Travel Tuesday-New York Bucket List

2014 is looking awesome for me as I get to check off something else off my At Least Once in this Lifetime Bucket List.

-New York

I finally made it to NYC.  I was so excited I even made a little New York Bucket List for my short 24 hour trip.  See when I think NY I think of JLo, Friends, and the Big Apple.  My theme song was Aleshia Keys 

Alba's New York Bucket List-

1)  Bump into JLo
2)  Visit Central Park 
3)  Experience Time Square
4)  Admire the Empire State Building
5)  Cross the Brooklyn Bridge (I want to visit several bridges all over-on my life bucket list)
6)  Skate at the skating ring
7)  Ride the boat to the Statue of Liberty
8)  Visit the 9/11 Memorial
9)  Go behind the scenes or sit in the audience of a show
10)  Visit the biggest Toys R Us (per my son who was lucky enough to go on a church choir trip to NY and told me there was a 2 story Toys R Us with a Ferris Wheel inside the store)

I was on business so I did not know if I would even get to go to any of these places.  I told myself, "What if I never make it back?"  So the list was created.  I only had a small window for sight seeing and who needs sleep anyways?  After business was taken care of, I ventured alone in the Big Apple.

I crossed some of my bucket list items off and was able to experience other places I did not have on my list.

Visited the set of the Today Show, too bad everyone was gone to Sochi for the Olympics but I was there.

 Not on list -Go to the Top of Rockefeller Center-not on my list but now I have added this item to my Life list -go to the top of all the famous buildings in the different cities i.e. Seattle Space Needle

 That is Central Park.  Through the fog, the place covered in snow, and I did not care as you can see from my cheesy smile.

 I did not get to skate here, just pass through but I actually can say I was there.  I saw where the tree goes.

 To you just a subway picture, to me a Houston-Texan -Wow a subway! The NYC subway

 I made it to Time Square.  Not as big as I thought it would be but yet an experience.  Everyone was there and it was late at night.  I felt like a New Yorker.  Walked past the Late Show on my way to find the Empire State.  All I had to do was look up and see the beautiful colors that lit up the night.

That completed my search as I headed back to the hotel that night I still had the itch so visit Central Park.  Not realizing how close I had been to it all along.  My hotel was across the street from there.

 Central Park!!! I made it.  I did jog a little because it was night time, I was alone, my battery was dying, and I did not want to be a victim on CSI New York edition.  This place was amazing and I want to come back so I can jog, see the castle (yes, there is a castle there or so I heard), and just experience this huge park that goes for city blocks.

 Check out the ice on the river.  Nothing famous, just a body of water and some buildings.

 The Freedom Tower.  I asked the driver on the way out of the city to please take the long way to the airport and drive me by there.  He did.  I did not get to see the 9/11 Memorial from the car but just being in this area made me so emotional.

 On the way in and on the way out, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge.  It is a beauty.  We do not have bridges like this in Houston.  Our driver was so nice.  He was a mini tour guide.  Telling me about the Bronx, the Queens, Harlem, the buildings we were passing up and then even coming to the rescue by not making me miss my flight home in all the traffic.  Oh yeah, almost forgot I passed through the tunnels.

Sad to say good bye to New York but I can honestly say I want to come back.  A different city, fast life, and I loved it!