Our February trips (Boston, Sweden, Bath County, Ireland, Savannah, Asheville...) have all been exceptional and without any winter weather challenges of consequence. Beginning our weekend last Friday (2/18) we left Manassas by Amtrak leaving behind an unseasonal 76f record temperature. We knew the weather would be changing but, after all, New York was enjoying the mild weather as well with temperatures into the mid 60s. Although not much snow this winter we have experienced strong winds from time to time. A pic taken the afternoon of our departure of the train depot with a hint of the windy weather this winter.
Of course, it was just a year ago (2/9/10) when I took the next two pics of the depot and track area which represents quite a significant departure from our 76f.
Sheila watches as the train approaches. Our train is the Amtrak "Cardinal" arriving from Chicago with NY (Penn Station) as the destination. Her coat was not in keeping with the weather at the time but you can only pack so much and we knew there would be a change.
The train was only a few minutes minutes late. Nevertheless, leaving Manassas after 5:00 pm meant only a little bit of daylight for the trip and certainly darkness by the time we'd reach DC. This was the first train trip for me since 1968 with the exception of a steam engine excursion in the late 70s; similarly for Sheila. The train looked like it had labored hard over the West Virginia hills to reach us and so also did the passengers. Many were asleep and snack boxes were prevalent throughout the car. Those who had been on the train since Chicago had 24 hours on board with another 5 hours to go until NY. Arrival in DC allowed for a change in engines and we set off from DC just a few minutes behind schedule. It really was a comfortable trip and the timing was equivalent to a car drive to NY but, then again, what to do with a car in NY?
Once leaving the train in NY I soon learned that I had completely misjudged the walking distance from Penn Station to our hotel. 18 blocks later we arrived panting (well at least I was) and I was barely able to speak my name to the desk clerk. Thank heavens for suitcases on wheels - curse my computer bag and camera bag and all the other electronics that I had to squeeze in... Come on Apple and give us an iPad with a USB and/or SD port and thankfully the M8 with only the 28mm was my camera choice leaving the heavier "stuff" at home. It could have been worse.
The walk was interesting. For two of the 18 blocks we walked behind a couple obviously out for the night. She was wearing high heels (it was Fashion Week in NY) and she walked as if she was wearing ice skates with weak ankles. The heels were pointed outward as she walked giving the clear impression that with any step one or the other of the heels might fracture. When we passed by she was still standing and she will always enjoy my sympathy.
The weather was also changing. The temperature in NY had dropped to 50f from an earlier 66f but the wind was winding-up to some "no-good." Of course, we were walking into the wind too. Not much was flying but we did walk with our mouths tightly closed in anticipation. Further anticipation was for what might greet us in the morning. As we were walking up 8th Avenue it seemed that everyone had set trash out for collection, presumably for overnight or Saturday morning pick-up. Some of the trash bags were not tied securely and I could only imagine what tomorrow would look like. The high wind warnings called for winds approaching 60mph and with that wind some of the bags themselves would be airborne.
The last time I had been to NY was in 1983, and I had forgotten how friendly NY'ers are or how they just don't care about some things. In the 18 blocks I bumped into more shoulders and elbows than I think I had in the past 10 years. I must admit I tried to keep a straight line but after 12 blocks I wasn't responsible anymore. Nevertheless, not a single wry remark, mostly no looks or comments at all, and for each bump I must have said "excuse me" a minimum of two times each. I don't think anyone paid attention.
After reaching the room we looked out onto 8th Avenue from our 2nd floor room, saw even more trash bags, and just closed the curtains. Sleep.
The first view in the morning was out the window. Miraculously the trash bags were gone, whether having been collected by the sanitation department or having blown away to Long Island, they were no longer in sight. True, there was some paper blowing around but someone had clearly done his job. The temperatures were still falling and were now in the mid 30s in the company of what were now bitter winds. Someone later said the windchill was 5f. It was all of that.
Although I had charted activities for us I had not planned on bitter winds. The refuge for us on this particular Saturday morning was to find a "hop on, hop off" bus to get our bearings and regroup. A brutal walk a block and a half from the hotel brought us to the bus. Once on the bus, we decided to accomplish three things: Ground Zero, Katz's Deli, and the "Phantom" for which we had 8:00 pm tickets; anything else would be gravy. The bus was a refuge from the wind but every once in a while a gust lapped at our backs as the bus was open in the rear. Still we were comfortable. In fact, comfortable enough that we decided to pass by the first opportunity to stop at Ground Zero and instead head on to Katz's for lunch.
We "hopped off' several blocks from Katz's and stayed, as best we could, on the sunny side of the street. As we passed a little market I was taken by a dried fruit display and for the first time pulled out the camera. Both camera and fingers were cold but a shot was taken. This was my first sense that the camera would probably spend more time in the bag than in my hands. True, it was only for a second that I thought the fruit had shriveled from the cold.
Katz's Deli. Pastrami sandwiches. Root beer. Pickles. What more could you want for a Saturday lunch? It was crowded on the inside...
...and on the outside.
After lunch that left us time to work back to the Ground Zero area. Once there we struggled for a good vantage point to view the new construction of the Freedom Center which will be located on the site of the towers. It is to be 108 stories tall and 1776' feet in height.
Within the shadows of the towers is St Paul's Chapel, remarkably unscathed in the aftermath of the 911 events. Construction of the Chapel was completed in 1766. The Chapel contains the pew where George Washington prayed following his inauguration as president on April 30, 1789. After walking around the site we were tired and beastly cold. The return to the hotel was welcome.
Saturday night was our visit to the Majestic Theater for the performance of "The Phantom of the Opera." Neither Sheila nor I had attended a Broadway play before and neither of us had seen the "Phantom." We dressed in dark suit and tie style only to find that the "dress-up" on Broadway is the same as I suspect most everywhere else now ... a casual plus, at best. Although I did not stand at the door watching everyone leave, I saw only two other ties and no other suits. It was somewhat surprising as at the National, the Kennedy Center, Arena State and other venues in the DC area there would be more suits and ties although here too the numbers of such dress are dwindling. Bottom line: there were more jeans and baseball caps than ties in the Majestic on Saturday night. Somewhat disappointing as it's always been enjoyable to dress up and show respect for the performers. In this case, I suspect the applause for the performance was really what the performers wanted to hear and it was well deserved. The evening was most enjoyable and a wonderful performance.
Not having had dinner beforehand and having checked local restaurant listings I was struck by the fine comments given for John's Pizzeria which was conveniently located directly across the street from the Majestic. The site is a converted church and the pizza was, dare I say, heavenly. The guide had suggested that the "pizzas are amazing." We agreed. The winds had subsided and we walked back to the hotel after having arrived in a cab. More on cabs later.
Sunday was cold but the winds were quieter. We walked to Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral and were pleased to find the celebrant to be Archbishop Timothy Dolan. After Mass we walked about the Cathedral and among the altars found one for St. Therese of Lisieux (The Little Flower), a French Saint who had entered a Carmelite Covent and who had died very young at age 24.
Construction of the Cathedral began in 1858 and was completed in 1879.
After Mass it was off to MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) just a few blocks north of St. Patrick's. The museum was featuring a collection of photographs by women and it would have taken all day, and then some, to work through the entire museum and all the exhibits. We settled on the women's photography exhibit and lunch. Lunch consisted of wurstels, kraut, and horseradish mustard. Oh they called it something else but this is what it was and it was good. Of course, by now we've had pastrami sandwiches, pizza, sausages, and sauerkraut. A vacation diet?
After leaving MoMA we set out on a walk down 5th Avenue. Next destination was the New York Public Library. Along the way, sure enough, we happened upon a street food vendor hawking our dietary leanings for the weekend. Then again, we were in a bit of hurry to move on and the lady to the right with the eager hands was first in line so we took a pass. Hope she enjoyed her wurstel. There were vendors all along 5th Avenue and throughout the city. Some with roasted nuts (chestnuts) and other tempting bites. We were under control at this time.
A pic of Sheila and the New York Fashion Week poster. Unfortunately the shoes were men's shoes. Couldn't find a poster in the right window with women's shoes.
About to enter the New York Public Library (5th Ave at 42nd St) and all of a sudden this "tourist" from California jumps into the pic with Sheila. Great moment.
The library had a number of exhibits including an exhibit on the three Abrahamic religions. Time was passing and we were soon on our way.
The Empire State Building from Bryant Park. This was on our walk back to the hotel. Lovely little park with a skating rink.
We had decided to finish the night with a nighttime bus tour of the city and Brooklyn. Dinner was out of the question at that time as lunch was still with us. The bus tour was outstanding but the tour was cut short by the driver. As if to encourage no opposition from the passengers we sensed that the heat had been turned off on the bus shortly before we we were told of the shortened tour. As it was in the low to mid 20s outside and close to that inside the bus there wasn't much complaining about returning early to the "barn." The guide was informative, interesting, and a New Yorker by 32 years with roots in Michigan. Michigan was well in his past and New York was his home and in his heart. He kept telling us his name as if he wanted me to make note of it - David Furman.
Once finished with the shortened bus tour it had to be time to eat again. And it was. This time it was an Irish Pub for fish and chips and, I am embarrassed to say, onion rings. Someone near us had ordered rings and when we saw them we decided we needed an order too. Add another item to our weekend diet confusion. All was tasty and we survived our tilted eating habits. We didn't linger at the pub. Sunday night was the NBA All Star game and there must have been 10 TVs working at maximum volume throughout the pub. It was difficult to hear anything else and pointless to speak. The score from the morning paper would be sufficient and we walked the few blocks between the pub and our hotel.
Morning wasn't that far away and with that would come our return home. We awoke in the morning to discover a couple of inches of snow had fallen. The streets seemed only wet and our train was a noontime departure. This time there would be no 18 block hike. We enjoyed another breakfast at the hotel, packed, and hailed a cab.
The story of our visit to NY would be incomplete without mention of our cab rides and, in particular, the ride to Penn Station. No sooner had the bags been "trunked" we were off like a shot. We had three lanes available to us and we were using all of them. In and out of traffic but not always with gradual lane changes. At one point we moved across the three lanes in what was as close to a perpendicular move as possible. I kept looking for my seat belt but never found it. The driver must have looked back and seen fear on my face and interpreted that as if we were late. He only sped up. For the life of me I have no idea as to how we avoided an accident. If our driver wasn't beeping his horn, someone else was beeping at us. We did make it and I could not help but think that he'd cheated himself with the meter with his speed. I gave him a more generous tip then otherwise but largely because we had survived and we were now finished with the ride.
The return trip to Manassas was in daylight and the sights along the way invited return trips by car for pics. We saw many too many old factory buildings, old warehouses, and old row houses and homes that were vacant and gutted. Traveling on old track beds is probably not the best way to see pleasing vistas but some of that which we saw was broader than that which could be blamed on the tracks and their location. It was nice to return home to Northern Virginia. Yet the trip to NY left us with so many more reasons to return to NY for more visits that the only question now is "when."
...til later...
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