Doug has talked about visiting New York City off and on for the last few years. I definitely ruled it out when our ''home'' was 40 feet long, but now that we travel small ... maybe it was time to take a ''bite'' out of the Big Apple.
Even after Doug sold me on the idea, I was still a bit nervous about driving across the massive bridges and over the busy roadways that link up the big city boroughs. After hearing another friend's story about ending up on a ''low clearance'' road while driving their ''high clearance'' RV, Doug did his research and skillfully got us through the heart of New York City and over the George Washington Bridge to the New Jersey side. Arriving on a Saturday morning also decreased the big city traffic nightmare.
Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City, NJ would be our home for the next few days. It is basically a parking lot on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. At $130 a night, it was more than we are used to paying for a campsite, but it was still considerably less than a hotel on Manhattan. We could see the New York City skyline from our parking spot, and it was a short bike ride to Liberty State Park for a better view along the river's edge.
There we could also see the Empty Skies Memorial that reflects how the NYC skyline and so many lives were forever changed as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
From Liberty Harbor, our home for three days, it was an easy half mile walk to the subway station that took us under the Hudson River and into Manhattan. Riding the NYC subway was another one of my ''hesitations'', but we found that it was fairly easy to buy a ride pass and figure out our desired destination. After paying the $2.75 fare, we were on our way into the big city.
Knowing that he would need some serious sugar energy to fuel all the walking in his future, Doug was happy to find a Krispy Kreme Donut Factory on the way to the subway station. Oh, what to choose??
Kreme-filled donut fix complete, it was time to start racking up our big city miles starting at the World Trade Center.
As first time visitors to New York, there are certain things that we felt like we had to see, and the 9/11 Memorial was first on our list. We walked to the park where two huge square pools of flowing water mark the former location of the Twin Towers. We gazed upon the thousands of names etched around the rim of the pool memorializing the lives that were lost on that fateful day.
The new One World Trade Center now towers above the memorial park to a height of 1,776 feet making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Many people recommended that we visit the 9/11 Tribute Museum that is also located here on Ground Zero. As we were looking around at all the people waiting in line to get in, we realized a slight planning flaw on our part ... not only were we visiting NYC on a weekend, but it was also Columbus Day weekend so there were a lot more people enjoying extra time in the big city. This popular museum was even busier than usual ... better save that for another time.
In fact, we decided to save all the indoor museums for another time. Since the rain was holding off, we took to the streets to see all the iconic big city sights like ...
Central Park,
John Lennon's Strawberry Fields Memorial,
Times Square,
the Brooklyn Bridge,
Wall Street,
and St Patrick's Cathedral.
People are drawn to the Big City for its many unique and over-the-top shopping experiences. I had hoped to check out the magic of Macy's,
... but it was still closed when we walked by early on Sunday morning,
so just window shopping for me.
Do you think that I have a future as one of those live window models??!!
The larger-than-life M&M's store was open,
... and there was some serious contemplation taking place over which new flavor to try. The winner is ... mocha nut M&Ms!
As we walked to the southern edge of Manhattan, we came up to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. This free ferry transports thousands of commuters between the two boroughs every day. And for tourists like us, it is one of the best ways to see the Statue of Liberty for FREE as the ferry passes close by Ellis Island.
When we landed on Staten Island, we stepped into an authentic ''small neighborhood'' atmosphere that is very common in many of the NYC boroughs. It felt like we walked into a true Mexican taqueria (taco house) as we ate the tasty carne asada tacos at El Gallo Azteca.
On the way back, Lady Liberty's outstretched torch seemed to be even more elegant and inviting.
But by far the greatest big city experience was the chance to see a Broadway musical. After being shut down for almost a year and a half due to covid, Broadway had just recently been able to reopen. Doug totally shocked me when he insisted that I pick out a show for us to attend. The tickets were pricey, but this was one of those ''once in a lifetime'' opportunities. I just hoped that he would like the show as much as me, since going to the theater usually isn't his activity of choice.
If I had had my heart set on seeing ''Hamilton'', it would have cost us $600 each, but I chose the musical ''Come From Away'' which was more ''reasonably'' priced at $157 a ticket. I had recently read an article on the backstory of this play, and it piqued my interest. Based on a true story, the show takes place in Gander, Newfoundland during the week following the 9/11 attacks. Thirty-eight planes were forced to land in this small Canadian town after the US closed its airspace. The fast-moving play showed how the townspeople and the stranded passengers came together during this difficult time and formed strong friendships that transcended borders and cultures. We both thoroughly enjoyed how the regional music and Canadian humor made us feel as if we were back in Newfoundland.
Yes, you heard it right ... we both thoroughly enjoyed the show. So I didn't even have to reward Doug afterwards for his good behavior with some cheesecake from Junior's ... but I did!
During our short visit, we found New York City to be bustling with so many exciting big city sights and sounds. But it was also nice to find out that we could enjoy quiet bike paths,
... scenic waterfronts,
... and solemn memorials to the brave men and women who
... keep the Big City Lights of New York City shining bright for all to enjoy.
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