NYC IN SEPTEMBER

DAY 1, AUGUST 30TH, 2008:

I DROVE UP TO BALTIMORE, MD (BWI) TO PICK UP MY AUNT MARGARET (TN) & COUSIN PAT (AL) AT THE AIRPORT. AFTER WE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER WE WALKED A MILE TO THE CAR AND BEGAN OUR JOURNEY.  FIRST OF ALL, I HAD TOLD THEM NOT TO EAT ANYTHING FOR WE WERE NEAR ONE OF THE BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS AROUND THIS AREA. SO WE HEADED DOWN TO LITTLE ITALY IN THE BALTIMORE HARBOUR AREA AND ATE AT MOE'S IT WAS FANTASTIC OF COURSE AND THEN WE WALKED UP TO VACCARRO'S ITALIAN BAKERY. AFTER THAT WE WERE TIRED & FULL AND DECIDED TO GO BACK TO MY PLACE BUT DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WE STOPPED BY THE POTOMAC MILLS OUTLET MALL WHERE WE HAD TO SHOP! HA

THE NEXT DAY'S JOURNEY WAS SUNDAY:

ENTIRELY TOO MUCH TALKING WILL GET YOU NO WHERE IF YOU ARE AROUND US.  SO, WE HEADED BACK INTO DC AND MY COUSIN PAT RODE THE SUBWAY FOR THE "FIRST" TIME IN HER LIFE.  IT WAS OK FOR THAT DAY BUT INTO THE TRIP I REALLY THINK SHE MUCH RATHER DRIVE HER CAR...GET TO THAT LATER ON.  AFTER EATING A LATE LUNCH AT "FIVE GUYS" (WORLD FAMOUS) HAMBURGER PLACE WE  DROVE AROUND ALEXANDRIA, VA IN "OLDTOWNE" MY AUNT LOVED IT, SAID SHE COULD ACTUALLY LIVE THERE..YEAH, RIGHT ! HA   FINALLY MADE IT HOME TIRED, FULL & SLEEPY.

NEXT DAY WAS "LABOR DAY":  FAMILY DAY WITH THE ANDERSON'S (MY BROTHER IN LAW JIM, HIS WIFE SHIRLEY & DAUGHTER PENNY) IT WAS A FUN TIME VISITING WITH THEM AGAIN SINCE SHIRLEY & PAT HAD HIT IT OFF LAST LABOR DAY WHEN SHE CAME WITH MARTY & FAMILY TO VISIT ME. ANYWAY, MY AUNT MARGARET HAD NOT SEEN JIM SINCE MY HUSBAND DONALD HAD PASSED AWAY IN 1975 SO SHE & JIM HAD ALOT OF TIME TO MAKE UP FOR WHILE WE ALL ATE AT CRACKER BARREL (JIMS FAVORITE).. WE ALSO TOOK MARGARET DOWNTOWN TO FREDERICKSBURG & SHOWED HER THE CUTE LITTLE TOWN AND WENT INTO A 5&10 STORE, WHICH WE NEVER SEE ANYMORE EXCEPT IN FREDERICKSBURG!!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008:

AFTER MUCH WAITING WE FINALLY START OUR JOURNEY TO PLACES SOME OF US HAVE NEVER BEEN.....FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD MADE RESERVATIONS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, GOT THE TICKETS AND TO OUR SURPRISE WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE--NO ENTRY FOR THAT PARTICULAR DAY, SEEMS "GEORGE & LAURA" DIDN'T WANT ANY COMPANY SO IT WAS RESCHEDULED FOR THE VERY NEXT DAY BUT WE WOULD BE IN NYC. CERTAINLY APPRECIATED THE "GREAT STATE OF TN" SENATOR COKER'S OFFICE FOR THE EXCELLENT HELP IN GETTING OUR TICKETS BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE GEORGE OR LAURA, (PAT WANTED TO SEE THEIR CUTE DOG!) HA

AFTER LEAVING WHITE HOUSE WE STARTED ON TRAVELING UP THE INTERSTATE WHEN I BECAME ILL AND DECIDED TO SKIP PHILLY. I REALLY HATED THAT BUT COULD NOT WAIT UNTIL WE GOT CHECKED INTO OUR HOTEL & LIE DOWN.  AFTER MY AUNT DOCTORED ME I GOT BETTER & WE STARTED OUR TRIP.

FIRST OF ALL, WE STAYED AT THE BEST HOTEL IN NEWARK THAT I COULD EVER IMAGINE!  BEST WESTERN ROBERT TREAT HOTEL, 50 PARK PLACE. IT WAS DELIGHTFUL EXCEPT FOR THE PARKING SITUATION. I HATED THAT!  FOUR PRESIDENTS HAD ACTUALLY STAYED THERE SINCE IT OPENED UP IN 1916.  THE EMPLOYEES WERE GREAT AND THE BREAKFAST WAS GOOD ALSO! 

FIRST DAY WEDNESDAY, SEP 3RD, 2008:

WE STARTED WITH TRANSPORTATION FROM HOTEL TO TIMES SQUARE.  THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER AS WELL AS I DID WHEN I LIVED UP THERE & WENT INTO THE CITY EVERY OTHER WK.  BUT, WE MADE IT WITHOUT US PASSING OUT AND TOO TIRED TO WALK BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE HAD TO DO!  THIS WAS THE DAY FOR CENTRAL PARK & UPTOWN TOUR SO WE HOPPED ABOARD OUR TOUR BUS & ON THIS TOUR WE HAD THE "BEST" TOUR GUIDE, CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME BUT SHE WAS THE ONE FROM BRONX AND SMOKED WITH ME AFTER THE TRIP. SHORT LADY WITH STRIPED PANTS ON THAT DAY. ANYWAY, WE STOPPED AFTER SEEING WHERE ROSE KENNEDY LIVED WHEN JOHN HER SON THE PRESIDENT WAS SHOT & KILLED IN 1963. THEN ON TO HARLEM SAW THE APOLLO THEATER AND MALCOLM X BLDG & HIS STREET NAMED AFTER HIM. THEY SURE DID CLEAN UP HARLEM! WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN IT YEARS AGO, TOO CLEAN NOW! THEN DOWN 5TH AVENUE WHERE ALL THE WEALTHY PEOPLE OF NYC LIVE INCLUDING "THE" DONALD TRUMP.  SURE HAVE TO BE RICH TO LIVE IN THAT AREA FOR EVERYTHING (APTS) AROUND 26 MIL...ON TO TRAVERN ON THE GREEN. WELL I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO GO THERE FOR MANY YEARS 1984 IN FACT, BEEN THERE DONE THAT WANT GO BACK! ALITTLE DISAPPOINTED THE MEAL WASN'T AS GOOD AS EXPECTED FOR THE PRICE. SO FAR, ITS THE MOST I HAVE PAID FOR LUNCH EVER, $60 FOR A SALAD WITH TUNA AND OYSTER'S ON HALF SHELL. WOW! SAYING I'M CRAZY, HUH, YOUR ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, I WAS BUT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN! I SWEAR! AFTER THE MEAL AND ALITTLE MORE WALKING WE WERE EXHAUSTED STARTED EARLY & IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON SO THESE "OLD" WOMEN HAD TO HEAD TO THE HOTEL AGAIN TO REST OUR TIRED OLE FEET! 

NEXT DAY, THURSDAY SEPT 4TH, 2008:

WE STARTED BY GETTING THERE ALITTLE QUICKER THIS TIME WITH PAT'S HELP WE DECIDED TO GO TO WTC AND THEN ON DOWN TO BATTERY PARK TO GO TO STATUE OF LIBERTY & ELLIS ISLAND. WE ALL LOVED THIS 4 HOUR EVENT BUT FOLKS IF YOU THINK YOU CAN GET OVER & LOOK & GET BACK FORGET ABOUT IT!  YOU STAND IN LONG LINES FOR HOURS, NO NOT HOURS JUST SEEMED LIKE IT...BUT, DID TAKE US FOUR HOURS BEFORE WE RETURNED TO BATTERY PARK.  I WAS ALITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN ELLIS ISLAND FOR I HAD BEEN RESEARCHING FAMILY HISTORY FOR LAST TWO YEARS AND THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I COULD GET PAPERS FOR RELATIVES WHO MIGHT HAVE COME OVER & LANDED THERE AT ELLIS ISLAND.  THEN, THERE WERE THE VENDORS LOADS OF THEM OUT IN THE PARK SELLING PURSES, PRINTS & EVERYTHING ELSE. OF COURSE, I HAD TO HAVE A PURSE, (HAVE SO MANY CAN'T FIND ALL OF THEM) BUT I DID GET ONE & WILL CARRY IT SOMEDAY. AUNT MARGARET GOT HER A PRINT WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL AND BET SHE WILL KEEP IT IN HER CLOSET UNTIL I MENTION IT AGAIN!  SHE HAS PRINTS ALL OVER HER HOUSE NOW!  WELL BACK TO THE JOURNEY WE WALKED AROUND AND DECIDED TO HOP ON THE BUS AGAIN & GET THE LOWER EAST DOWNTOUR LEG OF THE TOUR. THERE I SAW THE FULTON FISH MARKET AND GOT TO SEE THINGS ALONG THE WAY WHICH I HAVE NEVER SAW BEFORE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NYC HAS GOING ON NOW IS THE WATER FALLS THEY WERE GOREGOUS. WHEN WE FINALLY FINISHED WE GOT BACK UP & WENT TO CARNEGNE DELI...ONE OF THE BEST DELI'S GOING!  I COULD NOT EVEN EAT THE WHOLE SANDWICH. IT WAS AWESOME. FOLKS TRY THIS OUT, TOPS IN MY BOOK.

FINALLY IT'S FRIDAY AND OUR LAST DAY FOR TOURING:

WE STARTED & MADE TRIP OVER FROM HOTEL IN RECORD TIME !  GOT TO WORLD TRADE CENTER AND TO TIMES SQUARE IN NO TIME AT ALL. SO PROUD OF OURSELVES WE HAD ALOT OF STUFF TO DO THAT DAY & LITTLE TIME. WE GOT THERE AT 9:30AM AND DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD AS FAST AS WE COULD SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY WE COMPLETED MY FULL ITERNARY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE TOUR COMPANY HAD DIFFERENT PLANS FIRST OF ALL. WE WANTED TO GO TO BROOKLYN TOUR SO BAD, BUT THEY STOP THE TOURS AT 3PM AND EVERYTIME WE WERE GOING SOMETHING ALWAYS CAME UP EITHER BUSES HAD "MIKE" PROBLEMS OR WOULDN'T START. SO, I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF "CITYSIGHTS" COMPANY. ITS NOT THE DRIVERS OR THE TOUR GUIDES THEY SHOULD BE SURE THEIR BUSES ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED EVERY MORNING BEFORE DEPARTURE!  I WOULD STILL USE THIS TOUR COMPANY BUT HOPE THAT THEY SEE THIS & UNDERSTAND SOME PEOPLE ARE ON LIMITED TIME WHILE VISITING THEIR CITY. WE SAW LITTLE ITALY, CHINATOWN AND ATE LUNCH THERE, WALL STREET AND MANY OTHER PLACES TO MANY TO MENTION AT THE MOMENT BUT PAT DID GET TO GO UP IN THE "EMPIRE STATE BUILDING" ME & AUNT MARGARGET HAD BEEN THERE SO WE WENT TO "MACY'S" GIRLS IF YOU WANT A FREE YEAH I SAID FREE FACIAL THEN CHECK OUT MACY'S COSMETIC COUNTERS. THEY ARE DYING TO GIVE YOU ONE & PUT ON THE SALES PITCH. I DID PURCHASE SOME MAKEUP & HOPE I CAN PUT IT ON AS WELL AS THE MAKEUP ARTIST DID. BUT, IT WAS GOOD NOT TO HAVE TO APPLY MAKEUP YOUR OWN SELF BEFORE LUNCH. HA LUNCH THE LAST DAY WAS A CHOICE OF ITALIAN OR CHINESE AND THE LATER WON OUT.  THE NEAREST DESTINATION AND QUICKEST!  WALKED OVER OR I SHOULD SAY NEARLY WALKED TO HOUSTON ST BAKERY BUT NEVER MADE IT BUT DIDN'T LET US FROM GETTING CHEESECAKE BEFORE WE FINALIZED OUR JOURNEY WE DID STOP AT "ROXY'S" AND MAN WAS THE CHEESECAKE WONDERFUL. FOLKS TRY THIS OUT!  PAT DECIDED TO GO & TRY TO FIND HER GRANDKIDS SOMETHING OVER AT "BUILD A BEAR" WHILE ME & MY AUNT HEADED TO "TOYS R US" YOU KNOW WITH THE FERRIS WHEEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORE??? YEAH, RODE IT LAST YEAR WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTERS SO THIS YEAR JUST SHOPPED!

WELL, WE GOT BACK AFTER A FULL DAY THE LAST DAY OF OUR ADVENTURE & IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE TIRED & WANTED TO REST BEFORE OUR JOURNEY BACK HOME.  NOT ONLY DID I HATE THE RIDE HOME BUT WHEN I WAS COMING INTO WASHINGTON AFTER HAVING TO DROP THEM OFF AT BWI TO GET THEIR PLANE I WAS IN FOR A SHOCK. HURRICANE HANNA HAD SOAKED OUR AREA OF THE COUNTRY. WHEN I WAS JUST 3 MILES FROM MY HOUSE THE POLICE STOPPED ME AND ALL THE CARS & SAID OUR ROAD WAS CLOSED DUE TO THE LARGE QUANTITY OF RAIN IT HAD POURED DOWN AND I HAD TO GO MILES & MILES OUT OF THE WAY TO GET HOME BUT I FINALLY GOT HOME.