On a trip like this one, it can be hard to identify what the actual destination is. With so many states on the itinerary, every place I stop feels like a destination. But when I arrived in New York City in the early evening of my second day of the trip, I was relatively certain I was about to experience some of the more memorable highlights of the trip.
Getting to NYC wasn’t too bad either, as I left Philadelphia and drove into New Jersey, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was a much nicer-looking city than it had always been described, even if my brief time in Atlantic City wasn’t all that exciting. Once I rolled past Newark and drove into the Holland Tunnel, I knew I was on the verge of a great time.
My first night in town wasn’t all that productive as I took a few pics as I walked around and then focused on being on time to my dinner reservation to Harding’s and then off to check out the local bar scene in Chelsea. The night itself offered up little excitement but I did get to have a nice chat with a couple sitting next to me at the restaurant. That conversation broke up my people watching but only briefly. Once I was back out on the streets heading back to the hotel, I was taking in the sights and sounds (and smells) around me.
My second day in NYC was an adventurous one, starting with me taking longer than expected to learn the subway system. But once I learned how everything ran, I became enough of an expert that I was actually able to help a couple of tourists get on the right train to reach their destination. Theoretically.
I visited the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Central Park, and took in a Broadway play (Wicked) that night. It was definitely an exciting and memorable day! Alas, recognizing that I should have probably booked a couple of additional days in the Big Apple, I had to move on the morning of my third day and begin my trek to the next destination - off to my first time in Beantown.
The interesting thing about NYC is that this was my third time there and I still feel like I have so much I haven’t seen yet. Maybe next time!
