Wish You Were Here

Saturday, June 18th was our busiest, most bustling day! Starting out at Andrew's apartment, we strolled through Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood and up along the Hudson River. Our destination: the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. Not only were we curious to see this magnificent aircraft carrier, but Andrew helped install the lighting that illuminates the ship at night in red, white and blue.

Commissioned in 1943, the Fighting I is 872 feet long.

Riding on the elevator, an enormous teak platform that took planes from the Flight Deck to the Hangar Deck.

A-12 Blackbird spy plane with Manhattan skyline in background.

Andrew climbed as far as the large rectangular radar on the left side during the lighting installation.

Another unique aircraft with a cruise ship in port behind it.

 Andrew and Sam could not resist riding the G-Force Encounter, a simulator that lets you feel the power, thrust and exhilaration of flying a supersonic jet plane! Here they are getting strapped in safely.

 

This is a video of their 2-person cockpit, tumbling and spinning!

 Perhaps the next time we visit, the Space Shuttle Enterprise will be in its new permanent home on the Intrepid.

Next we walked a thousand blocks to The High Line. This area was originally constructed in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off the streets of Manhattan. Now its been transformed into a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park of meandering concrete pathways combined with naturalistic plantings. The newest section was recently opened and there were LOTS of folks walking and admiring the view.

Then we trudged another thousand blocks to the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. This historic seaport has shops and restaurants and...cute pugs licking ice cream!

 We wandered over to FiDi (the Financial District) and saw the Wall Street icon of the Charging Bull and the New York Stock Exchange. Apparently Pandora Media made its NYSE debut on June 15.

 

 With our New York City Pass we toured the fascinating Bodies The Exhibition and also took a tranquil evening sail on a Clipper City Tall Ship. What a thrill to see the impressive Manhattan skyline all aglow and to sail so close to the heart-stirring Statue of Liberty.

Andrew ready to sail.

Lower Manhattan Skyline

Statue of Liberty

This really took my breath away as we silently sailed closer and closer to the base. Andrew and I climbed to the statue's crown while on a school trip over ten years ago. But this visit, in the quiet and stillness of the evening, was very moving for me.