AS THE song says what a hell of a town and for sisters, Jenaya and Candice Bell it was a dream come true.
They had talked about it for some time but kept putting it off but this time they decided to make it a reality and spend Christmas and New Year in New York.
They flew out on December 23 via L.A. to New York. It was cold; no snow but very cold. But they came prepared and dressed in layers including a beanie, scarf and gloves.
But despite the cold the atmosphere was so full on it made you feel warm; the people, the lights, Christmas windows in the stores and that huge Christmas Tree in Times Square. It was fabulous.
First stop was the Rockefeller Center and up to the top of The Rock. Jenaya says the view from the top was incredible. Next day they hired skates and went ice skating at the Rockefeller Center with lots of other tourists
They had breakfast in Central Park then hired bikes and rode through the park. It’s such a big open area right in the centre of the city.
That night they looked for a special restaurant for dinner and found a Greek restaurant with lots of Christmas decorations.
The next day they took a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty. There were a lot of people, but it was worth the effort as it’s such an impressive sight.
Next they visited the memorial to 9/11. It is so interesting and again there were lots of people. The museum to 9/11 is a must see. Jenaya says it was so moving they spent three hours there.
Then it was onto Wall Street and the statue of the charging bull. They found the best way to get around was on the subway. They went to Brooklyn for a bit of shopping then used the subway to visit many of the satellite towns to New York.
Back in New York they got ready to celebrate New Year. In Times Square that big ball was getting ready to drop but it was cold and the crowds so huge they decided to go back to their hotel and watch it on television. Jenaya can really recommend visiting New York at this time of year. The atmosphere and the shopping are incredible despite the cold and the winter markets have great specials on offer.
It was time to leave New York. They flew to L.A. and spent seven days drinking in all that it has to offer; Hollywood, Disneyland, and those tours of the homes of the rich and famous…it’s all there.
Disneyland was great fun but it was the holiday season and the crowds were so big you had to wait up to 90 minutes in the queue to enter an attraction, but they persevered and really enjoyed themselves. They spent the whole day there and stayed for the Grand Christmas Parade that night. It was incredible.
While in L.A. they attended a Lakers basketball game, toured Hollywood and even climbed to the sign, sought out some great restaurants and did lots of shopping.
Both Jenaya and Candice have now ticked that off their bucket list but yes they would go back. New York has a lot to offer, what a hell of a town.
Until next time,
Safe Travel’n,
Geoff Vallance
