We started out this morning with another beautiful city view, this time from the top of the Empire State Building - a little higher up (86th floor) and a little further downtown than the Chrysler Building. The view was more expansive and it was less windy. But we couldn't see Central Park as easily. It was cool to look below and see the places that we are now familiar with down there and we also got to watch the Five Burroughs Bike Ride through the streets which was pretty neat.
Back on the subway and uptown to Central Park's southeast corner.
Statue honoring General Sherman.
The contrast of skyscrapers and impressive buildings with lovely spring trees and green grass and open spaces is quite striking. We walked for more than an hour and barely got acquainted with Central Park. I'd love to come back and stroll more - especially this time of year when the trees are leafing out and there are flowers in bloom everywhere.
On Gastow Bridge...
Looking across the Lake with the San Remo co-op building towers to the left.
Bow Bridge
The kids had so much fun gazing at these turtles off Bow Bridge.
Bethesda Terrace and fountain.
Made it to the American Museum of Natural History!
We got to touch a real meteor!
We got to see all the things the museum is famous for (especially these animal dioramas) and some new stuff too, like a planetarium show.
Using real examples to show classifications was really cool! This was in the Biodiversity Hall.
The Blue Whale in the Marine Life Hall was really awesome!
The museum also has incredible geodes and minerals, etc. in its collection, like these geodes with amethysts inside. The picture doesn't capture all the sparkle.
This was a huge cross section of petrified wood that had been polished. So brilliant!
And the colors of different rocks and minerals! So incredible!
The outside of the planetarium.
Dinosaurs!
Mammoth.
And wrapped it up with the Shark Exhibit.
Rode the subway back to our hotel - it was a long one this time. So glad we weren't walking it!
Peeked into the Oculus Mall at World Trade Center on our walk home. A very cool design, indeed. Shops line the concourse for two of the stories. And that's a wrap on our New York Trip. Heading home tomorrow!
We headed home Monday morning. It was planes, trains, and automobiles to get from NYC to JFK, back to Seattle and home again. We were happy to have made it through all the transfers! And very glad to be home!
