NEW YORK, NEW YORK

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

We were up at 6:15 as we didn't want to miss sailing past the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of NYC. We waved at the NBC helicopter that did a flyby as we entered the Hudson River. Don't know if we made the news. We docked by 8:00 and were lucky enough to be on the side that faced the Intrepid Military Museum with view of Midtown Manhattan and the Hudson River rather than the dock side with no view and noise of trucks coming and going.
After breakfast we headed out for the Highline about a mile away on a divided bikeway and pedestrian path along the Hudson. This abandoned streetcar line is being restored as a walkway with plantings of wild flowers, grasses, and trees. Unfortunately, this area is undergoing a boom in construction so it was terribly noisy. It is also incredibly popular so was very crowded. Many school groups and meandering pedestrians made the walking slow. We did, however, walk its full length twice - there and back. Once back at the ship we took a bit of a break for a bite to eat before heading out again.
This time we took the divided bike/pedestrian path in the opposite direction before heading up to Central Park. We entered the Park at the John Lennon Memorial, strolled by the lake, before heading to explore the Upper West Side neighbourhood. Central Park was very crowded but the noise of the city was more muted here. From there, we headed back down to the pathway back to the ship. This lovely walk runs right along an elevated freeway so you can imagine the noise.
We were exhausted by the time we got back. We figure we walked over ten miles? I tried to print our boarding passes but was unsuccessful as we need our passports scanned and that has to wait until we get to the airport. We sat on our balcony with a much needed glass of wine enjoying the warm weather and the view, tried to nap but minds were spinning so started to pack. By the time we finished, we were too tired to go to the dining room so ordered from room service.
Tomorrow is hurry-up-and-wait day. Hope all goes smoothly.