Yet another big family vacation, New York (and Canada) #1

On New Year’s Day the family started talking about what to do on the summer vacation.

Eirikur og Margrét both were interested in going to New York. Margret has been dreaming about New York and Broadway in particular for a long time, but I did not understand why Eiríkur was so eager.

After discussing back and forth we came back to NY and USA again, the kids were eager, and the parents were interested although we had been there on a log weekend couple of years ago.

We went on-line and found tickets on reasonable price and jumped on them, now it’s just to plan the trip and start booking.

Couple of weeks later Rannveig decided to join together with Haukur. The vacation transformed to yet another big 3 generation family vacation.

The plan progressed and we decided to stay for six days in NY and rent a car and travel up north for another 6 days.

No good vacation starts without problems. After a long flight we arrived ERW airport around noon but early morning Norwegian time. It took us very long time to get through passport control, we chose the wrong queue as usual, very very underactive officer and faulty fingerprint scanner. I was last in the family queue and was not the best case. When he asked me to rub my fingers on some sweaty part of the body, I thought he was joking but he wasn’t.

After long time we managed to collect our luggage and head out.

Birna asked me if I had investigated the best way to come to the Hotel and I said I had full control, had already consulted with my friend Google. When we found the train terminal, we made a mistake and asked for confirmation from a train staff member. She thought me and Google did not do a good job, mush better to take the Bus 62 to Newark Penn station and take the Path directly to Wall street. Sounded good so off we went finally found Bus 62 stop.

It was Sunday and she did not mention that bus 62 did not go that often. Finally, the bus came, and we managed to push ourselves on the bus with all our luggage we thought all was good and we would soon be in our apartment.

Nobb! When we came to Newark Penn station, we soon found out that the Path to NY did not run on Sundays due to maintenance, which was probably the reason why me and Google did not think that was a good idea. We were advised that we would take a bus to Exchange and take the ferry. Frustration had developed in the group and this was not received as a good idea although I found it interesting to arrive NY in a boat. Conclusion was to take taxi. We joined the taxi queue and when it was our turn, no taxi driver was willing to take us to Manhattan, probably because they had to drive with empty back.

Finaly we took the train to Manhattan Penn Station and after some more frustration finding the correct Matro, where to buy tickets ets., we finally took a taxi to our fine apartment located in the financial district, next door to Wall Street Stock Exchange.

We had a very nice days in New York, surprisingly nice for the whole family. I did not expect the youngest one to fall in love with NY, but he did.

As a quite large group, we sometimes divided in smaller groups and did something to everyone taste.

Boat to Statue of Liberty: Crowded, guide talking on low quality intercom. Not worth the money spent.

Indian and Jewish heritage museums: Both very interesting but perhaps a bit depressing to visit two such museum the same day, both showing bad treatment of people back in time.

Broadway show: Very expensive but worth every penny to experience the famous Broadway. Actually there is a „theateroholic“ in the family so some went to another show the next day.

Superhero tour: Eirikur, who is very engaged in comics and superhero movies joined such tour together with his mother and had a splendid time, can be recommended both for young and adults.

Walk the HighLine: old train tracks on a few kilometer-long bridges above and between the houses that has been renovated and made to a very interesting path, starting in XX and ending in Greenwich Village. Thunderstorm hit us at the end of the line that we had to wait of us.

Brooklyn: Everyone should walk the Brooklyn Bridge in the evening and walk the Brookly waterline with the view of Manhattan at twilight, amazing especially for the photography enthusiast.

This is just few of the highlights and activities. Everyone regret when it was time to leave. Rannveig and Haukur headed back home but the four of us picked up our rental and headed up north.

Again, no good trip starts without problems.

To be continued.