New York City - Exclusively for Tourists

This post will be one of the billion posts on NYC. So, really I have nothing new to share that hasn't been said or done before in NYC. However, I had a chance to take my husband to NYC for the first time and it could't have been a more better time than Christmas. In 2007 during thanksgiving, I saw the city for the first time and I remember it's layout and streets, ambiance to this day. 

This post by far has been the most difficult to write as I kept trying to say something different and new and kept failing at it. So, I thought of giving the 'gyaan' in some bullet points. Here is an exclusive list of everything everyone hears about in things to do in NYC and something you must really do while you are in the city, for the first time. 

Plan - Make a plan to see the city in bits and pieces in about 3-4 days. One day is not enough to do anything here. We had about 3.5 days, which were somewhat well spent. 

Stay - It's advisable to stay in the city centre like near Times Square / Upper or Lower Manhattan. A cheaper option is for sure to stay in some close by areas in NJ like Journal Square or Newark, but staying in Manhattan is a time saver, a factor which cannot be ignored while in the city. We stayed in the hotel - The Manhattan at Times Square on 51st street / 7th Avenue. A great location obviously where you can see the David Letterman's show building at one corner while from the other corner the Broadway can be seen. It was a great decision, as we had time to just come back and relax as and when we wanted to and to be on the streets for much longer than the usual tourists. 

Tips - If planning to visit more than one ticketed shows / destinations of NYC, try going to some advance online booking sites like Smart Destinations and save some bucks by purchasing the tickets in combinations. We purchased all our tickets here and it claimed, we saved about $50 in total. It doesn't give you the exact price of actual tickets but sure does tell you, by making a pass of your own, how much did you save in total. A great time saver and also helps you move past the waiting lines in some cases. 

The top things to do in NYC (esp during Christmas) - Not in any order, just do them! 

1. Times Square - This junction is amongst the world's most visited tourist destinations and perhaps will stay so for any foreseeable future. Times square is named after the building - One Times Square. It is located in the Midtown Manhattan across the 42nd street and 7th Avenue. Times Square is merely a junction to walk by and stare (in complete awe) at the dazzling lights from the billboards hanging over the buildings displaying the upcoming broadway shows, news, ads and some newer attractions like watching yourself all over those screens (which were not seen till 2008, correct me if I am wrong). Number of people at any given time of year / day present there is not proportionate to anything because there are people at all times of the day. On weekdays, one would find the working class hurrying by and on the weekend, it's time for tourists to pass by. Times Square, perhaps, is a major reason as in why NYC is called the city that never sleeps. 

    

2. Radio City Christmas Spectacular - Now this is something which is a special Christmas attraction for families and the tickets get sold out well in advance. The Christmas Spectacular is an annual holiday tradition for the city and should not be missed for anything. The show takes place in the Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue. The performers are called 'the Rockettes' and the show goes on for about 90 minutes. A little 30 sec video can be seen here. 

 

3. Rockefeller Centre - The Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Centre has been an attraction since 1932 and is one of the most crowded attractions of the city during Christmas. The building, fondly called as 30 Rock or the GE Building is a host to many shows on NBC like Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon's, Conan O'Brian's etc. Another non-seasonal attraction of the Rockefeller centre is the observation deck. Open all year round, usually the deck, also called as the 'Top of The Rock', is located on the 70th floor. However, on occasions like high wind alert days etc. the 70th floor is closed and only 69th is opened, which is glass sealed and is not an open view. The view from top of the rock has a special attraction - the view of the city with empire state building in the sight. 

 

 

4. Empire State Building - The world's tallest tower for 40 years is one of my favorite attractions of the city. The view remains the same every time I go there. However, the excitement to stand on the top of the 86th floor and see the city densely populated with high rise buildings is maddening. Of all the attractions in the NYC, this remains the most time consuming one, as the wait line to go on the top is approximately 1-2 hours sometimes and is insanely crowded from 9 00 AM to 9 00 PM on any given holiday. Also across the street from Empire State Building is the world's largest departmental store (till 2009) of Macy's. Empire State Building is also open everyday of the year (may be except holidays, I am not sure about that though!). 

5. Statue of Liberty and the cruise - The lady liberty is more famous than anything else in NYC. My mom always said, you can go to Tirupati / Tirumala umpteen number of times , however, you will be able to see the lord only if he wishes. I believe that's true with this lady as well. How else, can I justify that of 5 times that I have been to the Battery park, only once have I been actually able to see get down on the island and see the statue up and close. Regardless, there are two ways to go to the Liberty Island, one from the Liberty State Park in NJ and the Battery Park in the lower Manhattan area in NYC. 

Some renovations had barred people from climbing on the top of the crown of the statue of Liberty and those renovations were completed in 2012 around the last week of October. The superstorm Sandy that struck in the first week of November closed the Island altogether till the Memorial day of 2013. So once again, we had no choice but just to see the lady from far away, like always. 

We however, chose to take Zephyr Statue of Liberty Express Cruise, from Pier 16 near South Street Seaport, which circled around the lower Manhattan and the Ellis and Liberty Island. The cruise has comfortable heated indoor seating as well as open air upper deck seating for crazy photographers like myself :). The narration by the captain is usually witty and enriching. 

       

6. Lower Manhattan / Financial District of NYC - Home to the once tallest WTC towers and to the very famous Wall Street with NewYork Stock Exchange, Lower Manhattan is often called the Financial Capital of the world. This part of Manhattan probably sees slightly lesser number of tourists than the other parts like Midtown, especially as evening progresses. Some of the very famous attractions here are the Wall Street, NYSE building, 9/11 site and memorial, the new One World Trade Centre building, the Chinatown, the Bull, the Financial Reserve Building, the memorial for RMS Titanic etc. 

 

 

  

7. Broadway Theatre - What's a post on NYC if the Broadway shows are not mentioned here? I have seen only one show till date - Mamma Mia, and I can vouch for it, even if it is not your cup of tea, just go ahead and try watching at least one of the those shows, you won't be disappointed. The class act put up by the performers, stage settings, dressers and make-ups are things that should be witnessed by all.

8. Museums - NYC boasts some amazing world class museums like the Museum of Modern Arts and some funky ones like the Ripley's Believe it or not, or the Madame Tussaud's. Depending on the interest and time, one can select whichever they may prefer.

P.S. - To select a few destinations in NYC among the thousands it boasts is a very difficult thing to do. Every time I go to the city, I try to add something new to the itinerary and while still catching up with some old faves like the Times Square. This post was intended for the tourists who are as vague as I was when it came to selecting what I wanted to really see - arts, entertainment, history, food, fashion, architecture and other things. 

New York City was anyways never meant to be visited just once, so what would you see if it were your first time here?

Maui (II) - Hana and Lahaina

After a long tiresome day, that we had in Maui a day before, it was time to relax. But there was no time to do that. We had only 2 days left and had to do a road trip to Hana, one of the most recommended road trips in USA. We did not couple anything else with the road trip, as I had researched that eventually there will be no time left to actually do anything but the road trip. So, here it was. We were en-route what would now be termed as the most adventurous and beautiful road trip we had till date!

Hana is approximately about 36 miles away from the central Maui (near Airport) and the end of the trip is the village itself, which is neatly embedded in the Haleakala National Park. It's very simple - Get up early in the morning, have a heavy breakfast, pack picnic lunches and start off to Hana, stop every where to just gaze at the amazing landscape, oceans and breathe the fresh air as much as you can. However, we woke up late (thanks to the tiredness from the previous day!) to begin with which made this trip more adventurous that what we wanted it to be. 

The road to Hana has an amazing array of sceneries, with bamboo forest,  tropical rain forest like atmosphere and lots of trees and mountains one side and ocean on the other, while you are on a very narrow single driving lane. Paia is the village / town which is like a final stop before getting to the road to Hana. Thus, remember to finish all the activities in Paia, like - 

1. Fill up the gas tank and if you tank is small in size, get another can of gas with you. Gas station in Hana closes by 6 00 PM. 

2. Pack the lunches from either a restaurant or buy one from the mom and pop stores, which are plenty in number. 

3. Bathroom facilities over the next 36 miles are either non existent or not so great, so yes, finish them in the town itself. 

4. Prone to car sickness? Buy medicines right here, for the trip involves huge turns and twists all along the way!

5. Scared of bugs and mosquitoes? Buy a bug repellent either from home or right here in Paia. (I had my legs irritated and scratchy for a very long time after returning back from Hawaii, because I did not pay attention to the warnings)

6. The road is not characterized by the addresses but by the mile markers.  Hence, keep your eyes open to the mile marker numbers. Destinations are presented by the mile markers. 

We chose to go to the cafe Des Amis in Paia, which has a very nice outside seating area and they serve awesome crepes and have some Indian food as well. So one stop for me and my husband :). 

Cafe Des Amis in Paia, great food and ambiance!!

One should be able to start the road trip by 9 00 AM at least to be able to enjoy the complete glory of the road trip, however, we were about 2 hours late (implications? - yes, will come up later!). A bright sunny morning was very inviting and the trip began. Like I said before, all the destinations are numbered by the miles from the beginning, and hence, if you lose the track of numbers, it gets difficult to enjoy the beauty of Hana. Road to Hana begins after 10 miles past Paia.

1. The first stop that can be made is as soon as you start the trip at Ho'okipa Beach. The beach has some of the best surfers in the world on the incredibly blue waters and if you get time, stop by to just look those surfers in action. 

 

Pics - The starting of Road to Hana and the Ho'opika Beach

2. Twin Falls - The first hiking trail as soon as we get on the road, it is located after the 2nd mile marker. There is a great juice stand in the front and well worth the money (approx. $10 for coconut water and sugar cane juice!). The hike in itself is about 1.5 miles long and the falls are great to watch or to swim.  

  

 

  

 

 

Pics - Photographs of the hiking trail, the twin falls and the juice stand.

3. Huelo and Kailua - Both Huelo and Kailua are small villages which are located near the mile marker 5 and 6. While we did not stop to look at the rural lifestyle, there was a small hike leading to beautiful falls right after the mile marker 6. However, the hike here is very steep and little mud can cause huge injuries, which was what happened to a lady walking down the trails before us. Luckily for her, there were enough men who had carried her back to the car, she could not walk with her twisted and broken ankle and she had to be escorted to the hospital near Paia. Be careful - motto of the story! We did not go further as we did not want to really hike there anymore. So we turned back and resumed remaining journey!

4. Waikamoi Nature Trail - This is located between the mile markers 9 and 10. The trail boasts of long eucalyptus trees and the hike is about 40 minutes walk. The best feature here is the tree trunks and roots serving as stairs and no man-made steps will be found here. The walk is a great learning lessor for kids and botanists and has names of trees and plants listed every where. Since it rained earlier that day, while it was difficult to walk through some areas, the nature in general was at it's greenest. If you are hungry at this point from all the walking, there are some picnic tables located here which can be used for eating while enjoying the best of nature. 

  

  

  

Pics - From the hike in the Waikamoi Nature Trail

5. Garden of Eden and Botanical Arboretum - This garden, located just outside mile marker 10, might be the only one on the road to Hana which asks for fees to visit. However, the money has been well spent in maintaining the park. The garden is the home to some of the best scenic views of tropical rain forests and hosts Hawaiian plants. The best selling feature of the park is the Keopuka Rock at Puohokamoa Valley, or better known as the open shot of the classic movie, Jurassic park.

 

  

Pics - Keopuka Rock (or the Jurassic Park opening shot) and Upper Puahokamoa falls as seen from the Garden of Eden. 

6. Kaumahina State Wayside Park - This state park loacted after mile marker 12, has some great views of the coast line of Northern shore of Maui, also known as Keanae Peninsula. Stop here for some beverages, refreshments and rest rooms. Yes, this is the first one that appears on the road after about 12 miles. 

Overlook from the Kaumahina state park

7. Waikani Falls - After this point, we drove past many mile markers till we entered the Keanae Peninsula. We made a stop at the Keanae Landing fruit stop, which marks the half way of the road (just 18 miles and we already spent about 5 hours). At this point of the journey, a lot of drivers already get tired of driving on such narrow lanes and one lane bridges. However, there are not really many attractions beyond mile marker 18. While a complete list can be accessed anywhere on internet, a simplistic guide can be found here. After mile marker 19, while it is not clearly stated anywhere, the three bear falls catch the attention of all passer byes. These falls also are known as Upper Waikani Falls.    

Upper Waikani Falls or the Three Bear Falls after mile marker 19. 

8. Wai'anapanapa State Wayside Park - As it was getting dark outside, we drove past many mile markers, which otherwise would have provided great photo ops. We were fast approaching our final stops, the Wai'anapanapa State park and the Ohe'o Gulch. Wai'anapanapa state park is very famous for its black sand and is one of the very few black sand beaches located in the world. 

Wai'anapanapa State Wayside park. 

9. Hana - After losing track of our way as we approached Hana, we wandered aimlessly, while impatiently also, in the village of Hana. It is a small charming uphill town and has your first fuel station after starting the journey. If time permits, roam around the town, have some refreshments and take a break. Hana Bay also  is a nice little beach where one can interact with the locals. Most of the travelers prefer to stay back in the town to enjoy the quiet serene life of village, however, few crazy ones, like us do try to return back, even when we know it is getting dark outside. Also, try to look out for beautiful Hana ranches and farms while driving along, which do deserve a mention. 

10. Ohe'o Gulch - The final destination in the journey is the Ohe'o gulch or the seven sacred pools. There are  some private beaches after crossing Hana, which have been mentioned in many magazines however, they are  dangerous to drive and rental cars do not permit it. Hence, we did not venture out to do that. Ohe'o Gulch stream is a part of Haleakala National Park and is maintained by them. A small hike takes you around the Ohe'o gulch and the Waimoku Falls. People often take plunges in the Ohe'o gulch and there ends the road to Hana. 

  

Pools of Ohe'o and the hike around it. 

Care to know what was this drive like in an aerial shot? Thanks to National geographic, we have the photo of where we just drove. 

A snapshot of the road to Hana, from National Geographic Site. 

The drive to Hana is very beautiful while it has to be done with utmost cautions. Our return journey was in pitch dark sky with nothing but the sight of upcoming car head lights and sounds of ocean to sense around. We were more tired than what we experienced a day ago, however, this is a journey that no one can ever forget!

Our last day in Maui was only meant for activities chosen to just sit and relax. We went to Lahaina Harbor which used to be the capital of HI till very recently. Lahaina boasts of some amazing restaurants, dessert bars and whole loads of shopping area. The port of Lahaina has some tours of the ocean, from which we picked a submarine ride where you could just sit at the bottom of the ship with glass walls and see the ocean bed and other creatures. Lahaina has a whole range of activities which can keep oneself busy for the entire time, like train rides, submarine rides, golfing, shopping, museums and a huge banyan tree to sit under and just relax. Fridays are the best days to enjoy time in Lahaina, which has some street side musical performances and other artistic activities all evening. 

 

 

 

Photographs from submarine ride, train ride and Banyan Tree in Lahaina. 

We returned back to Napili and just walked around our resort to the very famous Napili Beach which has incidentally one of the best sunsets in Maui. We finished soaking the sunset and realized it was time to end the trip, like all good things coming to an end.

Sunset in Napili Beach