Tuesday, 7 May-Wednesday, 8 May 2024

New York City to Tucson

This will be the final blog to end our wonderful 42-day trip. If you have been following along, you have been witness to all the exciting adventures, luxury cruising, and champagne drinking we have enjoyed. LFLatSea has also shared a few snafus, mostly related to the little bit of air travel and hotels we have used. But we have returned home healthy, happy, and still married. This blog will sum up our final day in NYC and our journey home to Tucson.

Tuesday, 7 May 2024

New York City

We have no planned activities for today except re-arranging our luggage for tomorrow's flights to Tucson. The weather is sunny and warmer, threatening to reach 80 degrees today. When I was here this past November I had breakfast at Cafe Un Deux Trois, just a few steps from the Millenium Broadway Hotel. Today's breakfast of eggs Benedict, served with roast potatoes and small salad, is just as good as I remember, and the decor whisks the imagination to morning in Paris.

Because New York has a special springtime glow today, we put off re-packing and instead take two buses to the newest set of attractions in the city, Hudson Yards. Built over the railroad tracks that go under the Hudson River to take trains from the former Penn Station to New Jersey, the area has been transformed into a post-modern center of culture and shopping. The High Line reaches its northernmost point here and provides a seamless connection to everything on the west side below 34th Street.

A very high-end shopping mall provides a playground for the rich and famous, as well as offering a view of the "Vessel," a monumental metal sculpture that serves as a symbol of the area.

In the distance, behind Will is the "Shed," an art and theatre center whose outside skin can be opened in summer weather.

Looking at all the items we can't afford to buy makes us hungry, so we walk east a few blocks to the Hudson Yards Tavern, an authentic old saloon that serves up very large burgers and fries.

After lunch we realize it is already late afternoon and we haven't begun our packing for tomorrow. We take a cab back to the hotel, enjoying the very slow ride through horrible traffic.

Since we ate a very large late lunch, we think a slice or two of pizza will serve as dinner. Because we don't want to fight any more city traffic, we decide to stay in the Times Square area. But that creates a problem for those who want a light dinner:  you can either order something (pizza, hot dog, falafel, etc.) from a street cart and eat it standing up in the swarm of pedestrians; or you can find an Italian restaurant that serves pizza and sit down for a full meal, for a full price.

Standing on the corner for the last dinner of our vacation isn't an attractive idea, so we go to a restaurant right across from our hotel, el Osteria Doge. It turns out to be a nice place with an extensive menu where we end up spending $80.00 for a small pizza (four slices), one salad to share (admittedly a very large salad), two Pepsi's, one sorbet and one gelato for dessert. So much for a quick and cheap dinner.

Wednesday, 8 May 2024

New York City to Tucson

Although we have a long travel day today, we are fortunate that all goes smoothly. We awake at 5am to make sure we are ready and checked out in time for our hired car and driver to pick us up at 6:30 for the ride to LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York's airport closest to Manhattan. At this hour of the morning the traffic heading out of the city is very light and we get to the airport in about 35 minutes.

A very gracious airport worker helps us check our luggage outside without having to go to the check-in counter. Very soon, two wheelchair pushers arrive to take us both to the gate (a nice treat for me, since we have been ordering only one chair on all the previous flights). I refuse to refuse the chair ride and we are soon whisked through security and on our (very long) way to the gate.

Because we are so early we have time for a good breakfast before our 9:25am Southwest Airlines flight to Chicago's Midway Airport (MDW), where we will change planes for Tucson (TUS). We don't usually fly Southwest, but the airline has some advantages for this trip: it is the best timing and routing from New York to Tucson, and they don't charge anything for all our luggage. Those of you who have flown Southwest know all about its line-up and seating procedures--and the free-for-all choosing seats once you board the plane. Because we are in wheelchairs we don't have to stand on line and we are among the very first to board.

There is the usual short delay getting everyone on board, but we are soon airborne for the short flight to Chicago, where we have a two-and-a-half hour layover. We manage to amuse ourselves while we wait for the three hour, 40 minute flight to Tucson. All goes well as we are again wheeled aboard, along with a rather large contingent of other passengers in wheelchairs, and we arrive, along with all our luggage, only ten minutes late. Our friend and fellow MountainView resident is at the airport waiting to drive us home. 

By 5pm, the previous six weeks have begun to fade quickly into the past.  Of course, I have lots of photos and the narrative of LFLatSea to stimulate my memories. Thanks to all of you who have kept up with us as we traveled, and especially to those who sent us emails as we sailed along our way. You may be sure that I will be returning with news of future travels, as soon as we figure out what we can afford to do.