Carl's Blog

For anyone following me I’m packing my bags for my next summer adventure. I’ve updated my WordPress account, bought some new clothes, purchased airline tickets and booked a hotel. Stay tuned to see where I’m headed this year.

Well, I woke up this morning still on NYC time. (4:45 AM local time) I was sort of sad that I didn’t have new neighborhoods to explore, but my feet were happy that they would have a day to rest. Here are some conclusions I have about NYC:

• NYC subways are not as dirty has portrayed on TV (I still felt the need to wash my hands after getting off them.) (I did see a NYC rat)
• NYC streets are too narrow for cars to be parked on both sides of the streets.
• Cars should not be allowed near Time Square.
• I thought the prices in Dallas were bad, but NYC wow. I couldn’t have a lunch that didn’t cost me at least $20, and I didn’t even buy any drinks.
• I don’t know of another city where you can walk down the street and hear a dozen different languages before you clear a block.
• Yes, there is a Starbuck everywhere, but there is also an independently owned coffee shop nearby.
• Every city needs a “Central Park”. I saw a large variety of humanity doing a variety of human things, drinking wine with friends, playing sports, playing with their dogs, chasing their children and lots of people just reading a book.
• Final thought… should I get a tattoo? 75% of the people I say in YC had tatoos.

So, next time I go to NYC I need a partner in crime to go with me or someone that lives there to give me the courage to try NYC night life. I missed all the jazz and comedy clubs because I didn’t feel safe being out past dark.

Wow, time sure flies. The rain on Monday, day 4 of my trip changed my afternoon plans. I wanted to got to the Bronx Zoo. That will have to be for the next time. I think on future trips to NYC I’ll stay someplace other than Time Square. Someplace closer to Central Park so I can walk around in the evenings. Well, that is for next time but most likely no time soon.

Took my last subway ride this morning heading to the airport.

Checking at LaGuardia was pretty smooth. The security line moved quickly. I’m still annoyed at having to take out all my electronics, even though I purchased a TSA approved backpack that zips completely open. I swear the rules change every time I travel. Oh well enough complaining… Oh wait one more thing …

If you didn’t notice, LaGuardia takes the exit via the gift shop to a new level. You have to walk past all these shops before you even get to your boarding gates. They almost got me with the Lego Optimus Prime, but I was strong. Really I just didn’t want to have carry it with me during my layover in Houston this afternoon. 🤪 The duty free shop almost got me too, but paying NYC prices wouldn’t have really saved that much by avoiding sales tax.

Check out this cool water feature. I didn’t film it but they had it show something in writing with the falling water.

With that I’m going to call it the end. My plane should be boarding soon and I must return to the Texas heat. Going to miss the cooler weather here in NYC, but they are getting ready to heat up. The city officially opened most of the public pools today. (There is a nation wide lifeguard shortage)

Signing off for this NYC 2022 fun. I still need to edit day 2 and 3 with pictures from my camera so if you’ve been here for the trip updates daily, go back and check out the previous post. Until the next adventure. 🤘😎🥰

Found another coffee shop that is open before 8 AM and it has some strange mixed coffee drinks.

I had their egg sandwich and the Blackbird. See below to learn what type of coffee drink I had.

Next stop was The Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral. This is not the one on 5th Ave. This is the oldest cathedral in the United States. This cathedral has two cemeteries and a catacomb crypt. Learned that graveyards are next to churches and cemeteries are out away from buildings. So what’s the deal with this cathedral? It was built in the middle of a cemetery. The last in ground burial was in 1855. Have enough money and your ashes can be laid to rest in above ground structures. Have more money, then your ashes can be placed under the cathedral in the catacombs. This happens to be the director Martin Scorsese’s church when he is in NYC and it is in The Godfather movie. Very interesting tour and history lesson.

It was noon when the tour finished so why not a pizza style meal from Lombardi’s the oldest pizza restaurant in the United States. I had a calzone. Remember to bring cash, they don’t accept credit.

I’m getting good at wandering this time I found desert.

Since I visited the first Saint Patrick’s, why not visit the new one on 5th Avenue?

While inside the cathedral it got dark like someone turned off the lights. I looked up and noticed all the lights were still on; however, the stained glass windows were all dark. So I made good use of my umbrella.

More wandering around and there wasn’t really any more rain.

Before calling it a day I stopped into Maggie’s for a relaxing drink.

So my trip to NYC is drawing to a close. The sun did come out just before setting but I’ve got a blister on a blister so once I got to my hotel, I was done for the day. Enjoyed the movie Jumanji 2. I’ll probably wander again tomorrow morning before packing up and heading home.  I was just starting to understand the subways. I guess I will have to come back again to finish my lesson.

I’m starting today planning how it will end. Well maybe not end but I want to capture the Sunset tonight at 8:31 PM. Maybe I’ll get up early to get the sunrise tomorrow. 🌇

I channeled my inner hobbit and had first breakfast at 7:30 AM (yes found a coffee shop that opens early)

And second breakfast at 10 AM 😊

Enjoyed some good jazz vocals and guitar. Was able to chat with Stella afterwards. She is as nice in person as she is on TikTok.

Tour of Manhattan Island via a boat at 1:30 PM. Pictures to be uploaded later. (It’s Later.. seems they are organized as last taken to first taken order)

Who was supposed to remind me to apply sunscreen? Please admit your mistake. It’s 3:20 PM. I’m on the 2.5 hour tour and my arms are on fire. Plus we seem to be stuck on the river. The ship keeps going forward and backward making very small angle adjustments. Glad the inside cab is air-conditioned.

Debating what to do once we get docked. Well, I ended up walking the length of Central Park with a few twists.

I’m very tried after a full day. Enjoyed some frozen yogurt before returning to my hotel for lots of water, a shower and then sleep. Final day of events are tomorrow.

I guess since the city stays up so late, it does like getting up in the morning. Had to wait until 8 AM for the Westway Diner to open.

Walked around the block and saw this vine growing on a building. Thought it looked good.

Off to Brooklyn to visit the botanical gardens. I took my dlsr camera for this trip; however, I left the transfer cable at home. If I decide to fight with the wifi transfer option I will post more pictures, but if not here are a few from my phone.

Now that I’m home and have access to my cameras cable I was able to download and do some minor twiks to the photos I took with my DLSR.  Enjoy.

Now the plan was to go to the Brooklyn Museum too, but my back was hurting again so I headed back to the hotel, grabbed a Subway sandwich and cookies for lunch and watched the Astros vs the Yankees on TV. I could have actually gone to the game in person, but I would have needed to buy tickets weeks ago.

Had fun, I say that tongue in cheek, navigating my way to a more residential neighborhood in Brooklyn for  dinner and music. I had to transfer subway trains and the people traffic on the street made me miss the first train, which made me wait for another, forcing Google to recalculate the route. I did make it, finally and as a reward lobster followed by cheesecake. 🥰

Also enjoyed some jazz music. I need to edit the video, but can’t do that until I get home on my wifi; here are some stills. Found out the couple sitting next to me traveled from California to see the singer too.

The evening ended with me reversing my route with a twist. There are not as many evening trains on the weekend and I missed the first one by moments and had to wait 15 more minutes. After that there weren’t any issues. It was a bit scary being almost the only person at the station, but as the train approached Manhattan it started to fill up. So that was my day. Untill tomorrow.