Did you guess our next stop correctly? The Wonder Wheel! Built in 1920 this 150-foot ferris wheel has been an icon for Coney Island since its inception. It towers over everything else and is visible from everywhere you go.
As we approached it was obvious that some of the cars were doing a lot of swinging back and forth and I didn’t think I was going to like that very much. That’s because this ferris wheel is unique. The cars on the inside track of the wheel are each on their own track and the movement of the wheel makes them slide forward and backward wildly, kind of like a miniature roller coaster. The cars on the outside (which there are fewer of) remain stationary.
Rick knew instinctively that I wasn’t going to like the roller-coaster like ones, (he knows me so well!) so he said he really wanted to be on the outside at the highest point for the best view. Bless him. We stood in the stationary line. The couple in front of us saw one of the stationary cars go past them with two buckets and a sleeping dog inside it. I guess he didn’t like the swinging cars either. We figured he was the ballast.
We went around once, stopping and starting as all the cars were filled, then when everyone was on board we went all the way around without stopping. Here are the views in each direction.
Looking behind us at the rest of the amusement park.
Looking at the beach.
Looking toward Manhattan.
And looking straight in front of us.
It was a pleasant and smooth ride, and as the cars above and below us swung crazily, I was glad we were in our stationary car at the top of the world.
Where to next ... ?
Rick’s birthday was on Sunday, and for his birthday he wanted to go to Coney Island. We’ve wanted to go since moving here two years ago but just never got there. We had heard that parts of it were going to be razed to make way for condominiums next year, so we felt we had to go before that happened. The weather forecast was for sun, sun, sun and low 80 degree temperatures.
We decided to take the train in to Penn Station. From there it was a short walk to the subway at 34th Street to catch the “Q” train to Coney Island. Most of our trip was subterranean, but we were treated for a short time above ground with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge (beautiful!). Many people wheeled on beach trolleys packed to the brim with umbrellas, chairs, coolers and everything needed for picnic on the beach. After about 45 minutes to an hour we arrived at our destination.
It was past lunchtime and we were hungry. We had held off eating lunch since we knew where we wanted to eat. As we exited the subway station we saw our restaurant across the street. Nathan’s. What would a visit to Coney Island be without eating a coney dog?
The queues were quite long and we waited in line for about fifteen minutes. We entertained ourselves reading the calorie count of all the items before we ordered. Really, some times you just don’t want or need to know, ya know what I’m saying here? It didn’t change my mind though. Nope, not even for a split second. Calories be damned!
Make mine a chili cheese dog please ... and oh! ... can we share a small order of those deliciously thick crinkle-cut fries too?
With our appetites sated we headed out to explore. We knew exactly where we wanted to go next. The next photo is a clue. Can you guess?
Looking toward Lower Manhattan, Wall Street and the Statue of Liberty on a hazy day.
I know, I know. I apologize right up front. I’ve been lagging far behind in my ABC-Alongs. It’s a lot harder than I thought to come up with something. Plus, I like to do entries that coincide with what is actually happening in my life now, and what’s blooming in my yard now, and well, like my life now. My good friend Carolyn wrote to tell me that although she enjoyed the Queen Anne’s Lace entry, she felt that I had royally screwed up my ABC-Along because now what was I going to come up with for Q? I guess I’ll just tackle Q when I come to it.
So, with what’s happening now in my life as a guideline, what could be more timely than our trip into New York City last week? We went in for the Walking with the Dinosaurs event at Madison Square Garden. We took the train in early to do something we have meant to do since moving here two years ago: visit the Empire State Building.
As you can imagine in high tourist season, lots of other people had the same idea. We stood in line; we went through security, we stood in line again—all before even getting to the ticket office. Here is a shot out the window while waiting in line.
All in all, it wasn’t that bad. We made it from the beginning of the line to the elevator in about 30 minutes. Our elevator made it from the bottom to the 80th floor in less than a minute. The floors didn’t register as 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Oh no. More like 10, 20, 30, etc. As I watched we scaled ten floors at a time in about 5 or 7 seconds. Straight up. No stopping. whizzzz! When we stopped I felt dizzy and off-kilter. Very strange indeed.
We thought we were there, but alas, no. Another line awaited us and at the end of that we had a choice to climb the six flights of stairs to the Observatory on the 86th floor or wait in yet another line for the elevator. We opted to do stairs. The numbers on the landings told us where we were. I swear the 85th floor went on for two floors instead of one. Finally we were at the top with a crush of people vying for spots at the rail.
Here are views from a short person’s perspective. ( I was also trying to be artsy at the same time. ) I could have shot through the barrier but chose not to. Each shot is looking out from a different direction.
We didn’t tarry long gawking at the view. We figured we could come back in the low tourist season and not have to deal with the crush of people. We made our way back down, but this time took the elevator between the 86th and 80th floor instead of the stairs. The ride down was just as disorienting in equilibrium as the ride up, and I found myself staggering out of the elevator doors like someone who has had too much to drink. I have to admit that I had visions of “what if” flashing through my brain as we barreled downward at such a dizzying speed. What if the cable broke? What if the elevator suddenly stops and we’re trapped in here with little to no air flow? I do tend to an overactive imagination at times. Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about any of that since before I knew it we were back down to the main floor.
Walking with the Dinosaurs was awesome but I won’t go into that here since this post is not about that. If you have the chance to see it, do so, you won’t regret it.
There you have it: “N” is for New York (City).
While on vacation in Mexico in January we were deep in Mayan territory. I am far behind in my ABC-Along, so I thought M would suit for Mayan. This imposing warrior’s face is from the Temple of the Frescoes in Tulum.
One of our rituals at the cabin is taking a just-before-sunset drive in hopes of seeing wildlife. Sometimes we see something, other times we don’t. Over the ten days we were there we saw elk, antelope, plenty of deer and a marmot, but no moose.
On the evening before we left we went out for one last drive and saw a cow moose with twins at the edge of a clearing. She heard the car and ran into the dense cluster of aspens. We waited. When she started to move we tracked her and realized she was about to come out into the open. What we weren’t prepared for was happened next. Take a look at the slide show that follows. (By the way I have a new camera that is really fast!)
So many moose get tangled in barbed wire fencing every year. Some can’t free themselves and end up dying a horrible death. I wish they would use fencing that would allow animals to free themselves more easily. Fencing off the high country is not a good thing as far as I am concerned. If you need to fence; do it right. Thankfully, this little family is still intact. It was wonderful to see them, don’t you agree?
