Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Is New York City on your Bucket List? It should be!
The fact is I don’t have a ‘bucket list,’ but if I did, New York City would be on it. New York is the largest city in the U.S. with a population over 8 million, and a larger metropolitan area over 19 million! It’s thriving, vibrant, fully of history, and surprisingly fun to visit!
According to EB White, “New York is nothing like Paris; it is nothing like London; and it is not Spokane, multiplied by sixty.” (I might also add that it is not Seattle where I’m from, multiplied by twenty.)
“It is by all odds the loftiest of cities.”
My first trip to NYC was deep in the last century and was on the way to someplace else so it only included a day in Manhattan. Even then, I managed to take in some highlights though I don’t have the pictures to prove it.
So last month we headed off to the Big Apple, to visit my brother and his wife, and to get away from it all, leaving Seattle by the dawn’s early light,
arriving in NYC, a few hours later.
Just so you know, I didn’t want to be burdened carrying a ‘real’ camera on my trip, so my pictures are from my phone. On one hand, it was the right decision, but on the other, I can’t help wondering how fabulous my photos could have been!
Regardless, this post is about the city itself, and our experiences therein, starting with our first impressions (no not the bumper-to-bumper traffic in midtown Manhattan) but wonderful Central Park, where we amassed thousands of steps daily in a paradise of nature (between 6 and 7 miles each day according to my Fitbit!)
We visited the iconic Empire State Building, at 102 stories the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1931; the views from the 86th floor were terrific.
We had better views of the building itself from the Hudson River,
from our boat on the way to the Statue of Liberty.
There were many other wonderful views from the river, including the Freedom Tower, at 1,776 feet, the tallest building in the United States, built on the same site as the World Trade Center Towers which were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001.
On Broadway we saw Back to the Future, the Musical (O what fun!)
And took in the lights and oddities, people and energy, of nearby Times Square. There I was just as thrilled to see Chuck Schumer, our Senate Majority Leader, addressing the crowds, as I was to have our picture taken with Bigfoot (or is it Yeti? Maybe it depends which coast you’re on!)
There’s so much more I could share, and I haven’t even gotten to the museums yet! But this is running long so I’ll close with dinner our last night in town with my brother John and his wife, Alex, who were the perfect hosts in the Big Apple. At Frank Sinatra’s favorite Italian restaurant, Patsy’s. It was fabulous!
By now, you may have noticed all my photos are from Manhattan, which is only one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. We did make it to one other borough, Brooklyn, which if it weren’t part of New York City, would be the fourth largest city in the country. I already shared about our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge here if you missed it.
And now I’m really done.
Sharing with Sunday Stills, Bucket List!
~ Susanne
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There is still beauty
Yesterday I walked this path along the Cedar River in Renton, to get a final glimpse of the Gingko tree, which never disappoints.
Red leaves lined the trail and carpeted the ground,
with a few gingko leaves joining here and there.
It was a raw and gray day that ended with unexpected rainfall.
But there was still beauty.
~ Susanne
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Rainy Days and Mondays, of Cats and Falling Leaves
It’s a blustery, rainy day in the Great Northwest and this is the scene from my office window.
Most of the leaves are hanging on,
though some have let go, landing on my car, where I enjoy them on my windshield.
Inside, Benji is getting restless; he wants to go outside, why won’t I do something about the weather?
He’s naughty but I understand and give him extra grace.
Finally, we both give in; we have no choice.
How’s your Monday?
~ Susanne
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Benji after Halloween
“Benji, is that you?”
I’d already made the bed, and yet there it was, a large lump under the bedspread.
“It’s me, Sue.”
“Are you scared, Benji?”
“No, of course not. Just looking for some privacy. And it’s warmer under here.”
“You sure you weren’t scared of the doorbell? It was just, Bob. He locked himself out.”
“Well, maybe a little. You remember the crowd of hoodlums at the door the night before. You can’t be too careful.”
“Ah yes. The trick-or-treaters. Don’t worry, they won’t be back for another year. Anyway, I’ll always protect you.”
“Thanks, Sue. I appreciate it.”
Happy Saturday, from Susanne & Benji
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Hummingbirds in the Fall Garden
I replenished the feeders a few days ago and have been watching the hummingbirds from a distance ever since.
But today I had some work to do outside, so I grabbed my camera and positioned myself incognito in the shed. I think they knew I was there, but I still managed to get a few close-ups of these handsome birds.
“Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most common hummingbirds along the Pacific Coast, yet they’re anything but common in appearance. With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, they are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, Anna’s Hummingbirds make a strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise that they produce through their tail feathers.”
Cornell Labs – All About Birds
I love to see them hover, zip around forward and backwards. Did you know they’re the only bird that can fly backwards? Well now you do.
I’m so glad these flying jewels live here year-round. I’ll have to step my care over the winter.
~ Susanne
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Even the Beautiful can be Eerie
Old buildings
and graveyards
Mist covered lakes
and crows
Gnarly tree stumps
And even a cat named Benji
Sharing with #Sunday Stills
~ Susanne
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A Walking Tour in NYC, Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and More!
Who knew you could walk across the Brooklyn Bridge? Well, my brother knew, and he arranged a fantastic walking tour for us with Adam (I Know a Guy,) who would share the sights and history of Brooklyn Heights, the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan. It was fantastic!
But even before meeting up with Guy, my brother John served as our unofficial tour guide throughout our weeklong stay in New York City. He showed us how to navigate the streets and subways like a New Yorker, (Bob & I only got separated on the subway once, I wish I had a picture as the door closed and the train pulled out with me on it, Bob looking on!) And took us on walks through Central Park, here if you missed it, and to Gray’s Papaya, where you can get a hotdog and amazing papaya drink for five bucks!
But I digress. On the day of our scheduled tour with Guy, we met up in Brooklyn,
and set off to see the beauty of Brooklyn Heights, complete with brownstones where some of the rich and famous live, I’m not telling, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.
And there was plenty of history to absorb. Ever hear of the Brooklyn Dodgers, founded in 1883? Yes, the same Dodgers that fled to Los Angeles and are currently dominating the Yankees in the World Series.
Jackie Robinson was signed by the Dodgers in 1947, and changed baseball and America forever.
One of the most moving stops on our tour was Plymouth Church, where “You can turn off the lights in the basement—where runaway slaves passed through on the Underground Railroad—and imagine what it feels like to run for your life. When you are in the pastor’s office, you may think of Branch Rickey—a member of Plymouth Church and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers—praying there until he decided that God wanted him to invite Jackie Robinson to integrate baseball.”
Here the abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher preached, and Lincoln visited in 1860. If Beecher sounds familiar, it is – Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was his sister. Lincoln was purported to have said to her when she visited him in the White House, “Is this the little woman who made this great war?”
We loved the history but the highlight of our walking tour was the view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Promenade,
and the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I must admit we were both excited and a bit apprehensive about the bridge walk, 10 stories high over the East River. (My husband is afraid of heights!)
But we were so glad we did it! The easy 30-minute walk is on a pedestrian-only lane in the center of the bridge, and cars were on the deck below.
Before embarking we learned the history of the bridge, which opened in 1883. The original designer, John Roebling died before building started, and when his son Washington Roebling became ill and incapacitated, his wife, Emily Warren Roebling took over the construction project and was the first person to cross the bridge when it opened. Many years later, she finally got the plaque she deserved for her role in completing the bridge.
The views of NYC, and the Manhattan Bridge next to us were amazing.
On the other side we were in lower Manhattan and visited more historic sites including St. Paul’s Chapel, built in 1766, where George Washington worshipped on Inauguration Day in 1789. This little chapel, once the tallest building in New York, survived the 911 attacks on the World Trade Towers a block away.
Finally, I’ll close with Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, and the Fearless Girl which I preferred to the Bull,
and Fraunces Tavern where George Washington bade his troops farewell after the Revolutionary War, and where we enjoyed a nice dinner to call it a day.
We loved our walking tour, that took us to places of beauty and history we would never have discovered on our own.
If you’re ever in Manhattan, why don’t you consider it?
~ Susanne
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My Sleepy Benji
It’s a cold and rainy day in the Great Northwest and Benji is hunkered down inside.
His eyelids are getting heavy….
Can’t hold out much longer….
Closing with a flourish.
Happy Caturday from Susanne and Benji.
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New York City in Monochrome, and Black and White
I’m still resting up from an awesome week in the Big Apple and going through my pictures to create more stories to tell you, in living color.
But it’s not hard to imagine New York in black and white, so for this week’s Sunday Stills and Monochrome Madness challenges, I thought I’d present a few desaturated photos from the city’s landscape.
I’ll start with this lovely street of Brownstones, the classic New York dwelling.
And how about the beauty below? I stumbled across the ornate Alwyn Court; apparently there’s a famous restaurant within, the Petrossian which is the sign you see on the front. I wish I’d stopped for better close-ups, but I must have been on the way to someplace else, like other New Yorkers.
Speaking of ornate buildings, I’ll have more to share on the icon below, the Empire State Building, in a later post.
In the meantime, you never know what (or who) you may find inside.
My brother took us to another New York icon, historic Grand Central Terminal, which was saved by Jackie O! back in the seventies. Can you imagine wanting to tear it down?
That same day we walked through Bryant Park where this little carousel was located. Beautiful in color, kind of creepy in black and white. See for yourself.
Speaking of creepy, the Dakota Building has an unfortunate history of being the place where John Lennon once lived, and tragically died.
On a more cheerful note, how about the bridge below? The views of Manhattan Bridge were great from the Brooklyn Bridge. I’ll have more to say about our walk across it 10 stories above the river, in a later post.
Finally, I’ll close with the magnificent Manhattan Skyline, seen from the Brooklyn Promenade.
New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town, in color or black and white!
More to come.
~ Susanne
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New York City’s Backyard – Central Park!
Who’d have thought there’d be an oasis of nature to enjoy in America’s largest city?
Certainly not me and yet, there it was, Central Park, a highlight of our trip to New York, in all shades of living color.
Honestly, I should have known. My brother, who was our wonderful host in the Big Apple, shares often enough about his daily walks through the park, these from last November, at peak color!
In fact, he was the best tour guide, taking us to many of his favorite spots.
A refuge in the city, Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and established in 1858. It’s 2.5 miles long, .5 mile wide and covers 843 acres. It’s a wooded landscape with gardens and lakes and fountains, walking paths, bicycle lanes and places for horses to pull their carriages. It has large outcroppings of boulders where children can climb and locals sit and ponder, and wide green lawns where families can picnic and play baseball.
Still, with 58 miles of trails, we couldn’t do it all. I already want to go back for another walk in the park, but this will have to do for now.
More to come from New York City. Stay tuned.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 