The trip we chose to use our flights on was an Easter trip to New York and after the travel fiasco nine months previously, we were due some good luck. That is exactly what we got, with a hassle free holiday and some lovely weather.
I visited New York City in October 2006 with my Mum, but my twin brother Ross had never been. As such, I wanted to make sure we got to see thing places he most wanted to visit. One of the places on his wish list was the Rockefeller Centre and that was our first stop on arriving in the Big Apple. There was far less queuing than I recall we had to do at the Empire State Building eight years previously and we went up late afternoon to see the Manhattan skyline both in daylight and at night. Wonderful 360 degree views make this a must-see attraction and we were treated to a wonderful sunset too. Looking both north and south, the vista is breath-taking, as you can see below.
Day two - Good Friday - saw us starting early and heading south to Battery Park. We boarded a boat bound for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and took in the great views of downtown too.
The afternoon was taken up with the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We went uptown to the Ground Zero Workshop on 14th Street first. Although it does not look like much from the outside, inside it is well worth a visit. It is one of the smallest museums you'll ever go to - just one room really. In there are stools and comfy chairs and a room packed with framed photos and artefacts dug out of the rubble of the World Trade Centre. One man - Gary Marlon Suson - saw the only man allowed on site during the recovery period after the attack and he took heart breaking but sensitive photos of the work that fire fighters and police did. There is a self-guided audio tour, enabling you to hear the stories behind the photos and some of them are funny, but many are upsetting and poignant. The photo "Why?" made me really well up, as did the stories of the dogs that worked at the site during this awful time. I can't honestly say I "enjoyed" my time there - that's the wrong word to use - but it is so worthwhile visiting and I can't recommend it enough. I felt emotional throughout, but it is so important that we always remember what happened on that day and honour the memory of the fallen men and women.
After this visit, we had a short walk along the lovely Highline Walk, before journeying south to the World Trade Centre itself. Tight security means it takes a while to get in at your allotted time, but once inside the site, you can wander along the edge of what was once two impressive towers and which is now home to reflection pools. The names of all those who died are engraved onto the edge of these pools and people are encouraged to touch the names and read their names. I felt I wanted to touch every single one to properly acknowledge their loss. Particularly poignant were the number of names I spotted with the words "and her unborn child" written afterwards, as well as the white roses that were present. This flower is placed on the name of every person who would have had a birthday that day. Towering above the pools is the new Freedom Tower, which is almost finished now and I think partially open.
On Easter Saturday, we headed for Brooklyn. Getting the subway to Brooklyn enabled us to walk along the side of the Hudson and then go across the Brooklyn Bridge. Amazing views more than make up for the large number of people you have to share the journey with and the bridge itself is also an impressive piece of architecture too.
In the afternoon, as the temperature picked up to a very pleasant warmth, we headed north to Central Park. Alighting the subway and 96th Street, we started at the Jackie Onassis Reservoir and walked south. Being Easter and a beautiful day the park was packed, but its a lovely way to spend a few hours with nature and have the city just a short walk away.
Saturday night gave us the opportunity to wander around Times Square and the Rockefeller Centre plaza and see the lights and the hustle and bustle. The latter still had the ice rink present and with the ice, the lights and the flags this was one of the most colourful and attractive parts of Manhattan at night.
Easter Sunday was our last day in New York and we spent the morning shopping on 5th avenue and taking in a few of the sites, including the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station and the New York Public Library, before a brunch while we watched a very disappointing game of football (for me at least!)
The holiday ended with a further walk up 5th Avenue while the Easter Bonnet Parade took place. Perhaps parade was the wrong word as it seemed to be more of a free-for-all, as everyone wandered wherever they wanted and took photos of folks wearing wacky Easter attire, but it was fun!
The whole trip was tiring, but great fun and it was about time we had a successful trip!
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