CLASSIC TRIP - New York 1999, Part 1

UPDATE: 5-2-11, I had other plans for articles this week, but they'll keep.  It seems like a good week to celebrate the great city of New York instead.

Let's go back to 1999 to our first trip to the Big Apple.  Standard disclaimer, prices, events, and other items are accurate for 1999-things have changed...

In our travels around the country, one place intimidated me...New York. I heard all the horror stories about the crime, the filth, rude people, crowds, traffic, etc. My old boss (from Brooklyn) told me about how he got a flat tire and while he was changing it, someone started to steal the rear tire. You see movies like Taxi Driver and Mean Streets and have to wonder.

My son, on the other hand, had no such emotional baggage. He always wanted to see this city. He wanted to go up to the top of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and perhaps most of all to ride the Cyclone in Coney Island.

A couple of years ago, we decided to take a fall trip to the northeast corner of the country to see the fall colors. Since New York was only a few hours to the south, we decided to spend a couple of days there just to see what it was like, give Tim his time there, and continue on our way.

The short story? My illusions of the city were shattered. None of my preconceptions held any water at all. We loved it and made it a point to come back in the spring for a longer trip. Now the long story...

Our flight into Manchester, New Hampshire arrived two hours late. A rather long drive finally deposits us at the Susse Grand Chalet in Stamford, Connecticut at four o’clock in the morning. Dead tired, we happily climb into bed.

(to see what I think of Susse Chalet, my review is at http://www.epinions.com/content_42139750020 )

We wake up in time to catch an 11:00 Metro North train into Grand Central Station. 35 minutes later, we exit into Grand Central’s beautiful lobby. Being our first time in New York, we can’t help ourselves and quicky run out the door for our first glimpse of Manhattan’s famous skyline. A sense of vertigo envelops us...we have no idea where we are...and we see the familiar sight of the Chrysler building and the Met Life building.

It’s time to head back in to continue on our way to Brooklyn and Coney Island. We set ourselves up for quite a challenge. The MTA’s web site says that 33 of the city’s subway stations are accessible. Armed with our $4 fun passes (a one day pass that gives you unlimited rides on the city’s buses and subways), we feel that nothing can stand in our way.

Plotting this out on the excellent, free subway map we got at the information booth, we see that the B line (which goes to Coney Island) stops at the Lexington Ave. station near Central Park and also has an access symbol on it. The 4�5�6 lines go from Grand Central to the Lexington Ave. station. It’s decided to take the 4 up to Lexington and then switch over to the B.

Two things come up wrong with this plan. First is almost immediate and has to do with looking at our map a little closer. Although the Lexington Ave. station is accessible for the B line, the 4�5�6 line part of the station isn’t. Whoops. We cheat a little and take the escalator up to the B line station.

Once on the B train, problem number two crops up, although compared to the first problem is relatively minor. The B train turns out to be a local, stopping at every station along the way. It will take forever to reach Coney Island. On the other hand, we occasionally see a D train, the Coney Island express, stopping across the platform from us. Quickly, we decide to transfer at the West 4th Street station and continue on.

Eventually, we get to Coney after a scenic ride through Brooklyn (the D line goes elevated here). Brooklyn looks a lot like East L.A. The Coney Island station was built in 1919 and is certainly showing its age. It’s dark, dank, even a bit scary looking inside. But it has that very welcome accessory...an elevator.

We emerge onto the corner of Stillwell and Surf, directly across from our lunch destination, Nathan’s. Nathan’s has been here for eons selling their world famous hot dogs. We grab a few and are not disappointed. They are very tasty. This Nathan’s is also very popular for its seafood. Some of the locals there swore by the fried clams. This bit of legendary New York cuisine sets us back only $10 for the three of us.

Unfortunately, Coney Island’s famous amusement parks are closed for the season. Tim & I were hoping for a ride on Cyclone, revered as one of the world’s top coasters. No ride today, only pictures.

Time to take the D back to Manhattan to the Herald Square station, which is accessible (but the elevators are very hard to find and no one there seems to know where they are). A short walk over to Grand Central and we hop back on the 4 train southbound to the Brooklyn Bridge. This time access works as planned and the elevator deposits us directly across from the walkway over the bridge. Here we get an unforgettable walk with great views over this old, historic span.

The bridge is clothed in deepening darkness. It’s to return to Grand Central and catch a Connecticut bound train home.

Scroll down below for Part 2...
 
-Darryl
Copyright 1999 - Darryl Musick

CLASSIC TRIP - New York 1999, Part 2

Back in 1999, we visited New York for the first time.  The first day, we took the subway to Coney Island.  Now, we head back to see some sights in Manhattan.  Back in the WayBack Machine we go...

Today is our Manhattan day. Maybe we shoulda done it yesterday too, but we just had to see Coney Island.


We retrace our steps to the Brooklyn Bridge station and start walking towards the Battery. It’s Columbus Day and we stumble onto a sidewalk festival around Bowling Green Park. The three of us eat a lot of strange and colorful food and wash it down with some beer and soda.

Arriving at Battery Park, we head over to the water to see the Statue of Liberty. It’s amazingly small. Much smaller than we were prepared for, but still, it’s one of those things you want to see. It reminds me of how everybody has to see Hollywood when they get to my hometown, only to be amazed at how dirty, depressing, and disgusting it is. At least the statue is just small...none of the other bad things can be said of it.

The wait for the ferry is several hours. We already know that the statue itself is not accessible, so we content ourselves by gazing at it from the shore. We do want to get a closer look, however, and NYC’s public transit system again comes to the rescue.

The big yellow boats of the Staten Island Ferry will take you right by Liberty Island on a scenic, free, and accessible cruise over the bay. Even close up, the statue still looks small. The view of Manhattan from the fantail is what postcards are made of though.

Back at the Battery, we walk a few blocks up to the World Trade Center. New York’s tallest buildings are actually a big complex of buildings atop a mall and a sprawling subway station. I am shocked and deeply saddened, today, that a few lunatics could erase it off of the landscape.

The map here shows several lines are accessible. The station master told us only the E line was. Lacking any other obvious signs of access, we boarded the E line to Penn Station, which our map said was accessible.

Penn Station, at least on the E line, turned out to have stairs...no elevator. Doing it over, we would take the E a little bit farther to the Port Authority station where there is an elevator. We work Tim up the stairs in relays with him and his chair and proceed down 34th Street to our next destination, the Empire State Building.

Along the way, hungry for lunch, we decide to try some New York pizza. We find a little hole-in-the-wall called Spinelli’s and have a few slices. Yes, New York pizza is delicious and, yes, you need to fold it to eat it right.

We find the usual handicapped entrance to the Empire State Building on 34th is closed but a maintenance worker quickly directs us around the corner to the entrance on 5th Ave. Although not signed as such, an accessible entrance does indeed reside there between two revolving doors.

A guard directs us to an elevator to go to the basement where the ticket counter is. Like Disneyland, you skip the line here if you are disabled and go right up to the counter to purchase tickets for the observation deck. Adults are $6, kids $3, and handicapped are comped.

Next, an ear popping ride up to the 80th floor followed by a another quick ride to the 86th floor deck. An additional elevator goes up to the 102nd floor but was closed this day. The deck we were on is the one you see in “Sleepless in Seattle”.

The view from here is amazing. On a clear day, as ours was, 50 mile views are possible. Even a jaded kid like Tim was impressed by it. After the obligatory visit to the gift shop for miniature versions of the building, we head uptown (by foot) towards Central Park.

Along the way, we swung through Rockefeller Center to see the ice rink and the Today set and then up 5th Avenue by Tiffany’s to the park.

We just did a quick loop through the southern end by Tavern on the Green and Wollman Rink to see what it was like. As it was getting dark, we headed south to Times Square.

Here the lights knock our socks off and the energy of the place seeps in. The the vibrancy of New York is on full display. We also find the only clean public restrooms we saw in the city at the Times Square Starbucks.

We’re only there for the facilities and end up having some drinks, music, and a marvelous time at the accessible Times Square Brewery.

At the end of the evening, it’s a short walk east to Grand Central Station for our train home.

Back in 2011 - This was, of course, only our first trip to New York.  After having had a taste, we'd return again and again.  Those reports will be coming up on future episodes.  

-Darryl

BootsnAll: Nine of the Most Wheelchair-Friendly Cities to Visit Now

I just had this article of mine published at BootsnAll.com ...

"Most travelers only worry about getting a decent hotel, finding a place to eat, and maybe getting a deal on a rental car at their destination.  Wheelchair users must also worry about encountering stairways, narrow doors, accessible bathrooms, and transportation. In some places it can be near impossible for a wheelchair user to find an affordable accessible hotel, let alone navigate the city streets and public transport. In others, it’s a lot easier.

Knowledge is power, so with that in mind, here are some of the most wheelchair-friendly cities for travelers..."

To read the rest of the article, go to BootsnAll.com , Nine of the Most Wheelchair-Friendly Cities to Visit Now.

Thanks,

-Darryl

WALKING IN L.A. - More wandering...

Another urban hike through downtown Los Angeles to see what I can find...

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, is on trial for manslaughter.  Before the actual trial was a pre-trial hearing that lasted for weeks.  Here are all of the news vans parked on the sidewalk covering the action.  As a bonus, that parking lot on the other side of the green fence was "Camp OJ," where the news media had a temporary facility to cover the O.J. Simpson trial.  Both trials are/were held in the building in the distance, across the street.

Soap opera fans may recognize that building way in the distance as "General Hospital," a name we also used to call it many years ago.  The real name is USC-Los Angeles County Medical Center.  The old building is no longer used, a new replacement hospital was build next door.

A view looking up the Hollywood Freeway with the cathedral on the left and the new high school on the right.

This is a monument to Fort Moore which stood on this hill back in the early days of the city's history.  When I was a kid, there was a waterfall pouring over that wall.  The water hasn't flowed for at least 30 years now.

When the film industry is in high gear, these yellow signs are a familiar sight.  They point out the parking area that the crews are supposed to use for the shoots.  The one on top is for the show "Common Law." The other two must be for commercials or pilots that haven't been picked up yet.

If you'd like to see more, check out our first Walking in L.A. post.  If all this walking has made you hungry, check out our Three Meals a Day...All Across L.A. video report.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Another Accessible Travel Site: Abilitytrip.com

Run by husband and wife, Darren and Faith Brehm, I'd like to welcome Abilitytrip.com to our list of Favorite Links. Abilitytrip.com is another resource for your accessible trip planning. With reports from destinations around the globe, you can use it to know before you go whether it will be accessible enough for you.

Also handy are the trip tools, like a packing checklist and travel documentation template to help you make sure you have everything when you go.

I plan on using this site to help with upcoming trips and think it'd be a great resource for all my visitors to check out.  Find their link in the blogroll, over in the left column, or click the link below and add to your favorites.

abilitytrip.com

THE COCKTAIL HOUR TOP TEN

Ready for the Top Five?  Last week's first installment of the Top Ten are below these five.  Now, on to the Top Five most popular Cocktail Hour videos, as voted by you, our visitors...


5. Tequila Tasting with the Tios - A cross-border tequila run, followed by a tasting session at a Yuma hotel with two of our Mexican uncles and our aunt.  These guys know their tequila and it was a lot of fun filming this with them.

Tequila Tasting with the Tios

4. Amaretto Sour - This lower alcohol cocktail proved mighty popular with our visitors.  Note that although it is lighter in alcohol, it still packs plenty of calories.  Still, a tasty drink.

Amaretto Sour

3. Belgian Beer Festival - An annual festival at Lucky Baldwin's pubs in Pasadena and Sierra Madre, California.  This video comes from the Sierra Madre location.

Belgian Beer Festival

2. Hurricane - Our top two videos are drink recipe videos.  At number two is New Orleans favorite drink.

Hurricane

1. Tequila Sunrise - At number one is this classic Mexican cocktail, popular all along that country's coastline.

Tequila Sunrise

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Lynt under CC-BY-SA license

Here is the rest of the Top Ten Cocktail Hour Videos...


10.  White Sangria - This wine based drink has lower alcohol content than most of our recipes.  Since it's mostly wine and juice, it's not bad in the calorie count either.

White Wine Sangria

9. Tequila Party at Rudy's - Each year, Rudy's Mexican Restaurant in Monrovia, California has a tequila tasting night with free-flowing agave spirits poured by reps from different distilleries.  Rudy also puts out a great buffet to keep those stomachs full. 

Tequila Party at Rudy's

8. Daiquiri - Hemmingway's favorite drink.  This recipe is from the original...no mixes or substitutes.  The result is delicious.

Daiquiri

7. Classic Margarita - My best margarita recipe...on the rocks.  This is also the first Cocktail Hour video we ever produced.

Classic Margarita

6. Cosmopolitan - The pink drink favored by the women on Sex in the City.  Here's how to make one of your very own.

Cosmopolitan

-Darryl

Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick

All Rights Reserved

A COUPLE OF DAYS OFF: Happy Anniversary!

While my wife and I take a few days to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, I'll be rerunning some posts this week.  Enjoy them and explore the archives over on the left to see what you've missed.  Don't worry though, new posts are on the way and we'll be back to all new soon.

Thanks,

-Darryl

NEW BLOG: Musick's Music

We have a new blog to add to our family of blogs, Musick's Music.  Here is where I present some of my favorite songs and artists, along with some commentary, and...most important...links for you to download legal copies of the songs or order CDs.  (that's the important part because that's how we pay for the blog...thank you for your support)

Yes...it's there to make money, but you'll get free content, free video performances of the songs and artists, and we think you'll enjoy it even if you don't buy anything.  We just ask that if you do like what you see and hear, that you use our links for purchase.  It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it will help to offset the cost of producing all of our blogs.

So come on over and enjoy some great music across the musical spectrum at Musick's Music today.

Thanks,

-Darryl

PLACES THAT DON'T SUCK: The Original Los Angeles Farmer's Market

We've all been there.  Take time to travel to a far away, famous destination and then find out it doesn't live up to expectations...it just sucks.

Today, we're going to start an occasional series here on The World on Wheels called "Places That Don't Suck."  This is for well known tourist attractions and destinations that actually live up to their billing...places that won't waste your precious travel time.

Tim loves Bob's Donuts at the Market

We'll start with one that is fairly local to me, the Original Los Angeles Farmer's Market, located at 3rd and Fairfax, just south of Hollywood.  The Original is added to the name to distinguish it from the Hollywood Famer's Market, which is a weekly market held each Sunday in Hollywood.

This market is open everyday.

The market got it's start back in the depression when Arthur Gilmore allowed farmers to gather on his land and sell produce out of the back of their trucks.  It was a hit and the market grew into more or less permanent stalls.  

Gilmore, who had struck it rich earlier when he tapped into the huge oil deposit underneath his land, never let an opportunity pass.  He had also built a racetrack, baseball stadium, and performance auditorium on his property, attracting people by the horde.

Located near to Hollywood and next door to a busy TV studio, the market and its shops have always attracted a fair share of celebrities and outright stars.  It's one of the best places in L.A. for stargazing, we have never gone there and not seen at least one person who we've seen on the screen.

Most of the produce stands are gone now, two remain.  Two of L.A.'s best butchers still set up shop here, along with two poultry shops, a fishmonger, and a French market.  There are a lot of great places to eat here, with just about any ethnic variety you can think of...there's also a couple of not so great places too (I'm looking at you, Gumbo Pot).

Next door is one of the area's poshest malls, The Grove of L.A.  You can take a wheelchair accessible double-decker street car from the back of the Farmer's Market to the other end of The Grove.  2 hours of free parking are available with validation, but you want to get here early before it gets full.

We come at least twice a year to buy a freezer's worth of meat from the great butchers and Puritan Poultry.  While we're here, we'll spend a few hours just exploring and enjoying the market.  

Here is the rest of the tour...

There are plenty of places to just relax and chill here at the market.  Tim and I are hanging out at the edge, on the border of The Grove, which is on the right of the picture.  To the left is the Farmer's Market.

Patsy's is L.A.'s oldest pizza place.  Tim enjoys a slice.  It's decent, better that Pizza Hut or Domino's, but you can still find better.

Huntington Meat Market, they make their own outstanding sausages plus sell a large variety of Prime meat.

At the counter of Monsieur Marcel's wine counter, with Moishe's Jewish restaurant across the way.

At Puritan Poultry, where we buy all things bird...chicken, duck...and rabbit too.  Rene is the de-boning artist here.  One time, we had a big order to fill and we let George Segal go ahead of us because he only wanted to buy one chicken.  He was very nice and thankful for it.

Tim eyes the pastries at T&Y Bakery while we pick out our poultry across the way.

Can you do this at your supermarket?  While Rene is preparing our poultry order, we hop across the way for some wine and beer while we wait.

With everything The Original Farmer's Market offers, I don't know why anyone would shop at that store across the street.

Watch for some more about the Farmer's Market later this week when we do another video report.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011
All Rights Reserved

TRANSIT REPORT: Phoenix, Arizona

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Ixnayonthetimmay under CC BY-SA 1.0 license

Spend a few days in the Phoenix, Arizona area and one thing will be apparent…this place is huge!  What looks like it might be just down the street on a map can end up being twenty miles or more when you drive it.

This kind of sprawl makes public transit quite a challenge…a challenge that the Phoenix area is still trying, with various degrees of success, to meet.

Valley Metro is a conglomeration of various regional and city transit systems all working under one consolidated umbrella.  Mostly buses, a light rail component was added in 2008 running from Tempe/Mesa to north of downtown Phoenix.  It also serves the Sky Harbor Airport.

 

LIGHT RAIL – There are 27 stations on the route.  An airport shuttle will transport you to the nearby station there.  It mainly travels down the center of streets so it’s more like a street car in some respects.  An extension to the Metrocenter Mall, north of downtown Phoenix is under construction.

Picture courtesy of Flickr

Nick Bastian under CC BY-ND 2.0 license

LINK – This is a rapid-bus system that uses long, articulated buses on very limited stop service.  Buses have stoplight override capabilities and the stops themselves have “next bus arriving in” signs letting you know how long until the next bus shows up. 

LINK runs from Gilbert and Mesa in the east and from Chandler in the south to the Sycamore/Main St. Transit Center at the eastern edge of Tempe.  Click here for a route map and brochure of the LINK system.

BUS – Local, express, and limited stop bus services makes up service to the rest of the more than 2,000 square miles of the metropolitan area.  Express routes have route numbers in the 500’s. 

Click here for a route map of the system.

Fares are $1.75 for local buses and light rail.  $2.75 for express bus services.  A day pass is $3.50 if you buy before you get on board, $5.25 if you don’t.  Disabled passengers pay $.85 for local and light rail, $1.75 for a day pass.

All Metro services are accessible for wheelchairs and other disabilities.  For more information, visit valleymetro.org.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Ixnayonthetimmay under CC BY-SA 1.0 license