Our last stop in New York was at the Central Library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. It’s a grand structure that offers a free guided audio tour. It’s worth stopping in to see the architecture, some of the murals on the ceilings and the room of “Treasures” that includes an original copy of the Bill of Rights and one of 48 remaining copies of the original Gutenberg Bible. There is a small café and gift shop as well.
As I investigated the various observation decks at buildings in New York, the one that stood out to me to visit was the Summit at One Vanderbilt.
Located at 42nd Street and Madison Avenue,
adjacent to Grand Central Station, you’ll ride an elevator up 91 floors in 41
seconds. As you exit on the 91st floor, not only do you have
360-degree views of the city, a system of mirrors creates unique reflections
and images.
There’s also a room filled with silver “beach” balls that float around, allowing for more unique photo opportunities.
The visit continues on the 92nd floor where you
can take a turn standing on one of two glass floor ledges that extend beyond
the side of the building, giving you the opportunity to look straight down
1,070 feet.
Floor 93 includes a café and an outdoor viewing deck.
One of the things I was looking forward to the most while visiting NYC was a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Tickets are only offered by one service provider, so please
go directly to nps.gov and follow the links there to get your tickets.
And book early, especially if you want to climb up to the
crown or the top of the pedestal. General admission tickets have better
availability.
From NYC, the ferry to the islands leaves from Battery Park
on the southern tip of Manhattan. There is airport-like security screening to
go through, so your ticket will reflect the time to arrive to line up for the
screening.
Once on board the ferry, find a seat on the right side of
the boat – preferably on the open-air top deck. As you leave the dock, you’ll
be treated to a great view of the NY skyline, and as you approach the island,
you’ll have a great view of the Statue of Liberty.
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When you arrive at the Statue of Liberty, plan to spend at
least 2 hours on the island. There is a free audio tour available. If you
listen to the entire tour, it will take about 40 minutes to walk around the
island. Climbing to the top of the pedestal or crown, if you’ve purchased those
tickets, will require more time, but will give you great views of the city as
well as of the inner parts of the statue. The pedestal has a museum inside.
There is also another museum on the island with the original
torch, replica face and replica foot along with many other interesting
exhibits.
Ferries to Ellis Island and then on to Battery Park pick up
approximately every 25-30 minutes.
Ellis Island is also worth a couple of hours of your time.
This island was the first landing point for millions of immigrants to the USA,
especially from the late 1800s to about 1920.
My wife and I found records for three of our relatives that
arrived and were processed at Ellis Island before starting their lives in
America.
During our trip to New York City, we rode the subway several times each day.
I will admit that prior to arriving in NYC I was a bit
nervous about how safe and clean the subway system would be, but I was very
pleasantly surprised.
We never felt unsafe, and the hallways, platforms and subway
cars were all relatively clean. We didn’t see much litter or have any problems.
There were a few more homeless on the subway on the Sunday of our visit, but
they weren’t harassing people.
The current fare is $2.90 per ride. Transfers are free.
The system recognizes your credit card, so if you use the
same credit card every time you ride you will not be charged more than $34 in a
7-day period.
Google Maps worked pretty well getting us on the right
train. Apple maps was a notch less effective in our experience. I also used the
CityMapper app.
I’ve been fortunate to do quite a bit of traveling over the years but have never made it to New York City. This year seemed like the right time to go to the Big Apple – taking my wife to a Broadway show to celebrate our 30th anniversary.
Fortunately, getting to New York is easy from many major
cities, including our home of Indianapolis. As regular Delta flyers, it was
great to see that Delta offered multiple nonstops every day to both LaGuardia
and JFK.
One caveat about Delta’s service to LaGuardia is that the
flights are on smaller regional jets. Some people may have concerns about
flying on the smaller planes. There is limited overhead bin space on those
aircraft, requiring many people to gate-check their carry-on luggage.
Flying time from IND to LGA was only about 90 minutes. We
flew in over the harbor with a view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan off
the left side of the plane.
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Baggage claim at LGA was quick and efficient, and we were
able to pick up the FREE Q70 bus to the nearest subway station.
The resort towns of West Baden, Ind. and French Lick, Ind. are located about two hours south of Indianapolis. The drive is quicker now that more progress has been made on I-69.
The resorts attracted the rich and famous in the early 1900s as guests were attracted by the lavish hotels and mineral springs. After falling into disrepair, they are attractions again.
Our family visited Puerto Rico for the first time recently. We had several days to enjoy the outdoors as well as the history of this beautiful island that is a territory of the United States.
Many US travellers love Puerto Rico because no passport is required, the dollar is the currency and English is widely spoken.
Our accommodations were in the Miramar section of San Juan, which is just south of Old San Juan and southwest of Condado, the strip of hotels and restaurants.
Upon our arrival, we learned that Ponce De Leon Avenue was just a five-minute walk from where we were staying. If you're staying at the Sheraton or Hyatt, or if you're at the convention center or the Distrito T-Mobile, you'll be within 5-10 minutes of Ponce De Leon avenue.
Some Puerto Rican friends had recommended Los Pinos restaurant to us, so we tried that. Mofongo, a dense food made of plantains, was on the menu there. It can be served with many types of meats or vegetables. It was delicious.
We also found a grocery store two blocks away that allowed us to purchase some breakfast foods, fruits and LOTS of bottled water. The heat index was above 100 several days we were there so we were glad to be able to fill our 36-oz. water bottles with cold water from our refrigerator.
Old Town Scottsdale is a vibrant, walkable area that is worth a visit for shopping, eating, entertainment and the arts.
The Scottsdale Fashion Square, home to more than 200 retailers, is at the north end of Old Town. The area continues south for about one mile from Camelback Road on the north to Osborn Road on the south.
Old Town consists of nine neighborhoods, each filled with galleries, restaurants and shops. Several museums are also in the area, including the Museum of the West.
We visited on a Sunday morning when crowds lined up outside numerous restaurants for brunch. The area also has numerous nightclubs for evening entertainment.
At the far southeast corner of Old Town is Scottsdale Stadium, spring training home of the San Francisco Giants.
A great stop for people of all ages
is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum located about 30 minutes outside of Tucson
near Saguaro National Park. The museum is about a two-hour drive from Phoenix.
Located on 21 acres, the museum has more than two miles of walking paths through various habitats with exhibits about a multitude of plants and animals.
We arrived around 9:30 and learned that we were just in time for the raptor show that starts at 10 a.m. (Daily except for Wednesdays, Oct. 30-April 10). The 25-minute show featured four types of birds in free flight with lengthy narratives about each type of bird. The birds land in trees very close to the spectators and sometimes fly just inches above their heads. It's an impressive show.
From there we took the half-mile desert loop trail that highlights numerous desert plants and also includes coyotes and javelinas. The path continued into mountain woodlands where there is a mountain lion, black bear, gray wolves and mule deer.
From there we went underground into a cave that highlights the history of the Earth as well as gems and minerals.
Wandering to the next section of the grounds, we went into the hummingbird aviary where several species of hummingbirds dart around feeding at colorful plants and feeders throughout the building. Further on the trail there is another enclosed aviary with other species of birds. We saw a tanager, cardinal, quail, ducks and more.
Kids will enjoy the opportunity to touch and feed stingray. The final two stops for us as we continued on the trails were Cat Canyon and the Riparian Corridor. Cat Canyon features a bobcat, ocelot and gray fox. In the Riparian Corridor, you can see a river otter and a bighorn sheep.
The museum also has an aquarium and reptile exhibit. There is a gift shop and several options for food.
Adult admission is $24.95.
We spent just under four hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Superstition Mountains are about 50 minutes from Scottsdale and make for a great day trip.
Our first stop was Lost Dutchman State Park where there are multiple trails for hiking and mountain biking. Dogs are welcome on some trails but not all.
We chose to hike the 2.4-mile Treasure Loop Trail. It was rated moderate, but was fairly easy for 90% of the time. There was a short section that was steep and wasn't as smooth as the rest. The hike, which had a 500-foot gain in elevation, took us to the base of the mountain. As we hiked in spring, the terrain was fairly green with plenty of cacti and wild flowers.
Just a few miles away from the state park is Goldfield Ghost Town, the remnants of an 1893 mining town that has been converted into a tourist attraction. You can stroll the main street, visiting shops and businesses to learn about the history of the town and life in the wild west. Attractions include a zip line, train ride, mining for gold, a reptile museum and more. There are several options for food.
On weekends, a group of local volunteers stage a gunfight in the street every hour from 12-4.
Finally, we made a 25-minute drive to Canyon Lake, a recreation area for boaters and beachgoers.
I've driven along I-70 many times and have seen the signs advertising the National Museum of the United States Air Force but I had never had the opportunity to visit until today.
Located in Dayton, Ohio, the museum is near interstates 70 and 75, offering easy access to travelers from all directions.
Best of all, admission is FREE! That's right, four hangars filled with planes that will take hours (or multiple visits) to fully enjoy, and there is no admission fee.
The exhibit starts with the history of flying, which makes sense since the Wright brothers lived in the Dayton area and perfected their early airplanes nearby.
This is an Air Force museum, so most of the planes and the educational information about them travels through history to the cadence of wars. After the early years of flying, it's less than a decade until planes were used in World War I. Another decade and you're into World War II followed by Korea, Southeast Asia and then the Cold War. It is fascinating how quickly planes developed through the decades to fly higher, faster, further and to deliver more lethal payloads.
While all of the information and exhibits are great, I enjoyed the fourth hangar the best. The fourth hangar is home to the "Presidential Gallery" and includes planes that were used by multiple presidents. And best of all, you can board and walk through most of them. First you can climb aboard the plane that first flew a president - the "Sacred Cow" purpose-built for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Planes that served Presidents Truman and Eisenhower are next before you get to climb the stairs to the plane that served eight presidents, beginning with JFK. You walk through the aisle past the spot where Lyndon Johnson took the oath to serve as president after JFK's assassination.
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You'll definitely want to take a guided tour to help you spot the animals and insects. The guides not only know where to look, but they carry high-powered spotting scopes to zoom in on things you would never see on your own. The picture of the crown-nymphed hummingbird below is one such example.
We took a two-hour guided hike down the main trail in the park to the snack area where we were treated to fresh fruits and juices (and later saw a group of white-faced monkeys raiding the trash bins for leftovers). Note: The snack area is the only area in the park where food is available, and no outside food may be brought into the park.
There are two beaches at the park. Changing rooms and restrooms are available.
We spent 5-6 hours in the park, hiking several trails and enjoying the beach.
Our home for three nights was Hotel Parador situated on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The hotel has a sunset terrace that I assume offers spectacular views of the sunset. I can only assume that however because our trip came during the rainy season and featured thunderstorms every day around four or five o'clock.
The resort is beautiful with three pools, including an adults-only pool. A small mini golf course is on the grounds as well as a tennis court with complimentary equipment. A nature trail offers views of the Pacific as well as flora and fauna.
Monkeys were in the trees everywhere during our stay. We saw dozens of white-faced monkeys. Usually they were in groups of six or eight. During our first morning at Hotel Parador a group of squirrel monkeys came onto our balcony and stayed for several minutes while others were in the trees right behind them.
A flock of scarlet macaws lived in the tree across from the lobby.
The resort offers a two-minute golf cart ride to a trail to Biesanz Beach. The five-minute walk leads to a crescent shaped beach where we enjoyed 3-4 hours in the water.
Several evenings we took a taxi into town ($10 each way) to eat at local restaurants. There is also a hotel shuttle that runs between the town and the resort multiple times per day.
The breakfast buffet was ample and delicious with fruits, pastry, made-to-order eggs and other hot foods.
Another highlight of our time near Arenal Volcano was our two-hour guided hike through the hanging bridges of Mistico Park.
The park has a two-mile paved trail that includes more than a dozen bridges at various heights through the rain forest. Some are ground level, some are mid-canopy and a few a above the canopy. Six of the bridges are suspension bridges.
The trail and bridges are well-maintained and very safe.
We saw a great deal of unique flora and fauna during this hike starting with the yellow-throated toucan and a coati before we even started our hike.
The picture to the left is of a group of white-faced monkeys playing on the final bridge. We waited and watched them for a good 10 minutes before we could cross.
Everyone's wildlife experience will differ, but some of the things we saw included a beautiful roufous motmot, the poisonous dart frog, two types of vipers (very small), howler monkeys and spider monkeys. It was a treat to watch the spider monkeys fly from tree to tree.
White Water Rafting is the only thing we did in Costa Rica that I don't have pictures from. It's kind of hard to take your camera along on the rapids. The rafting company took 80-some pictures of us, but I had already purchased a photo package from the zip line company the previous day, so I opted out of the rafting pictures.
Rio Balsa is near the town of La Fortuna. Our trip coincided with the beginning of the rainy season in Costa Rica, so the river was at a good level. The river offers both a Class IV section as well as a Class II and III section. We opted for the latter for two reason - one, none of us had ever been white water rafting before, and two, there is a minimum age of 12 to do the Class IV tour. Our daughter was 10. (There is a min. age of 8 for the Class II/III tour).
We were picked up at our resort and taken into La Fortuna where the bus picked up a few additional people at the company's headquarters. From there we drove about 40 minutes to the put-in.
Each raft accommodates six people plus the guide, so we had a boat to ourselves which was very nice.
For this particular tour, there was no breaking in period for us first-time rafters. Immediately after putting in we were in the midst of the rapids. We had a great time navigating through the rapids while staying safe as well.
We stopped at a couple of locations to observe sloths and a poison dart frog. We also saw several types of herons.
We were on the river for approximately two hours. After rafting we were driven to a sugar cane farm where we enjoyed a native lunch of rice and chicken with beans and fruit juice. The lunch stop included a presentation about how they make sugar cane juice and sugar cane "moonshine" with samples of both.
The entire tour lasted approximately five hours and was one of many highlights of our trip.
We spent several hours in the small town of La Fortuna one evening. The town has numerous restaurants and souvenir stores. The central park is a popular area where we happened to see dozens of green parakeets at the top of the trees. Shop around for the best deal and don’t be afraid to negotiate the price. My son was able to save several dollars on his souvenirs by negotiating.
One reason many people travel to Costa Rica is for various forms of adventure, including zip lining.
There are numerous places to zip line near La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano. We selected a place that features 13 zip lines and a Tarzan swing. The lines are above and through the canopy of trees. We didn’t see much wildlife during our zip line adventure, but it is possible to see wildlife at the top of the canopy. The zip lines are fast and range in length from roughly a few hundred feet to more than 1,400 feet. This was a safe and fun adventure for all of us.
Breakfast is included with most reservation. Breakfast includes fresh fruits, pastries, made-to-order eggs, pancakes and other hot dishes. There are also two other restaurants, including a swim-up sushi bar.
The resort has several hot springs fed naturally by Arenal Volcano. In fact, many of the resorts and hotels nearby feature hot springs.
There is also a pool that is open until 10 p.m. every night.
We spent
our first morning on the porch watching numerous tropical birds, including
hummingbirds, tanagers and an oropendola.
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