Well, here it is. The final day of the New York City trip for me and Grumpy. Its also the final day of our stay in the shabby Pennsylvania Hotel, with the prison doors and rude staff! It is a huge shame this hotel has gone down hill as it is in a great location, directly opposite Madison Square Garden and a block or two down from the Empire State Building.
A handy tip for those who want to visit the ESB. Go there before 9am -there is no queue. Leave it half an hour later and you will be queuing round the block! We board the elevator for floor 80, pose for a photo with a mock up of the ESB in the background and take the next elevator to the 86th floor, where we can at last see the amazing view of the City, the Hudson River and the harbour and the tiny square of green that is unbelievably Central park! When I first visited NYC in 1997, I was up the ESB just before sunset and it was if someone flipped a switch, and the whole City exploded with lights-it was breathtaking. So if you are not an early riser and you want to see NYC unlit then lit, be up there around 6pm. Trust me, it is more than worth the price of the air fare alone!
After we hit the souvenir place and collect our photo we head down to the sidewalk and scoff at the hundreds of people queuing, in a smug been there, done that kind of way.
Next its off to the remaining comic book stores I havent visited yet and indulge myself whilst Grumpy rolls his eyes and taps his fingers-or did he tap his eyes and roll his fingers-I think he was probably doing both in a vain attempt to quell his boredom. Quell is a great word by the way.
W scoff (another great word-2nd use of it in this report you notice) at the Metro and walk-about 20 blocks to 55th Street, and arrive at the only connection with Disney this report can offer. Its the Disney Store-with Halloween decorations up!!!! I was excited, mainly because Arieljasmine had mentioned she got to meet Minnie as the Statue Of Liberty and Donald as a fireman. Imagine my frown and dismay to be greeted with The Genie and Jaffar from Aladdin!!!!! I posed dutifully and the stupid cast member managed to chop both our heads off in the photo! Bah!!! Buy some key rings and a NYC Cop Mickey and as we leave the store we are greeted by, bizarrely, a horde of people dressed up like the ghouls in the Thriller video running into the store! Only in the Big Apple!
Around the corner from the Disney Store is Central Park. Take a day to really explore the park as there is beautiful scenery, iconic views of the City and the Zoo-which is brilliant and worth it for the polar bears alone! Watch the sea lions getting fed, hunt for some shy Red Pandas and have a much needed pizza in the Leaping Frog Café. We also got to watch some turtles indulge in a spot of Ladies and Gentleman. Not for too long you understand, although I did have to prise the video camera away from Grumpy!!
We were very quickly running out of time. Walk past the Time Warner Building (stare wistfully, imagining Madonna having business meetings in there) and leap on the Metro back to the hotel. Collect our stuff, and Grumpy almost has a heart attack when I disappear to take some final snaps. How was I to know the stupid bus was waiting for me to get back? Id have been more than happy to be left there!!
Back to Newark airport. We are both exhausted as it has been quite a frantic three days. I almost collapse into my Mississippi mud pie! We board the plane at 6.05 and take off at 7.10. Arrive back in Orlando at 9.10.
An amazing trip. I love New York and was relieved to find my love affair with the place hadnt diminished in the eight years we were apart. I have to finish now as I think I am turning into Carrie Bradshaw! Fabulous!!!!
A handy tip for those who want to visit the ESB. Go there before 9am -there is no queue. Leave it half an hour later and you will be queuing round the block! We board the elevator for floor 80, pose for a photo with a mock up of the ESB in the background and take the next elevator to the 86th floor, where we can at last see the amazing view of the City, the Hudson River and the harbour and the tiny square of green that is unbelievably Central park! When I first visited NYC in 1997, I was up the ESB just before sunset and it was if someone flipped a switch, and the whole City exploded with lights-it was breathtaking. So if you are not an early riser and you want to see NYC unlit then lit, be up there around 6pm. Trust me, it is more than worth the price of the air fare alone!
After we hit the souvenir place and collect our photo we head down to the sidewalk and scoff at the hundreds of people queuing, in a smug been there, done that kind of way.
Next its off to the remaining comic book stores I havent visited yet and indulge myself whilst Grumpy rolls his eyes and taps his fingers-or did he tap his eyes and roll his fingers-I think he was probably doing both in a vain attempt to quell his boredom. Quell is a great word by the way.
W scoff (another great word-2nd use of it in this report you notice) at the Metro and walk-about 20 blocks to 55th Street, and arrive at the only connection with Disney this report can offer. Its the Disney Store-with Halloween decorations up!!!! I was excited, mainly because Arieljasmine had mentioned she got to meet Minnie as the Statue Of Liberty and Donald as a fireman. Imagine my frown and dismay to be greeted with The Genie and Jaffar from Aladdin!!!!! I posed dutifully and the stupid cast member managed to chop both our heads off in the photo! Bah!!! Buy some key rings and a NYC Cop Mickey and as we leave the store we are greeted by, bizarrely, a horde of people dressed up like the ghouls in the Thriller video running into the store! Only in the Big Apple!
Around the corner from the Disney Store is Central Park. Take a day to really explore the park as there is beautiful scenery, iconic views of the City and the Zoo-which is brilliant and worth it for the polar bears alone! Watch the sea lions getting fed, hunt for some shy Red Pandas and have a much needed pizza in the Leaping Frog Café. We also got to watch some turtles indulge in a spot of Ladies and Gentleman. Not for too long you understand, although I did have to prise the video camera away from Grumpy!!
We were very quickly running out of time. Walk past the Time Warner Building (stare wistfully, imagining Madonna having business meetings in there) and leap on the Metro back to the hotel. Collect our stuff, and Grumpy almost has a heart attack when I disappear to take some final snaps. How was I to know the stupid bus was waiting for me to get back? Id have been more than happy to be left there!!
Back to Newark airport. We are both exhausted as it has been quite a frantic three days. I almost collapse into my Mississippi mud pie! We board the plane at 6.05 and take off at 7.10. Arrive back in Orlando at 9.10.
An amazing trip. I love New York and was relieved to find my love affair with the place hadnt diminished in the eight years we were apart. I have to finish now as I think I am turning into Carrie Bradshaw! Fabulous!!!!
