theDIBB - Surprise trip to NY-our boy's 21! Feb 2019 Day 2 Central Park/TOTR

travel day and Day 1

I woke at 4.30 which would be a pattern throughout the holiday. The breakfast room was just a couple of doors down from our room so went in there for a drink and watched tv. Surprising how many other Brits were in there at this hour ! The breakfast is stocked at about 6.30. The continental breakfast was really good for us and saved a lot of time and money too. I had taken variety pack cereals to boost the breakfast and this did us for the day as we rarely eat lunch while away.

Took the families breakfast in and we were ready to leave by 7.

To our surprise it is was sunny and clear blue skies, if a little cold but not too bad.

Headed to Central Park where we had a hot drink at the Boathouse cafe.
We were due to meet Susan our New York Greeter at 10 am outside the Lincoln centre. I am a bit undecided about how it went really. I had left it to Susan to choose where we went. we looked around the Lincoln Centre but we are just not the classical music or opera type of family, had a walk along the Hudson River and then in to Central Park. Susan pointed out the latest New York celebrity, the Mandarin duck in central Park.

Finished off at the cafes in the basement of the Plaza Hotel at 1pm. Susan was a very interesting lady who had lived in New York all her life and her vitriol towards Donald Trump was most apparent !

Headed to Fifth Avenue had a look around a few shops, Trump Tower (where again New York feeling towards the Donald was evident with a few protestors outside).

We decided to go to the Top of the Rock at a time so we could see the day time view and sunset. No problems at all with the sightseeing passes, very short queue, exchanged for tickets and we went to the top at about 3.50. Sunset was 5.30 and it was a bit cold by then but we could not believe how lucky we were being with the weather.

I had a few places earmarked for meals but everyone of the ones on my list had queues outside. We decided after today we would eat at lunchtime to avoid this and just have a snack in the evening. Eventually went in Dallas Barbecue. I had heard mixed reports of it in here but the meals were all ok. Nothing special. We had three burgers, roast chicken and jacket potato, 3 sodas (not refillable) and a strawberry daquiri (mine) Came to $103 including 18% tip. We found almost everywhere we went a really big difference between service in New York with that in Orlando. It was more disinterested and what you tend to find at home. No pleasantries or conversation, took your order, brought the food an that was that !

Headed back via the subway and party animals that we are were in bed for 9pm ! After a feet killing 41588 steps today we were done in. I checked and that was over 19 miles !