36 hours of I ❤️ NYC

Continuing my “NY state of mind” summer travels I drove Alex back to NYC for their senior year of college as August came to an end.

We left Monday morning at 10AM and had sunny weather from Home to Syracuse but soon after turning south on the I81 we hit some heavy rain.

It cleared up by the time we crossed through the Delaware Water Gap into NJ.

The WAZE app had predicted a 6 and half hour drive but there was an accident right before we reached the Holland tunnel that added 30 minutes.

Once we got through the Holland Tunnel it was a quick trip through Tribeca and Soho (cobblestoned street) to Alex’s apartment.

Alex and I took turns making trips up the elevator while the other person watched the car and after I parked we headed to their fav nearby Japanese restaurant.

Back at Alex’s apartment they picked Seinfeld as our entertainment.

Alex generously gave me their bedroom and slept on the fold out couch!

I went for an hour run in the morning but at a very slow pace as it was only 4 days before my half-Ironman race (I had done an easy hour bicycling before our drive down).

Here is link to the Relive movie….

Alex suggested we go the Guggenheim as they hadn’t been there recently.

I had not heard of either artist with exhibitions but loved both of them.

As a female artist in Venezuela it is not surprising that I had never heard of her.

I was impressed by all her work but also by the exhibits curation. It was very well done with descriptions of each of her stages over her 40 year career followed by the art and also photos of her studio and installations. The Guggenheim is so perfect for this as one slowly walks up the endless ramp without having to go in and out of galleries, backtracking as in other museums.

The other artist is contemporary….

All of the sculpture installations had motion and video projections.

Since we were way up 5th Avenue I suggested we stop by the Conservatory Garden in Central Park as Alex had never seen it.

Because it is locked at night it is very clean.

This tiny pond has fish, birds bathing in their own bath and lovely lily pads.

There were many butterflies and bees on the varied flowers.

We looked on Yelp for a nearby lunch place and chose a Tapas restaurant on Lexington in Spanish Harlem. It was closed for some reason but right next door was a tiny Peruvian place.

I had Sea Bass and a Sangria, Alex got duck and rice. It was all excellent and the service so friendly!

I was VERY excited when I ordered a taxi with the CURB app and it told me our vehicle would be a Metris (like my van Scrat). Of course I told the driver and we chatted, his is going strong at 150K miles.

Back at Alex’s we relaxed and watched a movie I picked …..

After the movie (and sober again after that huge Sangria) back to dad mode. Alex had bought a desk a while ago but never assembled….

I went out to dinner with an old friend, a medical school classmate.

I walked with James back to Grand Central and grabbed a subway back.

I slept well and the alarm woke me at 5am. Alex walked me to the parking garage and I was on the road by 6am.

WAZE was spot on this time at 6 and half hours (including gas stops). It took me up the east side and across GW bridge this time.

I was home before 1pm. Walked the dog and had a NAP!