Trip Introduction
In 2018 we decided to return to New York City to catch a couple shows and hit some of the attractions we had not visited on prior trips. This was the first time we traveled there after James' parents moved to Florida.
Wednesday, 05/23/2018 – An Easy Flight
We had a direct afternoon flight from Des Moines to LaGuardia. We arrived without issues and took a taxi to our hotel in Manhattan. After getting settled in our room, we walked around getting acclimated before finding something to eat and turning in for the night.
Thursday, 05/24/2018 – Seeing the Southern Sights
We rose in time to get around, but not so early that we would be in the middle of the morning rush as we headed to the southern end of Manhattan. Our hotel was near Times Square, so we boarded a train there and headed into the financial district. From there, we walked the rest of the way into Battery Park and stood in line for tickets on the Ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. After getting our timed entry ticket, we walked around enjoying the views and sights within the park. It was mid-morning when we boarded the ferry for the ride to Liberty Island where we walked around the base of Lady Liberty taking photos of the New York City skyline and of the statue. While we did not climb to the observation level, we enjoyed seeing the city from this perspective. We then took the ferry over to Ellis Island and the National Museum of Immigration. After looking at the exhibits, and for a couple of ancestors, we returned to Manhattan and made our way back into the Financial District.
A figure adorns an apartment building in Manhattan
The Statue of Liberty looks over the harbor
The Statue of Liberty stands atop her stone base
The skyline of Manhattan as viewed from Liberty Island
The Statue of Liberty with the Manhattan skyline beyond as we leave Liberty Island
We made our way to where the Twin Towers had stood and after walking around the fountains, we entered the September 11 Memorial & Museum. It was very sobering to read the stories and see the artifacts presented there. It was late afternoon when we left and we decided to visit the observation deck in One World Tower. The ride to the observation level is interesting as the walls of the elevators have display panels that give you a history of the city's development based on the height of the buildings. We were lucky with clear skies so the views from the observation level were stunning. As we descended, we realized how much walking we had done and decided to return to the area of the hotel to eat and rest.
One World Trade Center stands above the other nearby structures
A flag at the Towers Memorial hangs limp with the Oculus beyond
A column section stands in the September 11 Memorial & Museum
Looking from the One World observation deck toward the Statue of Liberty
The view of midtown Manhattan from the One World observation deck
Friday, 05/25/2018 – A Day for the Arts
We started the morning with a stroll around Central Park before visiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a lovely way to stay cool on an unseasonably warm afternoon. Part of the reason we had planned the trip was to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway one more time before it closed. Our tickets were for the show Friday evening, so we had an early meal before heading to The Majestic Theater. We both enjoyed the show and returned to the hotel late in the evening.
A restored historic tile mosaic in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Waiting for the theater to open so we can take our seats for Phantom of the Opera
Saturday, 05/26/2018 – An Unplanned Day
We slept in on Saturday. While we had tickets to another event that evening, we had intentionally left the day open. We ended up heading to Times Square and getting 5th-row tickets to a matinee of Anastasia that afternoon. We wandered around some of the shops in the area and found the NY offices of the company Julie worked for at the time. We enjoyed the show and then spent more time in and around the Times Square area before dinner. After dinner, we had tickets to see "Drunk Shakespeare." It was an entertaining show with an actual troupe of Shakespearian performers acting out one of his plays. The drunk part is one of the actors had to do 5 shots of tequila in quick succession at the beginning of the show. There were other various triggers throughout the show where that cast member took additional drinks. The venue is a small in-the-round setting and we laughed a lot, considering we were watching King Lear. After the show we returned to our hotel room and got things ready since we were checking out the next morning.
Sunday, 05/27/2018 – Returning Home
Our flight to Des Moines left late in the morning so we checked out of the hotel around 8:30a and caught a cab to the airport. Everything went smoothly and we were back home by 3p.
While we enjoyed visiting New York City with its attractions, this trip reminded us of while we live in a medium sized city. We enjoyed visiting and will probably do so again someday, but only a visit.