New York & Boston August 2012

New York 17th -21st August..

Leaving a cold and wet Manchester & landing in a 90F New York was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately it was too hot for Ruth so after a brief meander round Central Park we headed back to the air conditioned hotel room and fell asleep watching the News...

Saturday came and it was cold (for NYC 61F) & a bit damp with a light rain. The New Yorkers were bitchin about the rain but to us it was quite pleasant. After a light breakfast (french toast & a side of bacon!!) we jumped on the '1' train and headed down to South Ferry to catch the ferry to Liberty & Ellis Island. A 20 minute ferry ride over to Liberty Island gave us a specatular view of lower Manhattan and the new Freedom Tower, which looks close to completion (at a floor a day I can imagine it will be open soon). Looks good and hopefully will be a testament to those who lost their lives 11 years ago.

Anyway off the ferry at Liberty island, get the audio tour stuff and wander round Lady Liberty. No matter how many times you see her she's still breathtaking...spot of lunch & then over to Ellis island, the place were many now american citizens first arrived. It's here I realise that I'm as american as Chrissy & Rev! Wander round Ellis Island, and then back to Manhattan. Walking along the Hudson River Parkway in glorious sunshine. Must have walked 50+ blocks before we got the subway at 33rd up to 57th & the hotel. Had a nice meal and some Brooklyn Brewery Beer (non of this Bud shite for me!)...

Sunday & we headed to Coney Island for a few hours. I can see the appeal but it makes Blackpool look tacky!!! Anyway if you're at Coney island you have to go to Nathans so we did! Chilli Cheese dogs & bacon cheese fries in my stomach it's back to hotel for a quick change and then down to Times Sq & a wander round.

Applebees for tea. All very nice but WHY do you put the calories on the menu? After a lovely meal we spend a few hours in Macys, etc. Call at the Levi's shop for two pairs of 32 inch waist jeans (Diet now on so I can fit into them!!) at the cost of just over 1 pair here in the UK!

Monday & our last day in NYC, so that means SHOPPING!!!! Walk over to Honora pearls for Ruth, then onto Bloomingdales/Tiffanys/Macys etc. Before you know it, it's tea time. Eat at Lindys, take some Cheesecake back to the Hotel and have that later...

Pack our bags & get ready for Tuesday & onto Boston. Sorry I mean Bahstan!

Bahstan (Boston) 21st - 24th August.

Get to Logan airport 30 minutes later than scheduled, which is annoying as we have limted time. Get a minibus to the hotel, check in, freshen up & then walk over to Fanueil hall/Quincy Market....

Find the Cheers replica bar & enjoy a sumptious Norm Burger ( ) & a couple of pints of Sam Adams Summer Brew. LOVELY!!!! Having stuffed ourselves silly we wander aimlessly around the market (Kinda like Covent Garden) before jumping in a cab back to the hotel...

Wednesday & our first full day in Boston, wander down to the Prudential centre, get some Duck Tour tickets, wander round the shopping mall, before going on our Duck Tour with 'The Great Garibaldi'! What a hoot that guy is, really loves his city & it shows in the tour! Boston is looking good! After the Duck tour we scoot back the hotel, freshen up & then back to Fanueil hall area for the evening. Make our way to the harbour, stopping and staring out in the bay. Ruth then says she wishes she lived here, weather is nice, people are really friendly & the pace of life is ok. Less hectic than NY but busy enough for her...After a nice seafood meal we look round Fanueil Hall itself and soak in the history of Boston & it's links to the UK....

Thursday morning & we use the 'T' for the first time to get to the harbour quick smart for the whale watching. Just manage to get on the 10AM trip! 90 minutes later we're looking at Minke & then Humpack whales in their own enviroment. Amazing creatures. I feel a little shame at the way humans act at times. Once back on dry land we head toward the New England Aquarium but there's a massive queue & these brits don't do queueing!!! So instead we call at the hotel to drop some stuff off before heading over to Fenway Park.

It's a game day so the buzz is amazing. It's not quite 4pm and you can feel the atmosphere building already. A scalper offers us tickets but as we're on a limited time we decline & head back to Copley Square. Sitting for a bit we take in all of our trip & Ruth mentions again how much she wants to live in Boston! After a brief respite we head to the Prudential Centre & The Cheesecake Factory (Penny's night off!) for tea. I have NEVER been to a restaturant before that had a 22 page menu, including 4(!!) pages of Cheesecake!!! After deliberating choices are made and a fine meal is consumed (along with a couple of Sam Adams Octoberfest ). Cheesecake to go (I had Banana Cream, Ruth Tiramasu. Again ) we go to the viewing floor of the Prudential and watch the sunset on Boston. Very Pretty town indeed...

Friday is our last day in Boston so we make out way to Boston Common & the surrounding area. Find the original Cheers bar that all the external shots were filmed at. Enjoy a coke, but don't dare sit at Norms stool! After that we take stroll around the Beacon Hill area before making our way back toward our hotel to check out (Lunch at Rock Bottom first though!).

And then that's it, bye bye Boston. You're a lovely town, really wish we didn't have to return to reality but we do so it's off to Logan for a flight to DC...or so we think!!!

Get to Logan in plenty of time, check in, go through security & find our gate. Our flight is on time! Awesome news. Then our flight is delayed by 20 minutes. Ok still plenty of time to get my bottle of Jim & then get to our flight to Mcr....
At about 16:30 I go check the board to see if it's still 20 minutes late...FUCK!!! Its cancelled!!! remember what the good book said and Don't Panic!!! Go see the very nice man at the helpdesk. After he's made the announcement he eventually sorts us out on a flight to Paris & then Paris to Manchester...This is cool and we will get back home but United Airlines, come on! It's the 21st Century surely you have at least TWO Planes on this run so that if one is out of action the other takes it place? We paid extra to fly in and out of Manchester & you fucked it up you useless fuckers!!!!

With flight sorted we hed to terminal E & go through check in, go through security again.
Once in the departure lounge I head to duty free and ask about the Jim beam. if they seal the bag will it be ok getting it through security at paris? Sure they say, so I get a bottle and ask for it to be in a sealed bag.... collect it just as we're boarding so I stuff it in my carryon bag and leave it be.

Land in Paris & see where we go next...get to security and my bag is scanned, they see the bottle so check my bag. I explain the situation to them. The bag is only half sealed so I'm screwed! I get told I can check it if I want so off I go to check it on. Oh no sir it's too late to check it in!! So back to security and despite bottle being in a duty free bag from Longan Intl, with the receipt stapled to the bag it's bye bye Jim!!! FUCKING FRENCH TWATS!!! I hope you vomit on MY whiskey you wankers!!!!

Board plane to Manchester. It's raining, heavily. Stupid UK weather!!! Mum & Dad take us home. Journey done. cats everywhere. Sleep is calling. Time for bed...Roll on next trip to Boston!


Photo's to follow once I've edited down the 190!

Phew !!! After reading all that I feel I was on the trip with you !!! I have to go and lie down now.

Roger. H wrote:

Phew !!! After reading all that I feel I was on the trip with you !!! I have to go and lie down now.

Cool!

You can join us next time we go over (Easter 2014)! The more the merrier.

A few photos...

Manhattan...

The Freedom Tower (1 WTC)


Downtown Manhattan & Liberty..




Coney Island



Cheers!




Whales!





A light tea!

Fenway

Great pictures!!!! Post some more!!Definitly looks like you are eating fab American food. Liberty tower looks amazing. i really want to see that.
Glad to hear and see you had such a nice trip. Still can't believe you passed up fenway park!!!

Chrissy wrote:

Great pictures!!!! Post some more!!Definitly looks like you are eating fab American food. Liberty tower looks amazing. i really want to see that.
Glad to hear and see you had such a nice trip. Still can't believe you passed up fenway park!!!

I would've loved to stay for the game but alas time did not dictate...when we live in Boston I'll get a season ticket!

Now that looks like an outstanding trip! Great review of your events also.

Love the pics of the food! One thing you gotta love America for is the food!

It was a great trip & we can't wait to go back!

I love the United States. For all the crap that gets said about it the actual people are the BEST. On everytrip I have had there I have always come away thinking 'what a great bunch of people'.

The English have a reputation for being polite and friendly, but I think the Americans put us to shame. Maybe I've just been lucky and only met the good ones! Either way, in my experiences Americans are polite, friendly and go out of their way to help you, have a genuine pride in their community along with a community spirit. Here ask for help and you are more than likely to be ignored or told 'That's not my job', and as for community spirit you might as well forget it. No wonder our streets are dirty, covered in filth and all you see are people droping litter everywhere.

Seriously, I am truely beginning to dislike England. This country is going down the pan and I can't wait to get out.

RFFB wrote:

I love the United States. For all the crap that gets said about it the actual people are the BEST. On everytrip I have had there I have always come away thinking 'what a great bunch of people'.

The English have a reputation for being polite and friendly, but I think the Americans put us to shame. Maybe I've just been lucky and only met the good ones! Either way, in my experiences Americans are polite, friendly and go out of their way to help you, have a genuine pride in their community along with a community spirit. Here ask for help and you are more than likely to be ignored or told 'That's not my job', and as for community spirit you might as well forget it. No wonder our streets are dirty, covered in filth and all you see are people droping litter everywhere.

Seriously, I am truely beginning to dislike England. This country is going down the pan and I can't wait to get out.

I totally agree with you. Everyone we met was really friendly & helpful. Whenever I asked what's a good local beer I was offered several different types.

I always notice the difference in the cleanliness of the streets here in the US too. makes such a refreshing change. As I've said in my initial post, we'd love to live in the Boston area. Just a shame we're both British! I envy you being able to make a new life in the US.

Community spirit starts with one person. My only complaint about the u.k. is have a little pride.

When we walk from Adam's to the bus the litter on the ground makes me nuts. i know the day is going to come that i spend the morning walking with gloves on and a trash bag and clean my little path up. If everyone would just take a second and pick up just around them it makes such a difference. And you watch when you have a group of people who kee[ an area nice and work so it is nice then they tend to say something to the lazy ass who throws trash on the ground.
You just dont do that here because if someone sees you then you bet we are going to say hey pick that up!

Chrissy wrote:

Community spirit starts with one person. My only complaint about the u.k. is have a little pride.

When we walk from Adam's to the bus the litter on the ground makes me nuts. i know the day is going to come that i spend the morning walking with gloves on and a trash bag and clean my little path up. If everyone would just take a second and pick up just around them it makes such a difference. And you watch when you have a group of people who kee[ an area nice and work so it is nice then they tend to say something to the lazy ass who throws trash on the ground.
You just dont do that here because if someone sees you then you bet we are going to say hey pick that up!

Say anything to anyone here and you're more likely to get a mouthful of abuse or, at worst, even stabbed. No-one has any respect anymore, or that's how it seems anyway. Maybe I've just been living in cities, and poor areas at that, for too long and I need to get back to the suburbs.

But it's like I told you the other day when I was on the train and I, politely, asked that prick to turn down his walkman. And got mouthful back. He wasn't a poor lad, he was well dressed, on his way to work. It's just people only give a crap about themselves and that's as far as their ignorant little minds can cope with.