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Gosh! I work in New York City. I’ve spent lots of time in New York City! What have I not done while in the city?
Sometimes it’s hard to think of things to do. My son and I were in this exact predicament…we couldn’t think of a thing while in New York for an overnight visit!
What to do? Pull out your phone and Google Things To Do in New York City.
Statue of Liberty…yes, done.
High Line…yes, done.
Museum of Natural History…yes, done.
Empire State Building…NO! Not done!
With dinner plans in place for later in the evening, we opted to make the best use of our time. Calling Lyft, we were quickly on our way to the iconic art deco building on the east side.
Having heard tales of long lines, I was prepared for a bit of a wait, however, being four o’clock on a winter’s afternoon, it was not busy at all. Making our way through the maze of roped off areas and security to the ticket counter, we soon had tickets in hand and were on our way to the elevator and the long ride to the top.
Deciding to purchase tickets for both the Top and Main Deck, we ascended to the 80th floor and the Dare to Dream Exhibit, which chronicles the Empire State Building’s history, engineering and construction.
An engineering marvel, the Empire State Building, 1,250 feet high, surpassed the Chrysler Building as the tallest building in the world. Completed on May 1, 1931, it was built in only one year and 45 days.
Orig
inal documents, period photographs, architectural sketches, construction notes and photos walk visitors through the creation of the iconic skyscraper. It is here where you get your first glimpses of Manhattan from a bird’s eye view through the large windows that line this floor.
Taking the elevator, once again, we reached the 86th floor Observatory. When people imagine visiting the Empire State Building, this is what they think of…the wrap-around deck that gives 360 degree open-air views of the Big Apple.
Very windy and cold, we zipped up our jackets and donned our gloves so that we could enjoy the views of Central Park, the Hudson and East Rivers, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and everything in between and beyond. Because it was nearing sunset, we had amazing views of the changing sky to the west.
Finally, we boarded the elevator for the 102nd floor and the Top Deck. Instead of a manually operated elevator, this one shows the altitude rise instead of counting floors and we were soon at our destination. In short time, we were exiting onto this topmost floor, where sadly, nothing was much different than the 86th floor.
Same views, just a little higher.
When we had purchased out tickets, we had assumed that “the higher, the better”. Though warmer and protected, I must admit, we were a little disappointed. A very claustrophobic and small area, the windows were a bit higher up and a bit dirty. Honestly, I would have preferred to return to the 86th floor to enjoy the final moments of the sunset.
After a few pictures, to capture the fact that we paid an extra twenty dollars to visit the topmost floor, we were soon on our way, back to the bottom.
An impressive building, I would say that it is a must-see while in New York. That being said, skip the 102nd floor and spend your time on the Main Deck Observatory. After all, Hollywood has filmed many movies (An Affair to Remember, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, to name a few) up here. There’s a reason for that!
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Empire State Building
- http://www.esbnyc.com/
- Address: 17-25 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001, USA
- Hours: 0800-0200, daily
- Admission: Standard Pass Main Deck, includes Dare to Dream Exhibit (80th floor), Observation Deck (86th floor, indoor and outdoor), Adult, $34, Child, $27, Senior, $31. Standard Pass Top and Main Deck, also includes 102nd floor observatory (indoor), Adult, $54, Child $47, Senior, $51. VIP Passes also available to skip the lines.
The pulpit, an elaborately designed piece by Pierre Elysee van den Bossche highlights the left of the structure as well as the 19th century Sauer organ at the rear of the church. The German organ was built in 1889 and attracts large numbers of world renowned organists from around the world during the International Organ Concert Series every summer. These musicians treasure the opportunity to not only enjoy the music from this magnificent instrument, but to perform on it as well.
Setting out on the highway, we first passed Stirling Castle and the William Wallace Monument standing tall on the nearby summit of Abbey Craig. On the right, our tour guide pointed out the Kelpies, 30-meter high horse-head sculptures near the River Carron.
Onward we traveled to the next destination, Inveraray, home of a beautiful castle on the shores of Loch Fyne. Although the tour brochure stated that we would visit the town of Inveraray for Highland souvenirs, we only stopped near a bridge so that we could photograph Inveraray Castle.
Interesting to check out is the statue of John Knox, the preacher of the Scottish Reformation in 1560. Knox was the minister of St. Giles’ until his death in 1572 when he was buried in the churchyard. His grave was paved over and the area became known as Parliament Square. A six foot tall, bronze statue was erected and once stood over the site of his burial in Parliament Square, but was eventually moved back into the church when it was determined that the statue was being damaged by the weather. An engraved stone set in the pavement is now the only marker for his gravesite in the square.
The most interesting stories were of murder and hauntings. Images of disembodied limbs, child phantoms and gruesome animals have terrified many residing within and touring the close. The most recent and famous story, however, is that of a Japanese medium visiting the close. A little girl tugged on her coat as she left one of the rooms. The medium looked back to see a small girl crying in the corner. The little girl, Annie, claimed that she had died during the sickness of 1645 and told the medium of how lonely she was having lost her family, but mostly her treasured doll. The medium, went up to the Royal Mile, purchased a doll and left it for the child. Ever since, visitors have left dolls and other toys in the corner of the room for the little girl.
The Skye Terrier statue, named Bobby, is a whole other story in itself, standing on the curb in front of Greyfriar’s Bobby bar and created by William Brodie in 1872. The best known story surrounding the dog tells a tale of a canine so devoted to his master that when his owner passed away, the dog spent the next 14 years guarding his grave until his own passing. The statue was initially created as a drinking fountain with the upper part for humans and the lower for dogs, although the water supply was cut off many years ago. In the nearby Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a red granite stone was erected on Bobby’s grave in 1981 and small dog toys, flowers and sticks (for Bobby to fetch) are frequently left.
Finally, after watching many people rub Bobby’s nose and dress him up for the Christmas holiday, our tour guide, Jodie, arrived…looking very much the part. Passing out “magic” wands (to assist with our spells for stopping traffic), we set out on our way, first entering Greyfriar’s Kirkyard. Our tour guide showed us Greyfriar’s Bobby’s gravestone and then began to give us information on the creation of Harry Potter…in Edinburgh.
Continuing on, we then visited the tunnel, Potterow Port, on the University of Edinburgh’s campus, which inspired the scene where Harry and his cousin, Dudley, were being chased by Dementors. It has been speculated that Potterow, an area which the author sometimes frequented, may have been the inspiration for Harry’s surname.
Lastly, we finished our tour in The Grassmarket. This area, located in a hollow, below the Castle and Royal Mile, is a historic market place and event space in the Old Town area. The long winding street, with colorful storefronts and restaurants, will have you thinking that you are on Diagon Alley searching for your first wand. Hey, you almost expect to see the goblins from Gringots standing on the street corner!
Although the castle’s origins as a residence date back to the 12th century, with the reign of David I, Edinburgh Castle only retained a residential role until the 15th century, later transitioning into military barracks and garrison. It was considered one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland and was involved in many historical conflicts. Recent research identified 26 sieges in the castle’s 1100 year old history.
The castle offers many different buildings, museums and vantage points. We began our exploration by climbing the Lang Stairs to the Argyle Tower. Not much to see within the tower, we moved on to Mon’s Meg, the Dog Cemetery and St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
Adjacent to the cemetery overlook is Mon’s Meg, a medieval bombard and one of the largest cannons in the world (by caliber). This cannon was built in 1449 as a gift to James II, King of Scots from Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. It was used in many sieges until the 16th century and spent some time in the Tower of London until it was returned in 1829.
Moving into St. Margaret’s Chapel, we found it blissfully empty. With a surface area of only 160 square feet, it was nice not having to jockey for position with other tourists to capture nice photos and enjoy the beauty of the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The 12th century chapel, was spared the wrath of Robert the Bruce when the castle was captured on March 14, 1314 and all buildings in the castle were destroyed. The chapel, restored and now cared for by the St. Margaret’s Chapel Guild is well worth a short visit, especially for the five stained glass windows of St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Andrew, St. Columbia, St. Ninian and William Wallace, all designed by Douglas Strachan in 1922.
To the Great Hall’s south, is the Scottish National War Memorial, which occupies a converted barrack block and stands on the site of the Medieval St. Mary’s Church. When entering the building, pay note to the gargoyles and sculpture that decorate the exterior. The interior is a long massive space, with a high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows (designed by Douglas Strachan) and monuments commemorating Scottish soldiers; those who served with the Scottish regiments and those who died in the two world wars and in recent conflicts. On an altar within the Shrine (placed on the highest point of the Castle Rock) rests a sealed casket containing Rolls of Honour which list over 147,000 names of those soldiers killed in the First World War. Another 50,000 names were inscribed on Rolls of Honour and line the walls of the main hall. No pictures are allowed within the building.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum features a large offering of weapons, uniforms, medals and paintings which portray the story of the past regiments that formed or were associated with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, including 3rd Dragoons Guards (Prince of Wale’s Own), 6th Dragoon Guards (The Carabiniers), 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wale’s Dragoon Guards), the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) and 25th Dragoons.
After leaving these two museums, we walked past the Governor’s House and turned left to the entrance of National War Museum. The story of Scotland at war is told here along with the story of the battles that were lost and won. Many military artifacts and personal treasures are on display. Again, this museum is free with your entrance ticket to the castle and is worth a look around. By this point in the day, however, we were getting a bit tired of the museum setting and hungry, so we made it a quick visit.
Place des Martyr’s or Martyr’s Square is a square in the center of Brussels dedicated to the days of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and those who lost their lives. A monument and crypt stand in the middles of the square and contain the bodies of 400 heroes from the revolution, many of which lie not far from where they were shot during the battles fought in the streets of Brussels.
You will also notice not-so-historical things on your walk through Brussels. Although you can visit the Musee Magritte or Belgian Comic Strip Center, both located in the heart of Brussels, some pieces of art reside on the sides of buildings, on garage doors and on metro walls. There are some exciting street artists residing in Brussels and their masterpieces will surprise and delight!
Lastly, eat, drink and be merry! Belgium is known for some of the best beer, chocolate and waffles! Visit Delirium Monasterium, considered the temple of Belgian beer, serving countless selections of beers from over 60 countries. Relax at the bar and let the bartender choose a flight of beers for you to try! You won’t be disappointed…but maybe a little tipsy!
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