.Wednesday, November 26: “Boston”
I like doing the short, intense trips by myself because I like to cram as much as possible into one long weekend. My flight arrived in Boston at noon and I was at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum by 1:15. Unfortunately, the staff had posted a sign stating that the museum was closing at 2:00 because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so I had to race through the exhibits. I took a lot of pictures and posted them on Facebook to make it look like my trip to the library was a lot more fun than it actually was but, really, the Kennedy Museum was a big disappointment. They had a mock up of the Oval Office, for example, but it was made up of reproductions. When I asked a member of the staff what I should see before I left he pointed to a coconut that JFK had written on so that a native in the Pacific could carry it to civilization to ask for help after his ship was sunk. You hate to compare but main attraction at the Reagan Museum was the real Air Force 1 while the Kennedy Museum had a coconut.You can sit around and curse the gods when things don’t go your way or you can make the most of the time that has been given to you. I checked into the hotel early to drop off my bag and then took a long walk around the Boston Common because the weather was so nice. It was actually 60 degrees in Boston in November so I took advantage of the weather. The glass is half full.
Thursday, November 27: “Ground Zero and Freedom Tower”
I left my hotel at 5:30 am to ride the 6:00 train to New York. It was Thanksgiving and I find the train to be so relaxing. The bad news was that Google maps took me to a dead end at the Boston station. The entrance to Amtrak was three stories up; meanwhile I was cornered on three sides and if someone wanted to rob me at this dead end street then I could not have run away. “What am I doing?” I thought to myself. “I’ve got money!” The criminals, or murderers, wouldn’t realize what a catch they had because I always dress down when I take these backpack trips and look like a bum.
After three hours on Amtrak I arrived at Penn Station. My intent was to watch the Macy’s Parade for awhile and then walk to the Freedom Tower but when I emerged from the station I was overwhelmed by what I saw. There were unruly crowds who didn’t like being forced to stand behind the barricades and the police were yelling at them to stand back. I could see the floats and balloons in the distance, and the staging area for the marching band was right in front of me, but I decided not to stick around. It was freezing cold and the wind whipped between the buildings. Also, there were emergency vehicles and helicopters everywhere. It wasn’t like you would see on television with lots of happy people enjoying the moment. It was a zoo and I was fine with leaving early.
I walked three miles to the Oculus Transportation hub where I met my tour of the One World Trade Center. Since I had left the parade early I had plenty of time to explore the Oculus, which houses twelve subway lines and seventy retail stores. I had never even heard of the Oculus before but it is a marvel of engineering. After my tour I went to the One World Observation deck, which is located at the top of the One World Trade Center, or the Freedom Tower and has a 360 degree view of New York City.
Friday, November 28: “The Met”
I left the hotel before dawn so that I could take pictures of Rockefeller Plaza while the lights were still on. Passing the spot where the crowd was lined up to be on camera where the “Today Show” is shot, I walked through Central Park to get to The Met for a tour of the art work. In what was a nice moment, I sat and watched the dogs playing in the park. They are allowed to be off the leash before 9:00 and it was fun to watch them playing catch with their owners and being scrappy with the other dogs.
Arriving at The Met an hour before it opened, I wasn’t feeling well but thought that if I could just sit down, in the sun and out of the wind, then I could power through the morning. I was wrong. My stomach was upset and I could feel the blood leaving my face and I felt like I was going to pass out. And then I threw up on the stairs at the entrance to The Met. After that I started to feel better, especially after I sat inside for an hour after the museum opened and warmed up. The Met offers free tours so I attended the “Arms and Armor” tour and another one on “The Art of China.”
I walked back to the hotel via Fifth Avenue and that alone was quite an experience. It seems everyone was shopping over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend so the crowd was packed like sardines on Fifth Avenue, the difference being was that the crowd was moving. There were a lot of small moments that made a big impression on me, like the man who picked up his dog and carried it on his shoulders because the dog had become overwhelmed by the crowd. So there I am, walking face to face with a dog in Manhattan. Then there was a woman turned around with excitement and fun filling her eyes, until she realized that I was behind her and not her partner. Suddenly the smile was gone and her look turned hostile. An old woman came barreling out of Saks and walked right into me. She rolled to one side, never looked up from her iPhone and never bothered to apologize. It was like that for almost the whole length of Fifth Avenue but I also noticed that the streets were filled with Blacks and Whites and Asians and Muslims and Hindus. Where else but New York City could such a disparate group of people live and work in the same community.
Saturday, November 29: “The Gilded Age Mansions”
Once again, I left the hotel before dawn so that I could take pictures of Times Square while the lights were still on. This was my last day in Manhattan so I didn’t want to waste time in a restaurant but instead bought a box of candy and a Pepsi and started to walk. I walked a total of 12 miles. This is not the trip for everyone but I enjoyed myself immensely.
The High Line is an urban hiking trail that is situated on an old, elevated railroad track. I learned about it from my cab driver and decided that I had to see it before I left. It was wonderful because the trail includes tall pampas and switchgrass, as well as shrubs and trees. Blended in with the landscaping was artwork and spectacular views of the city. I had to remind myself that I was in lower Manhattan.
My final activity on this trip was a tour of the Gilded Age mansions. It was fine for what it was but the guide kept name dropping to the point I couldn’t keep the stories straight between the Rockefellers, Fricks, Carnegies, Belmonts, Dukes, and the Astors. We saw a lot of mansions, but only on the outside, so I didn’t get a lot out of the tour.
Sunday, November 30: “The Flights Home”
I knew that this was going to be a tough travel day because it had already been announced that this day was going to be the busiest day in the history of the airlines. The dark forebodings continued as I received an email the night before my flights that Chicago had a snow weather warning. So I arrived at the airport early as I wanted to be extra cautious. Also, I was worn out physically because I walked twelve miles yesterday, which I did on purpose knowing that I would be doing a lot of sitting today and I needed a well of patience.
My plane was supposed to take off at 10:00 am but sat on the tarmac for at least an hour and a half waiting for an “all clear” from Chicago. As was predicted, we were snowed out of the Windy City. Our pilot said that our flight could be delayed by 20 minutes, or two hours, or the flight might be cancelled. Then the pilot told us that we were going back to the gate to avoid the three hour rule, which meant that the airline could not keep us waiting on the plane for more that three hours. Just as he was turning the plane around, Chicago cleared us for take off.
My connecting flight to Louisville at 2:50. We landed a little after 2:00 and I thought my chances of making my flight were pretty good but then the taxi to the gate took a half hour and I saw my chances of making my flight dwindle. I arrived at connecting gate at 2:50 according to my watch but then I realized that we were on central time, so I had a full hour. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about as my flight was delayed three separate times for a half hour each. At least I was able to get home; I would have bet big money that I would be spending the night in Chicago.
“Conclusion”
Travel makes me happy. It was fun just to walk in the sun on Fifth Avenue with the crowd and the traffic to distract me. I like the syncopated rhythm of all of the people and vehicles going about their daily business. This is why I could never vacation on a beach: I draw my energy from being in a crowd. By the end of this short but intense trip, I felt satiated. Travel also reminds me of how good I have it. I could never live in Boston or New York because they are too crowded, there is too much noise and too much traffic. I am happy in my little condo in Louisville.
All of the lessons that I learned from travel bore fruit on this trip. For example, always arrive early. I sprinted from the airport to the Kennedy Museum only to find that it was closing early. If I hadn’t arrived early then I would have missed it entirely. Another lesson is to be flexible. Once I realized that I would be standing with an unruly crowd in freezing weather for the Macy’s Parade, I dumped that activity and moved on. Finally, I have learned to enjoy the small moments, like watching the dogs play in Central Park or walking the trail on the High Line.
