Nevertheless, I decided to make a 'holiday' of it this year. Equally inspired by the desire to visit friends and to avoid being friendless in DC, I hopped a bus to New York City — my first experience aboard those fabled East Coast buses. There's the Chinatown bus, the so-called "Jewish" bus, Bolt Bus, Megabus, and the one I ultimately settled on because they pick up a block from work, Washington Deluxe. And I gotta say, I am a happy convert. Traffic blew, but what do you expect on holiday eve? The bus was clean, with comfy seats and foot rests, air-con, and free wi-fi. Even the bathroom surpassed expectation.
After noodling around Brooklyn for a bit, we watched the fireworks from the roof of my friend's friend's place, a guy who also happened to go to my high school.
While I pride myself on blending in with the 'locals' when I travel, I am not above being a straight-up tourist. I wholeheartedly embraced the role on Saturday. First stop was a jaunt over to the Brooklyn Museum to check out the Murakami exhibit, although the rain and longer-than-anticipated bus ride killed my motivation to actually go in. Just as well: that is one gift shop I did not need to browse. I poked around the piece in the lobby atrium, then left to meet a friend at the farmer's market in Grand Army Plaza.
this is how i looked when i got off the bus
After some delicious bread, cheese, and fresh apple cider, it was off to lower Manhattan to hop a ferry to Governors Island.
What a fun little side trip! We packed a picnic and snacked amongst the creepy little bald-headed man-baby sculptures. The officer's living quarters felt eerily like The Others compound from LOST, an open park of quaint two-story yellow houses with sprawling porches. You can enter the Admiral's house, empty save for some artwork of the island, but the other doors are locked up. More outdoor sculptures, an empty chapel, theatre, YMCA.
Currently on view right as you approach the island is one of Olafer Eliasson's NYC Waterfalls installations.
The island is open Wednesday thru Sunday and it is free, as is the five-minute ferry ride to get there. Last ferry leaves for the island at 3PM.
Post-island adventuring, a little stroll around Wall Street and the financial district grew into a six-hour walk around all of lower Manhattan. I love long walks, as you may have noticed, and I'd never really spent much time around this side of town. This is the NYC of my mind, not the Disneyland of Union Square. Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village... hit it all, with stops for snacking, of course. Green tea waffles are my new street food obsession, that I will crave until the next time we meet. Got my requisite slice, which, while not amazing, was scores better than any pie in DC. Our weary feet wound up in Times Square, closing out the evening with Wall•E. (A movie I was completely skeptical about, but I was delightfully proven wrong.)
A little locked-out misadventure at 1AM nearly spoiled the day, but delectable brunch at Counter cured any lingering grumpiness. I'm a sucker for flavored butter.
The bus ride home was completely seamless, and so fast. Barely four hours, compared to seven on the way up. I know I'm completely late to the game, but for the five people who HAVEN'T taken a weekend bus ride, it's highly recommended. I'm thinking of going to Philly next weekend.
So, while the fourth is still not my favorite, it's certainly got its redeeming features and is a pretty perfect recipe for fun, if you've got the right ingredients.
And now.... back to work!
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