This was our fourth trip, in one way or form, into the Big Apple. Now, in no way do I consider us pros. However, we've got parts of the shtick down pat. We've found it's a place where you can move with the flow of traffic (literally and figuratively) but always need to be aware of one's surroundings.

Planning: Most of the journey was blocked in before departure, with evening tickets being the fixture for the day. The only purchases we made while there were meals, gas, shopping and the Phantom of the Opera tix. We had travel times down set and the open nature of "City Passes" got us around having exact times for entry at timed locations.

Citizenry: On the heels of our trip to Cuba in March, and the land of Socialismo, we're off to New York... land of Capitalismo!!! From the land without any to the land of plenty. I can draw comparisons though... one being the creativity and ingenuity to scrape up a dollar / peso when needed the most. From the ingenious "tin can cameras" we saw in Havana to the switch from city bus tours to "Umbrellas For Sale" at the first sign of rain... no opportunity to earn a dollar is lost.

Attractions: I'd like to chime in here for a short burst on the attractions in the heat of the summer. As usual, early bird gets the worm as line-ups can be brutal. We hit one with an early evening visit to the Empire State Building. Tough visit!!! Gotta be smart about getting to sites at off-peak times... and for us vouchers like the city pass are worth it when navigating line-ups.

What's it speakin' for? As for weather, the temperature was well above the foggy night we left in Canso. It was darn warm... each day fine and in the 30's. It really mattered little, as our attractions, room, and even the breeze in the streets was sufficient. The only place it was really noticeable was underground waiting for air conditioned subway cars. At least it wasn't snow!!! We ended up scheduling our days with mornings and mid day out, an afternoon siesta at the Affinia, and full evenings roaming NYC.

Food: We ate out a lot more than I had hoped, especially after seeing the kitchenette in our hotel room. This was our fault however, as we had a market close by and everything we needed to keep all hands happy. In the end, we covered off breakfast at the hotel, the rest was done on the fly. We didn't sample much as we were trying pretty hard to keep it simple and have the kids on side!

Transportation: We accessed car, tour boat, and lots of walking... but the bulk of our travel in the city was via subway. Tix were 2.25 a pop which adds up... but the automated machines were convenient and always available. We avoided peak times quite successfully until our Yankees trip uptown, that was a full train. We popped out at 161st... almost an hour run from our starting location. Most folks were civil, but I can't quite imagine what it must be like on a day to day basis. Although not the system we saw in Paris, London or DC, we got around quite easily and only had to look extra hard a couple of times to create a route. And... we chatted with a lot of helpful / accommodating New Yorkers along the way. You can "Keep on Track" with MTA Website.