Blogenstein: Vacation 2010

We had been planning this trip for over a year. Three generations and two destinations: Washington DC and New York City. Two years ago, we all took a road trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. This time, we decided to drive less and fly more. Going along with me were my mother, my daughter Katie, my son Spencer, and my wife Florinda (we would be meeting her son, Chris, in DC, where he lives).

  Day One was off to a very early start. Our shuttle picked us up to take us to the airport at 3:45 in the morning. Excitement kept us from sleeping in the shuttle. We flew First Class (a first for me. Thanks Mom!) on Virgin America to Washington DC. I have flown to the east coast before, but at six-feet, one inch tall, never with leg room. I enjoyed it with the knowledge that it will probably never happen again.  

Once we were settled into our hotel, we did some walking around. The hotel was only 2 blocks from the White House, so we walked there first. We had dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and called it a day. Luckily, our being up very early on the west coast seemed to help us adjust to east coast time fairly easily.

Spencer, Mom, Florinda and Katie in front of the White House.

The Treasury Department.

The next day, we were off the the Air and Space Museum via public transportation.

  Side note: Having lived in Southern California all my life, public transportation is something of a foreign concept. In short, public transportation in SoCal sucks. Don't believe me? Try going from Simi Valley to, let's say, Hollywood. It's time-consuming, difficult, and requires traveling southeast to Union Station (passing north of Hollywood, and many miles past, along the way), then taking another train west for several miles back to Hollywood. My point is, the layout of the tracks is not very conducive to ease-of-use. SoCal was built with the automobile in mind, its freeways now resembling a parking lot, more than the space-age thoroughfares of modern transport envisioned years ago.  

However, Washington DC and New York have excellent public transportation. For a newbie, who had never taken a train or subway, it was easy to learn and very handy. The 10 days we spent on this trip is the longest I have gone without driving since my 16th birthday (31 years ago), and I surprised myself by not missing it.  

On the way to the Air and Space Museum, we walked through other parts of the Smithsonian (you know it's more than one building, right?).

The Castle.

The National Museum.

The Air and Space Museum.

The Wright Flyer.

The Spirit of St. Louis.

The Air and Space Museum Gift shop has the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek TV series. I was one happy geek.

After the Air and Space Museum, we walked over to the Capitol.

Spencer spontaneously meditating in front of the Capitol building.

Mom and Spencer went back to the hotel while Florinda, Katie and I continued to walk.

The National Gallery of Art.

Later on, we had dinner with Chris at an excellent restaurant he suggested.

Next on our list was the National Museum of American History.

Spencer building a circuit as Grandma and Katie watch with great interest.

Hello, he's Kermit the Frog.

Edith and Archie Bunker's chairs.

Afterward, we walked back to the hotel; this time we walked to the other side of the White House.

The White House.

Tourists on Segways. I want to do this!

The weather had been hot, cloudy, and muggy. But for the day we took our tram tour of several monuments, we had beautiful blue skies (still hot, still muggy). This was probably my best photo opportunity of the DC portion of our trip.

The Washington Monument.

Inside the Jefferson Memorial.

Florinda at the Jefferson Memorial.

From the steps of the Jefferson Memorial (that's the White House between the trees).

The Jefferson Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial.

Inside the Lincoln Memorial.

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

After the monuments, Mom, Katie and Spencer went back to the hotel. Florinda and I did more walking (it's what we love to do on vacations) and more picture-taking.

The Library of Congress.

The Supreme Court.

The Capitol Building.

We visited the Library of Congress, which was having a special exhibit of one of my heroes: Bob Hope.

The Library of Congress.

After that, we went back to the National Gallery of Art.

Everywhere we went, Spencer always had a book with him.

Johannes Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance. This is one of my all-time favorite paintings. I was surprised, delighted, and privileged, to see it in person.

I had only seen this painting in books. It is smaller than I thought (about 10" x 10"). Reproductions cannot do it justice. It is magnificent.

The next day was laundry day. I took a cab to a Laundromat, while Florinda went to meet some blogger friends. The kids were with Grandma for a trip to the Aquarium.  We left DC and headed for New York via train (another first for me!). It was a nice chance to sit, relax and watch the scenery go by.

Florinda nd Spencer on the train to New York.

On the train to New York. I love this picture of Katie.

When we arrived in New York, we were five people and a lot of luggage. I told the porter that we would need two cabs, but he came back with a limo driver. The price was right, so we all took a ride in a limousine (another first for me - and the kids).  

Katie and I had been to New York a couple of years ago, and Florinda had lived there when she was young, but this was the first visit for my Mom and Spencer. I love visiting New York. I don't think I would want to live there. The humidity and crowds would get to me after awhile.  Our first night was spent (wait for it...) walking around the areas adjacent to our hotel. These included Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City.

Loved the public transportion.

Walking along Central Park.

Rockefeller Center.

Radio City Music Hall.

Artwork on the side of Radio City Music Hall.

The next day, We all went on the NBC Studio Tour, where I volunteered to be a weatherman (video here).

Next, we walked over to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Afterwards, we met some of Florinda's relatives for lunch. (After that, we went back to Rockefeller Center to check out the city views from Top of the Rock.)

Florinda's Aunt, Florinda, her Uncle and Cousin.

View of the Empire State Building from the top of Rockefeller Center.

View of Central Park from the top of Rockefeller Center.

Afterward, we dropped off Mom and Spencer at the hotel, and Florinda, Katie, and I went...walking. We walked over to Times Square and found the theatre where we would be seeing The Addams Family in a couple of days. 

Times Square.

The next day, we met Florinda's friend for breakfast. It was at a very familiar restaurant that we had never been to.

Tom's Restaurant was Monk's in Seinfeld. The inside is completely different than the TV show.

Afterward, we walked over to St. John's, the world's largest gothic cathedral. I am not a church-goer (surprise!) yet, I can really appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship of religious structures.

St. John's Cathedral.

The pipe organ at St. John's Cathedral.

St. John's Cathedral. It is much darker than this in person. I adjusted the exposure settings on my camera to capture more light.

St. John's Cathedral.

A white Peacock at St. John's Cathedral. When it jumped up on this fence, it lost a feather...

...and Spencer collected it.

After a morning of eggs, bacon, and God, we headed down to Battery Park to catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Pictures do not do her justice. She has to be seen to really appreciate how magnificent she is.

The Statue of Liberty.

Spencer and the Statue of Liberty.

We had tickets for crown access, but, unfortunately, Katie was feeling a little worn, so she and Grandma stayed at ground level. Florinda decided to go only as high as the pedestal. Spencer and I set off to get inside Lady Liberty's head. 

The original torch.

Inside the Statue of Liberty, on the climb up. Of the many ways to bang your head, I discovered three.

Looking out of Lady Liberty's crown.

Spencer and I inside the crown. A few more opportunities to bang your head.

Later that night, Grandma and the kids had room service, while Florinda and I went to The Brooklyn Diner, found our way to Carnegie Hall, and took shelter from a brief, yet heavy, thunderstorm. 

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. Or, eat at the Brooklyn Diner and walk half a block.

The Brooklyn Diner

Wednesday included a trip to Macy's and FAO Schwarz. At one of the subway stops, we were treated to the "Ebony Hillbillies." They were awesome.

The Ebony Hillbillies

Two cops on horseback outside Ray's. How New York can you get?

Some of the toy displays at FAO Scharwz are pretty cool.

Spencer with a life-size Chewbacca made entirely of Legos.

Spencer moonwalking on the giant piano.

Later that night, we all dressed up and went to see The Addams Family on Broadway. Nathan Lane, whom I believe to be a national treasure, was fantastic as Gomez. His body language and vocal emphasis were a pleasure to see. Bebe Neuwirth was also wonderful as Morticia. I felt the music was so-so, but the writing was excellent. We were laughing so hard, at one point, I though Spencer was going to pass out. 

Katie dressed up to go to see The Addams Family.

Katie and Spencer. I couldn't ask for two greater kids.

The only one missing, is Grandma. She took the picture. Katie wore boots to be taller than me. I wore boots, too. She was about 6' 2" and I was about 6' 3". I won.

Our last day of vacation was spent at the Natural History Museum.

The subway stop at the Natural History Museum has this beautiful mural/tile work. It also has a convenient entrance directly from the subway.

Lions and tigers and these guys. Oh my.

Spencer "Clamming it up."

Life-size reproduction of a Blue Whale.

After that, we walked along Central Park. Grandma and the kids decided to go back to the hotel, but Florinda and I still had some places we wanted to see. We went by the Dakota, then Strawberry Fields. We saw the fountain from "Friends," and some boaters. We came back to Strawberry Fields and watched the stoners and/or musicians that gather there.