United States – Travel Planning Passion

Visiting Chaco Canyon National Historic Park

The road to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico is definitely off the beaten path.

Chaco Canyon is one of the most important Native American historic sites in the southwest. Multiple well-preserved great house ruins are accessible to view and walk through. Some are three stories high, and the largest is Pueblo Bonito with 3 great kivas, multiple smaller kivas, and over 350 rooms.

These masonry buildings date back from 1000 to 1150 A.D., approximately contemporary with the construction of Ankor Wat in Cambodia and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Chaco Canyon is older than the more famous historic site, Mesa Verde.

The Chacoan people, also called Anasazi, built incredible great houses and very straight improved roads leading to Chaco Canyon, which were used for pilgrimage to the canyon for ceremonial gathering. These people are the ancestors of many modern day Native American tribes.

The national park visitor center at Chaco Canyon is first rate, with a museum to explain the culture and history of the people who gathered here.

It isn’t easy to reach Chaco Canyon, but it is worth the effort. We drove into the canyon on from Albuquerque, taking I-40 west, then New Mexico roads 605, 509, and finally 57, which is also marked as Navajo Service Rd. 9. Roads 605 and 509 are small, paved two-lane highways, but once you turn north on 57, you have 18 miles of unpaved washboard road. There are several places where the road appears to be smooth rock that would be slick in the rain.

We left the canyon driving east on 7950 and then 7900 to Hwy 550 to turn north on our way to Colorado. However, the easterly route is also about 3 hours from Albuquerque. I can attest that the roads are equally bad no matter which route you take to the canyon, and so I am glad we took both routes to see different scenery. Taking the road east to 550, you have about 15 miles of washboard road bumps. I suggest looking at Google maps in advance, inspecting the satellite view, and printing a map or take screen shots for when you don’t have service. If we had not researched the route, we would have questioned whether we were lost on the way. Bring plenty of water and know how to change a flat tire, if needed.

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Adventures in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee

For years we have visited east Tennessee to enjoy the Smoky Mountains and see the sights of Gatlinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. My father-in-law was raised in Tennessee. We have traveled for many summers up to Tennessee to visit relatives on his side of the family and enjoy spending time at Douglas Lake near Sevierville. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is nearby, and if you love hiking or history, read on. Here are my recommendations for a visit to the park.

The Best Short Hikes Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Smoky Mountain National Park

You’ll want to visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park’s Sugarland Visitor Center near Gatlinburg. There is a museum inside, a 20 minute video, and plenty of maps and information. From the Visitor Center there is a .7 mile hike to Cataract Falls. We enjoyed this easy hike with a group of extended family, including five kids. It runs along crossing a trickling creek until it reaches the 40-foot-tall falls. We turned around after reaching the falls, but the trail continues. If you drive from the Visitor Center 3.7 miles up the Fighting Creek Gap Road, you reach the Laurel Falls trailhead. This is a popular trail, and like several other trails in the Smokys, there is a parking lot at the trailhead. The hike to Laurel Falls is 2.3 miles round-trip. The falls are 80 feet tall and the trail crosses the creek at the foot of the falls.

From Gatlinburg the one-way Roaring Fork Loop has many hiking trails and points of interest. I have visited three of the falls accessible from hikes along the loop: Rainbow Falls, Grotto Falls and Baskins Creek Falls. The easiest hike of the three is to Grotto Falls, but the falls may be the most impressive. The trail is 2.6 miles round trip if you turn around at the falls. When you near the falls, the hike takes you along the creek with a beautiful, dramatic view of the falls ahead. The boulders and the blooming Rhododendron in the summer makes the approach to the falls a sublime landscape. The trail actually goes under the falls, if you care to walk under a waterfall!

Baskins Creek Falls is another beautiful place to visit. On the Roaring Fork Loop, you can either start at the Baskins Creek trailhead, 3 mile round trip, or continue on to the Grapeyard Ridge trailhead. The trails merge before reaching the falls. You hike down to a beautiful 40-foot double waterfall which has been described as one of the most under-rated falls in the Smokys. However, be prepared to hike back up in elevation on the way back.

The trail to Rainbow Falls is 5.4 miles round trip with a 600 foot elevation gain. On this hike you may see old growth trees and more pretty Rhododendron blooming in the summer. There are rock steps built into some portions of the trail that make the trek even more beautiful. The narrow falls flow 80 feet over a wide cliff. It is a beautiful sight to behold!

The hike at Greenbriar is special to our family because it leads to the John Messer cabin and barn. He was my husband’s great-great uncle. In the 1980s when my husband’s family made the hike with his grandad, he would always taste water flowing from the spring house to make sure that it didn’t “taste like bear.” I wouldn’t advise this, however. Since I’ve been in the family, we’ve made this hike several times, even with our children when they were little.

To reach the trail, turn on Greenbriar Road, just north of Gatlinburg off of US321. We usually park at the Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion to begin the hike. After parking, continue to walk up the road until you reach Porter’s Creek Trail The hike to the cabin from the trailhead parking lot is about 3 miles round trip, and passes the old Ownby Cemetery. However, at the time of this post, Greenbrier Road past the Ramsey Cascades Trailhead is closed for repair. Therefore, your hike will be longer until the road repairs are completed.

Seeing the John Messer barn is the highlight of visiting the property. It was built in 1875 by Pinkney Whaley and was later sold to Messer. It is a double-cantilever barn unique to East Tennessee and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin is less historic. Zenith Whaley, who lived and worked in the area in the 1930s, told my father-in-law that the cabin existing there today is actually built from two cabins, one original to the site, and the other moved from a site higher on the mountain and attached to the original cabin. The Smoky Mountain Hiking Club renovated the cabin in the 1930s. Another source states that the hiking club built the current cabin around an original rock fireplace between 1934 and 1936. In fact, the club website has a photo of the cabin being built. Even thought the cabin doesn’t have the historical integrity of the barn, both are interesting to see.

The Ramsey Cascade Trail leads to the beautiful Ramsey Cascade falls. To reach the hike, turn off of Greenbrier Road to Ramsey Prong Road and drive 1.5 miles. The hike is an 8 mile round-trip hike I have not yet accomplished, but it is on my list!

Clingmans Dome

Clingmans Dome features an observation tower atop of a sweeping spiral ramp. It was built in 1959 and has a mid-century modern vibe. The hike from the parking lot to the tower is one-half mile, paved asphalt, but somewhat steep. Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in Tennessee and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet. The view is spectacular!

What to do in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville area

Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is the Switzerland of the Smokies. It is a touristy town with a Hillbilly/Swiss vibe. If you are there with kids, there is so much for families to see and do. We’ve shopped, eaten, visited the Amazing Mirror Maze, attended a hypnotist show, and we have taken the Ober Gatlinburg tramway to the top of the hill over Gatlinburg. Within the last few years, Anakeesta has been added to the collection list of things to do in Gatlinburg. The only disadvantage to visiting Gatlinburg is the traffic!

Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge lies between Sevierville and Gatlinburg and has more options for family entertainments such as dinner show theaters, escape rooms, small amusement parks, go-cart tracks, shopping and restaurants. One of the top attractions at Pigeon Forge is the Titanic Museum, and my kids have particularly enjoyed the Wonder Works indoor amusement park, The Track, and the Smoky Mountain Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster.

Dollywood

You may know that the most famous resident of Sevierville is Dolly Parton, and who doesn’t LOVE Dolly! She owns Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. We’ve only visited Dollywood but would definitely recommend it for families with kids of all ages. I personally love fast, metal roller coasters, and one of my favorites is Wild Eagle. Your feet dangle as you smoothly soar over the park. In fact, there are about seven very fast thrill rides, but also more than twenty additional rides for those who are more timid. Beyond the rides, we enjoyed watching a theater performance, glass blowing and touring Dolly’s museum. We enjoyed burgers at Red’s Drive In and snacked on some to-die-for cinnamon rolls and cookies at the Spotlight Bakery. The food is better than what you would expect to find at a theme park. The grounds are clean and beautiful, with flowers growing at every turn. The park gives a quaint nod to down home southern country culture, while providing the park goer with plenty of fun things to do!

Ziplines & Rafting

Now that the kids are older, we have incorporated outdoor adventure activities into our summer plans. We rafted the Pigeon River through Outdoor Rafting Adventures. They are located north of Sevierville just off of I-40. They were very professional and made the afternoon safe and fun! There are several other outfitters that run this part of the river from the Walters hydroelectric power plant on the Tennessee/North Carolina border downstream about four miles. On days the plant schedules water release, rafters can take advantage of Class II rapids. Our rafting trip took about 2 hours, and it was definitely worth it!

We ziplined the Smokys at Climbworks in July 2020, and it was awesome! Once the guides secure your harnesses and helmets, the muddy ride to the top of the mountain in an ATV is as almost as fun as ziplining. We opted for the Mountaintop Zipline Tour which includes five side-by-side zipline runs and four sky bridges. From the platforms you can see from the Greenbrier Ridge all of the way to Gatlinburg. Once you’ve enjoyed the view, you can enjoy the adrenaline rush of each zipline!

The Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee are the perfect place to enjoy natural beauty, adventure and family fun!

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Five Things to Love About Telluride, Colorado in the Winter

Several years ago my parents bought a cabin in southwest Colorado. Since then, I have visited the Telluride area many times with our family and friends, and every time I return, I love it more! Here are some of the reasons I love Telluride in the winter.

#1 Telluride Ski Resort

Telluride is the nicest, most beautiful, and posh ski resort I have visited. The facilities are well maintained, and guests are pampered. There are even tissue boxes at the top of some lifts. My favorite ski run in the world is See Forever at the top of Gold Hill Express Lift. It takes you along the spine of the mountain where you have a 360 degree view of the open valley stretching west, the mountains on the north side of the Telluride box canyon, and the mountains on the other side of Revelation Bowl that are so close you could reach out and touch them. It is a top of the world experience! The run may look intimidating, but it is well within the abilities of an intermediate skier. After following the ridge, Lower See Forever turns downhill and is a heavenly wide blue with spectacular views. It is what skiing should always be. Other runs that are family favorites are from the top of Holly Cow lift, including Double Cabin, Bridges (where you ski over and under several bridges) and the Enchanted Forest. My kids love going through the Enchanted Forest and catching air on small jumps and bumps.

#2 Mountain Village

Mountain Village is the town located at the base of Telluride Ski Resort. It is a beautifully built ski village with restaurants, hotels, and shopping. Heritage Plaza is at the heart of Mountain Village where we rent skis, explore winter apparel shops, or grab a hot coffee or crepe to enjoy as we sit outside or stroll. My teens love the Mountain Village Ice Rink which is located in the adjacent Reflection Plaza. If our teens prefer to skate after skiing and eat later, while the adults prefer to warm-up and sample the après-ski specials, it’s all good!

A free public gondola runs from Mountain Village’s Market Plaza to Heritage Plaza at the base of the ski lifts, then up the mountain to San Sophia Station, and finally, down the mountain into the town of Telluride.

The parking garage for the ski resort is conveniently located adjacent to The Village Market grocery store. It’s a great place to pick up what you need. If we are skiing, we park at Mountain Village, but often take the gondola to Telluride and back for a meal or sightseeing. The gondola runs until midnight.

#3 Fantastic Restaurants

Telluride Ski Resort has what I consider to be destination restaurants on the slopes.

Bon Vivant serves French bistro fare on a large outdoor veranda with a view.

Alpino Vino is the highest fine dining restaurant in North America, at 11,966 feet. It serves charcuterie boards, gourmet soups and sandwiches and maintains an extensive wine list. A visit to Alpino Vino is like stepping into a rustic Italian villa with a warm fire burning inside where a glass of wine and gourmet comfort food await to warm you up in the most indulgent way!

There is also the more casual Gorrono Ranch restaurant, where the saloon occupies a historic ranch cabin with a wood burning stove.

The granddaddy of high altitude fine dining is Allred’s, accessible at San Sophia Station, the gondola’s half-way point between Mountain Village and the town of Telluride. Reservations are recommended considering that Allred’s is very popular and is also a venue for private events. The menu has fine dining American fare such as Lobster Bisque and Colorado Rack of Lamb, and the décor of large hewn beams and antler chandeliers tells you that you are in a spectacular location in the Rocky Mountains. However, the view is what is most unforgettable. From the wide picture windows as the sun sets you see the colors change in the box canyon below, until all is dark but the twinkling town of Telluride. If you cannot get a reservation in the restaurant, you might be able to stop by the bar for a cocktail and an appetizer to soak in that same spectacular setting.

In the town of Telluride, one of our family favorites is Brown Dog Pizza. According to our kids, a trip to Telluride must include Brown Dog! Another great restaurant in Telluride is Cosmo, right across from the lift and known for its happy hour and sushi, in addition to delicious entrees.

#4 Telluride

The town of Telluride has so much to offer. It is an historic mining town that sits in a box canyon and is accessible by Highway 145 from the west or the gondola from Mountain Village. The main street through town, Colorado Ave., has an assortment of shopping and restaurants, but some great places sit tucked away on the side streets as well. We like to explore and hit some of our favorite shops such as Telluride Trappings & Toggery, Overland, Timberline Ace Hardware, and even the Telluride Thrift Shop. After an afternoon of walking around town, it is sometimes necessary to stop by the Telluride Truffle for a chocolate or grab a hot coffee at The Cowboy Coffee.

It you travel to the east end of town you can see the frozen Bridal Veil Falls. They are at the closed end of the box canyon.

If you want to learn about the mining history of the town, a visit to the Telluride Historical Museum is well worth your time. It is a nicely procured museum in the old hospital building up Fir Street on the north side of town. From December to April it is open 11:00 to 5:00, but due to Covid-19, appointments are by reservation.

#5 Snowmobiles, Sleighs and Sleds

Think of this category as multiple outdoor activities, other than skiing and snowboarding. There are many wilderness areas that are not accessible during the winter, but snowmobile tours and sleigh rides provide the perfect opportunity to get out and explore off the beaten path.

We loved the Alta Ghost Town Tour through Telluride Outfitters in 2015. This beautiful trip led us to through the snowy forest to the ruins of the mining camp at Alta. I love history and old buildings, and so the trip was worth it just to see the ruins. But we also had time to race around on a snowy hill hot rodding the snowmobiles. I think that was our favorite part of the trip. I’d recommend this tour! Interestingly, the ruins of Alta are only about one half-mile south of the ski area. Additional tours are available.

Another local snowmobile outfitter is Telluride Outside at Fall Creek, 30 minutes from Telluride.

Several years ago, we went on a family sleigh ride with Roudy the cowboy. Telluride Horseback Adventures is located several minutes west of Telluride and provides rides an entertaining ranch sleigh ride complete with blankets and hot chocolate at the end of the ride. My kids fondly remember their ride with Roudy!

There are other sleigh ride outfitters we have not had the chance to experience. Telluride Wranglers provides sleigh rides and dinner sleigh rides.

Dinner sleigh rides are also available through Telluride Sleighs and Wagons. We have not enjoyed their experience, but you can read more about it here.

If you want to have a simple (and economical) day in the snow with your family, take your sleds or disks to the nearest hill and have some fun. Don’t have any equipment? Try Ace Hardware in Telluride. If you kindly ask a local, they just might direct you to a great sledding spot.

This post provides general information, but for specific information related to Covid-19, please visit the websites referenced in this post.

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Winter Trip to Yellowstone

It takes a bit of planning to make a successful trip to Yellowstone National Park during winter since most roads in the park are closed. Shawna and Nick Atkinson went to Yellowstone this winter. They chose to go to Yellowstone because they had been before in the summertime but wanted to go back for a completely different type of visit.

From November through April only Highway 212, from Cooke City to Gardiner, is open to automobiles. Several other roads are open to snowmobiles or snowcoaches by guided tour. The National Park Service has a page dedicated to park roads with information about their seasonal access. There is also a page listing authorized snowmobile and snowcoach tour companies.

When visiting the park in winter, many outfitters give clients the choice of seeing the park by snowmobile or snowcoach. Nick and Shawna adventurously chose to book snowmobile tours through Yellowstone Fun. The chose the all-inclusive “Ultimate Package”: a motel stay at Three Bear Lodge in the town of West Yellowstone, breakfast, lunch, one dinner, and an Imax movie. On the first day of their trip, they flew to Bozeman, Montana and rented a car to reach West Yellowstone. They had three full days of snowmobiling before flying home.

Day 1

On the first day Shawna and Nick snowmobiled without a guided tour. They drove on groomed trails in Idaho, just west of the national park. They snowmobiled all day, armed with a map, exploring the Mt. Two Top area. Several miles south of Mt. Two Top is the beautiful Big Springs, where they enjoyed seeing ducks paddling on the steamy blue water. For lunch they went to Meadow Creek Lodge. It is a burger joint open all year long, but accessible only by snow machine in the winter. Shawna said that she had one of the best burgers she had ever eaten. It was magical for them to find this quaint little cabin in the woods and warm up with a burger followed by hot cocoa. In fact, the day Shawna and Nick were there it was negative 20 degrees. However, their outfitter provided full body suits and helmets, which really helped to keep them warm on the trails.

Day 2

Old Faithful Tour (70 mile round-trip)

The first stop of the day was at Firehole Canyon. Along the way Shawna and Nick saw a snowshoe hare and enjoyed hearing information from their knowledgeable guide. Next, they went to Biscuit Basin, which is a geothermal area on the Firehole River. There among many geysers and pools, they saw the eruption of Jewel Geyser. They also came across a herd of buffalo. The guide gave strict instructions about what to do if the buffalo came up to the road, or if the snowmobiles had to pass through the herd. Unfortunately for Shawna, the herd stayed out of the way at a safe distance, even though Shawna would have liked the excitement of having them come closer. The guide timed stops so that they would reach Old Faithful at just the right time for its famously reliable eruption. After seeing the eruption of Old Faithful, they had lunch at the Geyser Grill and visited the gift shop. These amenities are open during the winter season. On the way back they stopped at the colorful Fountain Paint Pots, an area with geothermal mud pots, springs and geysers. It was rather exciting that the guide was able to point out a new geothermal area that had just opened up the week before, likely from a buffalo hoof that opened up the ground. They also stopped at Beryl Spring, one of several steaming blue green pools.

Day 3

Grand Canyon Tour (120 mile round-trip)

On this day Nick and Shawna visited Gibbon Falls, the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River from Uncle Tom’s viewpoint, and then went to view the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which was the highlight of the day. Seeing the Lower Falls is an iconic Yellowstone experience. The falls are 308 feet tall, the highest falls in the park. The falls look totally different in the winter snow than they do in the summer. The tour included a sandwich lunch in a lodge open during winter for the snow machine tours.

Cool things Nick and Shawna saw that made the trip absolutely worth it:

♦ a large coyote foraging in the snow

♦ the buffalo herd

♦ a snowshoe hare

♦ icy waterfalls

♦ many hot geysers melting through holes in the snow

Tips:

♦ There are quite a few outfitters available, and according to Shawna, many of the area guides work through several different outfitters.

♦ You can book snow machine tours from several different locations around the park, including Jackson Hole or West Yellowstone. See the list of authorized tour agencies here.

♦ This type of trip is ideal for social distancing during a pandemic. When indoors, masks are required, but most activities are outdoors and distanced from others. Each group tour consists of about ten snowmobiles with couples on most of the machines.

♦ The National Park Service has a page dedicated to visiting Yellowstone in winter that lists opening dates and hours for park facilities.

When asked what was the most memorable experience of the trip, Shawna said that it was in the national park when they drove up to a completely flat plain of snow spread out before them, and pockets of geothermal activity were releasing vents of steam all around. This was one of the most magical moments for Shawna. She said, “It looked other-worldly.”

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Planning a Family Trip to New York City (part 2)

We took our family with three teens to New York City for five days. Here is some information about some of our favorite places, as we look forward to the future when we will be able to visit again. You can see the status of New York’s re-opening here and check websites for specific attractions.

Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island and Statue Island are both run by the National Park Service, but the only way to reach the islands is by Statue Cruises, the authorized concessionaire. You may purchase tickets through Statue Cruises or through third party discount attraction packages listed on the Statue Cruises website, such as the New York CityPass, but we chose to purchase tickets directly through Statue Cruises. Tickets can be purchased online or in person, inside Castle Clinton National Monument inside Battery Park, at the south tip of Manhattan. However, the only way to guarantee access to the Statue of Liberty Crown and Pedestal are to purchase tickets in advance online. There are Pedestal, Crown and Hard Hat ticket options. We chose to purchase the standard Reserve Ticket for our family which includes access to the grounds of Liberty Island, the museum on the island, and Ellis Island. Access also includes audio guides on each island. Tours depart from The Battery at the tip of Manhattan in Battery Park behind Castle Clinton.

A note about Castle Clinton: it was originally an early 1800’s battery erected just of shore. By 1817 it became a place for entertainment, concerts and operas. In the 1850’s dirt landfill created Battery Park, and this newly created land put Castle Clinton on shore. If you choose to purchase tickets in person, the ticket booth is inside the structure. Once you have your ticket, security and embarkation for Statue Cruises is on the back side of Castle Clinton.

The Statue Cruises ferry ride itself is a fun experience, and there are snacks available for purchase on board. The Reserve Ticket includes access to the grounds at both islands and audio guide tours you can pick up when you arrive. There is a version for kids and a version for adults. You can choose to play the audio in any order you want, and locations are numbered according to audio tracts.

Liberty Island

Our first stop was Liberty Island. We walked around Lady Liberty, took pictures, and enjoyed the view. The best surprise was the museum on the grounds. It was opened in May, 2019 in a beautiful modern building designed over a bunker. There is a theater inside that has an inspiring presentation on Liberty Enlightening the World and its design by Auguste Bartholdi. The museum has some great displays, including the original torch.

When you have seen everything you want to see on Liberty Island, you can board the boat to go to Ellis Island. Ferry times are posted online, but if you are not keeping track of time, the boats come fairly often. When you get in line, you may have a short wait as the boat fills on a first come first served basis.

Ellis Island

The first thing you notice about Ellis Island is the beautiful architecture of the main building. You enter through the large Baggage Room, and again audio tours are available if you choose to use them. Directly above Baggage Room is the large Registry Room on the second floor, with the third-floor balcony also looking down on the Registry Room. This is the room you’ve probably seen in photos and was the main processing room for medical and legal examinations. On all three floors smaller rooms hold extensive exhibits. Notably, the second floor has an exhibit describing the immigration process during the peak years of immigration, from 1880-1924. The third floor has an exhibit, the Ellis Island Chronicles, which houses dioramas depicting the construction of the island itself and the buildings through the years. We enjoyed the third-floor exhibit, Treasures From Home, which houses collections of items immigrants brought with them, including traditional clothing, musical instruments, household items and keepsakes.

Central Park

There is so much to see in Central Park, and it is a wonderful way to relax and wander away from the hustle and bustle of avenues famous for shopping and museums. Before you visit, you will want to look at the Central Park Conservancy website. There is an interactive map of the points of interest within the park in addition to information about amenities and activities available in the park. Some highlights you might consider visiting:

Belvedere Castle

Belvedere Castle is a small castle that sits atop Vista Rock and houses a visitor information center and gift shop. This is a beautiful place to go for a pretty view of the park.

Central Park Zoo

Near the Arsenal building is a 6.5 acre zoo with separate admission fees. Areas in the zoo include a tropic zone, a temperate zone, and a polar zone.

Gardens and Lawns

There are many beautiful gardens and lawns within Central Park. For example, the Conservatory Garden is a six-acre formal garden in the northeast quadrant of the park. The Conservatory Water has small radio control boats to rent during the summer and turns into an ice skating rink in the winter.

The 55-acre Great Lawn at the very center of the park where people are welcome to lounge and play on the grass. There are several softball fields in the Great Lawn.

Beautiful Bodies of Water

The Lake is a 20-acre body of water in the park that curves gracefully and has the Loeb Boathouse at the east end. It is located just south of the center of the park. The Boathouse has a restaurant, bar and express café. Visitors can rent rowboats and venture out on the lake.

The Reservoir is a lake just north of the center of the park. It features a 1.58 mile track around it and views of the skyline across the vast water.

Other bodies of water include Harlem Meer at the northern end, the Pool, Turtle Pond, Conservatory Water, and the Pond at the southern end of the park.

Statues, Bridges and Fountains

Central Park is full of beautiful bridges, fountains, statues and monuments. One of the most famous statues is Alice in Wonderland at her tea party, and there is also Alexander Hamilton. On one of the quieter spots on the north end of the park sits a bench in honor of Andrew Haswell Green, who was instrumental in the unification of New York City. Duke Ellington and his baby grand stand tall near the northeast corner of the park.

The most iconic bridge in Central Park has to be Bow Bridge. It spans a narrow neck of the Lake between Cherry Hill and the Ramble. It is a beautiful, white cast-iron bridge built in 1859 and has an interconnected design of circles all along its bannister.

Bridge Number 28 is on the bridle path just north west of the Reservoir. It has a neo-gothic design, and like Bridge 27, was designed by Calvert Vaux. Vaux and Frederick Olmstead were the architects who designed Central Park. Bridges Number 24, 27 and 28 cross the Bridle Path and are best seen from below as you walk the path.

One of many fountains, and probably the most famous, is the Bethesda Fountain. It sits in front of Bethesda Terrace and has the Angel of the Waters statue at its top. She commemorates the clean drinking water of the reservoirs that put an end to Cholera in the City. Bethesda Terrace looks out over the Lake. Under the steps of the terrace is the Arcade. Walk under the Italianate arches of the Arcade and look up at beautiful 1860s Minton tile ceiling. The Conservancy removed this tile in 1983 and finally completed the cleaning, restoration and installation of the tile in 2007, for a price of $7 million.

Activities

Bikes are available for rental at either the Grant Army Plaza at the southeast corner of the park or at Merchant’s Gate Plaza at the southwest corner of the park.

Ice skating is available late October through early April at Wollman Rink on the south end or Lasker Rink on the north end of the park.

For information about other activities available in Central Park visit the Conservancy page.

Stopping by for an hour or two...

One could spend days at Central Park, but it might be best to enjoy an hour or two near whichever part of the park is closest to other sites you plan to see. When we visited, we entered at West 72^nd Street and Central Park West and crossed the park to reach the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Our stops along the way included Strawberry Fields, which is a tribute to John Lennon, and Bethesda Terrace. While we were at Bethesda Terrace we took in the beautiful architecture of the Arcade and listened to a street musician who happened to be a classically trained opera singer. She wore sweats and a t-shirt like any other person but had the voice of an angel. Listening to her, I felt like we had been transported to Tuscany!

Broadway

We actually went very late for dessert because we had to stay an extra hour after the show for the stage door and autographs experience! Venues will designate a roped-off area where any number of cast members come out after the show to make an appearance for fans and sign programs. My daughters were over the moon to see Samantha Pauly, who played Katherine Howard in Six. The leads do not always appear, but those who do are awe-inspiring to their fans!

While in New York, don’t forget about Broadway! When Broadway is able to re-open, surely fans will show up once again to support this paramount institution of the arts. While we were there, we went to several shows. We purchased tickets to Hadestown and Six well in advance, but my daughters were lucky enough to get last-minute tickets to Beetlejuice as well. I cannot think of a better way to spend an evening in New York than to go to an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, go to a Broadway show, and then have a late dessert afterwards.

The Metropoliltan Museum of Art

This world class museum ranks right up there at the top. It is actually the largest art museum in the United States. There is a vast collection of Egyptian art which includes the reconstructed 10^th century B.C. Temple of Dendur. This temple, which originally stood near the Nile River, was a gift from Egypt to the United States when Egypt built the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser.

The entry to the American Wing is through the reconstructed façade of the Branch Bank that sat on Wall Street. The collection features American paintings, sculpture and interior design from different periods. There are many other collections at the Met, including European painting, sculpture and decorative arts; art of Africa, Oceana and the Americas; and Greek and Roman art.

Tickets allow entry to all three Met museum locations for a three consecutive day period. The Met Cloisters exhibits medieval art and is located in Fort Tryon Park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The architecture of the building replicates the style of medieval cloisters in Europe. The Met Breuer houses modern and contemporary art and is located at Madison Avenue and East 75^th Street in the Upper East Side. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the Breuer or the Cloisters. But our day at the Met was amazing!

We thoroughly enjoyed being in the Big Apple. It’s an incredible city that is so connected to our American culture and history. There is so much to do and so many different neighborhoods to explore, each with its own culture and vibe. The major sites only scratch the surface. We can’t wait to return!

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Planning a Family Trip to New York City (part 1)

We took our family with three teens to New York City for five days. This was before Coronavirus hit New York City with such fury. But now as we dream of when we can return, I’m sharing with you where we stayed, what we did, and what me might do differently on a second trip. There were some thing that we would definitely want to repeat! You can follow the progress of reopening here. As of the date of this blog, New York City is in Phase 1 of 4 reopening phases.

Midtown or Downtown

First we had to decide where to stay. We typically stay at Marriott affiliated properties simply because we take advantage of their rewards program. Of course, many hotel chains have reward programs, and a multitude of great loyalty programs out there! Sometimes when we travel, we utilize AirB&Bs or short-term rentals, but these are not encouraged in New York. For this particular trip, it was a better strategy to find a hotel. Our plan was to sight see primarily in Manhattan, and so we considered both locations in Midtown, Downtown. Midtown is where you will be near the theaters, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and 5^th Avenue shopping. In Downtown you have the 911 Museum, One World Observatory, Wall Street, historic churches, and ferries to Ellis Island or Staten Island. There are a couple of brands that we particularly love when we want to have a fun experience when we travel: Aloft and Moxy. Since prices were slightly better in Downtown, we chose Moxy Downtown. This urban vibe boutique hotel has a huge glassed in video screen in the entrance and a cool neon sign. It looks more like a club than a hotel. The lobby is actually on the third floor. By day, the lobby is a gathering area with board games and skee-ball, and in the evenings it doubles as a local bar. The hotel also has a basketball court right off of the lobby. The rooms are small, but well appointed. There are storage drawers under the beds and pegs with clothes hangers on a wood plank wall instead of closets. Pegs on the wall also hold small round stools that fold out and function just as well as small tables. No matter where in Manhattan you choose to stay, it is good to stay near a subway station that has north and south running trains. We could take the subway to Midtown and didn’t have to change lines very often. Moxy Downtown is near Fulton Station, which was very convenient. The next time we plan a trip to New York, we would consider staying in Midtown, but I’d also pay attention to a hotel’s proximity to public transportation. However, chances are no matter where you stay you will be close to a subway station or bus stop.

Transportation in Manhattan

With our suitcases and bags, we took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, but while we were in Manhattan, we utilized the subway, walked and even took the bus once. Even if you are in NYC for less than seven days, I’d advise getting the unlimited 7-day subway pass. We took about 2 round-trip outings each day, and could also accommodate for extra rides during the first couple of days when we got on the wrong train and had to back-track. The unlimited 7-day passes were more economical than if we had purchased each ride individually. The subway in NYC is more difficult to navigate than the London Tube or the Paris Metro. However, in all fairness, we were getting around fairly well by day three of our trip. The biggest lessons learned were to get on, not only the correct platform, but the correct train. Some tracks run more than one train, and express trains do not make every stop. We also tried to exit at the street access that was closest to our ultimate destination. Some subway stations are large enough that there are multiple above ground entrances and exits. If you exit where you didn’t intend to exit, you must re-orient yourself. The New York City Transit app was a great resource, but I preferred Google Maps. We would map our way, and transit would tell us which train to take, in what direction to travel, and usually where to exit.

Sightseeing in New York City:

The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building was an awesome experience. In 2019, the visitor experience was updated and renovated, from the time you walk through the doors to stand in line, up to the very top floor. I am usually a believer in pre-purchasing tickets, but we arrived early on a Sunday morning and walked right in to purchase tickets without waiting. The hours are 8am to 2am, but the website has information on the best times to visit. The experience is great for kids to walk through because there is information along the way, but it is interactive and does not involve too many display signs to read. My favorite area is were where the history and construction of the building is animated. Movie screens on the walls make you feel like you are on the steel beams high in the sky during construction. You even have the chance to sit next to bronze construction workers for a photo op. Another favorite area is a room covered in screens showing clips of possibly hundreds of movies that feature the famous skyscraper. Once you reach the 82^nd floor there is a nice roomy viewing area both inside and just a few feet below, outside.

The outside viewing area is open air, with the guard safety wire up above the stucco half wall. The inside viewing area of the 82^nd floor is high enough above the outdoor observation area that the visitors outside do not restrict your view. We decided to splurge and pay to go all the way to the 103^rd floor. This experience was definitely worth it. If I go back, I might not do it again, but it is well worth doing once. The very top is a small room of floor to ceiling glass. You feel as if you are at the very top of a lighthouse. I expected to have vertigo up there, but it is actually very secure feeling. Our time at the very top was really enjoyable.

911 Memorial and Museum

The 911 Memorial and Museum is something one should not miss on a first trip to New York City. We purchased tickets ahead of time for the museum. The benefit of doing this is that you skip the ticket line, but if you choose to do so, you must arrive at your designated entry time. You should plan to stay at the museum for at least 2 hours, but you could easily spend 3 or 4 hours inside. Upon entering the museum building, there is a movie in the auditorium that sets the stage and tells about the reaction to the attacks from the perspective of leaders at the time, including then President George W. Bush. An escalator takes down you down to the museum entrance. Installed alongside the escalator are two remaining steel tridents standing huge and tall like a grim modern art installation in the beautiful glassed atrium. Since I had watched the horrific events of 911 live on the internet and TV all of those years ago, those iconic tridents made an impression on me evoked the familiar sadness I feel when I think back to the events of that morning. They are the first artifacts the visitor sees and instantly recognizes as part of the twin towers.

To reach the main area of the museum, the visitor walks down a huge ramp with displays along the way. The heart of the museum is seven stories underground. Two indoor buildings follow the footprints of each tower. On the wall between the two tower locations is an art installation with 2,983 watercolor drawings of the sky on that day. The quote across the middle of the installation reads, “NO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIME.” Under the former location of the South Tower is the memorial exhibition that honors each person killed on 911, in addition to an educational exhibit, that when we were there, featured a temporary exhibit entitled K-9 Courage. The North Tower location features the main historical exhibition. Inside, you are immediately bombarded with the sights and sounds of that somber morning. There is so much information about how the attacks unfolded from the first plane strike to the crashes at the Pentagon and Arlington. There are audio recordings, video recordings and hundreds of artifacts displayed in this area. As you exit the exhibit, you see memorials created by people all across the world to remember those lost on 911. This is really the heart of the museum. Outside of this underground building you see several other huge artifacts such as the Ladder 3 firetruck and the Last Column to be removed from the site during excavation, which served as a makeshift memorial. While we were there, the museum also featured a temporary exhibit, Revealed, The Hunt for Bin Laden. We stayed for over 3 hours and did not have much time inside of the temporary exhibits. The museum is so vast that one would have to return multiple times to take in all of the information.

Outside of the museum and at ground level is the 911 Memorial. The memorial features two square black ominous caverns with water flowing down into them, each where one of the towers once stood. The memorial is somber, but it also depicts that there is beauty and remembrance from the ashes. Almost twenty years later we’ve survived the new normal. Our visit to the 911 Museum and Memorial occurred shortly before the Coronavirus hit New York and the United States with a vengeance. I’m thankful for the reminder that we made it through 911 and we will make it through this.

One World Observatory

After touring the 911 Museum, we had a 6pm reservation for One World Observatory and reservations at One Dine for 7pm. One Dine is the restaurant on the top floor, and we planned to surprise our teens with dinner reservations there. One Dine recommends making reservations for the observatory for at least 30 minutes prior to the dinner reservation, and an hour prior is even better. If you eat at One Dine, you must also have tickets to the observatory.

The One World Observatory experience was well worth it. The elevator to the top shows a 360⸰ video of the New York skyline through time from the Dutch settlement days up to present day. The video that continues at the top is very rewarding, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you! This experience is made to be enjoyed. The view from the tallest building in the Northern Hemisphere is spectacular!

We chose to eat at One Dine, not for the food, but for the view and the experience. But with that said, the food was good and the service was delightful. The lobster roll, hot wings, calamari, and the chocolate lava cake with ice cream and ginger crème brulée all met our expectations. Our whole family had a dinner we will always remember—on top of the world! We chose the a’la carte dining reservations, but there is also a pre fixe option. Options are listed on the website and reservations are made through Open Table.

One World Observatory vs Empire State Building Comparison

The Empire State Building is an iconic 1930s art deco building with outdoor views of Central Park to the north and Downtown to the south. The 82^nd floor observation area is outdoors with only guard wire between you and the view. The 102^nd floor is a small glassed room that makes you feel like you are in a lighthouse at the top of the world. The height is 1,250 feet from the 86^th floor and 1,454 total feet in height.

One World Observatory is a beautiful, modern, 21^st century megalith. The observatory and One Dine are on the 100, 101 and 103 floors at 1,368 feet and 1,776 feet to the top of the spire. The view from the south tip of Manhattan is of the water towards the Statue of Liberty to the south, the 911 Memorial below, and the Empire State building to the north. Since the view is through glass windows, photos may have glass glare.

Check back soon for Part 2, featuring Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the “Met” and more.

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