New York - Day 1

We were scheduled to leave the ship at 10:30 on Sunday morning, the last group to disembark. Because we only had 2 days here we decided to carry our own luggage and be off the ship by 8 a.m. It was a hassle with our four suitcases, but we did it. We had our luggage stored at the hotel and were on our way to Central Park before 9 a.m.




The park really is an oasis within the city. It was a beautiful fall day and the park was full of joggers, walkers, tourists and bicycles. Within an hour it became very crowded in the more popular areas, but there were still places where you felt like you were the only people around. It was just beautiful.

There were musicians and artists all along the area called "The Mall".

Being a child of the sixties I had to make the pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields and see the tribute to John Lennon. The apartment building where he was shot is across the street from this area.

Occasional views like this are the only reminder that you are still in the nations largest city.

This is Cartier's, the famous Jewelry store and no we didn't go in.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, where Jackie Onassis's funeral was held.

I loved all the old churches we saw on this trip. Nothing being built now compares to the architecture and craftsmanship you see on these old buildings.

After leaving Central Park we walked down Fifth Avenue where we saw huge crowds of people forming along the sidewalk. There were cops everywhere and barricades set up, I asked what was going on and was told that the Columbus Day Parade was starting soon. We thought how cool, we'd watch for awhile. While waiting we saw people holding Mexican flags and other flags from Latin American countries which I thought was strange. Where were all the Italians? Come to find out about 1/2 hour into the parade that they were celebrating Hispanic Culture. Time to move on and see more of the city.

While in New York I thought we should try some of the food you associate with NYC, like bagels, deli sandwiches, cheesecake, NY style pizza, etc. Carnegie Deli was across the street from our hotel and I had heard of the place so we decided to give it a try. I about turned around and left when I saw these sandwiches sitting on the counter. There was a disgusting pile of meat between very thin slices of bread, now my idea of a sandwich is a small amount of meat and lots of veggies between two thick crusty slices of bread. Ken wasn't about to leave when he saw the size of the sandwiches so we stayed. Click on the picture to enlarge and see how really big these sandwiches were.

We ordered this open faced Rueben sandwich to share, it was huge! It cost $23 and another $3 to share. I am glad we stayed to eat here though, it was a true NY experience.

After a much needed nap at our hotel we decided to walk to the Empire State Building to see the view at night. I had bought tickets online in hopes of avoiding long lines, which worked somewhat but we were still in line for over an hour. It was really crowded when we got to the top and our camera didn't take the greatest pictures. It was a beautiful clear night and we really could see for miles.

We had walked through Times Square earlier in the day, but I was in awe when I saw it at night. It was crowded, noisy and exciting. I loved seeing all the theaters and wish we would have had time for a show. Maybe next time.