Our Trip to New York City! Tuesday, May 20 to Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Annabelle and I and Joel boarded a plane to New York City on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. We had a trip that we'll never forget!

Above Photo and Photo Below and Designs by Lori Hollander McHugh

• My Son's Ten Day Israeli Journey With Taglit-Birthright Israel May 21 to June 1, 2014

The reason we went to NYC on Tuesday was because Joel flew to Israel the next day (for a Birthright Israel adventure) on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 and I wanted to leave enough time for him to get to JFK airport.  New York seemed like a big and scary place and I just felt more comfortable making sure he got to the airport and to the group.

The above photo was taken of Joel when he was in Israel at the Wailing Wall!

I'd already planned to go to New York with Annabelle on Wednesday the 21st so I could attend a wedding and so that Annabelle could see a friend from summer camp, so I just changed our arrival day to a day earlier so that we could fly to NYC with Joel.  

Here's a summary of our trip:

Tuesday, May 20, 2014: - Travel Day and Times Square!

• Our plane arrived at La Guardia airport in the very late afternoon.  
• Our hosts told me to call Church Avenue Car Service to get a ride to our their home in Brooklyn.  It took awhile for the car to reach the airport since there was so much traffic, and the ride to Brooklyn was also long, so we arrived at our host's home around 6:30 pm.  
• After we settled in, we joined the family for dinner.  It was a wonderful dinner with chicken and vegetables.
• After dinner, the family encouraged us to take the subway into Manhattan so we'd see Times Square.  It was getting very late at night, but they told me that NYC "never sleeps" and that there would be a lot of people out and we'd be safe.  Our hostess walked us to the subway.  She showed us how to purchase a MetroCard and pointed us to the "F" train that headed towards Manhattan and off we went!

• I was a bit nervous that we would get lost, but Annabelle understood the directions and knew where we needed to get off.  

Joel, Spiderman, and Annabelle come to the rescue!

• Times Square was incredible!  And...yes...so many people were there!  We went inside stores that were very, very crowded.  We even went into a Walgreens that had a huge line.  We saw people dressed up as superheroes and we even saw a "Statue of Liberty" texting!  

• Finally, we began to get really tired, and headed back toward the subway.  We made sure we got on the "F" train that went in the direction of Downtown and Brooklyn and headed back to our host's home.

• It took 45 minutes each way to get to Manhattan and 45 minutes to get back to Brooklyn and the Ditmas Avenue subway station, so it was almost midnight when we got off the train.  We then walked back to our host's home, told our hostess about our evening, and headed off to bed.  (I was a bit nervous walking on the Brooklyn streets near midnight, but there were still many people walking, and our hostess told us we were safe.)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - Brooklyn Sites!

• We had planned to go back into Manhattan to do more site-seeing in the morning, but I was worried about the time, since it was on our schedule to get Joel to the person he'd meet for Birthright Israel around 3:00 pm, so instead, we took a walk around the neighborhood looking for a restaurant for breakfast.  To our surprise, we could not find any sit down coffee type shops, so we went to a small store that made breakfast sandwiches and enjoyed New York bagels with eggs and turkey bacon! 
• The owner of the store took pride in his establishment and talked with us a bit about our trip and Colorado.  We felt very welcome in Brooklyn since he was so friendly. 
• We then returned to our host's home and I prepared Joel for his Israel trip.  I wanted to make sure he did not forget his passport and other crucial phone numbers.

Shevi, Chana, Chaviva, Sarah, Naomi, Chavi, and Shaul Davis

Out hostess's home in Brooklyn was over 100 years old and there was very little parking on the street!

• At 2 pm, the Church Avenue Car Service picked us up and drove us to Williamsburg.  Ari, from Birthright Israel, wanted to meet Joel near the Bedford Avenue "L" train station somewhere near High Street.  It took awhile to find the location due to heavy traffic, but eventually we did find Ari, and Annabelle and I said good-bye to Joel.   (I hugged him twice!

• I knew Joel was in good hands, so after that, we unfolded our Razor Lux scooters and began the nine mile trip back the home we were staying in another part of Brooklyn.

These are photos of when we got sort of lost in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.  We kept circling the park!  We had fun anyway.  This photo was taken on a road in the park...yikes...I did not know at the time that I was in a lane that cars drove through!  Fortunately, I did not get hit by a car!

• We began by going down Bedford Avenue, then switched to some other streets, that eventually took us to Prospect Park.  We ended up circling Prospect Park a few times, and finally met someone who gave us directions on how to cross through the park so we could find out way out. 
• When we left the park, someone directed us towards Cortelyou Road.  I think for a short time we may have been on Ocean Parkway, but finally we found Cortelyou Road and headed toward our hosts' home on 4th Street.  It must have taken us three and a half hours!
• That night, we worked up quite an appetite and had a nice dinner with our hostess's family.
• After dinner, I began learning about how to get discount Broadway tickets through New York Show Tickets and to our delight, I was able to purchase excellent seats for a matinee the next day for Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella!
• Annabelle and I went to bed so excited about the next day!

Thursday, May 22, 2014 - Broadway Show!

• Annabelle and I woke up in the morning with excitement and anticipation!  We were going into "The City" for a Broadway show!  Who wouldn't be excited!
• After getting dressed, we said good-bye to our hosts, and headed out the door on our scooters towards the subway station.  Annabelle mapped out itinerary (I discovered that Annabelle was much better at navigating around NYC than me) and off we went.
• The ride to the Theater District in Manhattan took about 45 minutes.  We exited at 7th Avenue and Broadway, which was just across the street from the Broadway Theater where Cinderella was playing.
• We took a few minutes to decide where to eat lunch and finally found a restaurant called The Crown Deli, a cafe that made incredible sandwiches that seemed to look like works of art.  After getting our food, we headed upstairs to where there were tables and found seats that looked out the window down at Broadway.  It was so fun to eat and watch the activity in New York at the same time!

• After lunch, we went to Walgreens to buy me some cold medicine, and then we headed towards the theater.
• When we arrived at the Broadway Theater we picked up our tickets and Will-Call and then joined the others in the audience in a line that formed outside the theater.
• About 40 minutes before showtime, the theater doors opened and the audience was allowed in to the building.
• We checked our scooters at a coat room, used the restroom, and then went back upstairs and found our seats....AND...what wonderful seats we had!  They were in the second row and right in the center!

• The show was wonderful!  It starred Carly Rae Jepson as Cinderella and Fran Drescher as the evil step-mother.  The musical was like the older musicals of Rogers and Hammersteins Cinderella, but the plot was slightly changed.  
• I cried at the end when Cinderella married the prince (I cry at every wedding I go to).  I also cried since the musical was just so good and our excellent seats made it possible to see every detail.
• Annabelle says the Carly Rae Jepson looked her right in the eye during the finale!
• After the show, we got our scooters back, used the restroom, and then began at scooter ride towards the Brooklyn Bridge (it was a long way!).

• We headed down 5th Avenue, and realized we were near the New York Public Library.  It was almost closing time, it was 5:45 pm, so we only got to see the inside of the library for a few moments and we used the restroom there.  We did take time for photos inside and outside and then went on our way.
• After that, we passed the Empire State Building!  It was so crowded in that area, that we just kept moving.

• Our scooter excursion was cut short when it started raining.  We ended up finding a subway stop at 33rd and Park and headed back to Brooklyn.  I think we took the "6" train to Broadway-Lafayette, then transferred to the "F" train and headed back to Brooklyn.  
• When we finally reached the Ditmas stop in Brooklyn it was probably about 7:30 or 8 pm.  
• Our host's daughter, Chavi, made us some noodles for dinner and it was fun to visit with some of the kids that were home that evening.  I found out later that Chana, our hostess, had driven to Long Island to pick up he mother for Shabbos.
• Then Annabelle and I went to bed.  Before we dozed off, we talked about our fun day!

Friday, May 23, 2014 - Brooklyn Bridge and Ice Skating in Brooklyn!

• We woke up determined to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on our scooters, so after showering and dressing, we headed to the subway and took the "F" train to the DUMBO area.  We took the "F" train first, transferred at J Street-Metrotech, and then took the "C" train to High Street.  
• The DUMBO area (which means Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) seemed to be a quaint and active "yuppie-type" area filled with tourists that wanted to bike or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

• Before crossing the bridge, we looked for a place to eat.  I was determined to eat a New York bagel with lox, so I put the word "Bagel" into my GPS and found a bagel place called La Bagel Delight at 104 Front Street.
• La Bagel Delight had no tables inside, so once we got our food, we found a bench to eat on a stylish looking sidewalk, ate our bagels, and drank coffee and juice.  It was delightful!  
• Now it was time to scooter across the bridge!  It was easy to find the steps that led us to the Bridge and off we went.  There was a lane designated for bikes and another part for pedestrians.  We went in both areas, and took A LOT of photos!  There were many school groups and tourists and the whole experience was so exciting.
• When we finally did reach the Manhattan side, we explored the area, and took more photos.  We had planned to go to Starbucks, but it was very crowded, so instead we headed back to Brooklyn on our scooters and took more photos as we crossed the bridge once again.
• In DUMBO, it took awhile to find the subway station.  Eventually, I asked directions and found it, and we headed back to our hostess's home via the "C" and "F" trains.
• By the time we reached our hostess's home it was about 1:30 pm.  When we returned we got our skates and skating clothes together, got in our hostess's car with most of the kids that lived at home and some of the neighbor's kids, and headed to Aviator Sports in Brooklyn so that we could take the family ice skating.

• The drive through Brooklyn on a Friday was so busy!  By the time we all got on the ice it was about 2:30 or 2:45 pm.  The public session ended at 4:20, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the rink.  The other ice sheet had freestyle sessions going on.  Aviator Sports was a huge complex with all sorts of other sports activities going on.
• It was so fun to skate with our hostess's family and neighbors!  I taught them all sorts of ice skating skills and the kids and Annabelle and I had a blast.  
• The family was delighted to see that Annabelle was the "poster child" for US Figure Skating's Learn to Skate brochure!  We picked up that pamphlet and a few Basic Skills record books on our way out.

• When we returned to our host's home it probably was about 5:30 pm and everyone began to prepare to get ready for Shabbos!  What an active day!

Saturday, May 24, 2014 - Shabbos!

Saturday was Shabbos.  It began at sundown on Friday night and continued through Saturday night at sundown.  Read the story of our Shabbos experience at the link below.  Annabelle ended up spending Saturday night at her new friend Peri's house.  She had so much fun with the girls in our hostess's home and also Peri!

• My First "Real Shabbos"

Sunday, May 25, 2014 - Coney Island and Wedding!

• I woke up early Sunday morning determined to ride my scooter through Brooklyn towards Coney Island, and that is what I did.  I did not want to wake up Annabelle who was at her new friend, Peri's house anyway.   (Annabelle had spent Saturday night there.)

• I began riding on Ocean Parkway, but I found that to be so dangerous when cars turned at traffic signals, that I took one of the numbered streets or one of the lettered avenues (there were streets called Avenue J, Avenue K, etc.) to Coney Island Avenue and rode along the sidewalk all the way to Coney Island.  
• I loved the scenes I saw on the way.  There were so many interesting looking stores, people, and sites!

• When I finally did get to Coney Island, seeing the beach and boardwalk I'd only seen in movies was thrilling! 

• On the Coney Island Boardwalk, I headed towards the New York Aquarium, and then went back towards Coney Island Avenue.
• I noticed an interesting looking area with shops.  It turned out to be Brighton Beach!  I explored Brighton Beach for a about ten to fifteen minutes, and then made the decision to scooter back to our host's home.
• By that time, I was getting hungry, so when I almost was back to our host's neighborhood, I found a kosher bagel store called the Kosher Bagel Hole on Coney Island Avenue near Avenue K and got myself a bagel twist to eat while I was scootering "home."
• On the way back, I stopped at CVS pharmacy on Ditmas Avenue near 4th and 5th streets and bought a card for the wedding I planned to attend in the afternoon.
• It only took a short while to dress for the wedding.  Our hostess's girls helped Annabelle put together a gorgeous outfit to wear and then it was time to go to the wedding!

Read my story about the wedding below:

• A New York Jewish Wedding to Remember 

After the wedding Annabelle's friend Maya, picked her up and took her to Manhattan for the night.

• Once I rested a bit, I got on my scooter, and found Shaul, my hostess's 9 year old son, playing down the street.  I had given him permission to ride Annabelle's scooter.  After getting permission from Chavi, Shaul's 21 year old sister, to take Shaul with me for a scooter ride around his Brooklyn neighborhood, we headed off together.  It must have been around 7:30 pm...

Three girls in the Brooklyn neighborhood smile for me in front of their home.  The girl on the far right is Annabelle's friend , Peri, who lived next door to the family we stayed with in Brooklyn.  Peri is 13 years old and was so fun for Annabelle to be with!

My new "Brooklyn Scooter Buddy" Shaul!

• Shaul and I tried to find the local outdoor skating rink I saw on my walk back from the wedding.  We ended up going quite far.  Shaul kept telling me he'd never been that far, but was so delighted to be with me on the scooter.  
• Eventually, we found the local park and the roller skating rink.  Shaul and I could have scootered around that rink until it was very dark, but his older sister said he needed to go to bed, so we headed back to their house around 8:15.  
• The park was full of so many families of every kind of nationality at such a late hour!  I guess people in the city must need to go to parks to get outside.  I was fascinated with how many people were out on the streets at that hour.

Monday, May 26, 2014 - Memorial Day in the Big Apple!

• I woke up the morning of May 26 very happy and excited.  I was going to be spending the day with some friends from Connecticut, the McHugh family.  Tom grew up in Brooklyn on the Fort Hamilton army base. He knew his way around Manhattan and planned a wonderful tourist type day for me and Annabelle.
• It took awhile to pack my things, including my skates, for the overnight trip I planned with the McHughs.  Chavi helped me figure out how to bungee cord my scooter to my rolling travel suitcase and off I headed for the subway train.

• I boarded the train around 10:45 which got Tom a bit off schedule since he'd planned a guided Central Park tour.  Also, it took me a good 20 minutes to figure out which train I should transfer to when I reached the Washington Square station.  
• I took the "F" train from the Ditmas stop to Washington Square and transferred to the "D" train and got off at 7th Avenue.  At first I wandered around the Washington Square station, but then realized I was in the right place all along.
• When I got to the 7th Avenue exit, it also took me some time to find the McHughs.  Tom had told me to meet them at the Maestro Garage between Broadway and 7th Avenue, but I first headed in the wrong direction.
• Finally, I found Tom, Lori, and David.  We put my overnight bag in the trunk of their car.  They had been fortunate enough to find free street parking.  I unfolded my scooter, put a few things (like my cameras) and daytime essentials in a light bag over the scooter's handlebars and off we went.

Break dancers in Central Park!

• Annabelle had spent the night at her friend Maya's house in the Upper West Side, and was planning to meet us around 2 pm.  It was about noon when we headed towards Columbus Circle, the entryway to Central Park.
• When we arrived at Columbus Circle, there was so much going on!  I bought two pretzels and a water bottle at a vendor there and ask we ate, we watched tremendous African American break dancers perform.
• Then, after that, we toured Central Park.  Wow, was it crowded!  Many people rode on scooters just like mine.
• We finally met Annabelle at Columbus Circle around 1:45 pm.  She took the subway by herself from the Upper West Side.  It was a short subway ride for Annabelle since her friend lived at 82nd Street, so she got on the subway at 79th Street, took the "1" train for two stops and got off at Columbus Circle and met us.
• After we all came together, we then purchased more rides on our Metro Cards, boarded the subway trains again and headed to Battery Park.
• At Battery Park, we got to see a bit of the Ellis Island Museum and saw the Statue of Liberty from a distance!
• After that, we got back on the subway again and headed towards Chinatown and Little Italy.

• Chinatown was busy, but Tom and Lori said it was not as busy as usual.  It was fun to see all the Knick-knacks and the restaurants with hanging ducks and chickens!

• Finally, the sites changed and we were on Mulberry Street in Little Italy.  There was no car traffic, so we walked in the center of the street and eventually found the restaurant, Pelligrinos, that Tom had chosen for dinner.

Should Tom ice dance with this partner?

Jo Ann's ravioli!

Annabelle's spaghetti!

Tom's steak!

David's fish!

Lori's beautiful clams and mussles!

Tom, David, and Lori at Pelligrinos.

Lori looks at magnets!

• Dinner was amazing!  White tablecloth, incredible service, and wonderful Italian food.
• Mulberry Street looked just like the street in the famous scene in the movie The Godfather 2 where Don Corleone kills the bad guy!
• After dinner, we did more walking.  Lori took more photos and bought some amazing magnets that looked like vegetables and fruit.
• Finally, we found the subway station.  Annabelle took the "F" train back to Brooklyn and Tom, Lori, David, and I took a subway train back to their car which was parked near 7th and Broadway and the Maestro Garage between 56th and 57th steets where I originally met them.
• We stopped in a McDonalds to use the restroom before we reached our car.  Tom realized he'd left a bag in the McDonalds, so I quickly scootered back to the McDonalds and got the bag before it was stolen!  My scooter saved the day.
• As we almost were at the car, a small disaster occurred.  I fell off my scooter and hit my face.  Blood was everywhere.  I didn't know it yet, but I also hurt my teeth.
• On the way to Connecticut, I called my dentist and was told I needed to have emergency dental surgery ASAP.  Lori did some calling.  At their home, a dentist friend's partner called and an appointment was set up.
• Tom took me to the dentist's office at about 10:30 pm.  We left the office at around midnight.  I was going to be okay, but of course was in a lot of pain.
• That night, Dan talked to me using my Kindle Fire's Skype phone and eventually I went to sleep. Not the best end to a wonderful day of site-seeing...

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - Ice Dancing In Connecticut

• I woke up in the morning with a slightly swollen lip and was in much pain, so I called the dentist that did the emergency surgery, Dr. Matthew Herbstman and asked to get the pain medicine he was able to prescribe in the middle of the night.  (In Connecticut, narcotics require a written prescription and he couldn't find the form.)
• Tom and I went to his office, got the prescription, and then went to the pharmacy.
• I took the medicine, and then we went back to the McHughs' house.
• I wanted to skate and ice dance with Tom as had been planned even though I was not feeling good since I thought skating might make me feel better, so we headed to the Danbury Ice Arena and did skate the public session!  The cold air did make me better and the exercise was good for me.
• After skating, the adults that skated gathered at a nearby Dunkin Donuts and had a great time together.
• By late afternoon, we returned to the McHugh house, and then, I realized I was just too exhausted to return to Brooklyn alone on a train and then two subway trains, so I asked the McHughs if I could stay with them for another night and then return to Brooklyn the next morning.
• The time with the McHughs was wonderful that night and I got the rest I needed too.  I went to bed late, but knew I had been in loving and good hands.

Annabelle gets to go to a Jewish girls school with Peri and Chaviva!

• While I was with the McHughs, Annabelle went to a private girls school, Beth Jacob of Borough Park, with, Peri, the girl who lived next door to our hostess's home.  She says she had quite a boring day taking notes and that she even took a history final!  And...she got to wear a school uniform!  

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - Travel Day - Trains, Subways, Car Service, and Plane

• I woke up a 6 am and dressed and packed.
• After visiting with Lori and Tom for a bit, we got in Tom's car and headed for the train station in Newberry, CT (I think).
• Tom waited with me at the train and finally the train arrived around 8:30 am and off I headed for Grand Central Station.  
• It cost about $17.50 to take that train.  I loved it.  There were wide seats and I slept for some of the 80 minute ride.
• Near the end of the train ride, a man asked to share my seat, so I woke up.  
• It was fun to see the sites from the train, including Harlem!  

• Finally, the trip ended at Grand Central Station.  Wow....and what a place Grand Central Station was!  If I had not been so tired, I would have taken photos.  People were moving in all directions. The place was beautiful and felt like a nice airport.
• Finally, I found the elevator to the subway.
• My Metro Card was out of funds when I tried to enter the subway, so I had to refill it and entered the subway again.  My luggage got stuck as I went through, but someone helped me get through the stall eventually.
• I then found the correct subway.  I took the "6" train toward Downtown and Brooklyn and got off at Bleeker Street.  I then transferred to the "F" train and headed towards Brooklyn and our "temporary Brooklyn home."
• Just as I switched trains, my bag and attached scooter got stuck in the subway car track entrance. The wheel fell off and I fell down in the subway car.  Someone helped me up and I sat down on an empty subway seat and tried to calm down.  
• I also tried to figure out how to get my stuff to our temporary Brooklyn home, and came up with the idea of opening up my scooter and using it as a luggage carrier.  That worked great.
• Finally, I reached the Ditmas Avenue stop and exited the train, carried my stuff down the steps to the street, and began a slow walk to 4th Street from Cortelyou and McDonald Ave.  
• When I reached our host's home at about 11:15 am, I entered the house through the back door and was delighted to be greeted by Annabelle and entered our room.
• I was relieved most of the family was not home so I didn't have to explain my slightly swollen lip and face and Annabelle and I began to pack.  
• I also called the Church Avenue Car service and reserved a car to take us to La Guardia at 2 pm.
• By 1:15 pm we were packed, so Annabelle and I walked to a local kosher supermarket, bought some sandwiches and some pita bread and took the sandwiches "home" and ate lunch.
• Just before our transportation arrived, I realized I forgot to pack my shampoo, so I quickly packed it up and waited a few more minutes for our ride.
• The family's housekeeper had already stripped our beds and turned the room we had slept in back into a study!  It was amazing how clean she made that room.  She'd been in the house our first Wednesday there, and I'd been amazed at how much work she did and how quickly she worked.
• Finally, our ride came at 2 pm.  We were ready with our bags outside on the porch.  Chevi, the 15 year old daughter, helped us get our things in the car and we said good-bye to both Chevi and Naomi and Naomi's one month old baby.
• The ride to La Guardia was pleasant.  There was not as much traffic at 2 pm as there had been at 5:45 pm on the Tuesday we had arrived.  Our driver lived on Long Island and was very friendly.  He'd lives in the US for over 20 years and had come from El Salvador to the USA in about 1991.
• We talked about many things including Hurricane Sandy and how he got into driving in NYC!
• Finally, we arrived at La Guardia, checked our bags and headed through security and towards our gate.
• We were way early, but were also relieve to be at the airport and on our way home.
• Our plane was scheduled to leave 40 minutes later than planned, but we didn't mind.  We found a nice seat in a private corner and "settled in" for the afternoon.
• Near the last hour of waiting, a young twenty-six girl named Shannon sat down next to us.  She had lived and worked in Manhattan for the past two years.  This plane was taking her back home to Littleton, Colorado and a new job in Colorado.  She was entering a new chapter in her life and shared with us about her life in NYC.
• I asked Shannon if she'd like to sit with us on the plane, and since our tickets were with Southwest's system and we boarded with the "A" group, we had our pick of seats.  We saved a seat for Shannon and that turned out to be great since all the way to Colorado we talked and talked and had so much fun chatting for the next four hours!  Shannon knew many of the places we love in Colorado Springs and even had an aunt who lived on the same street as one our close family friends!
• Finally, we arrived in Denver, reunited with my husband, Dan, and headed towards baggage claim.
• All was fine until a New Yorker (I assume he was a New Yorker) tripped me in baggage claim. I fell forward and almost hit my face again, but stopped that from happening and broke the fall with my hands.  
• That fall was "too much" and suddenly I burst into tears.  I had not cried before, but this time, I did. I was fortunate to not hit my face again since the fall was a really hard fall.  What really bothered me was the man, who was obviously embarrassed, announced that I had stepped on his foot and did not even apologize.  
• Dan and Annabelle collected our bags as I rested and we headed for the parking lot, loaded our bags in our car, and began the two hour drive to Colorado Springs.
• On the way home, Annabelle fell asleep, but I stayed awake the best I could I told Dan all about our wonderful trip to NYC!

Summary:

Although my accident sort of caused the trip to end with some stress, all in all, our trip to New York City was wonderful and I can't wait to return to see more of "The Big Apple" again!  Also, I feel now that I know how to use the subways and get an idea of where things are.  It was fun to see the streets and places we've read about, seen in the movies, and watched on television.  What a wonderful and memorable vacation!

• New York Subway Map

Good-bye New York City!