New York has promised us the largest fireworks spectacle in the country and the only question is whether we have the stamina to stay awake long enough to view them. We begin our day on the subway to the American Museum of Natural History. We are getting used to the subways but they are very different from the Moscow Metro. The most rundown of stations in Moscow seems palatial compared to the New York version. Moscow also has bright, color-coded maps posted in every station and on every car. The system is also fairly straightforward, with no express trains to worry about. In contrast, though, New Yorkers that ride the subway are very friendly and helpful. We are making friends on every ride and having a great time. By day 3 we almost have the NY system figured out and are slowed down only slightly by the fact that the B train, which will take us directly from our Brooklyn neighborhood to the front door of the Museum doesn’t run on weekends or holidays.
Huge dinosaurs, stuffed animals, cool artifacts, the kids are in paradise.
The kids really want to see the Central Park Zoo, after seeing the movie Madagascar. We are not sure we are going to get there before it closes and we are way too tired to hurry so we begin to meander through the park anyway, to see what we can find on the way. What we find is a lake that has row boat rentals. An hour of floating on a pond in the middle of Central Park was a pretty good way to spend the 4th of July.
We also find cool statues to climb on. And we find the Zoo, but it is definitely closed. A map of the zoo reveals that there is no lion, zebra, giraffe or hippo in the zoo, so it is not as if we have missed much.
It is beginning to rain, we are all tired and it doesn’t seem like we are up to the fireworks. As we turn a corner in the park though, I catch sight of fireflies along the path. Christopher has read about fireflies, but I don’t think Andrew or Katie even knew such a creature existed. Certainly none of the kids have ever seen one and they are spell-bound. In the fading light of day, in a quiet corner of the park, it was a magical moment. We decide then to head back to Brooklyn and enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of the sofa. We stop on the way to buy some Jiffy Pop and ice cream to enjoy with the show. It is spectacular, but all the better to be able to go to bed as soon as it is over. We have pushed ourselves hard and seen a lot, but it is time to say good-bye to NYC and see the rest of the US.
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