Bones, boats and Belvedere Castle

This morning, we got to the Museum of Natural History just as they opened the doors.  We walked in easily with a pair of printed tickets we have had with us on this whole trip- we bought them a while back.  There are four levels of the museum available for people to walk through, and true to our tactic from yesterday, we started on a nearly vacant fourth floor.  Half of the city was still on the first floor, but we were in mostly or totally empty rooms up on four.  Just me, Cas and some dinosaur bones.  Some children would locate those same bones, and that was our cue to leave.  We did this until the population size became more people than exhibits.  At that point, we switched tactics.  We prioritized what we wanted to see, and we made our way to each exhibit.  We actually had tickets to a show in the Hayden Planetarium, and that was pretty great.  Pro tip, though- if you go- sit closer to the back.  We sat closer to the middle, and it was a lot of tilting your head back to look straight up.  No worries- it was still an absolutely great show.  

After our planetarium visit, we checked out more space exhibits and things about earth geology, then made our way to the big Easter Island head.  It was pretty great.  

We were hungry by the time we left, so we stopped at a street vendor cart and had a hot dog.  It was something we both really needed to do.  It’s a quintessentially New York thing.  After that, we actually had another foodstuff from a different vendor.  It was just about perfect.  Check another item off of the New York goals list.  From there, we walked through Central Park a while, finding ourselves at the entry to the Shakespeare Garden.  We walked there for a while, through flowers to Castle Belvedere, which was very pretty.  It is actually also the highest point in the park.  I was- no surprise- a little tired at that point.  We haven’t had a chill-out day since this trip began, and my legs could occasionally use a rest.  Cas and I solved that by picking up a bag of popcorn and a few ciders from a grocery store, then heading up to the 21st floor of our hotel.  That’s the top floor, where they have a wrap-around balcony.  Seemed like the perfect place for an impromptu self-made happy hour.   

That took us to the point in time when we had to leave on a city bus for the Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan.  Cas’ brother Chad proposed on a Circle Line Cruise.  He got on the boat with a girlfriend and got off with a fiancée.  Today is Chad any Becky’s 12th anniversary, so it clearly worked out.  We always go to 7-11 and get a Slurpee on their anniversary, which is also on 7-11.  Today, we took a Slupree selfie in front of Circle Line’s departure point.  Seemed better than a greeting card. 

The cruise was good.  The announcer had a lot of personality and plenty of corny jokes, and the sights were ones you probably can’t get any other way.  I don’t know if the daytime cruises are as good, but if you are ever in the neighborhood, you should check out the sunset one.  Pretty great.  

Finally, we got on a bus back to the Times Square area and had dinner at a spot called The Playwright Celtic Pub.  They had an image of Yeats opposite of the upstairs bar.  It was just about perfect.  This place has a rooftop bar, and the only drawback seems to be the several flights of stairs you have to take to get there.  It’s the fourth floor of the building.  Cas had bangers and mash, and I couldn’t handle another day without a proper cheeseburger.  That really hit the spot, and good thing, too, as it was already 9 when the cruise was over.  

Tomorrow, we have a trip planned to the National Museum of Mathematics.  I know you’re assuming that was my call, but actually, Cas wants to see it.  Who knew?  We’re not sure what the afternoon holds after that,  Maybe we’ll just stay there and do math until dinner time.  Hard to say.  We do have our rescheduled dinner with Scotty tomorrow, and that should be good, too.  

So, I will leave you with the usual photo link, and we’ll get back into it tomorrow, after the math museum.  Can’t wait.   https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6