6 May 2000 - New York City
Traveled today by train (SEPTA, NJTransit & MTA) to Manhatten to see the new Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. I took the Eighth Avenue subway (C-train) from Penn Station to the museum. If I had wanted to, I would not have had to go outside from the time I got on the train in Trenton, NJ until I got back to Trenton. There is an entrance to the museum right off the subway platform. I thought that was pretty cool except that it was such a wonderful, warm and sunny day. It would have been a sin to spend the whole day inside.The planetarium is the centerpiece of the new Rose Center for Earth and Space (a new wing off the old museum). Very impressive!!! From the huge sphere that contains the planetarium theater to the show narrated by Tom Hanks, this was a planetarium unlike any I've experienced. It was more like a virtual reality simulation than the dry old astronomy lectures I remember from my youth. Along with the essential educational and informational aspects of the show, it was also entertaining and inspirational. I loved it and highly recommend it.
In addition to checking out the planetarium and Hall of the Universe exhibit, I explored part of the rest of the museum. There really is too much to take in in one day. I limited myself to only the stuff on the first floor (there are five floors all together). This included some very nice exhibits about Earth (geology, weather, etc.), North American mammals, biodiversity, minerals & gems.
After about five hours of absorbing all kinds of interesting stuff, my brain felt as if it was going to implode from information overload. I needed to escape, to put my mind in neutral and let my body wander about outdoors. I went across Eighth Avenue for a little stoll in Central Park. The stoll turned into a major hike as I just kept walking and walking (and got a wee bit disoriented in "the Ramble"). It was so relaxing, I didn't care if I was lost. I ended up walking from 81st and Central Park West to 7th Avenue and Central Park South and then on back to Penn Station. Don't know how many miles this walk was, but it was certainly a workout.
I love visiting New York. However, after a visit, I am even more grateful that I don't live in NY. I stand by my comment in the introduction of my Italy trip that a visit to New York is akin to leaving the English speaking world. So many people were speaking Spanish and other languages around me in the museum and in the park, I was beginning to feel uneasy. Oh well, this is something I guess I'll just need to get used to if I plan to visit NYC several more times this year.