Start Spreading the Word-NYC Here John Comes!

So another of my dreams is about to come true........

John in the "Big Apple"!!
I have been thinking of another "train trip" since taking my trip out west this spring. One thought was the East Coast. I have always wanted to see New York City. When I was a kid, I would watch the movies and dream about walking down Broadway and through Central Park. I came close a few years ago, when a friend of mine was going out there, and I contemplated asking him if he felt like having a "tag-a-long". But it didnt happen then.

But now, the gods seemed to have helped me figure a way to make one more dream come true.
So this friday (October 29th), I will be leaving Racine with a friend of mine who is leaving our area, to live and work in upstate New York.
We will be driving straight through to Saratoga Springs, New York. I am planning on staying there on friday evening and then on saturday noon I will be taking an Amtrak (The Ethan Allan).....
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321921&ssid=134
(click on link for an overview of this train and its route through New York State)
....from Saratoga Springs, arriving in New York City around 4PM.

From there, I will be taking an East Coast train or a cab, or maybe have some kind soul from Shelton pick me up at Penn Station.... (have to figure that one out yet) and off to Shelton Conneticut ,where the corportate headquarters are for the hotel company I work for.
I will be staying at a Courtyard that we own that two of my friends (Jasmine and Jason) who used to work with me, are at. (Shhh..they dont know I am coming!!)
In the morning on sunday, I will try to take the earliest train or cab or some kind of transprotation that is available, back into NYC so I can start my day with sightseeing and photo and video taking.

I have no idea (well actually I have lots of ideas!!) what I will do next except that I will have close to 3 days to do anything I want in what some people have called the "Coolest City" in the World.

I just booked my hotels this evening (The one in the city being a Marriott at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge-overlooking the Manhatten skyline- in Brooklyn) for Sunday and Monday. Imagine the view if I can work my charms to get a room with the above view....
Here is the hotel web site for that cool hotel and some info on my "home" during my adventure.
http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=NYCBK

If any of my friends or family have advice on things I should do while out there....email me and let me know.

I am also booking some cool tours of Manhatten, one in particular being a walking tour of the "World Trade Center Site and the 911 Memorial for sunday morning.

There are plenty of things to do in New York. The Empire State Building has an observation deck over 100 stories above Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are in New York Harbor. If you want to check out some museums, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum are among the many of interest.

There is so much I want to see but I know I wont have time to do it all.
People watching will be the big thing. And I have my new digital camera to take as many photos as I can and I am also borrowing a video camera from a friend to take some video of the city and its sites for remembering.
.
.....But some of the musts, in addition to the 911 site, will be:
-The Brooklyn Bridge (that will be a no brainer since I will be right on top of it!!)
-A walk through Central Park and sitting on a bench to read a little
-Riding the NYC Subway system (I will have to do that to get back and fourth when in the city)
-Battery Park
-The Empire State Building
-WallStreet
-Old Trinity Church (Thomas Jefferson is buried there I heard!)
( the above which by the way are part of an all inclusive tour i could take for 45.00 if I decide to go that route)
-Broadway (and hopefully a show-The Odd Couple with "Nathan Lane and Mathew Brodrick" is playing on sunday at 5pM!-maybe I can score a cheap ticket) I am looking at the shows and there are so many!
-The Statue of Liberty
-A ride on the "Staten Island Ferry" which is free!!!
-Times Square and seeing all the signage and buildings
-Macy's and 34th Street (maybe I will see a Miracle!)
-Grand Central Terminal Station
_The New York Public Library (I just watched Day after Tommorow movie again...it was filmed on site!)
And then the "hopefully if there is time" stuff:
-Rockefeller Center
-Radio City Music Hall
-NBC studio with walking in front of the Cameras as the "Today Show" is shooting live. Look for me!!
-The "Sex and the City" tour (for all the HBO afficiandos out there including me!)
-United Nations Tour
-Museums (American Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim Museum, Ellis Island)
-Grant's tomb (My stepmom says some of the rock was quarried in Montello which is close to where they live in wisconsin here)
.....and on the 31st (Halloween) there is a Halloween PARADE in Greenwich Village...imagine that sight!! I surly will try to see that.....
http://www.halloween-nyc.com/index.php
(click on link for an overview of this fun parade that I hope to take some pics and or video of)

I also want to visit some of the more famous restaurants (being a restuarant guy myself) to see what the big deal is all about with places such as.....
-Tavern on the Green sitting in the "Crystal room" (on Central Park)
-Langans Restaurant and Bar
-Carnegie Deli
-Patsy's Restaurant (Frank Sinatra's favorite)
-Foley's on Time Square
-Charlie O's (in the Theatre district)
-and of course "The View" which is a bar atop the Marriott Marquis (which I wanted to stay at but the associate pleasure rate was 449.00 for the night!) but my friend Robyn says it is a must to have a drink there.

I am sure I will not be able to even get to all of these things this time. But whatever I end up doing, I will probably be having the time of my life doing them.

And probably one of the highlights which I just found out about will be a book signing by Anne Rice, who will be at a book store called Pomens at Grand Central Terminal on tuesday afternoon. Her newest book called "Jesus-The Christ" is one I have been interested in getting. Imagine having a signed copy by this illustrious author..how cool is that?? This will be a MUST DO for sure....you all know where I will be at 1230pm on tuesday......just before making my way to Penn Station for the trip back home...and I will have a new book to read if I get bored with the scenery.

And then on tuesday afternoon about 4pm, I will board yet another train (The Lakeshore Limited Amtrak).....
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321961&ssid=133
(click on link above for more info on this train and its route from NY to Chicago)
....which will take me through the "Berkshires" of New York and along the Great Lakes for some fall scenery, which some say is one of the prettiest Amtrak routes to ride and it is an overnight train ride ,which will get me into Chicago on wed. at about 930AM.
I then want to do a little sightseeing in the other Big City that is in my back yard and then it is another train back to Wisconsin for a bit of "rest" and a day off on thurs. before returning to work to dish out "Friday Fish" once more....

So...as Frank Sinatra said: "Start spreading the word, Im leaving......" and so on.
New York, New York....here I comes!!!

I have been up all night digging into New York City and there is just so much on the web...I am exhausted just thinking of all the possibilities.....

Happy Sunday to all.