“Now you’re in New York…”
Our tour director shared details from our NYC Broadway tour last year:
Day #1 – Friday we had a lovely travel day. As we crossed the state of Pennsylvania we had a glimpse of the fall foliage as we introduced ourselves and visited with our fellow guests on route to our hotel in Newark, New Jersey.
Day #2 – We paid tribute at the 9/11 Museum and Memorial.
We also had an opportunity to see “The Sphere.” This large metallic globe once stood in the middle of the Plaza between the World Trade Center towers. Although it remained structurally intact, it has been visibly damaged by debris from the airliners that crashed into the buildings and from the collapses. Six months after the attacks it was relocated to Battery Park on a temporary basis without any repairs. On the evening of 08/16/17 it was permanently relocated to Liberty Park, overlooking its original location. It has become a major tourist attraction, due partly to the fact that it survived with only dents and holes.
After our visit to the Memorial, we were dropped off in bustling Times Square, where we were on our own for an exciting afternoon.
From the moment you see the glow of the glittering signage, it is clear that Times Square is as New York as it gets.
Everything here is massive and high voltage. It is undeniably awe-inspiring. Nothing can prepare you for the sensory overload the first time you step into Times Square. The sidewalks are filled with a tremendous concentration of humanity – roughly 300,000 pedestrians pass through every day – and the intersection’s high-wattage marquees ensure that it is always bright, even late at night. It is the place to catch the famous New Year’s Eve ball drop, the glittery shows on Broadway, and an array of other attractions.
We met at Ellen’s Stardust Diner to start our dinner-theater experience. The wait staff serenaded us with show tunes as we enjoyed our dinner. The rising stars here have already made it on Broadway, so to speak, as that is where the 1950’s venue is located.
After dinner we strolled down Broadway to the Longacre Theatre for an amazing show. We experienced the tale of a boy caught between his father and the mob boss he’d love to be, in A Bronx Tale – the streetwise musical that took us to the stoops of the 1960’s Bronx, NY. This was a great performance, which was based in part on the life of Chazz Palminteri.
Not all stars on Broadway sing and dance, some drive Motor Coaches, like Mary Louise:
Day #3 – Our guests enjoyed a free morning as they wished. Some took public transportation into the Big Apple for additional time to enjoy the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and Battery Park. In the afternoon we departed for home energized from our New York City weekend getaway!
To view more photographs from the weekend, go here.
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