existent seat belt. I'm sure it is due to the heavy dual usage on this rail infrastructure. Mike compared this with his train experiences in Europe and commented "those Europeans must be appalled when they ride our rails."

Soon we got into the New York State area and views got a little more interesting. We traveled through the Mohawk River Valley, Berkshire Mountains, and the Hudson River Valley. We did not realized just how very wide the Hudson is. It is 315 miles long and must be over a mile wide in some areas. We saw at least four lighthouses along the river, conveyances of every kind (freighter, tug, Chinese junk, canoes, kayaks, speedboats, classic sailboats, sea-doos, ...). There were huge beautiful mansions cut into the hills with perfectly manicured emerald green lawns terraced down to the river's edge.

We went to lunch about 2pm and met two more interesting folks--a lady professor that was traveling from Seattle to upstate New York and a typical Italian New Yorker headed to Croton. One too chatty, the interesting one not so much. The prof had a sleeper room and gave us the low down on that. I asked about the meals. They are included if you have a sleeper or sleeper-ette. But there were only 4-5 choices for each meal and it turns out these are the same every single day. No changes. Ugh! Not good for foodie devotees like us. I had a veggie sandwich (very good) and Mike had penne and meatballs (good taste, too dry). 

Back to our seats. More interesting views included numerous vineyards and crops of soy, corn, etc. Although the water looked too brown for me, there were many swimmers and water enthusiasts. I imagine it was sanitary, but just "muddy" from the swift downstream current. We saw a bald eagle and lots of wild flowers. A few trees were beginning to turn red ALREADY! We saw a MetLife blimp hovering over the city of Rochester. There was lots of artful graffiti on the walls, tunnels, bridges, and boulders along the way. We saw interesting structures in the cities we passed--domes, churches, skyscrapers, modern, classic, abandoned factories, lots of junkyards, and fronts and backs of old houses in the smaller towns. We saw a cool farmer's market in Syracuse.
In Albany, the train let loose of those cars headed to Boston, as well as the cafe car (snack and bar car). We got a replacement engine and continued on our way to New York City. At this point our car was right behind the engine. We hadn't noticed it before, but we could now clearly hear the train whistle at most highway intersections. We continued to follow the Hudson for the last 2-1/2 hours to our New York City destination. Near the end we crossed over a few bridges and then through a tunnel under the Hudson River. We arrived at Penn Station near sunset and pretty much on time at 6:35pm.