Trip Report - What a great time!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago on this forum, a coworker and I planned a drive from NC to NYC, mostly with the purpose of seeing The Color Purple, but also for my coworker since she has never been to NYC. So, last weekend we rented a very humorous Chevrolet HHR (which we named the Hot Honey Rover) and made our way to the city beginning at 5am Friday morning. My coworker drove the first leg and we switched off somewhere in Maryland so that I could drive the rest of the way to our hotel, La Quinta Inn Queens. We made good time, getting into the city around 1:30pm, fairly tired from digging for change for the tolls and the dull scenery on the NJ Turnpike. Due to some construction after going through the Lincoln Tunnel, our directions were not accurate, but I managed to survive my way driving through Manhattan to cross the bridge into Queens. It%26#39;s amazing how a space that you would never think to be large enough for a car manages to squeeze a taxi through while he is going 55mph! Driving in Manhattan is definitely not for the faint of heart or those who must stay within the lines, but it is possible if you pay close attention to what is going on around you.

We finally made it to our hotel, which was very clean and convenient to the #7 train. The hotel staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, especially with tips regarding transportation around town. The rooms were rather small, but for $119/night + tax, it was a good deal for our budget, even though not in Manhattan. We rested for a little while and got ready for the show that night at 8pm. We caught the #7 train and took it all the way to Times Square. Since we had plenty of time before the show, we decided to eat some NY pizza and walk to the show at Broadway and 53rd, which enabled us to see all of the Times Square/Broadway sites and sounds. The show was very good and we enjoyed all of the crazy street vendors out and about on our way back to the train station after the show. We somehow managed to find out way back to the #7 train (the station at Times Square is quite large and busy) and made our way to bed to get plenty of rest for the next day of sightseeing.

Due to disruption of the train service on Saturday and Sunday, we took a bus down to the next train station, where we caught the train and went down towards the financial district. We went by Ground Zero, took pictures of the Statue of Liberty, and visited Wall Street, Town Hall, and the Brooklyn Bridge. We then took the train up to Grand Central (wow), walked Fifth Avenue, and then did Top of the Rock, which was great! From there, we took in some food and beers at a local pub and some cheesecake at Lilly%26#39;s, making our way back to Times Square. Needless to say, we were very tired and our feet were aching by this time, so we headed back to the hotel once again. We left early the next morning, finding our way back through the city and back home to NC, unfortunately hitting stopped traffic in Northern VA.

I must say I had a wonderful time in NYC. Everybody was extremely friendly, especially when I had questions about the train or was not sure if I was on the right side of the tracks or catching the right transfer. People were very tolerant of my coworker who is addicted to taking a ridiculous number of pictures, even of the mariachis on the subway, who later took off their hats for a nice ';token of appreciation,'; which she gave to them for their willingness to endure atleast 10 pictures from her. There are still lots of things that I would like to go back to see and experience in NYC, but for a quickie weekend visit, I had a wonderful time and can%26#39;t wait to go back in the near future!

Trip Report - What a great time!

The Color Purple%26#39;s a good show, isn%26#39;t it?

I was there this time last week.....

Trip Report - What a great time!

We really enjoyed The Color Purple. We were interested in seeing the show with the original cast before Fantasia begins to play the lead role. We were very impressed with the cast and enjoyed our seats on the last row, first level. It seemed to be a packed house and needless to say, there was a standing ovation at the end that was well-deserved. I must say I am glad to see this one on Broadway!

Good for you for driving, staying in Queens, navigating the subway and having a great time.

I also enjoyed The Color Purple.

Driving in Manhattan not for the faint of heart, but after you get used to it, it is not too bad.

Glad you had a wonderful visit.

how about posing some of those pics? Would love to see them!

Hi Moosie, I%26#39;m glad you wrote a report, I was looking forward to hearing from you. Glad everything worked out. Yeah, the laws of physics don%26#39;t seem to apply to taxis. Just remember that the lane markings are a suggestion here. Sounds like you did quite well.

And, how great that you saw the mariachis. I love those guys!

So.... pictures?

Very good report for a short stay,glad you and your co-worker had fun and the many pictures of those great New yorkers who posed.

Congratulations on a succesful trip all around! So glad you were able to get La Quinta and not get stuck out near the cemeteries! ;o)

Yeah, sorry about the subway services changes on the weekends due to construction and maintenance. We%26#39;re so accustomed to it, we forget to remind visitors. Very impressed you took it all in stride.

Come back soon!

Glad to hear that staying in Queens worked out well for you both. BTW, it doesn%26#39;t surprise me that you got stuck in traffic in Northern Virginia. Traffic is horrific in the DC Metro area!

GREAT report i had been looking forward to reading about your adventure...glad you decided to share!

yes, i too would love to see photos...if you care to share