Celebrating the Season In the City

The City – New York City, the Big Apple, the island of Manhattan.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving hub and I drove into Manhattan, a challenging, demanding, wearying experience, one we would not normally, usually, when in our right minds, undertake. But our Florida family was staying in the Big Apple for a few days, and we decided to join them. 

On the way to our destination we drove through construction traffic (three lanes down to one), then exited the highway to drive into Manhattan. I was behind the wheel and had not driven in New York for years. Our car, unused to the busyness and chaos of the city, meandered through city streets, stopped at every light, and quivered as cars, trucks, taxis, bikes, and motorcycles careened past on the right and left. Hordes of pedestrians streamed across streets. I was more worried about hitting a foot-traveler than a car. But the three of us made it to our hotel intact – me, hub, and the car. 

We enjoyed a couple of days exploring – sightseeing, walking, eating, and splurging oodles of money. You can’t hang out in Manhattan without spending $$$. And nothing is cheap. Or reasonably priced, according to our criteria.

Train or bus is a much better way to enter the Big Apple, but we were not returning home after our city stay, but moving on to my sister’s for Thanksgiving, in the opposite direction from home. 

We packed the car and began our week-long odyssey.

New York generates a vibrant, exciting atmosphere that energizes and exhausts. We walked miles in generally cloudy, cold weather, ate copious meals – delicious foods we typically avoid, window shopped and perused, wide-eyed and with purse tightly shut, high-end shops. We toured the Taylor Swift: Storyteller exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design (timed tickets required) and viewed costumes from different eras along with videos. We enjoyed the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, an hour-and-a-half musical extravaganza, and saw a Broadway show – Back to the Future, a flashy, electronically awesome, fun musical adventure for the entire family.

We left the city worn out, probably a couple of pounds heavier, massaging sore muscles, and quite a few dollars poorer.

But as the commercial says, we left with memories – priceless.