Trains, Planes, Ferries, and Trams--a Day in NYC

Preschool curriculum is generally organized around themes, with one of the most common modules being "Modes of Transportation."  Well, Jason and I may not be preschoolers, but after a day of exploring NYC together, we are definitive experts on its varied modes of transport.

Jason's day began with a red-eye flight from Salt Lake to JFK, after which he took an Airtrain to meet me in Jamaica.  Meanwhile, Papa Kay shuttled me in the minivan to Huntington Station so I could hop aboard the Long Island Rail Road.  One more train ride into Penn Station and we found ourselves in Manhattan.  Car, Plane, Trains, Boom. 

After finding a place to check Jason's bag for the day, we discovered that we were blocks away from a ticker tape parade.  Tens of thousands gathered to celebrate the US Women's Soccer World Cup Champions.  I loved all the businesses dumping their shredding out the top story windows.

 We were pretty amused by the media crews parading around in garbage trucks.

According to Wikipedia, the US women's soccer team  is the very first to ever win four World Cup titles.  Amazing.

  These young girls certainly were inspired.

 Following the parade, Jason and I hopped aboard a water taxi for a cruise up the East river.  Boat, check.

I'd read about a sculpture park in Queens and wanted to check it out.  In the end, the park was meh, although I was intrigued by the summer campers rowing on dry land. 

From Queens, Jason and I walked across the Roosevelt Island bridge over to, you guessed it, Roosevelt Island.  Interestingly enough, you can't drive onto the island from the Manhattan side.

Long and skinny, Roosevelt Island is quite unique because it is so very close to NYC and yet completely separate.  We were immediately curious about the large film crew surrounding Cornell Tech University.  I finally worked up enough courage to ask and found out they were shooting some sort of live action Clifford.

From urban to rural in a few hundred yards.

A the tip of the island, you will find what used to be the old state hospital and prison.  In years past, they sent inmates and the contagious ill here to separate them from the general population.

The crumbling ivy clad walls were the epitome of romantic.  Of course, I was equally drawn to my handsome hubby, having not seen him for weeks.

Our last island destination: the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park.

"Freedom of Speech.  Freedom of Worship.  Freedom from Want.  Freedom from Fear

 That is no vision of a distant millennium.  It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation."

 I am grateful for FDR's vision.

From Roosevelt Island, we boarded a tramway that connects the island to Manhattan.  Dangling from cables with aerial views as you cross the East river--now that's pretty cool.

Next mode of transport: a subway ride and a transfer over to Hudson Yards.

I was delighted to discover that we could climb the Vessel, which opened to the public in mid-March. 

While there is an elevator, we took the stairs.  With over 154 staircases, there were plenty to choose from.

Our view from the top.


After dinner with our Harry Potter loving girls (see previous post), we were ready to head back to Long Island.  Another train, a lift from Papa Kay, and we were ready to hit the sack early--just like preschoolers.