This morning we got up, and after checking out of the hotel, jumped into a cab to Union Station. It was a tough ask to fit all of our luggage into the boot of the cab. In fact it is a tough ask to fit all of our stuff into our existing luggage. We are thinking we may need to buy another bag.
Once we arrived at Union Station we found that it was all carry on luggage and made our way to our boarding gate B12. David and Ryan went on a hunt for breakfast...none of us could face any more burgers or fries. They returned with Nutella crepes and orange juice.
Soon it was time to board the train for our 3 and a half hour journey to New York. We were wondering why why don't catch trains more often. The seats were wide and very comfortable, and there was plenty of leg room. There was also a wide aisle and you could easily walk to the bathroom and to the food car. For those who want it there is even a quiet car where people are not allowed to carry on conversations or use mobile phones. For the trip David was deeply engrossed in his new book....David reading, who would have thought. They boys also played and read their books.
We arrived at Penn Station in New York in what seemed like no time at all. We negotiated the many stairs from the platform to the main concourse as the escalators were out of order and then found somewhere to have something to eat for lunch. Again it was hard to come by options other than burgers.
After lunch we began the walk down 7th Avenue for 21 blocks to our hotel. The walk itself was quite pleasant it was just hard work dodging people while pulling our bags, especially through Time Square. We checked into the Wellington Hotel and were very happy to see a room with lots of space. The boys have their own bedroom, complete with TV and so do we. There is also a small kitchen area and bathroom.
We soon headed out to find the Gray Line Sightseeing Office to collect our NY Passes. These passes allow discounted entry into 80 attractions in New York. The next priority for the boys was to make our way the the Reebok NHL store on, 6th Avenue, the Avenue of the Stars. Here Connor tried to spend our entire holiday savings. Thanks to some stern parenting and a 15% off voucher in the end we left with a Blackhawks t-shirt, Blackhawks jersey, and 3 caps (Blackhawks, Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightening). Connor loved having his photo holding the Stanley Cup aloft!!!
A quick refuel at Starbucks and then back to the hotel to change cameras. We then began another long walk to the Empire State Building. David and I had been here many years ago. It was very hot and we had to queue for over 5 hours just to get to Level 86. This time things were much more in our favour. We essentially walked straight in. We did not have to wait very long at all before we were at the 86th floor Observation Deck. We walked around the deck and listened to our audio tour but as the sun was setting it was very cold. We took the next elevator up to the 102 floor Observation Deck. This is fully enclosed with glass and so was so much warmer. We had timed it perfectly as we stood at the top of the Empire State Building and watched the final rays of sun bath New York City before the sun set for the day. The sky and its impact on the city were beautiful.
After we had finished at the top of the Empire State Building we came back down to Level 2 and did the NY Sky Ride. This is a roller coaster style ride where you visit some of New York's most famous sites soaring a mile above the city, zooming along the road and sidewalk at street level. It is described as an aerial tour of New York that sends you around, above and below all that the city has to offer. Ryan obviously enjoyed it, describing at "The best experience ever!!!
It was then time to walk back along 5th Avenue to our hotel. We decided to stop at TGI Friday's for dinner. Connor had remembered it from our time in Hong Kong last year and was keen to visit again. The meal was delicious and the service was fantastic. A great way to bring the day to a close.
No comments:
Post a Comment