A fantastic trip

Our trip to New York City did not go exactly as planned, but was still great fun. The drive down took us twice as long as we had thought it would because of major traffic snafus in CT and just north of Manhattan. We decided to drive the 'local route' through the Bronx and got to experience a side of NYC that we had not previously experienced: the STUPIDIST pedestrians on the planet. Really. People would step in front of moving cars, which had the right-of-way, and not even look at them. It was unbelievable. But, if must be the culturally accepted norm for the Bronx, because EVERYONE did it.

By the time we got into Manhattan we had no energy for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, we decided to treat ourselves to this fabulous sushi restaurant a few yards from our hotel near Times Square. I highly recommend Hikata on 48th Street. The fish was melt-in-your-mouth fresh.

On Saturday, we grabbed a quick breakfast at one of the multitudes of Starbucks in town, then headed up to the American Museum of Natural History. Let me just say that I could easily spend three days in that museum and not be bored. The mineral and gem exhibit is fabulous. I also really enjoyed the bird exhibit. We never even got around to the dinosaur exhibit, which the place is supposedly known for. We took in a planetarium show on "Cosmic Collisions". We passed up the new Butterfly Conservatory, which looked fabulous. And, we were a couple of weeks too early for their new exhibit on Water. Yup. Really want to go back.

The Star of India

On Saturday evening we went to Esca. This was the MOST FABULOUS, albeit expensive, dining experience of my life. We made reservations three weeks in advance, and had to accept the less-than-popular 5:30 time slot (which turned out to work great for us). In order to truly appreciate all that the restaurant had to offer, we went with their 'tasting menu' (at $75/person). We also order some wine, which was perfect. We experienced a seven course meal over the course of two plus hours. Our bill was just under $200, on top of which we left a well-earned yet generous 21% tip. My favorites from the meal (beside the wine) were the polenta dish, the seared scallops, and the apple cider sorbet that was part of my dessert. I NEVER order dessert. However, since our meal was spaced out in little courses over such a long period of time, I had room and it was well worth the wait.

Breakfast on Sunday turned out to be an attraction in and of itself. We decided to try this diner a few blocks from our hotel. Ellen's Stardust Diner advertised that it had 'singing waitstaff'. We didn't think much about that, figuring that it was a gimmick that probably didn't apply to breakfast. We were wrong. The waitstaff, like most waitstaff in Manhattan, are all aspiring performers. They get their practice and exposure by singing their way through their meal shifts. I think the longest we went without live song was about five minutes. And, while the staff were singing, they were refilling beverages and leading people to tables. To me, this spoke of their talent. Without missing a beat (literally) they were able to perform as performers and as courteous and professional waitstaff. I wish them all the best. It was unexpected fun (for me, my husband wanted to crawl under the table and have it all go away).





After breakfast, we took in the small but perfect Central Park Zoo. While I am sure the Bronx Zoo has more to see, it was charming to experience a zoological park in the midst of one of the world's most populous major metropolitan areas. The Rain Forest exhibit was the best. The birds were very active, and seemed to take great joy in diving just over the heads of the human visitors. In Central Park, you can truly forget that there is a teeming city of millions just a few hundred yards from the trees and wildlife you are enjoying.



I could never live in such a big city with so many people all the time. However, I truly enjoy NYC as a change-of-pace setting. I look forward to taking another trip. Next time, we'll visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and revisit the American Museum of Natural History. Maybe we'll take in a show.