New York ~ Long Island and New York City

MUSAP on the beach at Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge

I stayed near home all summer and in September I started planning new adventures. First trip was to Long Island and then New York City. I started by spending the night in CT so I could catch an early ferry in the morning. Went to Mohegan Sun while I was there and won big on a penny slot machine!

winner! at Mohegan Sun

I stayed with Phil and Jenny on Long Island. Phil has finished his latest house flip and is living in it until they get a buyer. It’s in a great location in Mattituck and he did a great job with the design and all the little touches.

the dock at Phil's

I was on Long Island the weekend my grand-nephew turned one so I went to his first birthday party. Naturally I had a great time with my camera while I was there. It was nice to spend some time with family, including Sarah’s relatives that I met at their BVI wedding a few years ago.

birthday cake

CLICK HERE to see some pix of my stay on Long Island.

chickadee

Phil and Jenny both had to work the next day so I was on my own to explore. I went to the Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor. It’s got nice wooded trails and you also can get to a beach to walk there.

beach side of Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge

People have been hand feeding birds at this refuge for years. It’s discouraged for many reasons, but people still do it so the birds are quite tame and easy to photograph.

downy woodpecker

CLICK HERE for my flickr album of pix from the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge

New York City

After Long Island I drove to New York City where there was walking, walking, walking on my schedule every day! Sean Quinn was my gracious and patient tour guide for NYC. I’m usually fine travelling and exploring on my own, but for some reason NYC intimidated me. It’s so big and there are so many possibilities.

Sean and me

Sean and Tony let me park my car in their driveway in Astoria so I wouldn’t have to deal with driving in the city and paying to park in the city! Sean got me easily from Astoria to my Yotel near Times Square. It’s a modern hotel near Times Square in Manhattan and it’s rooms are designed like cabins on a cruise ship. It was an interesting place and I had a great view out my window.

Yotel cabin

After I checked in to Yotel Sean and I walked up to Central Park. Tony’s office is in The Arsenal building across from the Central Park Zoo so we went there. He has a great view from his office window. We all went out to supper at a local diner. Then Sean and Tony walked me back to Yotel pointing out NY landmarks along the way.

Sean and Tony

The next morning Sean met me in Times Square. What a crazy place - sensory overload with sounds, people, traffic, neon lights. I managed to find my way there from the Yotel - the streets and directions were already getting easier to figure out.

Times Square

We walked back to Central Park and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We saw someone blowing huge bubbles. We stopped at the Bethesda Fountain. I enjoyed seeing the greenery, people watching, and hearing the street musicians.

Bethesda Fountain - Sean with MUSAP on his shoulder

Next we visited the Central Park Zoo. It’s a cute little zoo and I enjoyed taking pix in the aviary. I think Sean may have been permanently traumatized when we were on the upper level and  he saw another visitor get pooped on from above! We had lunch in the café at the zoo.

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Sean got me safely to Lincoln Center. Then he left to run an errand and I went to say hello to Andy at Lululemon. Andy is another UNH theater alum. Good memories of seeing him perform in aerial dance showcases at UNH.

Andy G and me

After a quick walk around Lincoln Center so I could see the Metropolitan Opera House and Juilliard School we headed to the subway to go to the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked about ⅔ of the bridge and enjoyed looking back at the city. Seeing One World Trade Center on September 10th was significant.

World Trade from Brooklyn Bridge

After Brooklyn Bridge we walked some more! Sean showed me Foley Square, where Law & Order sometimes films scenes and then we went through Bryant Park. At some point we went through Grand Central Station, but I never quite figured out the subway, so I’m not sure where we were headed at that point! After 21,000 steps Sean got me safely back to the Yotel.

Bryant Park

After resting for a little while it was time to head out again because I had tickets to see Pippin with Phil & Jenny. They were both working in the city that day so it worked out to meet for dinner and a show. Jenny and I both love musicals! Pippin was a great show - love all the circus numbers.

Jenny and Phil with MUSAP

After the show Phil and Jenny walked me back to the Yotel. When they left I heard a rumbling noise and when I looked out my window there were hundreds of motorcycles going by - it was 11:30 at night. Phil and Jenny saw and heard them from the street level - loud. Never found out what was going on, I suspect it was a ride honoring 9/11.

motorcycles in the night

Sean agreed to spend more time with me the next day, he was such a good sport to be my guide. We took the subway to go and see the High Line. The High Line is a park trail about a mile and a half long that was developed on an old, unused railroad spur.

High Line birches

It was another beautiful day and the High Line is a great walking place in the city. There are wonderful plantings, parts of the old rails, pieces of art, benches, water features, and tiered bleacher seating.

High Line

I never did figure out the subway because Sean was always with me when I needed to use it. I followed him through the underground maze, got on whatever car he told me to get on, and got off whenever he said we were where we needed to be.

Sean and Tap Tap poster - couldn't resist!

After the High Line we went back to the Yotel to get my bag, then headed back to Astoria to get my car so I could drive home.

Sean & Tony's balcony

CLICK HERE to see my NYC photos on Flickr.

Yotel lego wall

visited September 6-11, 2014

city bird

Louisiana ~ New Orleans

need to get this post written... finally!

First time I have visited New Orleans, Louisiana. When walking around the city I can’t help thinking about what it must have been like when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

New Orleans - railings and flowers

Day 1 I set out to visit the Arthur Roger Art Gallery just up the street from my hotel. They have an exhibition of Chihuly glass on display and that was the reason I decided to come to New Orleans this month. I was not disappointed. The glass pieces are beautiful. I had the gallery to myself for most of the time when I was there and the lady at the reception desk happily agreed that I could photograph the glass chandeliers and the other pieces.

Chihuly

CLICK HERE to see my photos of Chihuly Glass in New Orleans on Flickr.

Chihuly chandelier

After seeing the Chihuly I walked around the nearby area of the city and located the National World War II Museum. They have lots planned for the 70th anniversary of D-Day which is June 6, 2014 and happens to coincide with my visit. I visited the gift shop to get something cold to drink - it was a very hot day.

World War II Museum

I went for a second walk in the other direction from my hotel before supper just to give myself a sense of how to get around so I can be efficient on Day 2. The map app on my iPhone was a very helpful resource. I was feeling much more confident when I got back to my room. I had been a little concerned about the neighborhood, but I think it looked worse than it was because they were doing a lot of road work.

MUSAP loves segway tours

I went on a really fun City Segway Tour. There were just 5 of us and our guide Jason. We explored the French Quarter with it’s narrow one-way streets. Lots of interesting architecture to see in the historic buildings.

segway tour

We stopped at Jackson Square. Jason was very knowledgeable about the history of New Orleans. He shared lots of facts about Jackson and the St. Louis Cathedral.

me with MUSAP in Jackson Square

I enjoyed Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square. It was nice seeing some greenery after the cramped feeling in the French Quarter.

segway

We went to the Treme Neighborhood and learned it was the first neighborhood for ‘free people of color’ and was developed hundreds of years ago. We stopped for a snack break at the Treme Coffee Shop. The 2 other couples on the tour were very nice - sisters and their husbands all visiting from Florida. We sat together and chatted while we rested.

Backstreet Cultural Museum - didn't visit, just rolled past

We went past the French Market and then up to a walkway along the Mississippi River. Great views and nice to catch a breeze. It was a hot day and we appreciated the fact that there were clouds. This was a great last stop on our tour.

Mississippi River

CLICK HERE to see my NOLA Segway Tour photos on Flickr.

Joan of Arc

After touring on the segway I switched to touring the city on a Hop On Hop Off bus. It runs a 2 hour loop around the city with 12 stops. I was happy to ride for the complete loop without hopping on and off - just wanted to get an overview so I could plan my stops for the next day. Randy was our guide and I enjoyed his presentation - funny and informative. Not too many pix because my camera battery faded.

Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

Day 1 was hot, Day 2 was hotter and more humid, Day 3 was a scorcher! It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity was truer than true. Even the locals were commenting about it. In the north we have wind chill factor in the winter that makes it feel colder, in the south they have the heat index that adjusts for the humidity.

mules pull tourist carriages, they handle the heat much better than horses

There is a Hop On Hop Off Bus Stop right outside my hotel because the art galleries are just up the street. So I was able to easily catch a bus to do more sightseeing. The buses come by about every 30 minutes, waiting 15 minutes made me hot and my camera steamed up as soon as I went outside. Because I had ridden the route I knew where I wanted to hop on and off this time.

Bourbon Street area

First Hop Off was at the French Market. There are lots of little shops and restaurants. Part of the space is a flea market with every tacky souvenir you could ever want.

French Market

When I got on the next bus I was happy to see that it was Randy’s bus… and he recognized me from the day before. I rode 4 different buses and he was my favorite guide. Alas I only rode with him for one stop because I wanted to visit Saint Louis Cemetery Number One and that was the next stop.

St Louis Cemetery Number 1

The cemetery is an intriguing maze of crypts, the final resting place for hundreds of New Orleans citizens since 1789. The tombs and vaults are above ground in the tradition of the French and Spanish... not really because of the water table. I really enjoyed my time there and took lots of photos.

final resting place of Marie Laveau

The crypt of a famous voodoo priestess has the most ornamentation. Her name was Marie Laveau and she lived in New Orleans in the 1800’s.

St Louis Cemetery Number One

After the stop at the cemetery I wasn’t sure how much more sightseeing I wanted to do because it was so hot and humid. It had rained a little bit so I was hoping it would feel a little better. When we got to the Garden District I hopped off again still debating what I would do next. My bus tour ticket included a Walking Tour of the Garden District that was going to start in half an hour.

NOLA Garden District tour

I hadn’t eaten much so I went in search of somewhere airconditioned with food that I would like. I discovered District Donut Sliders Brew so I went there - after all it was National Donut Day. After cooling down and adding some sugar I decided to take the tour.

snack stop

Turned out I was the only person for the tour when I got back to the meeting place. Another person caught up with us a few blocks later. Tour guide was Steve and he was happy to tell us about the history of many of the houses in the neighborhood. I quickly got hot again and perhaps wasn’t paying as much attention as I could have!

Garden District

We passed the Manning’s house - parents of NFL stars Eli and Peyton. Steve had heard that Eli is visiting this week.

Manning home

We saw one of the homes that writer Anne Rice owned in New Orleans. Also the home that Nicholas Cage once owned, but later lost to the IRS. Another famous homeowner in the neighborhood is Sandra Bullock.

Anne Rice home

After walking for 45 minutes I was happy to get back to the bus stop and wait for the next bus and head back to my hotel.

NOLA Mardi Gras beads

I may add Wyland’s Whaling Walls as possibilities for my MUSAP adventures.

Wyland Whales

Day 4 was just as hot and humid. I had a few options and chose to walk down the street to Riverwalk. It’s a newly opened Outlet Center situated right next to the Mississippi River. The best part was being in the air conditioning. Back to the Courtyard Convention Center in time for noon check out and Airport Shuttle.

NOLA Riverwalk

CLICK HERE to see my photos of New Orleans on Flickr.

carriage rides

visited 06/04/14 ~ 06/07/14

October 2014