Roy wanted to go for a bike ride today, so he took his bike over to Manhattan on the ferry and rode all the way up to 181st Street. He picked a dandy day to go for a ride; the worst thunderstorm of the season hit around one o'clock. Rain came down in a deluge, the wind blew about 55 MPH, lightning flashed, and thunder boomed. Roy ducked into a Burger King and stayed there a couple of hours.
I had gone to the shopping mall in the morning and bought a few things. When I got back, I took a shower and washed my hair. I'd just gotten back to the boat and started eating lunch when the storm hit. Was I lucky! I'd already closed the hatches and some of the portholes, so it didn't take long to shut everything up tight.
While the storm raged, I plotted two possible courses to Fairhaven, one inside the Sound and one out. Wrote down the waypoints to enter into the GPS, but by then the rain had quit, so I did the laundry. When that was done and the clothes put away, I entered the waypoints and the routes. Had just finished all that when Roy returned.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
June 28, 1994 - New York
Pleasantly cool today. Or perhaps I should say pleasantly warm. Anyway, it was comfortable.
Went over to Madison Square Garden and stood in line for tickets for the Behind-the-Scenes Tour, but it turned out they weren't having any tours today, because Barbra Streisand is appearing.
We rode the subway up to 168th Street, where Roy lived as a boy, and walked around the neighborhood, but he didn't recognize much. He couldn't remember the addresses of the apartment houses where he lived, but he thought he recognized the buildings. All the streetcars are gone, which makes the streets look very different. It's a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood now.
We ate lunch at a crowded, noisy McDonald's. (Manhattan seems to have a McDonald's on nearly every corner.) Then we rode the bus a few blocks to where I used to live. There it was--605 West 137th Street, looking almost exactly the way it did when I was six years old. I was very pleased to see that the building was still in such good condition; I had been afraid it would be a rundown dump by now. The elevator attendant is gone, but the old elevator is still there. I even recognized the old tile floor!
We strolled down to Riverside Drive, where Daddy used to take me for walks. Actually, I rode my tricycle and he walked. They've put in a lot of fill, so the Hudson is much farther from the Drive now. They've even built a nice park and playground on the roof of a large building overlooking the river.
Saw an ad for a newspaper that proclaimed, "Truth, Justice, and the Comics."
We took the subway to the United Nations Plaza and went on the guided tour. We even went in the General Assembly room, but the assembly wasn't in session.
For several years, I've been wondering what happened to my former sister-in-law, Billie Jean Tulchin. The last Christmas card I sent her was returned, marked "Moved--No Forwarding Address". The lower level of the UN building had public telephones and, more importantly, telephone directories. Most public phones no longer have directories. Several Tulchins were listed, so I phoned one at random and by luck got Billie's daughter, Jamie (212)490-5717. She seemed pleased to hear from me, even though there hadn't been any contact between us for twenty years or more. She told me Billie died six years ago and Jessie Rae died two years ago. Jessie's daughter, Becky, is a computer consultant in San Diego and is about to get married, which is good news, because when Jessie was alive, she wouldn't let Becky marry or even date. Jamie runs a talent agency. Her sister Beth now calls herself Ava and has her own television production company. Ava no longer plays the harp professionally. Their father, Hal Tulchin, is still working as a TV producer. It was interesting finding out about that branch of the family. Jamie gave me Ava's phone number, but I didn't get around to calling her.
We still had a few hours of daylight left, so we decided to ride the Staten Island Ferry. Neither of us had been on it before. The ride cost a nickel when we were kids. We were amazed to discover it's now only fifty cents round trip! The ride took about half an hour. Had a great view of the harbor. When we got to Staten Island, we decided to go for a bus ride. Rode for twenty miles or more, all the way to the southern tip of the island. We were way out in the country, with dense woods around us. Sure didn't look like New York City. We got off the bus at the end of the line in the little village of Tottenville. Bought ice cream bars so we'd have change for the ride back. Buses in New York City don't accept dollar bills, which is strange. We rode a different bus back, so we could see some different scenery. It was dark by the time we got to the ferry terminal and nearly eleven when we finally reached the boat.
Went over to Madison Square Garden and stood in line for tickets for the Behind-the-Scenes Tour, but it turned out they weren't having any tours today, because Barbra Streisand is appearing.
We rode the subway up to 168th Street, where Roy lived as a boy, and walked around the neighborhood, but he didn't recognize much. He couldn't remember the addresses of the apartment houses where he lived, but he thought he recognized the buildings. All the streetcars are gone, which makes the streets look very different. It's a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood now.
We ate lunch at a crowded, noisy McDonald's. (Manhattan seems to have a McDonald's on nearly every corner.) Then we rode the bus a few blocks to where I used to live. There it was--605 West 137th Street, looking almost exactly the way it did when I was six years old. I was very pleased to see that the building was still in such good condition; I had been afraid it would be a rundown dump by now. The elevator attendant is gone, but the old elevator is still there. I even recognized the old tile floor!
We strolled down to Riverside Drive, where Daddy used to take me for walks. Actually, I rode my tricycle and he walked. They've put in a lot of fill, so the Hudson is much farther from the Drive now. They've even built a nice park and playground on the roof of a large building overlooking the river.
Saw an ad for a newspaper that proclaimed, "Truth, Justice, and the Comics."
We took the subway to the United Nations Plaza and went on the guided tour. We even went in the General Assembly room, but the assembly wasn't in session.
For several years, I've been wondering what happened to my former sister-in-law, Billie Jean Tulchin. The last Christmas card I sent her was returned, marked "Moved--No Forwarding Address". The lower level of the UN building had public telephones and, more importantly, telephone directories. Most public phones no longer have directories. Several Tulchins were listed, so I phoned one at random and by luck got Billie's daughter, Jamie (212)490-5717. She seemed pleased to hear from me, even though there hadn't been any contact between us for twenty years or more. She told me Billie died six years ago and Jessie Rae died two years ago. Jessie's daughter, Becky, is a computer consultant in San Diego and is about to get married, which is good news, because when Jessie was alive, she wouldn't let Becky marry or even date. Jamie runs a talent agency. Her sister Beth now calls herself Ava and has her own television production company. Ava no longer plays the harp professionally. Their father, Hal Tulchin, is still working as a TV producer. It was interesting finding out about that branch of the family. Jamie gave me Ava's phone number, but I didn't get around to calling her.
We still had a few hours of daylight left, so we decided to ride the Staten Island Ferry. Neither of us had been on it before. The ride cost a nickel when we were kids. We were amazed to discover it's now only fifty cents round trip! The ride took about half an hour. Had a great view of the harbor. When we got to Staten Island, we decided to go for a bus ride. Rode for twenty miles or more, all the way to the southern tip of the island. We were way out in the country, with dense woods around us. Sure didn't look like New York City. We got off the bus at the end of the line in the little village of Tottenville. Bought ice cream bars so we'd have change for the ride back. Buses in New York City don't accept dollar bills, which is strange. We rode a different bus back, so we could see some different scenery. It was dark by the time we got to the ferry terminal and nearly eleven when we finally reached the boat.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 27, 1994 - New York
The box of charts arrived! The way we found out about it was rather odd. We had gone over to Manhattan and were walking along 34th Street, trying to find the marine supply store we went to last year. We saw a camera shop and went in to buy a roll of film. Roy, as usual, asked about a wide-angle lens for his camera. He's been trying for years to find one at a decent price. To his amazement, this store had one for only $49! He wanted to be sure it would fit his camera, so he went back to the marina to get his camera. When he got there, the dockmaster told him a box had arrived for him. If Roy hadn't gone back for his camera, we wouldn't have known about the box until tomorrow morning. It was certainly nice of Steve to mail it so promptly. Now we have all the charts we need for heading north.
We returned to Manhattan, ate lunch at McDonald's, and visited the Intrepid Air-Sea-Space Museum. Went on a guided tour of a submarine and the lightship Nantucket. While we were visiting the flagship Edson, a thunderstorm hit. Lucky we were inside. The rain poured for several minutes but soon passed by. Then we went over to the huge aircraft carrier Intrepid and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around it.
We returned to Manhattan, ate lunch at McDonald's, and visited the Intrepid Air-Sea-Space Museum. Went on a guided tour of a submarine and the lightship Nantucket. While we were visiting the flagship Edson, a thunderstorm hit. Lucky we were inside. The rain poured for several minutes but soon passed by. Then we went over to the huge aircraft carrier Intrepid and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around it.
Sunday, June 26, 1994 - New York
Lovely, clear, sunny day. Delightful breeze. Perfect temperature. We took the subway to the World Trade Center. Walked two blocks to the Hudson River and strolled along the Esplanade. This entire area is new. It's made of fill from the excavation for the World Trade Center a few years ago. They've made a lovely park for several blocks along the river. There are places that are still under development, but we were able to follow the river almost all the way to the Battery.
The Battery is the extreme southern tip of Manhattan Island. A fort was built here in 1812. Actually, the fort was way out in the water when it was built, but excavation fill soon made it part of the land. When it was no longer needed as a fort, it became a lavish entertainment center and later an immigrant processing station until 1890, when it was superseded by Ellis Island. When Roy and I were children, the circular brick building was being used as an aquarium. We both remember going there. My Great Uncle Jim sometimes took me to the aquarium when I was 4 or 5 years old. I still remember being fascinated by the colorful fish. He always bought me a nickel bag of peanuts and gave me a penny for the organ-grinder's monkey. I loved watching the monkey and feeling his little hand snatch the penny out of my hand. Then he'd tip his hat to say thank you. It's a shame there are no more organ grinders and their monkeys around to entertain the children.
The fish have long since been moved to new quarters, but the round, roofless, circular structure still stands as an historical monument. Now it houses an exhibit, a bookstore, and the ticket booth for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. To our surprise, the ticket was only $5 for both places. The ferry takes you first to the Statue of Liberty, where you can stay as long as you like. Then another ferry takes you to Ellis Island, and when you're through there, a third ferry takes you back to the Battery. There is no additional charge; $5 does it all!
There were hundreds and hundreds of people standing in line for the eleven o'clock ferry. We didn't think we had a chance of getting on, but we not only got on, we got good seats and hundreds more got on after us!
The Statue of Liberty was somewhat disappointing, because there was a three-hour wait to get inside, and we didn't want to wait that long, so we just wandered around outside. I don't remember a wait like that twelve years ago, when Barbra and I where there; it seems to me we just went in without any wait.
Roy and I ate lunch outdoors, overlooking New York Harbor and Verrazano Narrows. This time when he cut a Milky Way in half, he gave me an entire half! We walked back to check the line again, but it was just as long, so we took the ferry to Ellis Island.
I was amazed at the changes since the last time I was there. They have done an excellent job of restoring it. Before, it was all dirty and rundown and falling apart. The building is really nice now and has lots of exhibits. We spent the entire afternoon looking at them. Also saw an interesting movie on the early days of Ellis Island, when so many millions from Europe were processed there on their way to a new life in the United States.
We were on the very last boat to leave the island. Bought a few groceries on the way back and reached the marina around eight. Roy made a few more unsuccessful attempts to phone his son Steve. We can't go farther north until we get our other carton of charts.
The Battery is the extreme southern tip of Manhattan Island. A fort was built here in 1812. Actually, the fort was way out in the water when it was built, but excavation fill soon made it part of the land. When it was no longer needed as a fort, it became a lavish entertainment center and later an immigrant processing station until 1890, when it was superseded by Ellis Island. When Roy and I were children, the circular brick building was being used as an aquarium. We both remember going there. My Great Uncle Jim sometimes took me to the aquarium when I was 4 or 5 years old. I still remember being fascinated by the colorful fish. He always bought me a nickel bag of peanuts and gave me a penny for the organ-grinder's monkey. I loved watching the monkey and feeling his little hand snatch the penny out of my hand. Then he'd tip his hat to say thank you. It's a shame there are no more organ grinders and their monkeys around to entertain the children.
The fish have long since been moved to new quarters, but the round, roofless, circular structure still stands as an historical monument. Now it houses an exhibit, a bookstore, and the ticket booth for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. To our surprise, the ticket was only $5 for both places. The ferry takes you first to the Statue of Liberty, where you can stay as long as you like. Then another ferry takes you to Ellis Island, and when you're through there, a third ferry takes you back to the Battery. There is no additional charge; $5 does it all!
There were hundreds and hundreds of people standing in line for the eleven o'clock ferry. We didn't think we had a chance of getting on, but we not only got on, we got good seats and hundreds more got on after us!
The Statue of Liberty was somewhat disappointing, because there was a three-hour wait to get inside, and we didn't want to wait that long, so we just wandered around outside. I don't remember a wait like that twelve years ago, when Barbra and I where there; it seems to me we just went in without any wait.
Roy and I ate lunch outdoors, overlooking New York Harbor and Verrazano Narrows. This time when he cut a Milky Way in half, he gave me an entire half! We walked back to check the line again, but it was just as long, so we took the ferry to Ellis Island.
I was amazed at the changes since the last time I was there. They have done an excellent job of restoring it. Before, it was all dirty and rundown and falling apart. The building is really nice now and has lots of exhibits. We spent the entire afternoon looking at them. Also saw an interesting movie on the early days of Ellis Island, when so many millions from Europe were processed there on their way to a new life in the United States.
We were on the very last boat to leave the island. Bought a few groceries on the way back and reached the marina around eight. Roy made a few more unsuccessful attempts to phone his son Steve. We can't go farther north until we get our other carton of charts.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 1994 - New York
Today we went to the Museum of Natural History. What an incredible place! We only saw a tiny fraction of it, yet we saw exhibit after exhibit, all of them fascinating. We could easily spend the entire week in this one museum. The exhibits are so lifelike, it's astonishing. We looked at Birds of the Pacific, North American Mammals, Eskimos, and Human Evolution. Went on a very interesting guided tour about insects. Saw the Naturemax movie, "To the Limit". There were breathtaking shots of an expert skier zooming down a mountain at 60 MPH and of a mountain climber on Half Dome. There were also amazing scenes of the inside of the human body, especially the circulatory system and the respiratory system.
We ate lunch downstairs in the Diner Saurus. It was expensive and not very good. After we'd eaten, Roy pulled a Milky Way out of his backpack and cut it in half. I was delighted, thinking he was going to give me half for dessert. All of a sudden, the half I thought he was going to give me disappeared back into his pack. I was thunder-
struck. Immobile, I stared speechlessly at the spot where the candy had been. Roy thought I'd had a stroke! Then I started laughing. I laughed so hard, I almost couldn't stop. It turned out he was saving that half for later in the afternoon. He divided the half that was still on the table between him and me.
We ate lunch downstairs in the Diner Saurus. It was expensive and not very good. After we'd eaten, Roy pulled a Milky Way out of his backpack and cut it in half. I was delighted, thinking he was going to give me half for dessert. All of a sudden, the half I thought he was going to give me disappeared back into his pack. I was thunder-
struck. Immobile, I stared speechlessly at the spot where the candy had been. Roy thought I'd had a stroke! Then I started laughing. I laughed so hard, I almost couldn't stop. It turned out he was saving that half for later in the afternoon. He divided the half that was still on the table between him and me.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 24, 1994 - New York
Our first fun day in New York City! The subway to Manhattan is just half a block from the marina, so it didn't take us long to get to the World Trade Center. We crossed the street to St. Paul's Chapel, which is the only Colonial building remaining in Manhattan and also the oldest continually used building. George Washington had a pew there when New York City was the capital of the United States.
We walked a few blocks to the South Street Seaport Museum, which consists of a number of old buildings and ships. Roy especially wanted to visit the four-masted bark, which resembles the model his father made. This ship was built in Germany in 1911. It's 370 feet long and 29 feet wide. For nearly twenty years, it sailed between Germany and Chile, carrying manufactured products to Chile and bringing back nitrate for fertilizers. In 1931, it was sold to England, where it was used as a training school. The museum bought it in 1975, restored it to nearly its original condition, and is now maintaining it. We spent a couple of hours visiting it and then went on a "private" tour of the historic district. (We were the only ones who showed up.) Many of the buildings date from the early 1800's. Ate a quick lunch at a 20th century Wendy's. Then we returned to the bark to watch an amazing movie that was shot in 1929, showing the ship rounding the Horn. The waves were washing over the decks and the wind was blowing 100 knots. The photographer had lashed himself to the main mast to take the pictures. It's amazing that any ship and any humans could survive such a pounding.
Went on another "private" tour, this one of the lightship Ambrose and also of the bark "Peking". Watched a couple of jugglers and then strolled over to the Brooklyn Bridge, which was just a few blocks away. A pedestrian/bicycle lane goes across it, above the vehicle traffic, so we walked to the center and back. The Brooklyn Bridge was an amazing engineering feat for its time. It was built between 1869 and 1883. Many people died or were injured during its construction, including the original engineer and his son. The cables consist of 19 strands of 268 wires. There are 14,000 miles of cables supporting the roadway and two gigantic stone towers. We sailed under it last summer and again last winter. Now we've walked on top of it.
After some confusion as to which train to take, we finally made our way back to the boat, just ahead of the rain that had been threatening all day.
We walked a few blocks to the South Street Seaport Museum, which consists of a number of old buildings and ships. Roy especially wanted to visit the four-masted bark, which resembles the model his father made. This ship was built in Germany in 1911. It's 370 feet long and 29 feet wide. For nearly twenty years, it sailed between Germany and Chile, carrying manufactured products to Chile and bringing back nitrate for fertilizers. In 1931, it was sold to England, where it was used as a training school. The museum bought it in 1975, restored it to nearly its original condition, and is now maintaining it. We spent a couple of hours visiting it and then went on a "private" tour of the historic district. (We were the only ones who showed up.) Many of the buildings date from the early 1800's. Ate a quick lunch at a 20th century Wendy's. Then we returned to the bark to watch an amazing movie that was shot in 1929, showing the ship rounding the Horn. The waves were washing over the decks and the wind was blowing 100 knots. The photographer had lashed himself to the main mast to take the pictures. It's amazing that any ship and any humans could survive such a pounding.
Went on another "private" tour, this one of the lightship Ambrose and also of the bark "Peking". Watched a couple of jugglers and then strolled over to the Brooklyn Bridge, which was just a few blocks away. A pedestrian/bicycle lane goes across it, above the vehicle traffic, so we walked to the center and back. The Brooklyn Bridge was an amazing engineering feat for its time. It was built between 1869 and 1883. Many people died or were injured during its construction, including the original engineer and his son. The cables consist of 19 strands of 268 wires. There are 14,000 miles of cables supporting the roadway and two gigantic stone towers. We sailed under it last summer and again last winter. Now we've walked on top of it.
After some confusion as to which train to take, we finally made our way back to the boat, just ahead of the rain that had been threatening all day.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 1994 - New York
Paddled over to Newport Marina. What a difference from Liberty Harbor! It's a dollar a foot more on a weekly basis, but it's well worth the extra $39. This is a first-class marina in a good neighbor-
hood. The subway to Manhattan is next door, and there's a big shopping plaza across the street. We arranged to bring the boat in this afternoon. Then we spent the rest of the morning paddling. Paddled around Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
At one o'clock, we brought the boat to Newport Marina. The dockmaster helped us tie up, which made it very easy. After we were settled, we ate lunch and then took refreshing showers.
Walked around the neighborhood. There are all kinds of stores nearby. Bought a few groceries and then went to Sears and bought some water filters. After supper, we strolled around some more in the cool of evening. Tomorrow, we'll go to Manhattan.
hood. The subway to Manhattan is next door, and there's a big shopping plaza across the street. We arranged to bring the boat in this afternoon. Then we spent the rest of the morning paddling. Paddled around Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
At one o'clock, we brought the boat to Newport Marina. The dockmaster helped us tie up, which made it very easy. After we were settled, we ate lunch and then took refreshing showers.
Walked around the neighborhood. There are all kinds of stores nearby. Bought a few groceries and then went to Sears and bought some water filters. After supper, we strolled around some more in the cool of evening. Tomorrow, we'll go to Manhattan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)