Paul and I took a quick overnight trip to NYC last Wednesday! WE HAD A BLAST!!!
We decided to take the train. I have driven to New York several times, but truly looked forward to just zoning out and not having to worry about travel. There is a train station in Harrisburg ten minutes from my house...
... that my dad happens to work at! He has been a car inspector at Amtrak for the past _____ years! I have visited him at work before, but this was Paul's first time visiting my dad at work.
My dad escorted us onto the train before even the crew boarded. He gave us some behind the scenes info about how the train runs and how they check the brakes and things like that.
My dad is MacGyver!
The train was warm, cozy, clean, and smooth. I recommend train travel for everyone!
After a 3.5 hour train ride, we arrived at Penn Station! We didn't even go upstairs, we followed the signs to the subway and hoped on the 1 train to go uptown.
I had actually only ridden the subway once with my mom. I was in high school and barely remember it. All my underground train riding has been on the T in Boston. I was very nervous to ride the NYC subway even though I mapped out our itinerary with the MTA trip planner first. I just wasn't sure how well things would be marked and if I would understand the signage... But I did and it all worked out well!
"Don't act like a tourist!" I warned Paul. Then I snapped a selfie of us riding the subway.
We stayed on 87th street on the Upper West Side at the same hotel we stayed at when we went to see The View. I knew how tiny the rooms would be but it was still shocking!
You see the white on either side of the picture? That's the wall!!
Since we had some time to spare and were only a couple blocks from Central Park, we walked through the Upper West Side neighborhood for a little stroll around the park!
Then we headed back to our hotel and got all spruced up for SURVIVOR KNOW IT ALLS! We rode the Subway to Times Square. I know it is very touristy, but it is quite a sight at night!
The event was at Caroline's on Broadway. We were there to watch the latest episode of Survivor and then watch Rob and Stephen do a live broadcast of Survivor Know It Alls.
You can read all the nerdy details HERE!
But some highlights...
I MET ROB CESTERNINO!!!!
PAUL AND I HAD GREAT SEATS!
I MET ERIC STEIN!
AND AUBREY BRACCO!
AND ZEKE!
AND STEPHEN FISCHBACH!
It was so surreal to see Rob and Stephen podcast together LIVE!
We were so hyped up after the show. Back at the hotel, Paul fell asleep easily but I had trouble calming down from all the excitement. And then a hangnail on my toe got pulled back. It hurt like hell!!!!
Runner problems...
A bloody toenail did not deter me from getting up early and running 8 miles in Central Park! I only got 3 hours sleep but it was important to me to run at such an iconic place while I had the opportunity.
We had to catch the train home at 9:30. I am a worrywart, so we departed for the train station earlier than we needed to. Armed with coffees and breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks, we road the subway to Penn Station.
It was so nice not to have to drive home! I was so tired, so riding the train was warm and relaxing.
We were home just before 1:00! My dad was there to greet us, but we couldn't chat long because he had to do work on the train.
As you can guess, when we got home, we had an epic reunion with the kitty cats! It's hard to be away from them for 26 hours...
Have you ever ridden Amtrak?
How about the NYC subway?
How about the NYC subway?
I love taking the train to NY! It is my favorite way to get there. Especially when its time to come back. Glad you had such a good trip!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you appreciate the train as much as I do!
DeleteLooks like such a fun trip! That hotel room, tho--do you get claustrophobic?
ReplyDeleteI do not get claustrophobic. I do get nervous in NYC when I have a room on a higher floor because I worry about fires. But this was on the first floor so I felt perfectly fine. The only time I get anxiety is when I'm squished in with a lot of people like at a movie or something like that. I get kind of anxious.
DeleteBoth! I took Amtrak to NYC from Boston one summer to visit a friend from high school. I wasn't too worried about the subway system since I was used to Boston's, but I do plan like no other when going to other cities. I did that in DC this summer so I knew exactly what stations I needed, and which lines.
ReplyDeleteI'm a planner too! I actually think it is super fun to research and plan vacations.
DeleteRiding public transportation makes me so NERVOUS. South Florida is known for bad traffic and bad public transportation. If our public transportation was better maybe we would have less traffic...
ReplyDeleteBecause I never ride public transportation down here I get really nervous to do it in other cities. Especially because one of my first experiences with public transportation was taking the subway in Paris where I didn't speak the language and didn't know how to get around the city so there was significant guess work involved!
I think the only time I've taken a train was the Eurostar from paris to london, and then the train from london to heathrow airport. Getting the train to heathrow was a disaster because we went the wrong way and were almost late for our flight home by the time we got on the right train.
We took the T in Boston too which was too crowded for my liking, and I took the Subway in NYC last December one time. My mom didn't like it so we ended up Ubering or walking everywhere.
I guess I like the idea of public transportation more than I actually like taking it!
I can't imagine having to navigate in a city where I can't speak the language! How long did it take to get from Paris to London on the Eurostar?
DeleteI think it only took 3 or 3.5 hours total? I slept through a good part of the trip :)
DeleteSuper fun trip! Have not taken the train, have taken a subway in NYC! Ugh, your toe. I'm gonna be honest, I am having a hard time "unseeing" that image. Wow, girl....
ReplyDeleteLOL sorry! That's my nail that doesn't exist. :)
DeleteI took Amtrak once to VA and it was really fun. It's so much more relaxing than driving and you have more legroom than a plane. I've taken the subway a few times in DC as well. I can usually grasp public transportation pretty well although we don't really have it down here in Charleston. The public transit in Seattle was awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat is a teeny tiny hotel room! I'm glad you and Paul had fun seeing the podcast and meeting people and you had a great run.
I wish more cities had public transportation! We are so behind the times on that one. Good to know about Seattle. Paul and I want to travel there someday, but I suppose we would rent a car anyway because we'd probably make it more of a Seattle/Oregon road trip type deal!
DeleteI love Amtrak! If given the opportunity and NYC is the perfect place to take it to, because you just get off the train and you are right there in the middle of NYC.
ReplyDeleteIt is so awesome that you Dad works for Amtrak! please thank him in behalf of my family, we have ridden the train to and from Harrisburg many times, and we appreciate all the Amtrak Employees.
We have ridden the Submway a few times, but we always end up going the wrong direction, and we get set back 10 blocks at a time.
Is that the toe that hurt on Saturday?
How great was it to run in Central Park?
I love tiny NYC hotel rooms!
YES! It was so convenient because when we got to Penn Station we didn't even have to go upstairs, we just followed the signs down below for the subway. I was shocked how easy it was. I was prepared to be confused...
DeleteAw thanks I will give my dad your message!
I was worried about getting on the train in the wrong direction.
No, oddly that is not the toe that hurt on Saturday lol.
I love all the photos but the one I can't quite get over is how small that hotel room is! HOLY CRAP! I'd feel like I was sleeping in an elevator!
ReplyDeleteIt was probably the size of 1.5- 2 elevators!
DeleteThat looks like a lot of fun. I have never been to NY, but I want to!! Dang, tiny hotel room! Did your kitties have a sitter for duration or just run of the house? We leave our cats home alone when we go on weekend trips, or maybe up to 3 days. That sounds long, but they are just fine.
ReplyDeleteYou should run the marathon! Normally we have a cat sitter stay at our house (they are very pampered) but since we were only gone 26 hours, we had a neighbor check on them 3 times. I know.. pampered. But they don't get free range of food so I we just left food our they'd eat it all in one sitting haha.
DeleteWait, have you been to Times Square for NYE? Paul and I normally rent cars on vaycay but that's because a lot of times we want to explore places you can't get to via public transportation!
ReplyDeleteOoh, special train treatment!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a good time!
We are such a big deal. :)
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