Wednesday, June 11, 2008

New York, New York

We didn't do a lot of vacations when I was very young because, well, we were poor. Didn't even think about vacations really. We DID do a little cabin in the country once but that wasn't a big deal because we lived in the country anyway. Nothing new or different in that.

It wasn't until many years later, after I married, that I took any kind of significant vacation and we've always had good ones. Cancun, Mexico three or four times, St. Thomas Virgin Islands (verrrry beautiful) three or four times, and many, many trips to South Padre Island, Texas. I really loved those trips and we still try to go once a year. This is a cool trip because we can actually DRIVE. Long drive but not bad and we're still in Texas. Normally, we'll rent a condo by the beach, hit the grocery store for breakfast, lunch and snack-around stuff, I bring my laptop and we dine of fresh seafood every night. Pretty damn wonderful and very laid back. Laid back is my favorite kind of vacation.

Probably the vacations I remember most, oddly enough, didn't include the entire family. My kids have always been tennis players and up until a year ago, my daughter was a national and state ranked junior player. We've traveled everywhere for tennis tournaments and have always been fans of the sport. Every summer for the past four years, I have traveled to New York City to attend the US Open in Flushing Meadows. Quite a trip. I've attended with my son, once with my daughter and son, with my husband and daughter, and once more with just my daughter. I love, love, love this trip and one day, I hope to do it again. We've always stayed at the same hotel in Times Square and for a country girl, all those lights dazzle me. The giant billboards advertising the Broadway Shows, the honking horns, the throngs of people make my head spin but I love the place.

Now, I'm not saying I'd like to live there. A little bit of "speed" in things is fine for a few days but then I'm ready to get back to the real world and a pace that lets me catch my breath.

It's funny. If you go to a place often enough, you can actually set up sort of routine. We usually made three trips to Flushing Meadows for tennis on each visit to NY. Talk about a facility. Very reminiscent of Disney World in it's cleaniliness and beauty. The fans who come from all over the world are friendly and the atmosphere is casual. Very fun. Hot, but fun. And, of course, the rest of the trip is spent watching Broadway Shows and SHOPPING. One rainy day, we hit the ritzy shopping areas there but we agreed that China Town is a blast for that sort of thing. We overload on "real" designer purses (wink wink), "real" designer jewelry, and all sorts of things. The atmosphere is crazy, manic, the bargaining intense.

On the downside, New York is a very expensive place. I've never in my life paid $25 for a burger..fries are extra. Craziness. And I tend to prefer taxis to the subway and that can get expensive, too. EWWW...talk about gross. Those subways are the nastiest places in the world. I quickly learned to carry hand sanitizers in my purse for the occasions when it was necessary to ride in one of those things. I can understand the economy but I'm not a fan of filth! Yep. Taxis are the way to go when visiting New York.

So yeah, we've gone to lots of places over the past twenty-odd years but New York City stands out in my mind as a fun place to visit. For a rural-dweller it offers a little taste of something different.

Next one my list? Umm...Alaska, England, Italy, and Ireland. And maybe at least ONE more trip to NY City.

10 comments:

  1. Heh. Been to NYC twice. Wasn't impressed either time. I'm a fan of the country. If I was going to go to a big city, then I suppose it would be Chicago where the museums are world class AND easy to get to.

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  2. The only place I've ever been in NYC is the JKF airport. And I definitely wasn't a fan of that place. NYC has never been somewhere I've been dying to see. I know at some point, I'll go. I feel like I SHOULD go. I'd love to see Rockefeller Center at Christmas time, but given a choice, I'll head to the beach anytime. ;)

    Wendi Darlin

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  3. LOL! That's the JFK airport! Not the JKF airport. SNORT!

    Wendi Darlin

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  4. Would love to go to Alaska. Hey what part of Texas?? I'll be in Fort Worth in about a week. Wanna hook up?

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  5. Oooh. Will you really be in Ft. Worth? It's about a 2 1/2 hr. drive. Are you visiting friends or family?

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  6. I understand the feeling about NYC being a country girl and I didn't think I'd like it at all but there was just so much to see and do. That was the thing for me. People were really nice, too. Even when in a hurry they were nice, it seems. Of course, Broadway shows are an absolute blast. I DID miss Texas food however. It's just the best.

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  7. I met a guy from Ft. Worth once. We were both in Colorado at the time:)

    Never been to NYC, but would love to go back to DC and spend more time in the Museum of Natural History!

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  8. Great post, Regina. Some of my most memorable trips were travelling for business or at least events other than a vacation.

    Oh, I love NYC. I've never stayed in a hotel there though. I usually stay with family if I'm going to be there over night (or longer, lol). I must disagree in part about the subways, yeah... they could be cleaner, but for a speedy (and cheap) way to get to and fro, it's really hard to beat.

    Of course, most of the time I walk anywhere I want to go as long as it's not more than a mile or so. If I trip down (or up depending on who I'm staying with) to Manhattan, the ride is a must as I spend most of my time in the Bronx or Brooklyn.

    If you go when it's cold out, you can wear gloves so you don't have to worry about what you touch on the subway, lol.

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  9. Oh, it doesn't get much cheaper than the subway but maybe it's just me...I can't stand them. Worst part of NYC visiting IMO. Maybe it's something about being underground. I'm really claustrophobic so maybe that factors in.

    Gloves would've been good but considering the US OPEN is in Aug/Sept. (labor day weekend) it might have been a bit much. Very hot there that time of year. I'd love to go again though. Anytime!

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  10. Yes, I too agree. New York is a nice place for shopping also. I got lot of Jewelry shopping during my last trip to New York. Otherwise, I used to shop at Jewel Basket for online coupons.

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