GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes
If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2007
Chapter 2: Rock This Town (Day 2 - Tuesday)
Part 2: Uncharted Territory
Taking that first step into a new realm will evoke different responses from different folks. It can range from trepidation and fear to exhilaration. Either way there will be a bit of an adrenalin rush. For the most part, everyone in our group was looking forward to finally entering that foreign land of urban legend and film-induced myth known as New York.
With rehearsals finally out of the way for the day and all the administrative functions cleared up (for now), we climbed back onto our various coaches and jumped onto the interstates bound for Midtown. The rain had been very light and intermittent all morning and the mist and muck were finally starting to clear just a bit as well. This being the case, it was while rolling up the highway that we finally got a visual confirmation that Manhattan actually did exist.
The ride in was somewhat troubled. I nearly titled this section of the TR Road Blocks. We quickly hit our first delay a toll stop (not really a big deal, just an impedance to the progress, although these are rather rare inconveniences in the Carolinas).
No sooner did we get the coaches back in line then things started bogging down again. As it turned out, some unfortunate sole found that his or her subcompact had suddenly become part of the roadways brickwork when a considerably larger truck decided that it needed to occupy the exact same point in space. Despite Hollywoods best CG moments, the laws of Physics still hold sway on this planet and the smaller object lost that battle.
At least we werent on the other side of that center barrier those folks were going to be waiting for a long while (we were just dealing with the rubber-neck effect).
Next site on our grand introduction to the Big Apple
More toll.
This one was to enter the Lincoln Tunnel.
Imagine a $24 charge on a daily bases just to get yourself to and back form work (heck, I can't even justify spending five bucks on lunch during the workweek, so that wouldnt fly I guarantee you that Id learn very quickly how to work with the mass transit systems).
We rolled through the center tube of the tunnel complex and emerged in the Hells Kitchen area heading north on Dyer, where we immediately came to another halt at the intersection of 40th.
I cant say exactly what was causing the problems here, but it took a good dozen cycles of the traffic lights and our drivers decision to go ahead and plug up the middle of the intersection for one of them before we were able to cross 40th. It did give me a chance to look around and snap a quick image or two of the kind of quirky local flavor that is unique to cities much larger then what Im used to
$350 for hitting the horn button!
I guess its the untold scores of movies representing life in New York that had me thinking that the din of an auto-horn symphony was a constant feature of life in this borough.
Our caravan continued on into midtown and finally got to where they could drop us all off in the heart of Rockefeller Center; the first stop on this grand adventure. As our group hit the pavement we were welcomed by a great holiday fanfare!
Aint buyin it are ya.
Well, youre right. No one even flinched.
Buses and coaches drop hordes of people onto the streets constantly; we were just an annoyance to the locals trying to make their way between 5th and 6th Avenues that day.
Once on the ground, all were gathered in the plaza at the foot of the main tower (the 70 floor GE Building more commonly known as: 30 Rock) and waited for our marching orders.
The word was passed that we had about an hour and a bit to grab some lunch or whatever before we needed to meet back at this spot for our first group-touring event of the trip. As for the time being
we were on our own.
Being as wed had a fairly large breakfast, and dinner was scheduled for around four-ish today, the immediate decision was to forego lunch on this day and use this little bit of free time to just walk around the plaza. First stop the world famous ice rink
Having arrived during the week of Thanksgiving, but prior to the actual day we got a fine glimpse of the famous 30-Rock Christmas tree serving its sentence behind bars. Crews were still finishing up the installation, and the scaffolding obscured pretty much everything, including Paul Manship's well-known bronze of Prometheus recumbent. Heres a better image taken by a considerably better photographer of how it ought to look (less the big ol tree of course)
Interestingly, although this is one of the most recognizable sculptures in the US, the artist himself wasnt all that fond of the piece. Public art can be found throughout the entire Rock Center complex (which adds much charm and magic if you ask me), but surprisingly, this marks a turning point in the history of architectural sculpture, as it is among the last major building projects in the United States to purposely incorporate a program of integrated public art. Too bad but there is no shortage of said public art throughout the plaza.
(Try to ignore the gruesome fella there ruining an otherwise fine view of another Manship work [this one titled Maiden] and the entombed tannenbaum of course). Hummmm I wonder if that last image will get me banned from the boards? Oh well from here we headed toward 5th Ave just to see what we could see. What we could see (smack across the street) was St Patricks Cathedral
I would really like to have had the time to stroll over there and poke around a bit but as it would turn out, side trips were going to be difficult to add in this entire week. When you have such a large group you have to pick and choose your activities and hold to a fairly tight schedule. But then again I now just have more reasons to travel back here in the future.
Since we were actually in the city it occurred to us that we probably ought to document the fact, so my SIL snapped this little photo of my lovely bride and the questionable ogre that she foolishly married.
That counts as proof that we were actually there and I didnt make up the entire expedition. Oh and heres a close up of that plaque just in case you were dying to know just what it said
And just for good measure another shot of the tower from a Fifth Avenue prospective.
From this point it was decided to make our way back toward the center and just rummage around the shops. After a bit of this random knocking about, the concept of thirst was beginning to make itself known. The group began to see the notion of coffee as a justifiable solution to that problem and a potential curb on the appetite as well (given the savory nature of the brew). While waiting for an elevator to the lower concourse, we ran across another group of adults from our expedition and learned that theyd, only just arrived on site. Thus we learned about the Saga of Bus-5. It turns out that Tail-End-Charlie got into a bit of a fender-bender. Not our drivers fault, but it still took the NYPD to straighten everything out and write up the reports (and apparently some serious meds to calm down the driver that had their beloved BMW redecorated by imprinting the image of a bus bumper into its panels). Im glad I wasnt on that coach. Our ride in was plenty long enough without having to deal with an irate local in a center of a midtown Manhattan intersection.
After finding a pretty good cup of coffee, we noticed that the clocks on the walls were beginning to sound warning alarms. Time to head back up and meet the rest of the folks for the first signature event of the day. Back up at street level the kids and adults alike were starting to gather in the plaza at the foot of the caged Christmas tree. There are flagpoles surrounding the skating rink there and depending on the day you may encounter any number of banners. On this day, they were brandishing the flags of the various states and territories in the union. I found it quite auspicious that the flag holding down the corner where we were instructed to meet was a rather recognizable banner form our point of view
While we were gathering, one of the other parents caught this moment where a group or our youngens (including Max there on the far left) were striking a pose with one of New Yorks finest
A great moment, and I appreciate that they shared that picture with us. This image also bears mute testament to the fact that hed pretty much spent all his extra walking cash for the week. Weeks before the trip, nearly all the guys in the band were discussing the one Mecca in NY that they unanimously wanted to hit right off: The fabled Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center. Obviously they had accomplished their mission (dont worry, he still had money for food and snacks, this was just the bucks he pulled out of savings specifically for souvenirs and what-nots).
Well now that everyone was all gathered together and wed taken a proper head count
it was time to for our next sojourn.
A bit of sightseeing that would include a fairly significant vertical component
That's the first thing I noticed in that picture. I saw the big bag with Mario on it and thought he must have laid down some serious cash. That bag's big enough to hold about 20 games or so. 
