"If you look over to your left..."

I am officially toured out.

Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed the tour routine, but 3 in a single day is a lot. Here's how my second full day in New York went.

First call was just around the corner from the hotel where I bought myself a Softball Glove. I was lick a kiddie in a sweet shop... story, in a Candy Store (I'm going native, already). I bought a lovely Rawlings one with a 13" basket. I'm losing you aren't I?

Right, first tour of the day was the Uptown Bus Tour. Uptown New York is beautiful. Central Park is as impressive and tranquil as I imagined and more so. The condominiums overlooking the park are extraordinary. It's also surprisingly hilly when you head Uptown. We had a good tour guide for this part, but sadly he didn't know where Tom's Diner was so I'll have to add that to my list of things to do when I return here in October.

All aboard!

After the riches of Uptown I headed along 42nd Street to the Circle Line Boat tour. I had a free 75 minutes cruise as part of the package I bought yesterday, but had just missed it, but was able to upgrade to a 3 hour cruise for $10.

Several people had recommended the boat tour and I wasn't disappointed at all. To go around the entire island of Manhattan is an education in itself and with a very knowledgeable guide I saw many of the landmarks I'd seen already from completely different perspectives as well as many things I'd have otherwise missed.

Again?

With a numb bum from 3 hours on a plastic chair, I headed back to the hotel only to have the heavens open on me again. Another near tropical thunder storm turned to gutters into gushing streams and people in summer gear looked like survivors from a sunken ship. When I got back I showered, cooled down, went to dinner and then ventured out into the moist evening air for the night time bus tour.

This time there was no rain intervention and the tour took us downtown once again, then over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn to give a taste of one of the other 5 boroughs which make up New York City and for some nighttime snaps of the Financial District.

Pooped

So, it's late now and I'm pretty darn tired. Tomorrow I move from this hotel to one in New Jersey ahead of the departure on the TrekAmerica Tour. Not sure whether I will have connectivity there... nor what my Room-mate will be like? Wish me well for both.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Three

No new states

No additional burgers

Pizza Count - 1 (whilst standing in line for the Boat Trip... not the easiest thing to do... stand and eat very hot pizza from a flimsy box whilst holding a cup of diet Coke in the other hand)