Our nine-hour trip through the night from Toronto requires us to clear American customs at Lewiston, NY just after midnight Thursday.
Pictured is my partner Maria's bus as her passengers are processed before we are able to carry on. It is always a tedious wait crossing to and from the U.S.
Nearing New York City, we approach the Lincoln Tunnel amid the early morning traffic.
First opened to traffic in December 1937, the tunnel passes under the Hudson River from Weehawken, New Jersey to Manhattan. It is a tight squeeze for buses traveling its 1.5 mile length.
Arriving by 800am, we unload the group at their W 45 St. hotel. Maria's cheerful personality is always on display!
Unlike most multi-day charters, we are not able to stay in the same hotel for lack of available bus parking in Manhattan, so we drive back to New Jersey to hotel it in North Bergen.
Because the group did not require us for the rest of the day, Maria and I were free to explore downtown Manhattan. After a much-needed few hours of sleep, we caught a shuttle taxi to Penn Station and made our way to Times Square.
Me and Lady Liberty!
With no end of places to eat seemingly on every corner from high-end restaurants to bistros and delis, there is something for everyone's taste and budget.
Full of hustle and bustle, Manhattan glitters twenty-four hours a day!
Even a Tim Hortons, a little bit of home.
Friday morning had Maria and I return to pick up our group and bring them for their first day of competition to the Riverside Church.
Taking up two city blocks located high on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River in the Upper West Side, the church is modeled after the 13th century gothic cathedral in Chartres, France. With its 393 ft. bell tower, it is the tallest church in the U.S.
Interdominational and affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Churches, the Riverside Church celebrated its first service on Oct. 5, 1930.
The soaring Nave holds over two thousand worshippers and has hosted such speakers as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Martin Luther King Jr.
My high school woodwind band.
Returning the kids back to their hotel left me free to take in some more sights that I was unable to get to during my first visit to NYC with my wife, both in 2011 and just last month when I drove the bus on a last moment run to transport musical equipment for a Toronto orchestra performing in town.
First on the agenda was a stop at Macy's to surprise my wife with a dress she had her eyes on, pictured with my delightful sales associate Laura.
Then a quick bite to eat across the street at Amici 36 before heading uptown on the subway to . .
. . the Dakota Hotel.
Completed in 1884, it is one of the most exclusive residences in New York, home to many notable people from the arts, sports and business world.
Most famously, it was at this entrance where John Lennon was gunned down on December 8, 1980.
Yoko Ono still maintains a residence here.
Across the street in Central Park is Strawberry Fields dedicated to John's memory.
I make my way back towards downtown along the western edge of Central Park at dusk.
From the tall building on the left dangled the damaged construction crane in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Jazz afficionados will know of Jazz at Lincoln Centre, part of the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts. Built in 2004, it is the first venue in the world built specifically for and dedicated to the performance and education of jazz music.
Saturday would be a busy day for Maria and myself with many places to visit.
Here we are sitting nearby the hotel waiting for the group. Finding space to park any vehicle, let alone something as large as a bus is very hard to find. We got lucky!
We were met by a local guide, who's pic and name I neglected to get, for a three-hour tour around Manhattan. Not only very informative and entertaining, it gave me the chance to get to know the area better and practice my skills negotiating the notorious New York city traffic.
Birdland jazz club, named after saxophonist legend Charlie "Bird" Parker where many of the great jazz artists such as Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz played. It was also the place for celebrities to be seen such as Frank Sinatra and Eva Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Sugar Ray Robinson and Gary Cooper.
First opened in December 1949, the original Birdland went bankrupt in June 1964 before re-opening in 1986. It again moved here in 1997.
The Ed Sullivan Theater which hosts Late Show with David Letterman. Previously it was the home of the Ed Sullivan Show for twenty-three years where the Beatles made their first U.S. TV appearance on February 9, 1964.
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Radio City Music Hall, opened in December 1932.
On its stage has appeared the greats from the world of entertainment, stage plays and musical acts including the famous women's precision dance team the Rockettes.
It was declared a city landmark in 1978.
We continue northward on 8th Ave. to Harlem and the Apollo Theatre.
First opened in January 1934, it is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Known almost exclusively as the home of black American entertainers. Such stars of pop and jazz as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five have performed here over the years.
We turn southward down fashionable Fifth Avenue . .
. . while the Flat Iron Building looms in the distance.
Many sights to see in NYC !
We drop off our group near the Rockefeller Center for a couple of hours of sightseeing, while I make my way over to the bus parking area near the Hudson River and the Pier 13 Circle-Line Sightseeing Cruises where we will bring the kids later tonight.
Nearby is the decommissioned USS Intrepid aircraft carrier that serves as a sea, air and space museum with the recently-acquired Enterprise space shuttle on its deck.
Time for lunch at the Market Diner and a great tasting tomato and cheese panini and fries.
Soon we return the group to their hotel.
We are lucky to grab some on-street real estate near the hotel within the Theater District and wait to take the kids for their final day of competition.
We watch the traffic chaos all around us as the show in the nearby theaters let out.
Returning to the Riverside Church bathed in a stunning late afternoon glow.
Across the street is the General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant's Tomb.
It is here where the Civil War general and 18th president and his wife's remains are interred.
After Grant's death in 1885, public funds were raised to to build a monument which was completed in 1887. It is the second largest mausoleum in the Western Hemisphere.
Unfortunately it was closed preventing the Civil War buff in me from going inside.
The Riverside Church and Grant's Tomb.
After the competion had drawn to a close, it was back to the Circle-Line Cruises which hosted a party for all the competitors from around the U.S. and Canada . .
. . while cruising the Hudson and East Rivers surrounding Manhattan.
Driving in Manhattan is no easy task any time of the day, but negotiating a 45 ft. coach on a Saturday night is chaos. If you can do it and survive, you are indeed a master of your craft!
This was the scene as I made my way back to my hotel after dropping off the group for their final night before heading home to TO in the morning.
Overall, a great trip with a fine group of students and a memorable visit. I look forward to going back!
Completed in 1884, it is one of the most exclusive residences in New York, home to many notable people from the arts, sports and business world.
Most famously, it was at this entrance where John Lennon was gunned down on December 8, 1980.
Yoko Ono still maintains a residence here.
I make my way back towards downtown along the western edge of Central Park at dusk.
From the tall building on the left dangled the damaged construction crane in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Saturday would be a busy day for Maria and myself with many places to visit.
We were met by a local guide, who's pic and name I neglected to get, for a three-hour tour around Manhattan. Not only very informative and entertaining, it gave me the chance to get to know the area better and practice my skills negotiating the notorious New York city traffic.
First opened in December 1949, the original Birdland went bankrupt in June 1964 before re-opening in 1986. It again moved here in 1997.
.jpg)
On its stage has appeared the greats from the world of entertainment, stage plays and musical acts including the famous women's precision dance team the Rockettes.
It was declared a city landmark in 1978.
We continue northward on 8th Ave. to Harlem and the Apollo Theatre.
First opened in January 1934, it is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Known almost exclusively as the home of black American entertainers. Such stars of pop and jazz as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five have performed here over the years.
Nearby is the decommissioned USS Intrepid aircraft carrier that serves as a sea, air and space museum with the recently-acquired Enterprise space shuttle on its deck.
We are lucky to grab some on-street real estate near the hotel within the Theater District and wait to take the kids for their final day of competition.
We watch the traffic chaos all around us as the show in the nearby theaters let out.
It is here where the Civil War general and 18th president and his wife's remains are interred.
After Grant's death in 1885, public funds were raised to to build a monument which was completed in 1887. It is the second largest mausoleum in the Western Hemisphere.
Unfortunately it was closed preventing the Civil War buff in me from going inside.
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| Freedom Tower replacing the World Trade Center |
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
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| Empire State Building |
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| Statue of Liberty |
This was the scene as I made my way back to my hotel after dropping off the group for their final night before heading home to TO in the morning.