Melfann's domain: museums

Yesterday was about catching up with friends but today was all about sightseeing and shopping! It was a nice cheerful and sunny Friday morning where Joanne and I decided that since our Airbnb apartment is next to the Museum Mile, we might as well walk the whole stretch and take in all the sights! Helped that it's also parallel to Central Park so we also got to see whatever was going on within Central Park too.

Before you read on, be warned that this will be a very long post as we did walk a very long way. I managed to clock in >30,000 steps on my Fitbit.

The Museum of the City of New York was only a stone's throwaway but we didn't want to go in and explore because museums have this wonderful way of absorbing your time. So we walked on.

Reached the famous Guggenheim Museum and although it was only 10am (that's when it opens), there was a crowd forming within the lobby of the museum and people were waiting to get their tickets.

Besides the modern and impressionist art collection, the Guggenheim is also famous for its landmark work of 20th-century architecture. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the cylindrical building, wider at the top than the bottom, was conceived as a "temple of the spirit". Its unique ramp gallery extends up from ground level in a long, continuous spiral along the outer edges of the building to end just under the ceiling skylight. The building underwent extensive expansion and renovations in 1992 (when an adjoining tower was built) and from 2005 to 2008. Source: Wikipedia.

The circular screw-like ramping up as seen from within the museum

Again, we didn't go look at the collections due to several reasons, namely: time, US$25 entrance fee and too long of a queue to purchase tickets.

Walking a little further along and this time, along the Central Park side, we chanced upon this playground within. It also happened that nature was calling very loudly and it has the nearest toilet. :D

I love the gate! They had a short nursery rhyme about The Fox and the Crow on one of the gates and even the animals on them! How cute and quaint!!

The other side of the gate had 3 bears! Aiy...so cute. I wished Singapore had more of such cute and quaint stuff.

Walked a few more blocks and we hit The Met!! This is my second time visiting this museum but the first time I'm not viewing any of the exhibits. Crowded again. Tourists flocking in by the busloads. Not kidding.

What do we do instead? Eat food from the hot dog stand and sit on the steps of the Met while just watching people walk by. The food from the nearby stands were a lot more expensive than those within Central Park itself. Jo's hotdog cost US$7 while my Chicken Kebab was US$8.50. Not worth it.

Came across Central Park Zoo and if you're familiar with the map of Central Park, you'll realise that this is the other end of it. I felt rather sorry for the animals in the zoo. They looked really cramped and dirty.

There was this really interesting book store on the pavement itself and that's what it's famous for! The books sold were not cheap and I couldn't help but wonder how they'd store the books when it's closing time! It was when I was pondering this question that a pigeon decided to offload on my arm. Thank goodness I have wet wipes and tissue! May this be a sign of good fortune to come!!

Is this random artwork a sign of New York Fashion Week that's about to arrive? Hmm...spools and spools!

I spy my little eye on...Yeo's?!! Well done Yeo's for bringing a Singaporean brand overseas!

Ah...the very famous Plaza hotel, which has been featured in many movies! This also marks that we've officially reached the end of Central Park and so...it's onward towards Times Square for some more sightseeing and...*drumroll* shopping!!

More walking ensued and more icons along the way...

When I saw Radio City, I was kinda bummed that I didn't manage to get tickets to the Jimmy Fallon show OR Saturday Night Live. ):

We did stop by a sandwich shop named Num Pang on our way towards Times Square and they've got great Cambodian sandwiches. You can read about my experience eating there over on my food blog In Chef Mode.

Panoramic view of Times Square

After Times Square, we quickly headed over to Macy's where I got my...

new luggage!! That's a 27" Delsey semi-hard case luggage with 4 wheels. Cost me about US$174 or so. I believe the same thing would cost double the price in Singapore. Woohoo! So thrilled about it.

We were so tired by the end of Macy's plus I didn't want to lug the luggage back to our apartment, we cabbed back so that we could have a bit of rest before heading off again to watch "The Book Of Mormon"! What a fulfilling day it has been!

Let it rain...let it rain....we woke up to the pouring rain in Philly...what a dampener...literally. Thank goodness my bro brought a poncho and a brolly. So, braving the rain, we went down the bus and took a quick picture of Independence Hall, which is featured on the $100 bill.

Below is the Liberty Bell that the Brits gave to America. It used to be lugged around during battle. Can you imagine? You're fighting and two dudes have to 'protect' this bell? Maybe hiding inside would be safer...lol

Philadelphia is also famous for being the city of...Benjamin Franklin, one of the forefathers of the USA. It's no wonder that he's also on the $100 bill.

Speaking of money...we went to the Mint where they manufacture coins. Gor and I couldn't help but think, "I wanna see where they manufacture the NOTES!" Well, we'll only pass by it in D.C.

After visiting the United States Mint, we were on our way to Washington D.C. and on the $50 note is....

That's not the White House...hahaha...some of you were thinking that, right? Don't deny!!! It's Capitol Hill, my dears :)

The weather in D.C was fantastic! It was nice and 'warm' (think 18-20 deg C) and it felt like Spring. Afterwards, we went off to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History which is the museum where the movie "Night at the Museum" is based on.

Ladies, I bet you'll like the following....

Look at the size of the Hope Diamond *eyes bulging*!!

Marie Antoinette's earrings....beautiful!!!

Pink Diamond!!! I want!!!!!!

This is a real life screen of the earthquakes in the world. Did you know that there are earthquakes happening in the world all the time, just that most of them are so small that you hardly feel a thing.

Doesn't this look familiar? Yup...its the Easter Island Statue that was featured in the movie.

This is then the White House.

The above is the National Christmas Tree. I kid you not. They've got a National Christmas Tree. I'm surprised that Singapore didn't come up with a similar thing...but then, Singapore has to be non-religious right?

That's the Lincoln Memorial and below is the actual thing!