Two Weeks Summer Vacation [Trip to New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey and Philadelphia]

Above Image: "Charging Bull", by Arturo Di Modica [NY City]

Two Weeks Summer Vacation..
June 26th - to - July 9th, 2011..
Trip to New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey and Philadelphia..
Of which, New Jersey was a family visit to my aunt, so nothing remotely touristy there, but some delicious home-cooked Indian food, I was missing..
Some Sweeping Observations..

• NY City is the easiest place to navigate though public transport, although driving is another story altogether! Hats off to the drivers in NY City!..
• NY City has many and some HUGE water-fountains. I can bet it has the higest concentration of water-fountains, of any cities in the US of A!
• Washington DC is a city of Monuments and Memorials; Stately, Serene and Very Impressive!
• New Jersey was a family visit. And YES home-cooked meals are The Best! And when it's "Indian" home-cooked dinner, being savoured after a long-time, there's no words for it! Who doesn't like the food they grow on!
• Philedephia people are VERY courteous! This personal experience of mine, has been challenged by some friends; but I hold on to it..
• As much as I want memories of my short-exhausting-fun trip to linger on, I am being pulled to come back to normal rountine life of Chicago ASAP..

My travelogue in a nutshell..
FIRST STOP: New York City..
June 26th-to-July 3rd, 2011

Day One: [June 26, 2011] Flight from Chicago to New York City..

Day Two [June 27, 2011]: Museum of Natural History..
American Museum of Natural History.. Saw five Special Exhibits.. [1] Journey to the Stars [IMAX], [2] Brain, The Inside Story, [3] Sea Rex: Journey to a Pre-Historic World [IMAX], [4] The World's Largest Dinosours, [5] Frogs: A Chorus of Colors..

Above Image: "Knotted Gun", by Carl Fredrik Reutersward [NY City]

Day Three [June 28, 2011]
Trip to Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, United Nations.. and shopping at Bloomingsdale..
For more, click here..

Above Image: "The Statue of Liberty", by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi [NY City]..

Day Four [June 29, 2011]
Highlights of the day includes paying homage to Lady Liberty and Ground Zero. Also visit the One Financial Center, Washington Memorial, The Bull sculpture, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Bldg... and shopping at "The World's Largest Store Macy's", in Herald Square..
For more, click here..

Above Image: "Echo", by Jaume Plensa [NY City]

Day Five [June 30, 2011]
Highlights include a trip to Staten Island, walk in the Battery Park, Flatiron Bldg. and nearby Madison Square Park, then to Rockefeller Center and towards the evening to Grand Army Plaza and Columbus Circle..
For more, click here.
Art Deco Artwork at Rockefeller Center..

Above Image: Isamu Noguchi Museum..

Day Six [July 1, 2011]
Trip to Queens to Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park..
And evening was musical at Broadway, "Mary Poppins" at New Amsterdam Theater.. And it was..
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!
For more, click here..
Some of my Favourite Public Art pieces from New York City.. click here..

Above Image: "The River" - by by Aristide Maillol [NY City]

Day Seven [July 2, 2011]
Typically my kind of day.. Trip to MOMA, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and evening at the Observation Deck of the Empire State Bldg.
Some highlights..
MOMA Sculpture Garden..

Day Eight [July 3, 2011]: Bus trip from New York City to Washington DC..

SECOND STOP: Washington DC
July 3rd-to-July 6th, 2011..
Day One [July 3, 2011]: Bus trip from New York City to Washington DC..

Day Two [July 4, 2011]
Highlights was 4th of July parade at National Mall and seeing several monuments and memorials.. and ended with seeing fireworks from hotel rooftop.
For more, click here..
Washington is a city of monuments and memorials. Here are a few I saw in the trip Wasington DC: Monuments and Memorials, click here..

Above Image: US Capitol Bldg. [Washington DC]

Day Three [July 5, 2011]
It was a Washington DC Hop-On-Hop-Off Open-Top Double-Decker Bus Tour..
Some Highlights..
US Capitol Bldg.: The Rotunda, click here..
US Capitol Bldg.: National Statutory Hall, click here..
Union Station, Washington DC, click here..
Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain..
Hoof Code of Equestrian Statues, click here.

Day Four [July 6, 2011]: Train trip from Washington DC to New Jersey

THIRD STOP: New Jersey..
July 6th-to-July 8th, 2011..
This was a family visit to my aunt's place, so no images here..

Above Image: Liberty Bell [Philadelphia]

FOURTH STOP: Philadelphia..
July 7th, 2011..
Day trip from New Jersey to Philadelphia, and back to New Jersey..
Yet to add images from the trip..

FIFTH STOP: New York City..
July 8th: Train trip from New Jersey to New York City..
July 9th: Flight back to Chicago..

RELATED LINKS..
NEW YORK CITY..
NY City: Brooklyn Bridge..
NY City: Ground Zero..
NY City: Federal Hall National Memorial [Birthplace of American Government]
NY City: Rockefeller Center: Art Deco Artwork..
NY City: MOMA: Sculpture Garden..
NY City: Sculptures at United Nations Plaza ..
NY City: Noguchi Museum..
NY City: Favourite Public Art pieces

WASHINGTON DC..
Washington DC: US Capitol Bldg...
Washington DC: US Capitol Bldg. [National Statutory Hall]..
Washington DC: US Capitol Bldg. [Feresco "Apotheosis of Washington" - by Constantino Brumidi]..
Washington DC: US Capitol Bldg. [The Statue of Freedom - by Thomas Crawford]
Washington DC: Union Station..
Washington DC: Monuments and Memorials
Washington DC: Washington Memorial..
Washington DC: Lincoln Memorial..
Washington DC: World War- II Memorial..
Washington DC: Peace Monument..
Washington DC: Arts of War and Arts of Peace - by Leo Friedlander..
Washington DC: Monument to John Ericsson [Swedish-American emigrant]..
Washington DC: First Division Memorial..

PHILADELPHIA..
Philadelphia: A Day Trip..

Hoof Code of Equestrian Statues...