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People say I’m lucky. I say that I’m a participator.
I was participating in a Twitter Chat about New York City with #WeekendWanderlust. At the end of the chat, CityPASS awarded a New York City, CityPASS, to one lucky chat participant. That participant ended up being me.
A reasonable driving distance, we usually visit New York City once a year. We mostly go to attend a show, with one additional activity squeezed in. This time, with our CityPASS in hand, we finally get a chance to be proper New York City tourists.
The Met Cloisters
Located in Fort Tryon Park, in Washington Heights, The Cloisters is an art museum made up of several chapels, galleries, and gardens.
The architecture of The Cloisters is as much art as the Medieval paintings adorning the walls.
Carved tombs and stained glass, makes it feel like you’ve traveled back in time.
I’m the most excited when my eye catches the unicorn tapestry. I have fond recollections of that magical creature gazing at me from the pages of my high school Fine Arts book. It’s as if it leapt from memory to hang on a wall just for me.
If you’re feeling Medieval, check out The Met Cloisters.
Bonus: A few blocks’ walk from The Cloisters, is Cachapas Y Mas. They have some really tasty, empanadas. Best of all, they’re only $2. Who says you have to spend a fortune to eat in New York City?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Our next stop, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I started getting into art and art appreciation in high school. I spent free time in my teens learning about the lives of artists, and admiring works. I was seventeen the first and last time I visited The Met.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is enormous. Even if you lived in New York City, I imagine it could take years to see the entire museum.
After taking a look at the map, we choose the galleries that we most want to see, and set off on our art adventure.
We start with Egyptian art, not because we’re huge Egyptian art lovers (though there is some cool stuff), but more because we want to stand in room where an iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally was filmed.
No matter the museum, if there is an armor gallery, I’m there.
I can only imagine the conversation going…
“Really? You want a rooster on the helmet?”
“Oh yeah, roosters are totally badass.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather a wolf, or a lion My Lord? Lions are very popular.”
“Nope. You probably don’t know this, but all of those other animals…scared of roosters. That’s what me mum told me. Roosters are the most feared animal. House Rooster rules!”
“Well, okay then…”
A quick walk around the musical instrument gallery, and we’re in the land of paintings.
My heart skips a beat. Coming across familiar paintings in person, is like running into an old friend.
We roam until our legs go wobbly and our eyes blur. It’s time to leave even though more than half of the museum is left unexplored.
I was gleeful that The Met was included with our CityPASS. A wander around The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must when visiting New York City, just be sure to give yourself ample time.
Statue of Liberty Ellis Island
One of the activities including with our New York City, CityPASS, was visiting The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It’s something I have always wanted to do, and moved higher to the top of our list after getting my National Parks passport.
You can read all about my Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island day here.
Top of the Rock
The Empire State Building was included as part of the CityPASS. Since we visited The Empire State Building in the past, we use the CityPASS to ascend The Top of the Rock at The Rockefeller Center.
The first thing I notice at the Top of the Rock, is the fabulous art deco architecture.
The second, is the view.
The view of Central Park is especially impressive.
The price to visit The Top of the Rock is pretty hefty, so there is definitely a savings using the CityPASS.
A huge Thank You to CityPASS and WeekendWanderlust.
We had so much fun using our CityPASS to finally experience sites we’ve always wanted to visit in New York City. I’ll definitely look into using CityPASS when visiting other cities in the future.
If you’re looking for a great travel community to join, check out WeekendWanderlust
Comments are closed.
Drew Hannush
atLove art but I rarely make it inside art museums. Like history, there are stories behind those pieces of art and I think that adds to the appreciation.
I need to spend more time in NYC. The pass sounds like it hits a bunch of cool spots.
Dawn Byrne
atWhat a nice trip. We went last year to The Empire State Building. Reading this makes me want to go again. Thank you.
obligatorytraveler@gmail.com
atThere’s so much to do in New York City. I’ve been to a lot of different museums there, but there are still museums I’d love to explore.
Natalia
atNew York city is the first on my list of places to visit. I would love to visit the medieval Cloisters. I would never imagine to find such a place in NYC. The Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Gallery are highly anticipated attractions for me. Empanadas from Cachapas Y Mas looks delicious and for that price is a bargain. The City Pass will save money too. Thank you for your tips.
obligatorytraveler@gmail.com
atI feel like I have to go back and see more of the Metropolitan Museum, we were there for hours and there will sections that I’m sure are marvelous that we didn’t get to.