West Manhattan and the Intrepid Air and Space Museum

It has been so much fun for me to relive this trip through these posts. Are you enjoying the New York City tour, from the view behind my camera?

We just finished Day One in the City. If you need to catch up, here are all of the posts.

Times Square, I Heart You
Magnolia Cupcakes and Central Park
The American Museum of Natural History
Grand Central Terminal and The New York City Library
Bryant Park and Nighttime Times Square

Today’s post begins Day Two. As you can see, I’m at the bus stop to catch the 163 into New York City. Once the bus arrives, it takes about fifty minutes to get to the city.

This bus stop sign just let’s me know that I’m not being nearly flamboyant enough when boarding a bus. I guess I’ll just have to work on that, huh?

Last night, this is where the bus dropped me off. I timed it perfectly with luck and caught the hotel shuttle loading a bunch of people who had also just arrived from NYC.

It was really chilly at night, so I was glad for the short wait to get back to my warm hotel room.

Speak of the devil! But he’s going the other way, so I will just have to wait for mine to come. And, while I’m waiting, I can practice my flamboyant arm-waving-while-boarding!

I’m getting better, that’s for dang sure.

Once on the bus, it was butterflies all over again. I was so tickled to have a whole two days in one of my favorite cities! Even though I didn’t pay for the New York City Pass this time around (I did last September), I still managed to really enjoy my time in Manhattan.

I was saving money for Disneyland the next week, remember?

Eek, more butterflies!

I had a great first view of the city through the bus window. Unfortunately, it didn’t really translate into a great view in this picture!

Use your imagination, OK?

And we are here again! I got to talk about the gospel on the bus ride in, though I think that she was more interested in trying to convince me that I was wrong than listening to what I had to offer to our conversation.

Here I am facing east on 8th Avenue and 41st Street. Welcome to New York!

I love love love the older buildings with the water tanks on top. And I particularly love this one because of the old painted advertising on it. Sea Air Tours? How cool is that?!

NYC is such a wonderful mix of old and new.

And, of course, right across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal is the headquarters for The New York Times.

Just like every newspaper in these moderns days, these guys are really struggling to make it in a digital world.

At least we know that they could always move to a cheaper location…

I decided to walk west today towards the Hudson River. Though I didn’t have time to spend exploring inside the museum, I wanted to see the new Enterprise Space Shuttle on the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier Air Museum.

Well, it sounds like fun to me! Why not drag you all along with me?

I had just been on that overpass coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel on the bus.

The lighting is slightly better out here. So is the smell!

Once again, a peek of the old through the new. Modern glass buildings are seen in the distance, while the old housing buildings are right in front of me.

I still think that it would be fun to live in a high-rise for a while. But you know that about me by now…

I personally wouldn’t choose these particular colors to decorate, but someone made some good effort on this lovely little graffiti-adorned door.

I think that the yellow “X” means to, “Come on in!”

Another thing of the millions that I love about New York City is the American flags everywhere to remember 9-11.

We will never forget.

Oh my goodness. We are here! Can you see it?

No? You can’t see the giant space shuttle on the deck of the giant Intrepid Aircraft Carrier?

That’s OK. You probably just need to get your eyes checked. I did!

Crossing the last street until we get a closer view of the Intrepid.

Once at the pier, I waved to this New York Water Taxi. I rode this down to Battery Park last September when visiting NYC for work.

Isn’t this job rough?!

We have arrived at the Intrepid!

Someday, when I have a ton of time in this wonderful city, I will spend an entire day exploring the Intrepid. I just want to give it the attention that it deserves and not feel rushed to get on to other things.

Someday, Intrepid. Just you wait!

The museum originally opened in 1982 after being saved from scrapping by a local philanthropist. I’m glad that he saved it, personally. Just a few years ago, from 2006-2008, the Intrepid was tug-boated to New Jersey, then Staten Island for major renovations.

This also made room on the top deck for the Concorde, which had been on a shipping barge previously.

The USS Intrepid itself was quite a ship in the day! It was commissioned in 1943 and served in the Pacific during World War II. It was renovated a few times and was even brought back into service to aid during the Vietnam War twenty years later.

Apparently, it was also a maintenance hog, earning the nickname “The Dry 1” because it spent so much time in dry dock for repairs.

The Intrepid was also used as a recovery vessel for the Mercury and Gemini space programs. How cool is it that a shuttle now sits on these decks? That only happened a year ago when the Enterprise flew to JFK and was then tug-boated to the Intrepid.

Speaking of the Enterprise, she is massive!

I had no idea how huge space shuttles were until I saw one in person at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

You can see a few guys standing next to it, if that helps you gauge the size. Massive!

Holy smokes, this is awesome. Just awesome!

They have a nice tribute to Intrepid’s role in the space program by having a space capsule in floats attached to the carrier.

And this is the view of New Jersey that the Enterprise enjoys all day, every day.

Who could ask for better weather in March?!

Another view looking back at Manhattan from the pier across from the Intrepid.

You know what’s crazy? This ship is pretty small compared to our modern-day aircraft carriers!

Can you see the Chrysler Building peeking through?

It’s almost like it’s following me, or something…

Those are some pretty big anchors. And also some markings to help them know how heavily-loaded the ship is.

And apparently, moss loves the Intrepid, too.

With so many neat airplanes on-deck, I wish that I had time to spend here today! Maybe on my next trip to the city, I will dedicate an entire day just to this museum.

I did that at the Midway in San Diego last summer. Remember?

They do not mess around when building these things. Look how big this ship is!

Oh man. Now I really want to pay the $18 to see it! Those are the tailfins to a SR-71 Blackbird, designed by Kelley Johnson of the Skunk Works fame.

It’s one of my favorite airplanes, that’s all…

I took this sky bridge to cross back over the street towards New York City. They created all of this entrance stuff brand-new just a few years ago during museum renovation. It’s so nice!

And they apparently don’t want anyone or anything getting down to the street below.

Let’s head back towards the City to find something to eat, shall we? It’s lunch time!