Last year, my first friend Olie and her family moved to New Jersey. I was so sad. She is like a big sister. Well, I am more like the annoying little brother! But today, we hopped on a plane a flew out the Big Apple to see her and spend some time with her family. I was so excited. For one, I have never been to a big city like this. Houston is big, but not NYC big. And, I just missed my friend.
Lion King
We got to Olie’s house just in time for lunch. Her mommy had made my favorite meal – chicken korma. Yum! They had some things to do that afternoon, so we hopped in an Uber and headed into the city. It had already been a long day of travel, so I snuggled up with Ma in the back seat and closed my eyes. It felt like I slept for 5 minutes, but Pa assured me I was out for over an hour.
I woke up to the sounds of a big city. Horns were going off every few seconds; buses were whizzing past. Construction sounds came from every direction. I had never been to a place quite like this. When we travel, Ma and Pa usually head away from the city. This was the exact opposite. The sheer amount of people and cars and buildings was astonishing.
Today’s destination was Broadway. I have a confession. I had never seen the Lion King movie, so this was my first Lion King experience. And boy, was it an experience. The music, the sounds, the actors, the stage – it was all just incredible. From the opening curtain to the last bow, the excitement had me on the edge of my seat. My favorite character was Pumba. That warthog was just so darn funny.
Statue of Liberty
The Lion King was a great way to start our trip. Today, we went with Olie’s family on an adventure. We took a bus into the city and then went on the subway to see the Statue of Liberty. The subway ride was a trip all by itself. I’m not used to trains, especially ones that travel underground. This thing was clattering all over the tracks, all while flying through these tunnels.
We made it to our stop in one piece. (I think Pa may have been worried.) From there, we made our way over the ferry for a quick boat ride over to see the Lady. The views from the boat were wild. I have never seen a city like New York before. Giant building after giant building, all coming together for this incredible skyline.
The ferry docked at the island of Lady Liberty. It late afternoon by this time, so we chose to stay on the ground. We did a full lap around the island. The statue is so spectacular up close, and we could not have asked for better weather. I made sure to stop in the gift shop to get a magnet to add to my collection. It was a perfect New York summer day!
Turtleback Zoo
Pa always tells me we are going to go to Peru one day. Today, Olie’s parents suggested we have lunch at a Peruvian restaurant near their house. I don’t know anything about Peruvian food, but Ma and Pa sure seemed excited. I opted for the fried chicken but tried some of Ma’s and Pa’s meals. All of it turned out to be delicious.
After lunch, we headed to Turtleback Zoo. It was a small local zoo, but it still had some fascinating animals! Funny story, Pa had decided to book us a trip to Kenya just that morning. (That’s Pa, always thinking about the next trip while we’re still on one.) At the zoo, it was fun to see a few animals that I would see on the other side of the world.
My favorite animal at Turtleback was this kangaroo, who was hanging out catching some rays. Man, kangaroos look so strong! I wouldn’t want to mess with one.
Van Vleck House
On our last day, we went with Olie to the Van Vleck House. The garden there has been a work in progress for almost 100 years. The place was beautiful. We were there in the summertime when so many of the plants were in full bloom. From the azalea walk to the wisteria courtyard, the place was popping with excellent colors.
Ollie and I spent the morning running around the gardens. It was relatively quiet (besides us). There were a few moms with strollers, but that was it. We had all 5 acres to ourselves. And we used every bit of it. We played some excellent games of tag and then an epic game of hiding and seek. There were so many good places to hide. It was a great morning to get some energy out before the flight back to Houston.
It was a short trip but a great one. It was so good to see Olie. She is a good friend and a great non-relation big sister! I can’t wait until the next time I can hang out with her. And maybe on the next trip to NYC, we can sneak over a catch a match or two at the US Open…hint hint, wink wink Ma and Pa!
