An early summer weekend trip to New York. I was mainly in New York to attend a travelers convention - which is a causal gathering of people who like to travel. I consider it a networking with other travelers. We had two events - dinner at La Bonne Soupe and an upscale dinner party at North Square. I stayed at the Omni Berkshire hotel on Madison Avenue and 52nd street. I have stayed here before and love the hotel for its rooms and location.
In addition to the traveler meetups, I visited the US Military Academy in West Point. There is a large visitors center with a museum and a guided tour of the campus and church. I had lunch at the Thayer, a historical hotel just outside the Academy. There are good views of the Hudson river at the hotel.
I also visited the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. This museum is located inside the USS Intrepid, a warship used in World War II and the Vietnam War. On the flight deck are fighter planes and helicopters. Inside, there are control rooms, a ready room, and a food court located in the ship's dining area.
In addition to the USS Intrepid, there is also the submarine USS Growler, Space Shuttle Enterprise (the exhibit is currently closed for repairs from Hurricane Sandy), and a Concorde. There is a tour for the Concorde where you go inside the supersonic airplane to see the passenger cabin and cockpit. Inside the Concorde, it feels like a regional jet with the seats arranged in 2x2 with the legroom of American's economy extra seats. In order to achieve the high speeds, the Concorde is basic - no inflight entertainment systems (other than altitude information) or fancy chandeliers. However, the service is first class with gourmet meals and attentive service (5 or 6 flight attendants for up to 100 passengers). Celebrities, doctors, lawyers, and some business executives fly on the Concorde. Speed is the main luxury of the Concorde - it can fly across the Atlantic in about 3.5 hours where other jets take 7-8 hours. When flying the Concorde sounds like a fighter plane and the sonic boom sounds like a cannon.
More New York pictures.
