Time to Go (December 22, 2010)

After a few days in Sydney, Connor decided it was time to go home. The trip was cut short by about 10 days. Australia was fun. However, life has a way of taking priority.

I, Michael, have decided to stay behind and complete the journey. The rest of the trip will be detailed at http://whereintheworldismichaelt.blogspot.com.

The Sydney Opera House (December 21, 2010)

The Sydney Opera House has an hour long tour you can take. The tour is quite good. You get to see several of the inside theaters, learn the history of how it was made, and see a special new room dedicated to the architect.

The story of how the Opera House was made is quite interesting and involves slipped schedules, budget overruns, and politics.

Bus Tour (December 20, 2010)

After climbing the bridge, we took a bus tour of Sydney. The tours are very touristy but you do get a quick overview of the city in an easy ride. The bus was an open roof double decker. We sat on the top deck and had a great time.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 3) (December 20, 2010)

Mary was waiting for us on the way out. She was actually good enough to see us on the hike up the bridge and get a few pictures also. It was quite an experience. One that we will likely not ever do again.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 2) (December 20, 2010)

We spoke to a lot of people about the bridge climb before we did it. The bridge is very high. Everyone we spoke to said, it was not scary at all. If there was any part that was scary, it was the first part before you get onto the bridge.

The bridge climb is open in all kinds of weather. The only thing that will shut it down is a heavy electrical storm. Opra Winfrey was in town a few days earlier and made the climb. Heck, if Opra can do it we should be able to also.

On the day we decided to climb, there were very high winds. The winds were 50 kph with gusts higher. The climb was scary. We were fully equipped with climbing gear and were attached to a metal wire that runs the length of the climb.

The first part of the climb is actually below the bridge. You walk along very narrow pathways until you get to the main pylons. At the pylons you climb up 4 flights of stairs until you are out on the bridge. This was supposed to be the scary part. It was a cake walk compared to the rest.

Once we were out on the bridge, you could really feel the winds. Everyone was wearing a very baggy climbing suit that caught the wind very well. As we walked, we were being blown by the wind towards the edge. We never really lifted up by the wind, but we did have to fight the wind to stay upright.

We made it to the top. (There really was no other option.) It was amazing and scary at the top.

We were not allowed to bring cameras. The tour guide was. He took pictures at several places along the way. Of course, the pictures were available for sale at the end of the hike.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 1) (December 20, 2010)

One of the “must do” things in Sydney is to climb the Harbour Bridge. What? When you first see this thing, it is huge. Climbers must walk along the outer arch until the top, cross to the other side, and walk down. Wow!

Connor and I decided this was something we had to do. We showed up at the climb location and learned all about it.

This is a 4 hour experience. The first hour is spent properly training and equipping each person with the right gear. The gear includes a jump suit, hat, handkerchief, radio, and jacket. You are not allowed to bring anything that can fall on the climb. No wallets, cameras, or coins.

After getting suited up, you are put through basic training with in-house ladders and equipment. Are you sure you still want to do this?

We agreed and began a grand adventure.

Time shifting (December 20, 2010)

One of the biggest issues with traveling this far is time shifting. You need to make the local time “your” local time as quickly as possible. This is not always easy to do.

We arrived at the hotel 9:45 AM, December 19, 2010. Our goal was to stay awake until 10:00 PM. We were not successful. By 7:00 PM, everyone gave in to sleep.

December 20, 2010, we all slept in and thought we had made the transition. By 9:00 PM, it was all over. We at least made it long enough to see some of Sydney at night.

Opera House

The Sydney Opera House really does dominate the scenery at the waterfront. Here is one more picture of all of us across the harbour.

They really do sell this stuff (December 19, 2010)

We went to “The Rocks” to see the art and street festival. We got there right as it was closing. At least a few vendors were still open. This vendor sold some interesting jerky. Since we were in Australia, we got the Kangaroo jerky. It was actually pretty good. There is no more left.

Quay Grand Hotel (December 19, 2010)

We finally got to check into our hotel room around 2:00 PM. It was worth the wait. All of the hotel booking was done via the Internet using TripAdvisor for opinions. TripAdvisor has been excellent. This room was no exception. When we walked in the room, we were all just “Wow!”. The room was directly on the water with a great balcony, full kitchen, and view of the Harbour Bridge.

Initial Sightseeing (December 19, 2010)

Our plan was to take the first day to do nothing but adjust to the new time zone. When we got to the hotel our room was not ready. You do have to be flexible when traveling. Things do not always go according to plan.

We decided to go sightseeing. Our hotel is located on the waterfront of Circular Quay. This is the center of the tourist area in Sydney.

We were able to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera house easily. Both are impressive sights.

The longest flight ever (December 19, 2010)

At 14 hours, this was our longest flight ever. The Tokyo flight was very close. For most ocean flights, the airplane tries to stay above land as long as possible before making the ocean crossing, not this flight. We took out over the Pacific from the start and made a straight line for Australia.

The flight was excellent! We were served three meals, had lay flat beds, and individual video monitors with access to hundreds of movies and shows. 14 hours is a long time, but when you can eat, watch movies, and sleep when you want, it is pretty enjoyable. We are looking forward to the flight home.

We lost a day (December 18, 2010)

Traveling takes time. Traveling to Australia takes a lot of time.

We left Melbourne, FL, USA at 3:00 PM on December 17, and arrived at the hotel in Sydney Australia at 9:45 AM on December 19. What happened to December 18, 2010? At no point in time, were we on the ground on December 18, 2010.

Awesome Upgrade (December 17, 2010)

I had been working to get flight upgrades for the family ever since booking the tickets 9 months ago. There were just no upgrades available. Delta did offer to sell us seats at ~$15K each for the upgrade. No.

We were in LA at the departure gate to Sydney; the gate agent knew we were looking for upgrades. Only after the boarding process started and Delta realized they might not sell the seats, did upgrade seats become available. We worked out the details and made it to the front of the plane. We got full flat seats for the 14 hour flight. It was an awesome upgrade.

Another adventure starts! (December 17, 2010)

We are off again. This time we are going to go farther than we ever have before. We are on our way to Australia. This trip will take us half way around the world in both directions, west and south. This will be Connor’s first full trip to the southern hemisphere. It is summer down there. Florida has been very cold this winter. It is time to get warm.

Our passports are ready, we have our Australian Electronic Visas, let’s go!

Empire State Building Fireworks (July 4, 2010)

There was a limited ticket access to go to the 86th floor Observation Deck and watch the fireworks. Imagine the opportunity to watch the fireworks from above instead of below. It seemed like a good idea and Mary was excited about it. We bought the tickets. While we were checking in, it became clear we got the last three tickets available. The show was amazing. Macy’s had six different barges in the Hudson River spread across 20 or more streets. Each barge had the same show all synchronized to a radio broadcast. From our viewpoint, we could see all six barge’s fireworks at the same time. It was really an amazing show. This was the largest fireworks show any of us had ever seen. It was a great way to wrap up a 4th of July weekend in New York City. We have had a blast!

Fireworks (July 4, 2010)

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was the big deal of the day. After that, we thought we could go somewhere and see fireworks, this is New York City. Only after talking to the concierge at the hotel did we realize, this is New York City, Macy’s puts on the biggest fireworks display in the nation. Wow! The next question was, where do we go to see the fireworks? The answer was the Hudson river. The same place Captain Scully landed the airplane a while back. Then the concierge gave us a really interesting idea.

Joey Chestnut (July 4, 2010)

About the time we were finishing our hot dogs, Joey Chestnut, winner of the 2010 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, showed up. People were chanting his name. Joey was posing for a few pictures. Connor and I ran up to him. Connor asked for a picture and Joey obliged. This was a very cool moment.

Nathan’s Hot Dogs (July 4, 2010)

We waited about an hour after the hot dog contest to try and get a hot dog. Nathan’s was still packed. We did need a hot dog from the original Nathan’s Hot Dogs so we waited in line about 20 minutes (for a hot dog!). Nathan’s could not cook the hot dogs fast enough. 3 of the 4 sides of the building were open with cash registers. There were 20 minute lines in all directions. Eventually, we succeeded got our hot dogs and sat down to eat. Then something amazing happened.

Shoot the Freak (July 4, 2010)

This is the ultimate in what the carnival atmosphere on Coney Island has become. The setting is a trash filled pit with a few physical obstacles and a balcony that shooters stand on. You pay the money (5$ for 15 shots) and a real person will go out into the pit wearing protective gear and you get to shoot at him. This is both awesome and sick at the same time. Of course, I had to do it. My shots were accurate and when the 15 shots were over several observers commented me on my accuracy. The freak was hit in the head more than one time.

http://www.coneyislandfunguide.com/Attraction/Shoot-the-Freak.htm

Coney Island (July 4, 2010)

This was our first trip to Coney Island. Imagine a traveling carnival that has stopped moving, parked itself on the beach, and multiplied. This is Coney Island. The place was absolutely packed. There were crowds everywhere. The beach was a sea of tents. There were permanent carnival rides and booths everywhere. It was very hot and very crowded. Unless you are into hot dog eating contests, you should stay away on July 4th.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest (July 4, 2010)

This was the main reason for the trip. Connor and I have been watching this on TV for years. It is now time to see it live.

There were over 75,000 people in the crowd. The street was very crowded. We were standing, packed, in the blazing heat, for two hours waiting for the event to start. The crowd was approaching mob status while waiting for the event.

Finally, the contest started. There was controversy over Takeru Kobayashi not being allowed to compete. Joey Chestnut wins! He comes nowhere near last year’s total without competition.

The event was a total freak show emphasizing every Coney Island stereotype you have ever heard. We had a blast!

Time Square Dinner (July 3, 2010)

We had dinner in Times Square. This was a repeat experience. The Olive Garden in Times Square has windows that overlook the scene below. If you time it right, you can see Times Square transition from daytime to nighttime. It is great.

Yankee Stadium (July 3, 2010)

Our typical travel agenda includes one must do activity each day. Once that item is complete, we can do whatever other ideas we have. This way you are not stressed while doing one activity about trying to get to the next.

After making back to Battery Park on the ferry, we were ready to go for our next idea. This idea was watching a New York Yankee’s game. Doing this involved several challenges including transportation and tickets.

The subway is supposed to be the best way to get to Yankee Stadium from Battery Park. We caught the 4 train and were on our way. Along the way, we got to encounter interesting subway riders and watch the car get more and more full until with made it to Yankee Stadium.

Now we needed tickets. This is a father son learning opportunity. I found a scalper and asked him for 3 tickets together. He handed me three tickets. I asked Connor to make sure the tickets were together, they were not. Scalpers will not always tell you the truth. Eventually, we found three tickets together and made it inside to the game.

It was a great game. It was also blazing hot in the stadium. We got to see New York get 11 runs in one inning. Absolutely amazing, the crowd went wild. The New York Yankees won!

The Statue of Liberty (July 3, 2010)

It is time to go back to the Statue of Liberty. This time, we have a different agenda. We have tickets to climb up and see the view from inside the crown. The tickets were reserved months in advance. You can’t just show up and get the tickets. We were at Battery Park early and made the first boat to the island. Once off the boat, we found the Ranger Station and got our black wrist bands. There is a special line and access for the trip to the crown. Only 240 people per day are allowed to the top. There were lots of stairs through the pedestal to the base of the statue. The staircase from the statue base to the crown was a double spiral, one path going up wrapped around another path going down. We finally made it to the top! It was a hike, but worth it. We were the first group to the top this day. This gave us full access to the view.

Rockefeller Center in the Summer (July 2, 2010)

We have only seen Rockefeller Center in the winter months. One of the most interesting parts is the ice skating rink in the middle. We wondered, what do they do with the ice skating rink in the summer? It gets converted into a bar and restaurant.

On the ground (July 2, 2010)

We have a basic pattern for what works when you land in a new place. First, find your hotel and drop off your gear. Steps two and three can be switched. Second, meet with the hotel concierge for maps, ideas, and any other tips they have. Third, get something to eat. The concierge is a very important part of the process. You can find your way completely on your own, and we have. In New York City, the concierge has all kinds if ideas you may have never learned about. There is so much to do here; you really should ask a local for some suggestions. Once the first three steps were completed, we enjoyed the streets of New York City. We found one really cool place. Unfortunately, we were not able to go in.

Another adventure starts! (July 2, 2010)

We are off again. We had planned for our family summer vacation to be a cross country drive. The idea was to drive from Seattle, Washington to New York City, New York. It was great. I planned the end of the trip in New York City and was very excited. Before booking the airline tickets, I tried to plan the rest of the trip. It was going to take a lot of driving, a lot of driving. That would have been a lot of fun for me and probably not a lot of fun for Mary and Connor. The trip got canceled. Due to other events, it ended up being a good idea. However, the New York City ideas were just too good to let go of. We decided to keep the end of the trip and take a 4th of July weekend trip to New York City.

This was our third trip to New York City as a family. This is one of the greatest cities in the United States. Each time we go, there are still plenty of things to do we have never done before. This is our first trip to New York City in the summer. It should be different again.

Commentary: New York City at Thanksgiving (November 30, 2009)

This trip greatly exceeded our expectations. We did not have much time to plan the trip before we went. Actually, the only thing we knew we were going to do at the start was go to the Macy’s Thanksgivings Day Parade. Everything else we did we figured out when we were there.

There is so much to do in New York City. This was our second trip as a family and there are still more things that we want to do.

Commentary: Blog Updates (November 30, 2009)

Why no Blog updates during this trip? Because we were just too busy to make any updates. There is so much to do in New York City that you wake up, go adventure, and get back to your room so worn out that all you want to do is sleep and charge up for the next day.