Our 3rd Road Scholar trip: New York City, May, 2022.
Sunday May 15:
Delta airline trip from Appleton to Detroit, to JFK in New York City.
Ride to "The New Yorker Hotel" via private SUV advised by Road Scholar.
The hotel located across from Madison Square Garden and main subway terminals.
Registration 4 pm with 5 pm dinner in hotel 1st floor Tick Tock Restaurant.
Welcome meeting, Sutton Place Room, 3rd floor.
Rusty (gal about 60) will be our main tour guide.
Introduction to each other and the week's schedule.
Monday May 16:
Breakfast in Tick Tock Diner. We were provided morning meal vouchers.
Special lecturer: Great, great grandson of Brooklyn Bridge designer. (First one to use stranded cables on suspension bridge).
Midtown walk to New York Public Library building.
Bag lunch provided.
Walk into Macy's, into St Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall.
Special guide then took us to see Chorus Line building, Theater district, Times Square. We stopped by the current musicals playing to discuss the buildings and musical history of each.
Took 1st subway ride from the Theater district back to hotel.
Walk to dinner at Chef Yu (Chinese family style) near hotel.
Lecturer (retired park guide) discussion. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island history.
Tuesday May 17:
Breakfast in Tick Tock Diner.
Subway ride to Battery Park.
Boat ride to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
At our own leisure. We lunched at Ellis Island. Returned to Battery Park 3 pm.
Walk thru Wall Street area.
Walk to 9/11 area: Reflecting pools, the white Oculus building. 9/11 hallway that stayed intact near subway lines for a discussion on that day's events.
Walk to Little Italy with dinner at Paesano's Italian restaurant.
Subway ride back to hotel.
Walk to Empire State Building. Passes for entering building. Walked to 2nd floor which had a thorough build history to stroll by. Then up to 86th floor viewing deck. Ist elevators went to 82 floor. Then needed transfer to elevators heading to 86th floor viewing deck.
Beautiful warm windy evening on deck. Open air with cage wire to view through. Stayed to see sunset.
Walked back to hotel at our leisure.
Wednesday May 18:
Breakfast in Tick Tock Diner.
Subway ride to Harlem.
Walking some large avenues and a few side streets with our special Harlem guide and boom box set to jazz originals. Discussed well known people getting their start in Harlem.
Lunch in Harlem at the Shake Shack burger place, with open street side eating.
Subway ride back to hotel.
Walk to the High Line Trail from our hotel. (an old raised railroad line turned into treed walkway)
Subway ride back to hotel.
Free time for remainder of day.
Purchased early dinner from “Essen” delicatessen near hotel. A clean eatery with hot and cold buffets and large grills in back to pick from board menus.
A walk to theater district for 7 pm performance of “Come From Away” musical. Our purchase on line earlier.
Walk back to hotel. Sidewalks and streets were crowded with show patrons, food trucks, rental rides, etc..
Thursday May 19:
Breakfast at the Tick Tock Diner.
Discussion in Sultan Room with special lecturer: The MET history.
Subway ride to Central Park.
Walk across the park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Viewing the exhibits with lunch at our leisure.
Stroll back through Central Park to see fountains, ending up by Dakota Apartments.
Subway ride to the Irish district.
Walk to dinner at Joyce Public House, an Irish pub restaurant.
Gathered in the restaurant after to prepare for Brooklyn Bridge.
Subway ride to the east side of Brooklyn Bridge.
Walk across the bridge into the setting sun. Had along same guide from the High Line Trail. Walkway located above vehicle traffic, in center of bridge, passing under stone archways.
Walk from bridge into old government park setting.
Then subway ride back to hotel.
Friday May 20:
Breakfast at the Tick Tock Diner.
Farewell discussion in Sultan Room: Living in New York City, with special narrator.
End of program.
Rode subway E train to the World Trade Center.
9/11 Museum tour with guide we independently scheduled, using headsets on walking tour.
Subway E train ride back to hotel.
Walk to Grand Central Station to view the building's interior.
Walk around the Chrysler Building.
Stroll back to hotel.
Picked up dinner at Essen delicatessen.
Saturday May 21:
Breakfast at the Essen. Walked our meal to an upstairs balcony.
Leave from hotel to JFK at noon.
The same chauffeur took us back to airport. His name was Jesus, mid 60’s, originally from Puerto Rico. He knew Appleton, having once played baseball in the city, in the 1970's I think.
Our JFK plane to Detroit arrived late to loading gate. Maintenance men inspected nose of plane when it arriving by our windowed view, repeatedly rubbing hands over nose cone. This delayed boarding for 45 minutes. We then boarded but sat on plane in hanger for 2 more hours, waiting for thunder storms to pass through Detroit. Munchies passed out. Next was an electrical problem with a passenger call light during 2nd hour. 2 techs boarded and fixed a panel. Some smoke came from panel while open.
Finally taxied slowly out and knew we would miss our Detroit connecting flight to Appleton, from what was originally to be a 3-4 hour layover.
Touched down in Detroit late evening. A few lightening storms seen midway through flight. Our plane flew low I thought, noticing the closeness of street and building lights.
Sunday May 22:
We were advised by a Delta employee passenger disembarking with us to find the Delta customer help desk at arrival. The line stretched out far into walkways. By 1 am, they booked a 2 pm Sunday flight to Appleton for us. Delta offered us a hotel stay some 10 miles away. We texted for rides but no one, Lyft or Uber, answered our call. And no airport shuttle this late. By 2 am we gave up and stayed in the airport, settling into some boarding area chairs to doze off. At 6 am an eatery nearby opened. We ate breakfast. Later we bought lunch in the same $$ eatery.
Boarded the 2 pm flight home to Appleton. Rode up front in 2nd set of seats.
Our 2 luggage bags had already arrived in Appleton. Located them in a side room. Got home around 5 pm.
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