Aug 20th
I set my alarm for 3:30 AM, only to wake up around 4:00. My body was desperate for more hours of sleep because I had stayed up until 11:00 the following night to book our hotel. I woke up and made some eggs. Sal and I headed to dad’s shortly after. I waited on dad to wake up and get ready. After he got up he had confessed that he had stayed up until 2 or 3. So, we rushed to the airport and waited in line to check dad’s bag. We were barely there in time. So, we took a 30 minute flight to Dallas, then a bit of a longer flight to New York.
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| The View from the Hotel |
After landing we tried to figure out the easiest and cheapest way to out hotel. Since we were unable to get an easy/cheap combo, we went with cheap. Dad amnd I paid 26 dollars to get a seven day metro card. then took a bus to the subway. We asked directions the whole way, because we had no idea how to get around here. After our stop, we drug our heavy bags several blocks after getting of the subway until we finally arrived at “The Bentley Hotel”. The hotel was very nice. We laid our things down and were ready to eat. We were really tired and hungry upon arrival. After unpacking, I discovered that I had lost my phone. I had put in between my legs on my first flight to Dallas, and I had forgotten about it. To avoid further frustration, we decided to leave to find food. On 2nd Ave we found a pub called “Baker Street Pub”, where we ate Fish – n – Chips. Our Waitress was from Donegal, Ireland. I was so tempted to order a pint, but I didn’t. I was, after all, still on my no alcohol diet. After our meal we walked to a Starbucks and got coffee.
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| CentralPark |
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| Time Square |
After waking up, we walked to Central Park. There are an abundance of attractive women in The Big Apple. It’s pretty amazing to watch the comings and goings of all the people in this city. Dad and I found a vendor selling organic hot dogs in Central Park and got a veggie Italian sausage dog in a wheat pita with a bag of puffed popcorn and some kind of organic drink. I must say I rather enjoyed it.
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| Dad and I in Time Square |
We walked around the scenic park until we decided to go to Time Square. So, we jumped on the subway and entered into a place full of people, lights, and weirdoes. I stopped and got Liam a post card in one of the tourist shops. Along the way, there were people drawing sketches of people, comedy tickets, and more. Dad decided to buy us some comedy tickets, then we took a picture with a disgusting, painted up old lady, and visited some shops.
When it reached around 9:15, we journeyed to “Broadway Comedy Club”. While walking there we saw where David Letterman’s Studio was. We waited for a while for us to be called in to be seated. While waiting, we met a guy and his wife from New Jersey and North Carolina, respectively. The comedy show was pretty damn funny. There was a two drink minimum, and the cheapest of which was 5.00.
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| My first pizza in NYC |
When the show ended we went back to Time Square and got my first New York pizza.
It was spinach and cheese. What a masterpiece it was too. We walked a bit more, and dad bought some candied cashews, almonds, and coconuts. We took the subway shortly after back to 59th and Lexington. We walked the rest of the way. (To 62nd and 1st) The walk seemed like an eternity. It was 2 AM, and I had some blistered feet.
Aug 21st
Dad and I woke up and took a cab to the post office, where he mailed the contents of his smaller bag to Ireland for Ken to receive. Afterwards, we went for lunch where I found a pizza place. They had just taken a cheese pizza from the oven. It was piping hot and had a wheat crust. I took it to the place next to it to eat it because dad was ordering a salad. It was so delicious. We finished up lunch and headed to a pharmacy for dad to find some socks and for me to buy some band-aids for my blistered feet. We took the subway home and dad took a nap. I walked to the Starbucks down the street for some Wi-Fi and to write in my journal. We had plans to go to ground zero when dad woke up.
When dad got to Starbucks we took a subway to Ground Zero.
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| Ground Zero |
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| Drinking Coconut Milk in Chinatown |
There wasn’t much there, but we walked to Battery Park where I first laid eyes on The Statue of Liberty. From afar. What a cool thing to see. Dad and I took several pictures while we were there. I looked on my map to help decide what we should go see next. We walked until we got to Wall Street. We found a Cathedral there and took a few pictures. We were knee deep in the “Financial District”, and we were in need of a subway to get us to “Chinatown”. After being pointed they way by several New Yorkers, we found one. We got off just south of Chinatown, and noticed immediately that there were Asian Americans everywhere. It was a really cool feeling to see all the markets there. Dad came across some delicious, ice-cold coconuts. They punched a hole in them and we drank the cool, refreshing milk within.
After our drinks, we heard some traditional sounding Chinese Music so we followed the noise to a park area. The park had stone seats and tables that you could play chess or checkers on. At the front of the park, was a tent with the musicians and a horrible singer. Aside from the vocals, the music was delightful. Dad and I sat at a table with a young French or Italian couple. The girl of which was EXTREMLY attractive. She looked a bit like Shannon Sossomon. It was a bit hot and muggy out there. The attractive French (or Italian) girl sat diagonal from me and had mindlessly tried airing herself out at one point by getting air in her dress from the bottom. When she did, I got a glimpse of her flat stomach and dark blue panties that would make one’s heart jump. After resting our feet and listening to the awful singing, we stopped and had delicious Chinese food. With our bellies full, we walked a bit more through parts of little Italy. There, I bought Sal a shirt that said “Not only am I perfect, I’m Italian too!”. I know it’s cheesy… We started looking for a subway station once again. Being still unable to decipher the map, we had asked someone for directions. We trudged on for what seemed like an eternity, until we saw this girl get hit by a man on a bicycle. We seemed to stay behind her until we found the station. Eventually we had made it back to our hotel around 9PM, and we could be anymore tired. I did have some Chinese leftovers though…
Aug 22nd
Since I went to bed pretty early the previous night, I woke up with ease around 8AM. Dad and I went down the street for breakfast where I had the “Irish Breakfast”, complete with 2 eggs, Irish bacon, black pudding, white pudding, bangers, and whole grain toast. With breakfast in us, we walked to the Starbucks down the street and got coffee. Dad and I went back so that dad could take a nap.
Dad woke up after about 20 minutes, and we walked to Central Park. Using his GPS on his Iphone, we eventually found what we were hunting for, “Strawberry Fields”. There, we found the memorial for John Lennon. I read that he lived close by the memorial. Dad seemed to have “Strawberry Fields” in his head afterwards.
I finally was getting the map use down, and we found a close by subway station, and headed to Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center. I knew exactly where to get off too! When we made it to the streets, it was time to take the umbrella out because it was pouring rain in the New York City streets. Dad purchased one from a vendor, and we made our way to the NBC Studios. We stopped first in the gift shop where I bought a “Friends” travel mug and a magnet for mom that read “Central Perk”. We love that show. We paid to take the studio tour shortly after.
After buying my merchandise, I stuffed it into my bag. I climbed the stairs to see dad feasting on a frozen yogurt in front of a HUGE tv screen. The table in front of him contained an HD screen that was made to look like water with rocks on the bottom. I laid some stuff on it, and it made ripples in the water! Fascinated, I began to play with it a bit and do a video. We purchased or tickets for the tour after I helped polish the ice cream off. There, I waited in line for the tour. There were posters on the wall of “USA Today” and a display glass with SNL stuff like Coneheads outfits from the 70’s. Finally, they let us in. We watched a brief welcome on a theatre screen that gave us an introduction and a history of NBC. We took several elevators and saw the actual sets to Dr.Oz, Jimmy Fallon Live, and Saturday Night Live. We heard all kinds of history as well as saw some of a makeup room where Will Forte from SNL got costumed, and a set of water pipes that were decorated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz! I thought it was a very neat place.
The subway was our next stop to get to Time Square again. I knew how to find the subway and where to get off at this time. We arrived in Time Square to realize we were hungry, Dad gave me the option between a barbeque place, or Bubba Gump’s. We decided Bubba Gumps. There, I broke my 33 day streak of no alcohol for a delicious margarita. Dad bought dinner for my birthday that night. We dined on a pot filled with shrimp, lobster, and crab. It was the best meal ever. Dad disappeared to the restroom, and when he returned I was forced to dance to a birthday song.
We took the Subway home. When we got in the elevator, dad lit up a few more floors after people go off. We were on the fourth floor and had to make it to the 6th. Unfortunately, a lady got on when we stopped at the fifth floor. It was a little embarrassing that she had to ride it all the way to the top, and we were the only one’s in the lift. It was, needless to say, awkward.
Aug 23rd
I woke up and listened to dad talk on Skype for hours to Tonya Prince, from Wales. We had met her on our stay in Handsforth, England. As it got closer to 2 o’clock I was getting tired of waiting for dad to get off. So, I went to Starbucks after getting a slice of pizza at “Joe and Tony’s Pizza”. It was delicious as usual. At Starbucks I got on my itouch to talk to Bruce on Skype for a bit. Dad eventually text me, and I met him at the ‘Jerusalem Grill”. Dad was eating a falafel when I came through the door, I took a bite, and it was quite tasty. Wile waiting on him to finish up, that song “Amore” came on. We got on the subway to go downtown to the ferry for Liberty Island. On the long journey, dad napped on the ride, and many people came on and off. There were people that came on to preach, sing, and beg. Interesting place here in New York. There was a man that got on and made distasteful comments to an Asian family. It was VERY uncomfortable. Finally we arrived back at Battery Park, and Dad did a video. We then loaded on the ferry. On the way, we met some Aussies. We set out for the Island and began taking lots of pictures,. Seeing Liberty was amazing. She is a very iconic part of America, and there I was floating passed her.
We took the sub, then began walking to our hotel. We were walking the wrong way, and my bladder was about to burst. We stopped at an expensive place and I relieved myself. Dad ordered a Heineken, and a coffee for me. We were so ready to get home that we didn’t finish our drinks. A chap pointed us in the right direction, and we got there safe and sound. I left the following morning for home.
