My first trip to New York City cannot be summarized in one post. Here is part one!
We had been waiting for over three years to take this trip. It was supposed to happen in 2020. We had the flight and hotel booked right before the pandemic started. Our anniversary trip was soon canceled due to COVID.
We hadn’t navigated airports and air travel since COVID. The reports of how busy airlines are right now certainly don’t seem to be exaggerated. After reading reports of canceled flights and not being able to rebook for days, I am grateful we only dealt with a few minor delays.
We arrived in the late afternoon of June 20 and got an Lyft ride to our hotel. The Rui Plaza Hotel is modern and beautiful. We were pleased. I was surprised by the size of our hotel room after seeing many references as to how small NYC hotel rooms are. Real estate is at such a premium. We didn’t plan to spend a ton of time in the hotel, but I always like a home base to relax and refresh.
We headed out in search of dinner after getting settled into our hotel room. No reservations, which we knew was risky. We found B Side Pizza for happy hour drinks and split a wood-fired pizza. The pizza was delicious!
Day One
Our hotel offered a breakfast buffet which was a great way to start the day. We enjoyed the hot food choices along with bagels with all the fixings, fruit, yogurt, pastries, and, of course, great coffee. There was absolutely something for everyone. I woke up every morning looking forward to breakfast. 🙂
The bus tour was our choice on the first day to get a quick look at everything and for an easy way to get around the city. We headed to Times Square for pickup. Times Square is exactly as I always pictured it to be. Certainly worth seeing, but crazy busy. Now granted, almost everywhere in NYC is busy, but Times Square is next level.
In the morning we toured lower Manhattan, including our first look at the Empire State Building. The tour went past Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho. We elected to stay on the bus and simply take in the sights.
Tacuba for lunch after returning to midtown. I had the Pescado tacos and loved them. If fish tacos are on the menu, they nearly always end up on my plate. 🙂
Central Park was next on the agenda after hopping on the second bus. The park is everything I imagined. It is obvious how many movie scenes take place in Central Park as you look around.
On the way back to the hotel I tripped and jammed my right foot. I managed to keep my balance and not fall, but my foot took the brunt. The hotel wasn’t far away and I was able to hobble back. After a little rest, ice, and Ibuprofen I was able to gingerly walk to dinner.
New York City vacation day one in the books. Fortunately, my mishap didn’t completely derail our plans. More on the trip in my next post.
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