The U.S Second Capital: New York City

The summer of 2011 was the most eventful traveling season my family had ever planned.  In July we went to Myrtle Beach then New York City all within a seven day span.  New York City was the farthest we had traveled north and required the longest car ride. Although we drove fourteen hours straight to Staten Island to stay with my great aunt; the journey was worth the ride.  We arrived on July 3^rd and stayed in the neighborhood for rest of the day; however, the following day we took the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan.  Once in Manhattan my family and I walked to a subway terminal a few blocks away and took the sub way to 42nd street. 

As soon as we climbed the stairs exiting the subway station, I truly saw the New York scenery.  The buildings ranged in various sizes, there were signs of all different shapes and colors, and almost everything had some type of advertisement on it.  The sidewalk was packed with people taking pictures, talking, and shopping.  As my family and I made our way up the street, we stopped inside places such as Foot Locker, Pirates Corridor – a musician’s bar, and Believe it or Not – which was a famous people mold museum.  We also stopped inside the three story Toy R Us by the CNN News Room, which had so many replica’s of movie characters out of Lego’s it was amazing.  My little sisters loved the huge Barbie play house they had inside and didn’t want to leave. When we stepped outside the Toys R Us we saw the Naked Cowboy, I was caught off guard and decided to look away.  There were other tourists on the street trying to take pictures with the Naked Cowboy, including my grandmother, who had traveled with us.  My father and I saw a traffic director that had tattoos from head to toe; my dad felt obliged to take a few pictures of him.  Once finished on 42^nd street we took the subway to Central Park; before entering the park we saw the large golden globe with rings around it and this high rising pillar with golden figures on top in the direction of the Essex House building.  Once my family was finished taking pictures of the entrance of the park we went inside.  Central Park was the largest park I’ve ever went too and it was well shaded by the tall trees. 

My family and I walked to a section of the park where children played on a mountain like play set with surrounding water; it was total mayhem there.   Kids were running around soaking wet, spraying each other with water guns, and throwing water balloons – my sisters joined the fun and returned to my parents drenched in water.   Unexpectedly my dad ran into his younger sister with her family while we exiting the wet area and they joined our group as we continued to walk the park.  After about two hours of laughing, talking, and reminiscing with my aunt and cousins we departed from one another at the entrance of the park.  My family walked to a subway terminal and returned to the Staten Island Ferry Station.  Once on the ferry, we watched the sun set as we passed the Statue of Liberty – the view was spectacular; I’ll never forget it.  Back in Staten Island we returned to my great aunt’s house; her house was in front of the bay, and this is where we watched the 4^th of July Fireworks.  My trip to New York City was one to be remembered!