October 19, 2024 - New York New York - Saturday

October 19, 2024 – Saturday                        Day 24 of this journey 

New York, New York! 

Sail in this morning was super. We were to pass by the Statue of Liberty around 5:30 am. People who wanted to make sure they didn’t miss it, started getting up well before that. Including us. We were awake anyway in anticipation of the sail in, so got up and got dressed about 4:45 am. Viking being Viking, there was hot coffee and pastries available from about 5:00 am. 

Lights showed on the horizon, but we were still a long way out. Eventually, you could make out the Verrazano Narrows bridge. We will sail under this bridge in a little while. Once in the harbor, you begin to make out landmarks. There are also quite a few ships at anchor, waiting for their assigned berth or dock. One of the Expedition Team is commentating for us. His comments are broadcast to the outer decks and the Explorers Lounge.

These cranes are just being delivered from China. 
They will be put to use by one of the many container processors

Finally, Lady Liberty comes into view. What a beacon. She is beautifully lit. Standing on the bow of our ship; you can almost imagine how the immigrants of old felt upon seeing her welcoming them to a better life.

We are to dock at Pier 90 on the Hudson River side of Manhattan. What an amazing skyline.

We are taking an “optional” tour today that is a 7-hour combination of seeing sights from a bus and other portions mixed in that are walking. Many of the photos will have reflections and blurs due to being taken through the bus window. The architecture is amazing. Old and new, stone and glass. Streets are narrow canyons, there are flowers planted in pots, I wonder how they grow with so little sunlight reaching them.

Radio City Music Hall, already getting ready for the 
Christmas production.

Frequently, I see the reflection of an old building
in the glass of a new building. I find that fascinating.

The "Dakota" across from Central Park. John Lennon lived
here along with a host of other notable names.

We stop near Central Park so that we can get a feel for the park. We’ll walk for 30-40 minutes. I am really impressed with the park. Much of it feels untamed, some is groomed, but it feels very natural and not controlled. Of course, there are walkways/paths everywhere. There are people everywhere, there are lots of dogs, there are lots of vendors (although not a lot of hawking going on), We pass by Yoko Ono’s mosaic tribute to John Lennon. It is called Strawberry Fields. There is almost always a musician playing Beatles music near the spot.

One of the entrances to Central Park

The wilderness amid the concrete and steel

The city has difficulty keeping up with the birds.
They tend to build nests in inappropriate places.

What a view!

Trees are starting to turn and that probably adds to the charm today. Back to the bus we go and continue wending our way through the stop and go traffic until we get to Grand Central Terminal. We are going to the observation deck of One Vanderbilt. It is simply known as SUMMIT. One Vanderbilt is currently the 4^th tallest building in the City. It has only 73 floors, but each floor varies from 14.6’ to 24’ tall. My recollection of the standard height as 8’. The roof tops out at 1,301’ with a spire adding an additional 100’. 

The observation deck is the top 3 floors. It probably took 20 minutes or more to work our way through the line of people waiting. Security is tight, but my purse was not searched. Everyone has to put on booties. You are advised that part of the “Experience” is flashing lights and noise. I couldn’t figure out the reason for that. The elevator ride took less than one minute. You walk into a room that is floor to ceiling glass, the floor consists of mirrors, the ceiling is mirrored. A little unsettling, but the views of the city spread out below you are amazing. Such a different perspective to view all of this from above.

The Empire State Building

What's real? What's Reflection?

We enjoy the views and look at a couple of the exhibits but have had enough and try to find our way to an exit. We went around in circles for a while, but finally get on an elevator down. The agreement with the guide was that we would spend whatever time we wanted at the SUMMIT, then have time for lunch on our own and meet at the clock in Grand Central at 1:00 pm.

Grand Central Terminal

We are hungry and have learned that there is a food court on the lower level at Grand Central. We spotted a chicken place and ordered fingers and fries. It takes a little while for the order to come up, but it was worth it. Everything was very hot and perfectly cooked. 

We meet at the designated time and head back to the bus. We’ll be driving through more of the neighborhoods with each having a distinct flavor. We go past Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Trinity Church, Rockefeller Center (the ice rink goes into operation on Columbus Day) and come to a stop a block or so from the 911 Memorial.

Prometheus at Rockefeller Center & people ice skating

Times Square - just a few people

Madison Square Garden

Trinity Church at the Corner Of Broadway & Wall.
Think about Nicolas Cage and the movie National Treasure

Another of those reflections of the old in the new

It isn’t a lengthy walk, and we pass by a separate tribute to the firefighters. It is a very pleasant spot. The sound of the water falling in the pool is very peaceful. We don’t have time for the museum, but word is that it is excellent. After viewing both pools, (one for each of the towers) we go into what is known as The Oculus. It is a major hub for the NYC subway system. The exterior of the building seems more like a piece of sculpture. I’m glad I visited the sight. What came to my mind, is all the buildings around here. What must the people in those buildings have thought watching the disaster? Very moving.

One World Trade Center

The South Pool

The South Pool with One World Trade Center standing guard

The Oculus

The last thing on the agenda is getting the bus back to the Pier. Traffic is already very heavy. It takes quite a bit longer than usual, but the ship doesn’t sail until 11:00 pm, so there is a little bit of leeway. We are back in our room about 4:30 pm. 

Definitely a long day, but we are so glad we took this tour. The guide was just great, the bus driver was great. Would we come back? We aren’t sure. We’d love to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History. But the mobs of people, the illegal vendors clogging the sidewalks, the block-long queues for restaurants and theaters and whatever, just aren’t appealing. 

Tomorrow will be another sea day heading for Norfolk, Virginia.