Our Great Loop Adventure

On Thursday, May 22nd, we left Liberty Landing without any issues. However, when we got back into the Hudson, it was like dodge'em boats. There were ferries and water taxis coming from every direction taking commuters into Manhattan. They stirred up the river so we were rocking and rolling. In addition to the ferries, we were fighting both an ebb tide and the current so we were traveling at the incredible speed of 3knots. Tony threatened to jump in the water and drag Summer Recess. Sharon talked him out of it but only because the water was very chilly. Once we went under the George Washington Bridge the water became calmer and the ferries became fewer. The scenery began to change from skyscrapers to more tree lined shores. By 12:30 we had left New Jersey behind and New York was on both sides of the river. At 2:15pm we docked at Half Moon Bay Marina in Croton on Hudson. This was going to be our home through Sunday as well as our point of departure into New York City. Steve, the dockmaster, was very obliging and promised to take us to the train station whenever we needed it. Even though Friday morning was a little cool and overcast, we meet Steve equipped with an umbrella, Steve drove us to the Amtrak Station. We began our first day into Manhattan following a short 45 minute express train ride. We arrived in Grand Central Station, It is a hustling bustling place of people going in every direction. We managed to exit on 42nd Street and after walking a mere half mile going in the wrong direction, finally made our way to Times Square. We had a Starbucks' beverage and enjoyed looking at all the electronic billboards and seeing the famous Tiffany Ball that drops every New Year's Eve. From Times Square, we walked to Rockefeller Center. It wasn't what we had imagined but accepted it as the place we were looking for. We took a cab to Central Park and changed our mode of transportation to horse and buggy. We took a lovely tour of the park. Later we discovered that people are trying to do away with the carriage rides. Another cab took us to our next stop, Chelsea Market. The market is home to the "Food Network," as well as many bakeries, cheese shops, spice shops and restaurants. People eat standing up, sitting on the floor or on window ledges.Everything is fast and crowded. We had lunch at the Lobster Company. It is a market with every type of seafood imaginable. Tony had a oyster po-boy and I had a smoked salmon sandwich. However, many people chose to eat steamed lobster ranging in size from one pound to three and a half pounds on a plastic plate with lemon and butter. The meal was delicious but there is no ambience. We ate standing up with one foot of counter space for each of us. Our stomachs full, we took a cab to the 9/11 memorial. The memorial is the foundation of one of the towers, which contains a pool of water continuously flowing into the ground. We then took a taxi back to Grand Central Station and the Summer Recess. We were amazed by the the crowds, the traffic, and the construction and renovation in downtown New York City. Bright and early on Saturday, Steve again took us to the train station and we made our way back to Manhattan. Our first stop was to walk to pick up our tickets for the play, "The Book of Mormon." We then walked on 5th Avenue and did some shopping, saw the real Rockefeller Center and stopped into St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is also under renovation. We went to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to see the matinee performance of "The Book of Mormon." It is a hilariously funny musical, during which nothing is held sacred, i.e. race, religion, etc. As we were coming out of the theatre, it began to rain. Our plan was to eat at a restaurant in Rockefeller Center, but we discovered it was closed for the Memorial Day Weekend. Now it was really raining. We made our way back to Grand Central Station, where we had a wonderful Italian dinner at Ciprianni's which is on the mezzanine. We were able to people watch while waiting for our meal to be prepared. Again the train and then a cab took us back to the boat. Sunday dawned bright and sunny. Steve drove us to the Catholic Church. On the way back we discovered a farmers' market. We bought mahi-mahi, fresh asparagus, and field greens, which made for a yummy dinner after a relaxing afternoon at the marina. New York City was another highlight of our adventure. We decided to highlight and explore only those places, we really wanted to see. Tomorrow we will continue north up the Hudson River.