[Valerie M.]

I was just down in NYC two weeks ago. My son-in-law, Frank and my daughter, Becky, have been there before and are familiar with some of the city.

We took the Metro North from Poughkeepsie, NY into the city. It took us about an hour to arrive in Grand Central Station. It was fun just to walk through the station with scores of other people from all over. From there we hopped a cab to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spent about three hours there. We really could have spent all day there alone had time permitted. From there we hopped another cab through part of Central Park to the Natural History Museum. Again another three hours which could have taken all day to thoroughly visit. So many things to see and not enough time.

Frank had a map of the city with him as well as the different tracks of the subway. So we then got on a subway and traveled back to 42nd Street and got off in the middle of Time Square. It was just wall to wall people in this area. We passed a wax museum. There was a nice looking young man standing outside the entrance. Becky asked me if I saw him. I said I did and then she informed me that it was a wax figure of Bon Jovi. Unbelievable! In the window was a figure of Whoopie Goldberg. Frank told us that the celebrities model for these figures. I know the next time we visit NYC that will be one of our stops.

We then proceeded to walk back to Grand Central Station. Had almost an hour to kill before the train came in. We went down on the lower level and had a piece of New York pizza and a soda. Had to make the stop there to have a piece of the famous Junior's Cheesecake for dessert. Rather expensive so my husband and I split a piece as did Becky and Frank.

Caught the train back to Poughkeepsie. This time about a two hour ride back. Made many more stops on the way home. Spent the night in Kingston as did the night before.

We had alot of fun. There were many National Guardsmen and police around. All in all you felt safe. There was no screening of people getting on and off the Metro or the subway system. At the museums bags were screened if you had one with you.

I'll be excited to visit again and maybe next time to Ground Zero.

Valerie M.