Wednesday May 23, 2012

Last week Nancy and I spent a very enjoyable week in NYC. We took an Elderhostel tour. Actually it use to be called Elderhostel but they recently changed their name to Road Scholar. Apparently they thought the elder in their name scared off some potential customers. We went with Ed and Mary Namey. A brief summary of our trip follows: Sunday May 13: We left GR at 0830 and got to NYC via Chicago at 1200. We stayed at the "The New Yorker" at the NW corner of 34th St and 8th Ave. Our room was very small until Nancy found out that other members of our tour group had larger rooms. She complained and we got a much bigger room. We had dinner at the small restaurant in the hotel, Tic Toc. The tour leaders gave us a brief orientation and those that wanted could walk to the Empire State building. I wanted to see this building so I joined the group and we walked the 5 blocks to the ESB. We were all provided with red baseball caps with lettering that said "Road Scholar". It seemed kind of dorky but it was a great idea because no one got lost. I was kind of disappointed with the view from the ESB. They had a high concrete parapet around the viewing deck. But I can say I have been to the top of that great American icon the ESB. Monday May 14: We had a complimentary breakfast in our meeting room. We were given several lectures on NYC by John, I can't remember his last name, an Architectural Historian on NYC and its buildings and infrastructure. John was a great lecturer and tour guide. After the lecture we were taken across the street to purchase a subway ticket that was good for a week. A Senior Citizen weekly ticket cost only $18, a great bargain. About 1400 we were given ipod like listening devices and we headed for the subway. We were going to tour Brooklyn and then walk the Brooklyn Bridge. We also had dinner in Brooklyn. We walked through several neighborhoods. I liked Brooklyn Heights. We walked along the East River in Brooklyn Heights to the bridge. The sky line of lower Manhattan was just across the East River. We saw the new World Trade Center under construction and other buildings in the financial district. The bridge is amazing. It was early evening and the weather was great. We started in Brooklyn and ended up in Manhattan. The pedestrian walk was crowded with walkers and folks on bikes. We walked along the south tip of Manhattan and then took the subway home. One member of the tour had a pedometer and she said we walked 5 miles today. Tuesday May 15: We had breakfast in the Tic Toc and then at 0900 we boarded a subway and headed again to the south end of Manhattan. We boarded the Staten Island ferry and headed to the island. On the way we passed the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I enjoyed the trip. A school bus awaited us and we ended up at a historical facility for retired seamen. It was called the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. We had lunch in a Sri Lankan restaurant. After lunch we got back on the ferry and headed to Manhattan. It rained most of the day but Bob and Nancy had their LL Bean raincoats. We walked to Ground Zero and saw the monument. Despite the rain the place was jammed. We took the subway back to our hotel and immediately walked down 8th Ave to a Greek restaurant, Uncle Nick's. The food and wine was good. After dinner Nancy and I went on a walk along an old elevated RR bridge that had been converted to a pedestrian bridge. Of course we took the subway to get to the bridge. The rain had stopped and the sun came out. In the 70s and 80s this neighborhood was not considered safe. We saw old factories and tenant buildings being converted to upscale rental units. Nancy and I liked the walk. Wednesday May 16: After a complimentary breakfast and a lecture on Queens we took the subway to Queens. We walked around an Italian neighborhood and had lunch at a pizza house. In the afternoon I took a tour of Forest Hills. I saw the tennis facilities and visited a museum that had a great scale model of NYC. The model had a 1:100 scale, vertical and horizontal. It was the size of a basketball court. We walked around an elevated walk and our tour guide using a laser pointer showed us where we had been and where we would be going later in the tour. Nancy spent the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Art. At 1700 Nancy and I took the subway to the theater district. We found the store that sold discount tickets. It is always risky buying tickets on the day of the play but if you are lucky you can get a big discount after 1700. We bought ticket to a musical "Nice Work if You Can Get It". Mathew Broderick was the star. The show started at 2000 so Nancy and I walked around the district. It was fun, the place was jammed. We found a small restaurant for dinner. At the theater. The theater was full. It was a great play. Nancy and I both thought it was the highlight of the trip. We walked back to the hotel. 8th Ave was jammed with folks wearing NY Ranger shirts. The Ranger had a game at MSG. MSG is very close to our hotel. Thursday May 17: We had breakfast at the Tic Toc and then after a short lecture boarded a bus, first time for a tour bus, for a trip around upper Manhattan and the Bronx. John was our tour guide and he did a great job. We had lunch in an ethnic Bronx neighborhood.. We also stopped and walked around a botanical garden in the Bronx. The gardens were located on a large estate on the banks of the Hudson. Of course we saw the new Yankee Stadium. We got back to the hotel about 1600. We had dinner at a nearby restaurant. After dinner we got on the subway and headed south to Greenwich Village. We walked around Greenwich and saw Washington Square Park and the NYU campus. After walking for two hours and then we got on the subway and headed home. Friday May 18: We had breakfast in our meeting room and then listened to a speaker talk about living in NYC. He had no car and lived in a 400 square foot apartment. He loved the city life. The tour officially ended at noon. I think all 49 participants would give the tour leaders high marks. I would highly recommend this tour. The Scott's and Namey's are staying in NYC until Sunday. After the tour officially ended we walked west to the banks of the Hudson River and boarded a tour boat that will take us around Manhattan Island. The tour lasted 3 hours. The weather was great and we sat outside on the top deck and enjoyed the sights. When the tour ended we walked up 42nd Street to Rockefeller Center. We walked around some and then Ed, Mary and I took the elevator to the top of the rock. The view from the top of Rockefeller Center is better than the ESB. For dinner we walked south to 37th Street and had dinner at Carbone. It is a hole in the wall restaurant but the food was great. It was a relaxing 2 hour dinner. Saturday May 19: We started at 0900 and took the subway to Central Park. We took a Carriage Ride around the park. A horse drawn carriage is the way to see the park. After our carriage ride we got back on the subway and headed to the Union Square Market. We walked around the market and also the financial district. In fact we had lunch in the financial district. For dinner we ate at the same restaurant as Thursday night. Sunday May 20: We said goodbye to NYC at 0700. Our flight home was uneventful. Of course we could not have perfect vacation because Nancy's bag was left in Chicago. They promised to deliver it later in the day (they did). When we got home I emptied my bag and then walked around the house to see if everything survived our absence. The grass was very long so I mowed all of the lawn except the back yard. Monday May 21: Monday and it is a back to normal day. We had some real thunder boomer roll through last night and I was glad Ms P was not here. I followed my normal routine except at a slower pace. In the afternoon I finished cutting the grass. I also trimmed and edged the lawn. We had cereal for dinner. Tuesday May 22: Tuesday was a beautiful day. I did my tri today and at the Kava House I spent at least 90 minutes reading the WSJ and DFP. I especially liked an article in the WSJ about the steel mill located in Burns Harbor, In. It appears that this plant can produce steel cheaper than foreign competitors. When I got home I was greeted by Ms P. She was a little moody. I think she thinks we abandoned her. In the PM I loaded up the lawn mower and took it to Rylee's for a PM. The repair man said it would be two weeks. I said forget it and loaded the mower up and came home mad. Nancy attended an event at Van Andel Institute. I stayed home and had PB and J's. I watched NCIS LA before heading to bed. Wednesday May 23: Wednesday is my easy day. I pedaled to Bill's for breakfast. When I got home I put my kayak rack on the car and loaded up and headed out. I put in at a landing located off West River Drive just east of the EBL. This was my first time in the kayak this year. It felt good and the weather was perfect. I spent 1h 40' on the water. This afternoon Nancy worked at the Gardens. We will have a light dinner before taking Ms P on her 1 mile walk. I hope to have an early bedtime.