"Start Spreading the News . . ."

Dale and I took a belated 30th anniversary trip to New York City recently. We had visited three times before. The first was about one year after our first date, so it would have been December 1979. Second was May 1980 (just before our wedding). Third was in 2006. Each of these prior visits was very brief. This most recent trip, we spent three full days exploring the city. From this experience, I offer the following tips for others who might want to take a similar trip:

1. Don't stay on Manhattan. With just a little checking on websites for national chains, you can locate a nice hotel at a significant savings. We stayed at the La Quinta Inn located in Long Island City. We were close enough that we could see the city to our west from the street in front of the hotel. Subway stations were about 2 blocks away in either direction. Cost for transport into the city was $2.15 (to any location served by the subway system). Time for transport ran around 10-15 minutes. For this "inconvenience" we saved over half in lodging expenses. Additionally, the hotel provided free continental breakfast. More savings.

2. Buy a guide book before going to NYC. Read the book. Lay out your plans before going. You will find lots of interesting things to see.

3. Three words -- Staten Island Ferry. Round trip took us about one hour. We were about 1/4 mile from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Also had great views of the Manhattan skyline. Best of all, it was FREE, FREE, FREE. Seriously. For the cost of a subway ride (it is really too far to walk to get to the terminal) we walked aboard and enjoyed the ride. The boats are huge and the trip was smooth.

4. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. This was neat for several reasons. First, we started from the Brooklyn side (another subway ride got us there) and spent some time in DUMBO, a historic neighborhood dating to the mid 1800s. After lunch at Grimaldi's, an old fashioned coal fired pizza joint, we headed for the bridge. The walk takes about 1/2 hour and offers great views of Lower Manhattan and the nearby Manhattan Bridge.

5. Bite the bullet and go to a Broadway show. Do your research to choose one that fits your tastes. You can either stand in line at the TKTS booth and buy discount tickets or you can buy tickets in advance. A word of advice here -- the hot shows don't show up at the discount booth. Also, the discount tickets are unsold which means that they are typically not as good seating. If you want to get your choice, go online and buy your tickets in advance (for the really popular shows, buy them FAR in advance). If you are concerned that your travel plans might change, you can always pay an extra fee for trip insurance. Tickets aren't cheap, but the experience is amazing. Dale and I saw "Wicked." This story behind "The Wizard of Oz" was a fantastic show. Great music, great sets, great performers.

6. Times Square is a show all in itself. Just sitting on chairs and watching people milling around is fascinating. We saw lots of strange sights (people dressed in costumes, the Naked Cowboy, 2 Naked Cowgirls, etc).

7. The most important piece of advice? Wear comfortable shoes. Make sure they are broken in. Don't scrimp. New York is a concrete jungle, and all of the walking can be pretty rough on your feet. I think the only time we weren't on concrete was when walking across the Brooklyn Bridge which has a wooden slat walkway. After walking so much, the difference was instantly noticeable.

8. Museum of Modern Art -- On Fridays, it is free from 4pm to closing. We got there at around 4:30 and there was a pretty long line to get in. The line moved very quickly, and we were inside before 5. Start at the top floors where they have the permanent collections. We say Van Gough's Starry Night, several Picasso's, Diego Rivera, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Mondrian. Amazing art. We also saw some stuff that left us shaking our heads. Who would have thought that a large white canvas (that's right, a canvas with white paint on it) would merit a place in the MOMA? No accounting for personal taste, I suppose.

9. Central Park. There are several reasons to include a visit. First, you will be amazed that a serene, green expanse could exist in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. Just a short distance into the park and the noises of the city fade into the distance. Trust me. The relaxation and leisurely pace of a visit is well worth it.

10. Be open to try new things. There is a little bit of everything. Some of the "name" places are a bit overrated. For example, we have been up the Empire State Building in the past. This time, we went to Rockefeller Center and went to "Top of the Rock." The latter was cheaper, the lines shorter, the trip to the top quicker, and the view better. What can I say?

11. Once you figure out the basics of city navigation, it isn't too tough. The avenues run north and south. They are spaced pretty far apart. Thus, walking from 3rd avenue to 7th avenue (where you can find Times Square) is about a mile. The cross streets are quite a bit shorter. You will go around 20 blocks in a mile. Once you grasp this layout, finding your destinations is pretty simple. Just be prepared to walk a lot (and pay close attention to point 7 above).

12. Don't let the subway system intimidate you. With a little advance planning, you can easily get to the general area of the more far flung places that you want to visit. Fares are one price for any destination served by the system. That means that so long as you don't leave the system of trains, you can transfer to any train you want to reach you destination. I can give you an example of our second final day. We planned to ride the Staten Island Ferry which docks at the southernmost point of Manhattan. Our plan was to take the 7 train to Times Square and then transfer to the 1 train which would take us straight to the ferry terminal. Wouldn't you know that a mechanical failure required us to deboard the 7 and transfer to a train we hadn't ridden previously. A quick look at the tour book we bought before going (remember, I told you at point 2 above to buy one -- our included maps of the city in the front inside cover and a layout of the subway system in the back inside cover), and we were able to decide on the proper train to take to a different transfer point which got us to the same destination by a different route. Total cost? The same as the planned route - just $2.15 each.

The Eyes Have It.

Eyes. They give a glimpse into the inner workings of us all. Over the years, I have developed a fascination with how eyes tell stories all by themselves. Try watching "Braveheart" without the sound, and focus on the protagonist's eyes. You can't help but feel the emotion that William Wallace conveys. Two scenes in particular come to mind. The first is when Wallace realizes that his friend Robert the Bruce has joined forces with Longshanks. His eyes fill with tears; they go out of focus. His head cocks slightly to the side as the impact of the betrayal sinks in. You can feel the absolute despair at the realization that a person he thought he trusted has allied himself with Scotland's hated and ruthless enemy. The other scene is when William Wallace is being tortured. Again, words are not needed to share the experience of the horrific pain of evisceration. When Wallace sees his murdered wife in the throng, however, the pain in his eyes gives way to a sense of peace and calm. This ability to tell a story with just the eyes is one of the reasons that Mel Gibson is such a great actor. I have taken pictures since my high school days. (That is a long time) As I go through my pictures, I occasionally come across one or two that have just a hint of story in the eyes. That is part of what makes a good picture for me. The eyes have to convey something beyond the mere capture of an image. So far, the captures seem to be more luck than anything else. I want to work on this, though, as I am convinced that the best pictures are the ones where the eyes grab you and pull you into the picture. Think of the famous National Geographic photo many years back of the young woman with the piercing eyes. Such a great picture! Maybe some day.

Beat the Water!

As children, my siblings and I would stand at the kitchen sink while mom did the dishes. Back then we did not have a septic system in place. Instead, the sink drain was connected to a pipe that ran above ground to an irrigation ditch located outside our front door. As soon as mom pulled the sink plug, we kids raced out of the house shouting "beat the water." Our goal was to reach the discharge end of the pipe before the water started pouring out. We put everything we had into the race. Repetition barely diminished the excitement. That is the way it is with childlike enthusiasm. You put your all into the simplest of tasks, and you find joy in the most routine of diversions. As we grow older, however, that youthful zest dims. We fall into ruts. We go through the motions. But it does not have to be that way. I, for one, refuse to go that route without a fight. I will search for the small pleasures. I will share them with those I love. That is the point of CowEye. Maybe -- just maybe -- by sharing this optimism others will learn the joy of playing "beat the water."

Into the Future

My father served as a radioman in the United States Air Force during World War II. When he and mom visited us a few years back, dad and I went to a local airport where vintage aircraft were on display. I was surprised to learn that he had flown in several of the smaller aircraft to reach his posts of duty. Were these forward areas where young men reached maturity beyond their years? I wonder. Now in his mid 80's, the years are catching up. They inexorably strip away the ability to do things younger men do with ease. I am 55, and even at that relatively young age, I see the harbinger of things to come. How will I react as I grow older? Will I rage against the limitations or will I adapt? The path is laid out before me. I trust I can follow in the footsteps of those who have led the way.

2010 Polar Bear Plunge

Last weekend, I went to a nearby lake to take pictures of a Polar Bear Plunge. The sponsors chose what turned out to be the "perfect" day. Temperatures hovered around 25 degrees. The wind made it feel much colder. Despite the bitter chill, nearly 50 people, ranging in age from around 6 to 50+, participated. I have to ask: Why do people engage in such insanity? On the other hand, why do some people avoid the adventures of living? Even though jumping into frigid water might seem odd, the thrill of knowing you have done something others would never dream of trying has to be a highlight of a fully lived life. I would much rather try something crazy than to live a boring life without adventure. Maybe next year!