Trains, Planes, Automobiles and Walking Too

I’m participating in The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. Are you?

Q. Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? What was your favorite moment?

A. Cars aren’t my favorite method of transportation. I’d rather ride a bike because sitting still is challenging. So I’ll tell you about a trip that involved planes, trains and automobiles.

New York City

Earlier this year, I went to DC for work and then took the train to NYC for the weekend. I spent time with family, walked through Manhattan and took a lot of pictures! All of these activities make me incredibly happy and fit in perfectly with my 2009 goals.

A few scents

The NYC transit system is full of interesting scents; both good and bad. The smell of coffee, perfume and the not so good smell of garbage caught my attention.

What did I see?

I was lucky enough to see an incredible amount of NYC in a few days. My family members gave me a quick tour of the city, by car, on Friday night. On Saturday and Sunday, I spent hours exploring the city. Some highlights included:

• Seeing the International Center of Photography (the Avedon Fashion and John Woods exhibits were fantastic).
• Running in Central Park and walking through Washington Square Park.
• Exploring the Trinity Church and adjacent graveyard; I have a few ancestors who are buried in the cemetery.
• The Fashion Institute of Technology.
• Walking though the Village, Noho, Soho, Chelsea, Bleecker Street, and NYU.
• Taking a quick tour of The Met and small art galleries.

Zipping around in various cabs and buses was a tad frightening. For such a little island people drive way to fast. On the other hand, it was amazing to see so many people on such a little island co-exist and get along (with the exception of incessant honking by cab drivers).

One of my favorite moments was sitting outside at a tiny Italian restaurant off Bleecker Street, drinking a large glass of red wine, people watching and listening to the patter of rain on the street. It was the perfect way to end a beautiful Saturday.

Tagged as: best of 2009, car, coffee, Dee Williams, Katy Anderson, Simple Living, tiny house