Here's a map of where we went in New York City.
I used my iPhone 13 Mini and myTracks app.
Zoom in and you can really see some details.
Overview:
Showing posts with label Islands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islands. Show all posts
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Sunday, November 19, 2023
New York City 2023 - Day 4
In mid-October 2023, we took a family trip to New York City.
It rained all day Saturday. We split up. The 7-year old went to American Girl to get her doll's ears pierced and meet a friend for lunch. The 14-year old went to Tiffany's for lunch.
Afterwards, the 7-year old went to the Metropolitan Museum and looked at the mummies. The 14-year old went to Billionaires Row and tried to talk her way into the lobby.
The rain made for some interesting views of the Manhattan skyscrapers.
Sunday was the trip home.
Overview:
Sunday, November 12, 2023
New York City 2023 - Day 3
In mid-October 2023, we took a family trip to New York City.
We started Friday looking after some real estate business. When the grown-ups went to look at fixtures, we took the 7-year old to Twenty-Four Sycamores Park. This is a nice park in a quiet part of town. It has 2 sections, one for toddlers and one for bigger kids. Oh, and there are nice public restrooms there for the grandparents!
Nearby is the terminal for the Roosevelt Island Tramway. This is a 3 1/2 minute ride across the East River to Roosevelt Island. Vehicular traffic uses the Roosevelt Island Bridge to access the island from Queens, though the island is not designed for vehicular traffic and has several areas designed as car-free zones. Quite a difference from the Upper East Side. There are spectacular views of the east side of Manhattan as far down as the United Nations building.
We caught a taxi across town to rendezvous with the rest of our crowd at John's of Time Square, a quiet (at lunch) pizzeria. It's usually packed but at lunch we almost had the place to ourselves.
After a short walk back to the hotel (through Times Square and Disney characters) we caught up on our napping.
Dinner that night was at the Broadway Lounge at the Marriott Marquis. While we ate inside, they had a balcony that overlooked Times Square.
Overview:
Sunday, November 05, 2023
New York City 2023 - Day 2
In mid-October 2023, we took a family trip to New York City.
The second day was packed. We started with a taxi ride to Little Island. Little Island is in the Meatpacking District. That was a first for me!
The name "Little Island" doesn't do it justice. It is built on the remnants of Pier 54. While it actually is little, It is packed with activities for children of all ages.
Another taxi ride took us to the Financial District and our next destination, One World Observatory. At 1776 ft., it is the highest point in New York City. Needless to say, the views were breathtaking. There were even docents to tell you what you were seeing. It overlooks the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. We had lunch in ONE Dine restaurant on the 101st floor.
A third taxi ride took us to The Battery and the fabulous SeaGlass Carousel. It's set back off the street and its hustle and bustle. It's clearly a hidden gem.
Across the sidewalk is a great park.
Another long taxi ride took us back to the Palace for a rest before we saw "MJ the Musical" at Neil Simon Theatre.
Everything was packed after the play so we walked back through Times Square and made it to the restaurant at the Palace just before the kitchen closed!
Overview:
Sunday, October 29, 2023
New York City 2023 - Day 1
In mid-October 2023, we took a family trip to New York City.
After our 6:00 AM non-stop flight to LaGuardia, we took a taxi through Queens into Manhattan.
As usual, we stayed at Lotte New York Palace. We were on the 32nd floor with an incredible view of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The staff there is extraordinary. When the bellman delivered our bags, he brought a teddy bear to our 7-year old granddaughter.
We were starved so we went next door to Monterey on 50th Street. When we visited in 2020, this was a good Italian place but the new Monterey was perfect with pasta for the granddaughters.
Then we walked across Madison Avenue to St. Patrick's. It's always incredible and a great place for photos.
The Central Park Zoo was next on our list. On the way, we got a glimpse of the Steinway Tower between the buildings. Before we got to the Zoo, we came upon ROCKS. The girls had to climb all of them. There were awesome views from the tops.
We headed on to the Zoo only to find that they wouldn't admit us. There were plenty of people in it but there was a private event scheduled for later that afternoon.
While everyone else found a bench and a concession stand, I struck out on a quest to find a Randel's Bolt. Knowing where to look took me hours of Internet searching but I found it. It's "off the beaten path" if that's even possible in Manhattan. There was a student sitting within 10 feet of it but he didn't know what it was. Now, I've read that there's another one in a different park. Maybe next time...
On the way back, we found the doorman at F.A.O. Schwartz.
As the sun set, the spires of St. Patrick's were lit up.
We had dinner at Serendipity3, one of our favorite places and walked back through Times Square.
Overview:
Sunday, October 22, 2023
New York City 2023
Pre-pandemic, we used to visit NYC every year or so. My daughter's in-laws' family is from there and there are still strong ties.
We hit Serendipity for dinner and visited Times Square.
After a lunch 1700 feet in the air, we took the girls to Battery Park and found the Sea Glass Carousel.
There was a playground nearby so the girls worked off their lunch.
Times Square was hopping as we passed through.
We made it back to the hotel just before they closed the kitchen.
Then rode the tram to Roosevelt Island.
A taxi ride took us to John's of Time Square, a quiet (at lunch) pizzeria.
Afterwards, the 7-year old went to the Metropolitan Museum and looked at the mummies. The 14-year old went to Billionaires Row and tried to talk her way into the lobby.
Sunday was the trip home.
We last went early January 2020 and we all know what happened after that.
We finally got back for Fall Break 2023. My daughter did an incredible job of squeezing in something for everybody!
Wednesday, after a 6:00 AM flight, we walked across the street to St. Patrick's Cathedral then down to Central Park to climb some big rocks. The Zoo was closed but I found Randel's Bolt.
We hit Serendipity for dinner and visited Times Square.
Thursday was packed. We started at Little Island near Battery Park.
Then nearby to One World Experience's observation deck. It was as inspiring as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum was moving.
After a lunch 1700 feet in the air, we took the girls to Battery Park and found the Sea Glass Carousel.
After a taxi ride back to Mid-Town, we hit "MJ" at the Neil Simon Theatre.
Times Square was hopping as we passed through.
Friday was dedicated to some real estate business. When the grown-ups went to look at fixtures, we took the 7-year old to Twenty-Four Sycamores Park.
Then rode the tram to Roosevelt Island.
A taxi ride took us to John's of Time Square, a quiet (at lunch) pizzeria.
Dinner was at the Broadway Lounge at the Marriott Marquis.
On Saturday we split up. The 7-year old went to American Girl and the 14-year old went to Tiffany's.
Sunday was the trip home.
What a trip!
Other Posts:
Sunday, April 02, 2023
Auckland
We stayed at the Hilton Auckland on Princes Wharf. It is at the end of the wharf and has harbor views from every room. Our room had a large balcony with a pair of chaise lounges which we made good use of. They had valet parking which was right at the door. The bellmen were very attentive and got to know us during our visit.
Princes Wharf is wide enough to have a street down the center and "sheds" on each side. There are a number of restaurants in the sheds and several sets of apartments. One of the American families we bumped into were staying in one of these apartments.
The Hilton's swimming pool was on our floor. It was over the street that went down the wharf with a glass wall at one end overlooking the street. In the other direction was the Sky Tower.
To the west from Princes Wharf is Wynward Quarter. There's a neat pedestrian draw bridge on the way. Beyond the bridge is the Fish Market, a collection of restaurants. A little further is Silo Park which the girls really enjoyed.
To the east from Princes Wharf is the Auckland Ferry Terminal which is where we boarded a ferry to cross the harbor to Devenport. The ferry runs every 30 minutes and cost US$2.50 each way per adult. You have a magnificent view of the Auckland skyline from the ferry.
Devenport is a beautiful little seaside town with a main street full of shops and restaurants. As typical for New Zealand, there's a wonderful park right on the waterfront.
It sprinkled on us as we walked the main street of Devenport so we ducked into Manuka Restaurant. They had a table on the sidewalk but under cover so we stayed dry and had a view of Mt. Victoria.
At 216 ft., Mt. Victoria is the highest volcano on Auckland's North Shore. The views of Auckland's skyline are even better than from the ferry and you have panoramic views in all directions.
After the climb and descent of Mt. Victoria, we stopped at The Vic Devonport for gelato.
That afternoon we visited the Sky Tower, the second tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Our daughter and oldest granddaughter took the Sky Walk on the outside of the 53rd floor.
We had dinner in Orbit on 52nd floor. Orbit dinner includes Sky Tower entry to the observation deck. You can check in at the Orbit desk in the downstairs lobby for a pass.
The Hilton is at the end of the wharf at the far right.
We spent a morning at the Auckland Zoo. Admission was US$15 per senior. The zoo has heavy vegetation and it was 30 minutes before we saw an animal. The docents were all very helpful. One of our goals was to see kiwis which are unique to New Zealand. But kiwis are nocturnal and the kiwi exhibit had lots of glare.
We grabbed lunch at the zoo. A bit of advice, "Milk shakes" in New Zealand are not what you expect. They are just flavored milk.
We headed out across town to One Tree Hill, another volcano. One Tree Hill is 597 ft. high. We weren't up to the climb. There was an access road with a number to call for accessibility access. I called them and they gave us a code allowing us to drive to the peak.
That evening we met some of our New Zealand friends and intended to go to Commercial Bay. Commercial Bay is a multi-story facility just a short walk from the Hilton. It is 3 stories with the first 2 stories being retail shops and the 3rd housing fast food and sit down restaurants. As we approached, the fire alarms in Commercial Bay went off and the building was evacuated. We rushed to Taco Medic nearby before the rest of the crowd discovered it and had great Mexican food in New Zealand.
We went back to Commercial Bay another day for shopping and lunch.
The next morning we were off to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. Admission was US$22.50 per senior. They had a number of great exhibits but two stood out. First, they had a tunnel walkway that was enclosed in a what looked like moving ice. It was very disorienting even for the girls but still fun. The biggest hit was the penguin exhibit. It was HUGE. Additionally, they have a Penguin Passport that allows you to go into penguin enclosure and have the opportunity to get up close. Unfortunately, that wasn't available the day we visited.
And as we visited the gift shop on the way out, the fire alarm went off and we were evacuated.
But our day of excitement wasn't over. As if walking around the Sky Tower on the 53rd floor wasn't enough, the girls took the Auckland Bridge Bungy & Climb. This is run by the same organization that runs Sky Walk. The first leg was walking under the bridge to the far end. Then they climbed up to the arch over the traffic and returned.
At least the fire alarm didn't go off.
One of our bucket list items had been to visit a black sand beach. Both of our granddaughters are horseback riders. We thought it would be memorable for them to get to rid on a black sand beach. Oh, how we underestimated that.
We found Muriwai Beach Horse Treks and booked rides with them.
Then came Cyclone Gabrielle. Everyone told us that the Muriwai Beach area had been devastated. The roads were blocked by police. We even saw news stories of houses sliding down cliffs.
Let's just say that my daughter comes by her tenacity naturally. She persisted in trying to contact Muriwai Beach Horse Treks. They finally responded that they would resume riding and gave us a Google Maps route to get us as close to their facility as possible given the road blocks.
We turned up and parked on the side of the road with the roadblock in view. The guide arrived in a "ute" with a high water intake system. All 3 girls loaded into the ute and disappeared through the roadblock.
The tracks that the guides normally use were impassable due to fallen trees so the guides had to be creative. Still, the girls got to travel through the forest to the black sand beach. Needless to say, they were the only people on the beach. In normal times, that beach would be crowded.
While they were riding, we hung out in the village of Waimauku. That wasn't as exciting as riding horses on the black sand beach.
We only had one item left on our punch list for Auckland. On the next wharf, Queens Wharf, was a interesting structure, The Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is a real nighttime eyecatcher that was visible from our balcony. It is a full-scale model of a 1950s family home. Inside The Lighthouse is a statue of Captain Cook amid a dramatic neon light exhibit by New Zealander Michael Parekowhai.
Overview:
Sunday, March 26, 2023
New Zealand 2023
Way back in 2000, I visited New Zealand for work. I returned home and told my wife what I had seen. It became her #1 bucket list destination. We worked with some of my former co-workers on an itinerary. When I shared our plans with our daughter, she said we weren't going without her so she and our granddaughters went with us.
There is no Memphis to Auckland flight scheduled so we had to get creative. With a 13-hour flight in front of us, we took a night in Los Angeles. Just by coincidence, the Four Seasons hotel was full of celebrities getting ready for the Oscars.
New Zealand's North Island has been ravaged lately. First, in January the Auckland area received an entire summer's worth of rain within one day. The airport was flooded. Below is the Immigration area.
That was just the start.
Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island mid-February. The damage was widespread and particularly hit one of our planned destinations.
We re-swizzled our plans and actually got a couple of bonuses from that.
We picked up a Kia Carnival van and headed into Auckland's Harbour area. We checked into the Hilton Auckland on Princes Wharf.
In Auckland, we took the ferry to Devenport and climbed Mt. Victoria.
We visited the Sky Tower, the second tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
Our daughter and oldest granddaughter took the Sky Walk on the outside of the 53rd floor.
We spent a morning at the Auckland Zoo where we saw kiwis.
We climbed One Tree Hill, a 600 ft. volcanic peak.
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium had the best penguin exhibit we've seen.
Afterwards, all three girls took the Harbour Bridge Climb.
We hit the jackpot with our plans to ride horses on the black sand beach. There's a lot to that story. Notice that there's no one else on the beach.
On toward Rotorua, we passed through Tirua.
And Skyline's luges.
We also visited Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
After a 12-hour flight and 2 Sundays, we made it back to Los Angeles and spent the night at Hermosa Beach.
This is just an overview of our trip. I will be updating this post and adding more posts with much more detail.
Other posts:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)