Jim Colyer

I will travel with Globus/Monograms. I want to fly from Nashville to Philadelphia to Athens going and fly from Athens to Philadelphia to Nashville returning. Monograms will be waiting for me at the Airport in Athens with a sign. It is called transfer. Cynthia is my contact, and her extension is 7042. The Greece Escape tour is from November to March. I will have companions in the coach. Greece is the southernmost country in the Balkan Peninsula.

Day 1
Athens Airport - Globus/Monograms. Transfer. Meet tour guide and traveling companions.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 2
Acropolis means high place. It was built during the 5th century B.C. There are several temples on the Acropolis.

The Parthenon is on the Acropolis. It was built between 447 and 432 B.C. and dedicated to Athena. It housed the statue of Athena by Phidias.

Pericles finished the Parthenon, completed in 432 B.C. The Parthenon was designed by the sculptor Phidias and housed a statue of Athena, patron goddess of Athens.

Rome conquered Greece in 146 B.C. The Parthenon became a Christian church, then a Muslim mosque. Venetians besieged the Parthenon in 1687, leaving it in ruins. Lord Elgin shipped the "Elgin Marbles" to England, where they are housed in the British Museum.

Greek architecture with its marble columns influenced public buildings in Europe and America. Marble statues are idealized. Not only are gods and goddesses perfect, but humans are given godlike form.

The Erechtheum is a temple on the Acropolis dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. They had a contest.

The Erechtheum was named after Erechtheus, the legendary first king of Athens. Auriga the charioteer is associated with him.

Porch of the Maidens - 6 marble statues serve as columns of the Erechtheum, They are called Caryatids and face the Parthenon.

Temple of Athena Nike - This is the smallest temple on the Acropolis and portrays Athena as the goddess of victory. It was completed in 420 B.C. during the High Classical Period.

Temple of Zeus - Temple dedicated to Zeus, head of the Olympian gods.

Theater of Dionysus - The birthplace of Greek drama was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of ecstasy and wine. During the 5th century, the plays of tragedians Aeschylus, Euripides & Sophocles were performed here.

Thesium - The best preserved Greek temple is older than the Parthenon and was dedicated to Athena and Hephaestus as patrons of the arts. Socrates taught here.

The Agora was the marketplace and where people assembled for politics.

Panathenaic Stadium - Built for the Panathenaic games, this is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. Site of the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 3

Corinth is a city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth. Paul wrote 2 letters to them.

Corinth Canal - We cross this waterway separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece.

The Pelopponese peninsula looks like a hand with a thumb and 3 fingers. Sparta and Olympia are in the Pelopponese. Athens is not.

Mycenae - A bronze age city in the Peloponnese. Agamemnon was king of Mycenae and led the Greeks in the Trojan War according to Homer.

Treasury of Atreus - Called the Tomb of Agamemnon. Atreus was the father of Agamemnon.

Lion Gate - The main entrance to Mycenae, named for 2 lionesses above the entrance.

Agamemnon's Palace - Archaeological site at Mycenae 1350 B.C. to 1200 B.C.

Mycenae was the main Greek city when Homer wrote in 800 B.C. about the Trojan War of 1200 B.C. The Iliad and the Odyssey were already old during the classical Greece era 500-350 B.C. Troy was in modern Turkey on the other side of the Aegean.

Heinrich Schliemann, a German archaeologist, discovered Troy in 1870, and Mycenae in 1876. He found what he believed to be the death mask of Agamemnon. Schliemann's wife Sophia was photographed wearing jewelry found by her husband.

Epidaurus - This open-air theater in the Peloponnese is still used.

Nauplia - Seaport town in the Peloponnese. Its name has changed several times.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 4

Olympia - Spend the afternoon at Olympia in the Peloponnese. Olympia was a Greek sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. Temples of Zeus and Hera are located in Olympia.

The statue of Hermes by Praxiteles - Hermes and the infant Dionysus were discovered in the Temple of Hera and are on display in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

The Arkadian Mountains are in the Peloponnese.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 5

Delphi - Oracle of Delphi
Delphi was an ancient sanctuary sacred to Apollo. It was home to the oracle which predicted the future. It is on Mt. Parnassus. The Charioteer is a 5th century B.C. bronze statue in the Delphi Archeological Museum. Auriga the Charioteer is said to be the legendary ruler of Athens, Erichthonius. Zeus placed him in the sky.

Mount Parnassus is a mountain in central Greece. In mythology, it was sacred to Apollo and the home of the Muses.

Seaport of Patras - A fishing village.

Sirtaki - The dance from Zorba the Greek.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 6 - Meteroa area - The Meteora is a rock formation with Eastern Orthodox monasteries. 6 monasteries are built on natural pillars: Varlaam Monastery & St. Stephens Monastery. Nuns inhabit St. Stephens.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 7
Thermopylae & Marathon
Meteora area - Thermopylae - Athens
Thermopyae - Battle of Leonidas - 300 Spartans fought Xerxes' Persian army.
Lecture about Thebes, Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
Marathon - Athens and Persia were longtime enemies. The Greeks won at Marathon but lost at Thermopylae. Sparta whipped Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 8 - Breakfast - Transfer - Airport. Monograms will help me get checked in and on the plane. Come home and write my paper. Put it on my site and post it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Greece is the cradle of western civilization. Democracy, science, architecture, theater & philosophy have their roots here. The ancient Greeks codified the original 48 constellations. They had science even though it was ignored during the Middle Ages.

1 Thales of Miletus was the first scientist. He predicted a solar eclipse.

2 Aristarchus knew the earth revolved around the sun and that the sun was the center of the solar system.

3 Eratosthenes measured the earth's circumference to a degree of accuracy.

4 Hipparchus divided stars into 6 magnitudes, a system still used. He discovered precession, the 26,000 year wobble of Earth's axis.

5 Pythagoras knew the earth was a sphere.

6 Anaxagoras knew the moon reflected sunlight.

7 Heracleides Ponticus knew Venus and Mercury orbited the sun because they stayed close to it.

The great tragedians were:

1 Aeschylus wrote Prometheus Bound
2 Sophecles wrote Antigone
3 Eurripides wrote The Medea

Plays were performed at the theater of Dionysus near the Acropolis.

The philosophers were Socrates, Plato & Aristotle.

Aristotle retarded science for 1400 years. He was wrong about everything, and his teachings inexplicably became Church dogma.

Ancient Greece had its religion, very different from the monotheism of Judaism and Christianity. Gods and goddesses ruled over special areas. There were 12 Olympians:

1 Zeus - The sky god and leader became a swan in the constellation Cygnus and a bull in Taurus. He assumed guises to seduce women.

2 Hera was Zeus' wife. She resented his affairs and sent a crab (constellation Cancer) to attack Heracles, Zeus' illegitimate son. We know him by his Latin name, Hercules. Greeks thought the Milky Way was Hera's milk.

3 Poseidon was a brother of Zeus and ruled the sea. In the movie Ulysses, Kirk Douglas destroyed Poseidon's (Neptune's) statue. Poseidon cursed him, and that is why it took Ulysses 10 years to get home from the Trojan War.

4 Hades was a brother of Zeus and ruled the Underworld. Romans called him Pluto.

5 Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war & the arts. She sprang from Zeus' head. The olive tree was sacred to Athena.

6 Apollo was the god of the sun, music & prophecy. Greeks went to oracles to seek advice and to learn about the future. Apollo's oracle at Delphi was the most famous.

7 Artemis was a huntress and associated with the moon. She befriended Orion, which made her brother Apollo jealous. Apollo sent a scorpion (constellation Scorpius) to kill Orion.

8 Demeter ruled over the harvest. We see her in the sky as the constellation Virgo.

9 Aphrodite - The goddess of love and beauty was the wife of the crippled Hephaestus.

10 Hephaestus was a metalworker. He made armor for Greek heroes. Romans called him Vulcan.

11 Hermes - The gods' messenger escorted the dead to Hades.

12 Ares was the god of war. Wonder Woman killed him in the 2017 movie.

Revised 2018

ITINERARY
Countries Visited
Greece

Cities Visited
Arachova, Athens, Delphi, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Nauplia, Olympia

Tour Itinerary
You've seen photos of the ancient Acropolis in Athens, dating back to the 5th century BC—now’s your chance to see it in person on this escorted Greek vacation. You've watched the Olympics on TV—now’s your chance to walk among the ruins in Olympia, where the Olympics began in 776 BC. You've eaten at Greek restaurants—now's your chance to enjoy an authentic Greek cooking demonstration, where you'll learn how to make the traditional Greek tzatziki appetizer. All this and more await you on this Greek Escape.History comes alive on your guided visits to many of Greece's ancient sites. In addition to the Acropolis and Olympia, you'll also visit the ruins in Mycenae, dating from 1,350 to 1,200 BC and described in Homer’s epic poem, “Iliad.” Also see the amazingly well-preserved, 2,300-year-old open-air theater in Epidaurus. In ancient Greece, people traveled to Delphi to seek the wisdom of the Oracle. Learn about the Oracle, tour the excavations, and visit the Archaeological Museum. To add to your Greek experience enjoy a Sirtaki dance lesson and try a glass of ouzo. Plus, you'll be accompanied by an expert Tour Director who will bring this country to life by sharing its history, stories, and insider secrets. From the picturesque fishing villages to ancient historic sights, the Greek Escape has it all!

Day 1: ARRIVE IN ATHENS, GREECE.
Welcome to Athens! At 6 pm, meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink with your Tour Director.

Day 2: ATHENS.
Sightseeing with a Local Guide features a visit to the world-famous ACROPOLIS, perched high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. Here, see the Parthenon, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the Temple of Athena Nike, and enjoy a panoramic view that includes glimpses of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora, where Socrates taught, with the beautifully preserved Theseum. Later, a city orientation tour features the Parliament House and a picture stop at the Panathenaic Stadium. Built in the 2nd century AD, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble, and was host to the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight is your chance to join an optional dinner outing to try the local fare. (B)

Day 3: ATHENS–CORINTH CANAL–MYCENAE–EPIDAURUS–NAUPLIA.
Stop at the spectacular Corinth Canal to take a photo. Highlights today include MYCENAE, where 19th-century excavations reveal impressions of the splendors so vividly described by Homer. Admire the Beehive Tombs, known as the Treasury of Atreus; Lion Gate, Europe’s oldest known monument; the remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace, and the impressive fortifications of the Citadel. Also visit the museum before a short drive to EPIDAURUS for a tour of its amazingly well-preserved 2,300-year-old open-air theater. Stay overnight in nearby Nauplia. (B,D)

Day 4: NAUPLIA–OLYMPIA.
Take in the spectacular scenery on the way through the Arkadian Mountains. Then, spend the afternoon in OLYMPIA, where the athletes of antiquity competed in honor of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk among the impressive remains of the Gymnasium and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Also visit the MUSEUM that displays Praxiteles’ magnificent statue of Hermes. Tonight, enjoy [LF] a COOKING DEMONSTRATION and learn how to make the traditional Greek tzatziki appetizer. (B,D)

Day 5: OLYMPIA–DELPHI.
Journey to mystic Delphi. The afternoon is devoted to a fascinating tour of the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. End the day with a visit to the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer, an extraordinary 5th-century-BC bronze statue. A highlight this evening is [LF] a DANCE LESSON, where you’ll learn how to dance the sirtaki, made famous in the movie Zorba the Greek, accompanied by a glass of the traditional Ouzo. (B,D)

Day 6: DELPHI–ARACHOVA–ATHENS.
Leave fascinating Delphi behind you this morning and head back to Athens stopping en-route in the pretty town of Arachova located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, boasting panoramic views. Stroll around the town and admire the picturesque architecture before arriving in Athens with time to do some last-minute exploring on your own. Tonight is your chance to savor more Greek delicacies with an optional dinner at a local restaurant. (B)

Day 7: ATHENS.
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The Contest of Poseidon and Athena

There was a contest between Athena (goddess of wisdom) and Poseidon (god of the sea) to determine which one would be the patron deity of Athens. They were asked to offer a gift. Poseidon offered water, which was salty and of no use. Athena offered the olive tree as a symbol of peace and prosperity. Athens won, and Athens was named after her.

I flew to Hong Kong, October 31, 2016, for 4 days and 3 nights. I flew American Airlines and changed planes in L.A. going and coming. My host (Lyona) from Globus/Monograms met me.

Hong Kong is an island city off the Chinese mainland. It was a British colony for 156 years except during the Japanese occupation in World War II. Victoria Harbor's location on the South China Sea is what attracted the British. The Hong Kong archipelago has 260 islands. Lantau is the largest.

With a population of 7 million, Hong Kong is a Chinese Manhattan. Hong Kong Island is across the Harbor from Kowloon (Cow-loon). That tall skyscraper is the International Commerce Center. The currency is the Hong Kong dollar.

Hong Kong was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997. It is a Special Administrative Region under "one country, two systems." The SAR includes Kowloon. Lyona said there were still about 25,000 British here.

Both Chinese and English are official languages. Road signs are in English, and cars drive on the left side. Hong Kongers love to shop and dine.

The Chinese have no alphabet. Written language consists of characters, squares and crisscrossing lines. Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong.

Lyona escorted me up Victoria Peak to see the city and the Harbor. The Peak and the Harbor were named after the British queen.

I was given a sampan boat ride, and we passed by the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. We drove through Wan Chai, the red light district in "The World Of Suzie Wong." We stopped to enter the movie's hotel. Of course, it looked nothing like it did in 1960.

Lyona knew about Elvis Presley, and we sang "Love Me Tender." She helped me check into the hotel in Kowloon. The Chinese people I encountered were polite and accommodating. They had thick black hair.

I went to Big Buddha on Lantau Island. It is a gigantic statue. 20% of Hong Kongers are Buddhists. I befriended an Australian couple, and we had lunch in a Buddhist monastery.

I had heard rumors about Hong Kong food. The only bad food I got was the Shanghai noodles. They were rubbery like bubble gum, and I could not eat them.

I stayed in the hotel at night watching Fox News. Donald Trump was on the verge of winning the 2016 presidential election.

Nearby Macau was a Portuguese colony. Called the "Vegas of the East," it is the only place in China with legal gambling.

Latitude lines are north and south from the equator. Longitude lines (meridians) run from the North Pole to the South Pole. The Prime Meridian is in Greenwich, England, a London suburb. From Greenwich, east and west longitude lines run 180 degrees around the globe to meet at the International Date Line.

Louisville latitude 38 N
Louisville longitude 85 W
Nashville latitude 36 N
Nashville longitude 86 W
Hong Kong latitude 22 N
Hong Kong longitude 114 E

Revised 2018

I flew to Denver, August 10, 2013, with Southwest Airlines. I checked in and got my boarding pass. I had a compact waiting from E-Z Rent-A-Car. I had my Mastercard, drivers license & proof of insurance.

I checked into the Ramada on E. Colfax and hung out on the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. There were shops and restaurants. I bought a T-shirt at the Hard Rock Cafe and told the girl about my song, "Save The Planet."

17th Street is Denver's financial district, the Wall Street of the West. The Cash Register Building is the Wells Fargo Center, and I walked around it. I wanted to tour the Denver Mint, but settled for seeing it out of the corner of my eye as I was leaving town.

Denver was founded in 1858. It is called the Mile High City because it is 5280 feet above sea level. I-25 runs north and south. I-70 runs east and west. Denver is in the Mountain Time Zone.

The Rocky Mountains have minerals, and mining is important to Denver's economy. There are companies related to energy and the space program.

I drove north to Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Perseid meteor shower was clouded out. I cannot control nature. I found the observatory and listened to a lecture about planets with the local club. I slept in McDonald's parking lot.

I toured Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove Trail Ridge Road to the Continental Divide, the point from which water flows west into the Pacific and east into the Atlantic. I stood at the sign marking the Divide.

We stopped at the Alpine Visitors Center 12,000 feet up. The view was rough. It was windy and chilly. Thunder and lightning were in the distance.

Trail Ridge Road is 48 miles long, the highest paved road in the country. Our guide talked geology: glaciers and moraines. Moraines are debris left by glaciers. He spoke of tree lines and tundra. Tundra is treeless.

I stayed at the Discovery Lodge in Estes Park. I watched Little Big Town host the CMA Music Fest. I drove by the Stanley Hotel, built by F.O. Stanley of Steamer fame.

From Estes Park, it is an hour and 20 minutes back to Denver. I dropped the car off, checked in at Southwest, found my gate and flew to Nashville.

Revised 2018

I went to Bolivia for the Southern Skies Star Party, July 14-21, 2012. I flew to Miami and hooked up with Jen Winter's group. There were 8 of us. From Miami, we flew over Cuba, Central America & down the west coast of South America. We changed planes in Lima, Peru, and flew to La Paz.

A van took us to the Inca Utama Hotel on Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. The Southern Hemisphere is a challenge! My goal was to have a second experience with the southern stars and constellations. I was at 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains.

I took a day trip to Tiwanaku, a pre-Columbian archaeological site. Puma Punku is a temple, meaning "entrance of the puma." I saw ruins, but no signs of ancient aliens!

Myself and 2 others climbed a hill to look at the Andes range. A panorama of Lake Titicaca was on one side and snow-capped mountains on the other. We took the wrong path coming down, and I could see the headlines: "Lost in the Andes!" We kept moving toward the lake and finally came across a farmer, who drove us to our hotel.

Our group toured La Paz, the highest capital city in the world. It sits in a "bowl" surrounded by mountains. Population is over a million. We walked the La Paz streets, where people drive like maniacs and think nothing about walking out in traffic. Dark-skinned women wear wide skirts and bowler hats. Dogs are everywhere, and the Spanish is annoying. Bolivia is a Third World country.

Lake Titicaca is partly in Bolivia, partly in Peru. Bolivia is landlocked. I thought it would be nice if Peru gave Bolivia a strip of land to the ocean. Countries are territorial!

I thought Bolivia would be my last trip out of the U.S. until I decided to go to Hong Kong. Traveling is work! Airport security makes it hard, as do foreign languages. I get a certain knowledge, and it draws me to new experiences.

I have traveled on 5 continents: 43 states and 12 foreign countries. I am an astronomer and a world traveler. An adventurer!


Email...
I did not bring anything back. No coins or pictures. I write! Memories are my souvenirs.

We entered a church on the square in La Paz. Bolivians are Catholic, descended from the Spanish conquistadors who conquered the region. Bolivian history is in 3 parts: pre-Columbian, colonial & the Republic. Bolivia got its independence from Spain in 1825, led by Simon Bolivar, for whom the country was named.

I hate foreign languages. Spanish, in particular, gets on my nerves, and here I was surrounded by a million people speaking Spanish. I was nice to the Bolivians, especially to our guide and the ones who worked at the hotel. The hotel was clean and the food excellent. They fed us well. We ate llama.

The Milky Way was a grand spectacle, as it was in Australia 10 years earlier. When we look into its thickest part, we are looking toward the center of our disk-shaped galaxy. There are 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, and our solar system lies toward the outer edge, safe from the chaos in the center.

Alpha Centauri is the 3rd brightest star and closest system to Earth at 4.4 light-years: 25 trillion miles. Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri were called the "eyes of the llama" by pre-Columbians. I still see those 2 bright stars shining over Lake Titicaca!

Stars are suns, and exoplanets are being discovered. The search for extraterrestrial life is on! There were telescopes behind our hotel, and members of our group located objects and showed them to me. A globular cluster called Omega Centauri stood out. This fuzzy ball is composed of millions of stars.

There is a South Pole star! It is much dimmer than the North Star, but constellations like the Southern Cross appear to circle it.

Earth revolves around the sun with its axis tilted 23 1/2 degrees, causing the seasons. Summer in the United States means winter in Bolivia. Winter in July! It was mild, however, the temperature no colder than 40 degrees.

We visited Tiwanaku and Puma Punku, ruins featured in the Ancient Aliens series. Some people think they were built by aliens. I do not. Nor do I subscribe to UFOs, which are made-up stories. Not to say there is no extraterrestrial life! With billions of galaxies, there may be.

Revised 2018

Michael and I made our second trip to New York, September 24-26, 2009. We made our way from Kennedy Airport in Queens to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. We again ferried to the Statue of Liberty. The Statue is a National Monument. They were taking 200 people a day to the crown and were booked until January. We headed for Times Square and the Portland Square Hotel, where we checked into our room and prepared for "Kristina in Concert." The Portland Square Hotel is located at 132 West 47th Street and now called the Sanctuary Hotel. I used my AAA card.

"Kristina in Concert" was at Carnegie Hall, and we saw it on September 24. The characters lined up in front of the orchestra to sing their parts. It was nearly 3 hours, and the melodies were full of emotion. Even though it was in English, the lyrics were still difficult to understand. Of course, I knew the story. Leaving the theater, Michael asked me what I thought. I told him it was an accomplishment, and I saw it with my son! We sat high in the balcony, close to the edge. A dangerous spot! Benny and Bjorn were in the audience and came to the stage at the concert's end. The song getting the biggest ovation was "The Gold Turned To Sand." Carnegie Hall was built by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1891. It is located at 57th Street. After the show, Michael and I went to a karaoke bar at Times Square. I sang "Dancing Queen."

We walked from Times Square to the Financial District. We entered the New York Life Building. We were given a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and were taken to its Gold Vault underground. We saw $190 billion in gold. Michael remembered that one bar was worth $118,000. I was biting my nails, and he asked me if I was nervous. It was the gold! We returned to the charging bull and got pictures. Michael rubbed the bull's balls for good luck.

We took the subway to the Bronx, to 161st Street and the new Yankee Stadium. It was built beside the old one. It is Steinbrenner's legacy. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 9-5. The Stadium was the star, and we walked around it, viewing the game from every angle. There were huge posters of Yankee greats: Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio & Mantle. I choked up as we entered the Cathedral. We were among friends.

Our last day, we found Rockefeller Center and the NBC Studios. We saw the statue of Prometheus, and I told Michael about the Greek myth, how Prometheus gave the gift of fire to mankind and was punished by Zeus until Hercules set him free.

Our trip ended with a ride through Central Park. We stopped at the John Lennon Imagine Mosaic, and Michael took my picture giving the peace sign. Everyone else was flashing the sign, so I did it. The Dakota was nearby, and I recalled how Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman in December, 1980, and how I called Karen after seeing the story on the front page of the Tennessean. Chapman made no attempt to escape. He sat on the steps and waited for the police. Our driver said Yoko still lives in the Dakota.

Flying back to Nashville, I told Michael how I fed him a bottle in the bedroom in Lebanon while reading about New York. I read that Central Park got its name from being at the center of Manhattan. Michael told me it was his dream to go to New York. He has been twice!


NEW YORK CITY 2005
Tuesday, August 9 (Day 1) - Michael and Karen came to my apartment at 4:30 in the morning. I met them in the garage, and Karen drove us to the airport. We left Nashville on Delta Flight 5405. It was Michael's first time on a plane, a good thing about the trip. We changed planes in Cincinnati and arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York. We took the airbus to Lower Manhattan. The first day was hard! We spotted the Empire State Building in the distance and kept walking. The Empire State Building is at 5th Avenue & 34th St. It was built 1930-31, and the architecture reflects the period. It is shaped like a pencil! There are 102 floors. The observatory is on the 86th. The line was long, and I told Michael the story of how I came here in the army. It was a cold, windy night. My hat blew off, and I had to chase it. We looked down on Manhattan as I had years ago. 20,000 buildings can be seen. Back on the street, we entered Central Park. Joggers ran past. I felt we were getting in deep, so we retraced our steps. We found Times Square! Michael was elated, and I realized what Times Square meant to him from seeing it on television. He took pictures from every angle. Night fell! We were turned away from hotels and went into TGI Friday's. The Yankees were playing the White Sox on the Yes Network. We watched the game and talked about staying up all night. We went looking one last time and found the Portland Square Hotel. A miracle! The room was small but clean and quiet. Best of all, it was right around the corner from Times Square and the Palace Theatre, where we had tickets for a Broadway show. Nothing is cheap, and I tried to keep spending under control while doing what we came to do. Michael had his cell phone and stayed in touch with his mother and friends. People were everywhere! We dodged them. Horns blew, and cabs whizzed! Michael and I stayed close. We had a flexible plan and adjusted it as we went along. We walked for long stretches, then sat and rested.

Wednesday, August 10 (Day 2) - We made our way to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx by subway. It is at 161st & River Ave. We were in the upper deck down the third base line. The game took up a good part of the day. I wanted a day game so there would be light when we hit the street. The Yankees played the Chicago White Sox. It was traditional American League baseball. The Yankees lost, but the main thing was that we experienced a game at Yankee Stadium. There were some leftovers from the great team of the 1990s: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada & manager Joe Torre. The Stadium itself was the attraction. I noted the big "NY" behind home plate and the facade in the outfield. I recalled how Mickey Mantle came within inches of hitting one out. The Yankees dugout was on the first base side.

Thursday, August 11 (Day 3) -
This was the day we cracked New York! We rode the subway to Lower Manhattan and Ground Zero. It was fenced in, and we walked around the perimeter. It was a solemn site, not unlike Pearl Harbor. It was not so emotional at this point, but we wondered what things were like on that day. Michael pointed to the cross. From Ground Zero, we hoofed it to Wall Street as I had done before. Wall Street is the country's financial center, and Michael wanted to see the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are bought and sold. NYSE lists 2800 companies and has the largest trading volume of any stock exchange except NASDAQ. This was an education for Michael. Wall Street got its name from the wall built by the Dutch to keep the Indians out. The British took New Amsterdam and renamed it New York after the Duke of York. We moved toward Battery Park. A German girl took our picture as we ferried to the Statue of Liberty. She was from Hamburg, so we talked about The Beatles and the Star Club. Michael and I spent an hour on Liberty Island looking up at the green Statue. His Liberty pictures are like post cards. He was seeing New York for the first time! The Statue was a gift from the French, done by sculptor Bartholdi to commemorate French support during the American Revolution. Lady Liberty holds a tablet reading July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals. Her official name is "Liberty Enlightening the World." Her arm is straight, and she holds a torch. 7 rays on her crown represent the 7 continents. Battery Park is so named because of the guns that defended Manhattan. We returned to our room to rest. It was a hot day! I was thirsty, and water fountains were not to be found. I secured our tickets for "All Shook Up." The show was at the Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway. I remembered the address because it was the year Shakespeare was born. We sat in the balcony. The theatre was ornate, and the usher said it was about a hundred years old. "All Shook Up" combined the music of Elvis Presley with the plot of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. We went to our room for our last night in New York.

Michael had to see Trump Tower, so we found it. It is residential, condominiums for the rich. Donald Trump is a real estate developer and Michael's hero. I took a picture of Michael against the backdrop of Trump and his wife, Melania. Michael bought shirts at Brooks Brothers, and the clerk told him Trump's assistant came in the day before. We passed Rockefeller Center and got pictures of Prometheus and Radio City Music Hall. We ate at ESPN Zone.

Friday, August 12 (Day 4) - On our way out of town, we stopped by New York University. Washington Square Park is on the edge of NYU, and we saw the Arch. We entered the book store. Michael compared its business books to MTSU's. We got to Kennedy Airport with time to spare and ate at Chili's Too. It was a straight flight to Nashville. Karen met us.

I had in mind to take Michael to 3 sections of the United States: up east, down south & out west. New York and Washington, D.C. were up east. Daytona Beach was down south. Las Vegas and California were out west. My earlier trips were preparation for these trips with Michael.


NEW YORK CITY 1984
I spent 2 days in Manhattan in October, 1984. My first stop was Dinosaur Hall in the American Museum of Natural History near Central Park. Dinosaur-mania was talking hold, and I saw tyrannosaurus, brontosaurus, triceratops & stegosaurus. Some fossilized eggs added credibility to the existence of these creatures. I attended a show at the Hayden Planetarium.

My second day began at the top of the World Trade Center (the one without the tower). I looked down on the Statue of Liberty. It was being renovated. From the Towers, I hoofed it to Wall Street. The street was short and nearly deserted. George Washington was inaugurated here in 1789. I rode a bus up the Avenue of the Americas to Midtown, where I saw the statue of Prometheus against the RCA Building. In Greek mythology, Prometheus taught man how to use fire. His statue shows him descending from Mount Olympus encircled by the Zodiac. I wanted to see the Rockettes, but they were not performing. In my room, I watched the presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. The morning before I left, I took a bus out 42nd Street to the United Nations. I entered the building but did not take the tour. I glimpsed Madison Square Garden.


NEW YORK STATE April & August, 1974
With Chester on the truck! We went to Erie, Pennsylvania, and across upstate New York: Rochester and Syracuse. We spent the night in Binghamton. We were in New York when the tornado hit Louisville on April 3. The closer we got to Louisville, the more we heard about it. It took the roof off Candy's house.

PHILADELPHIA & NEW YORK CITY December, 1970
In Philadelphia, I saw the Liberty Bell through the window of Independence Hall. In New York, I ascended the Empire State Building and blitzed through Greenwich Village. I was in the army and made these trips with 2 guys from Valley Forge Hospital. It was cold and windy in New York, and my saucer cap blew off at the top of the Empire State Building. I caught it before it went over the edge.

Revised 2018