25.05 - Day 131 - New York
Saturday 25th May - New York (Day 131)
Sienna is feeling better today so after loading up at breakfast at Wingate we hop on the subway to the south end of Central Park where we collect four bikes (Groupon $44 for 4 hours) and join the throngs of mostly locals doing their Saturday morning exercise.
Ours is not Tour De France pace so we keep out the way of the lycra clad two wheel brigade. Each sight is balanced with another playpark – to start the Bethesda Fountain followed by Bow Bridge, location apparently of many proposals, picturesque as it is arching gradually over one of the small lakes.
We clamber up Belvedere Castle though the greenery is now too large for views of Manhattan to the south, instead views over the parks immediately north. Over the course of 3.5 hours we slowly wind our way around including stops to simply play cards near some busking musicians.
Sienna holds up very well after being unwell yesterday, such that after returning the bikes we opt to stay out, picking up some more nutritious $1 pizza slices on the way over to the Intrepid Museum (with help from a couple of Citibikes).
I’d stumbled upon the fact it was Fleet Week which meant a few more ships were moored up alongside the aircraft carrier Intrepid, including USS Bataan for which there is a queue further than we can see for a free tour.
Instead we stroll onto the opened up pier which is hosting multiple tents and stands from veteran support dogs to Marine to Ghostbusters. Not sure quite why the Ghostbusters are there but the kids are extremely happy to make some coloured slime with them.
Sienna tries on a bullet proof vest, Seb an old fashioned underwater tank, whilst I don the top half of a bomb disposal outfit and struggle through 10 questionable press ups. The kids also enjoy playing with some remote control submarines and balloon swords.
Sienna and I tour a training vessel up from the naval base in Annapolis where we’re headed soon. A great little unexpected afternoon.
Dinner from tried and trusted Panda Express en route to catching the gondola from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island for no other reason than it’s there to go on. Once on the island Kate and Seb get a CitiBike to cycle a lap while Sienna and I walk past the old SmallPox hospital and the Roosevelt Memorial as the sun starts to dip to the west, surrounded by locals picnicking in the shifting sunlight.
The kids had been promised ice cream for the cycling effort in the morning and it came in the form of Wendy’s back near the hotel before settling down for our last sleep in New York.