International Center of Photography

It has been a very busy June. The end of the school year always brings so many task, meetings and events, and this year was no different. But I will have more time to do some blogging now!

I wanted to post some information about the International Center of Photography. My friend Mary and I had the opportunity to visit this fantastic place during our New York City trip in May. (Here is the link to their website: http://www.icp.org/ )

The four very inspirationsl photography-related exhibits included African-American Portraits, the Photography of Stephen Shore (every day images), Amelia Earhart, and David Seymour photography. I was struck by the different types of images because they all seem to capture very different moments in time, from the stuggles of African-Americans, the adventures of Amelia, to everyday life during the 1970's.

My friend Mary isn't that interested in photography, but she really appreciated this photography museum. She liked the fact that she could learn more about history by viewing this photos.

I have posted an "artistic" photo I took just outside of the musuem.

New York, New York!

I visited New York City last weekend with my wpnderful friend, Mary. We departed from Union Station here in Utica and traveled to New York City's Penn Station by train. (Here is a photo of Union Station taken at trackside. I am also posting an "artistic" photo of the fence.)

It took us five hours to arrive in the Big Apple. Lynn, Mary's friend from her college days, met us at Penn Station. She took care of our luggage.

I took my first subway ride from Penn Station to Broadway. We really weren't on the subway too long, but it was a good trip!

I had dinner with Mary, Lynn, and their friend Kim at a barbeque restaurant in midtown Manhatten. Mmm...delicious! And the company and converstation was fantastic!

Mary and I went shopping in the Big Apple. Here is a photo of Mary at American Girl, one of her favorite stores. Mary loves to shop there and find collectible dolls.

Mary and I were invited to stay at Lynn's apartment on Long Island. Lynne and her husband, Frank, were gracious hosts. Here is a photo of Rockville Centre, Long Island where Lynn and Frank live. The photo was taken from their train station.

I will post more photos in my next blog entries! We also went to The International Center of Photography as well as the top of the Rockefeller Center building.

My New York

I am really thankful that I had the opportunity to visit New York City once again with my friend Mare. I try to visit The Big Apple at least several times per year. There is always so much to do there: shopping, sightseeing, visiting museums and attending Broadway plays and baseball games. And it is so much fun to visit the City with a dear friend.

Our journeys to The Big Apple begin here in Central New York State. I have always lived in this part of New York State, and it is very different from New York City in many ways. Much of my state is dotted with small cities between several larger ones. We are surrounded by natural resources and farm land. The beautiful Adirondack Mountains are just to our north. Utica, the small city where I live, is in the scenic Mohawk Valley. We are fortunate to have many lakes in the area, too.

Usually, I travel to New York City on the train. I love taking the train because the ride is usually a relaxing one. I look out of the window and see the farm land and small towns. We usually pick up more passagers in Albany, the capital city of New York State. The train ride from Albany to New York City takes about two and a half hours. The train runs along the banks of the Hudson River. Last Saturday, the Hudson River was frozen near Albany. The waters were flowing the closer we got to The Big Apple. The train stops at several small towns along the Hudson River.

The train roars into New York City's Penn Station after I have been on the train for about four and a half hours. Penn Station reminds me of a city within a city. There are many stores and restaurants there. Madison Square Garden, a sports complex, is just above the station. And the station is usually bustling with people. The Big Apple, of course, is alive with the rhythm of the city and its diverse people.

After a quick ride on the escalator, it is time to explore the city once again. And there are always so many landmarks to see: The Empire State Building, The New York Public Library lions, Times Square, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center. (The photo above is Rockefeller Center.) Time to explore! (It was wonderful to be able to walk the streets of New York City last Saturday because they did not have any snow, slush, or ice there at all!)

I certainly enjoy my visits to New York City, but I really won't want to live there. I would miss seeing the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, summer days spent at the local lakes, and the countryside.

New York, New York

"Start spreading the news! I am leaving today. I want to be a part of it, New York, New York."

I am off to New York City tomorrow. My very dear friend (I will call her Mare) is celebrating a big milestone birthday. We are off for a day of fun in the City. First, we will see the play "Mary Poppins" on Broadway. Of course, we will go shopping and then go out to dinner.

Usually, I visit the Big Apple at least a few times a year. The City is an exiting place: art museums, the Empire State Building, sporting events, Broadway and much more. There is nothing like the hustle and bustle of the City. (The graffiti even looks artistic in New York City, even though it is vandalism.)

Graffiti~NY City Style (taken during my last NY City visit)

My NYC Itinerary for Jan. 27

7:30 am - Drive to the train station in Albany, NY

10:15 am - Train Departs for NYC

12:30 pm - Hopefully, the train will arrive on time at Penn Station, NYC

12:30 - 1:30 pm - Shop and sight see

2:00 pm - Mary Poppins play at the New Amsterdam Theater

5:00 - 8:00pm - More shopping and dinner

8:30pm - Board train for Albany, NY

We will then drive back from Albany to Utica and probably get back very late! I hope to post photos of our trip. I am going to bring my Canon point-and-shoot digital camera because I can't lug all the DSL camera equipment around with me for the day. So, I hope to at least get some photos for the scrapbook!

I hope that everyone has a good weekend, too!