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It was like a dream I never knew I wanted.
But thanks to one person, that dream came true.
New York City was a place my daughter and I visited last year for just a few days.
A dear friend Kerri Tadeu took us down.
Honestly, never did I really think about going there.
In my lifetime my family have journeyed to England, Florida and to the east coast.
Memorable trips – and to spend them with my family is something I’ll cherish.
But New York City is an adventure on its own.
And something I will never forget.
In fact, I can’t think of a trip more exhilarating in my adult life.
From start to finish.
Kerri, my daughter and I drove down at the beginning of May for three days.
If anyone is thinking of going, the best advice I can give, if whenever possible – drive.
For me, that made the trip.
No need to worry about subways or taxis.
And what made it even better, if we saw something – we stopped.
Kerri had it all planned. We’d be down there in time for the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty as the sun set.
I’d mentioned to Kerri that we are over seven hours away, and the weather certainly wasn’t good in Ontario.
But true to her word – we made it.
If we’d got on the ferry before, or the ferry after, we never would have had the experience we did.
To capture the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty behind the setting sun is one of the most memorable pictures I can remember taking.
But what capped the ferry ride is when I was passing by a worker.
I asked him, “do you ever get tired of this?”
Honestly, I don’t think he even took a breathe and said, “hell no.”
I’ll never forget those words.
New York City is amazing.
From Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and all the in between stops.
It was breathtaking from the minute we got there, until the second we left the city.
Frankly, taking the subway or taxi was out of the question. And my daughter and myself have been spoiled now with Kerri driving.
There is no better way to see the city.
Of course there were scams. There is a reason why there is no price list on the hot dog carts. It’s like they charge what they want – and it’s way overpriced.
Even watch the restaurants. Whether high-end or not – look at the menu.
Just ordering a can of Coke cost $7 US. At that price water would have been fine.
And it doesn’t take long to be aware of the scam artists in, or around Times Square.
They’ll hand you something like it’s a gift, then all but demand money from you.
But all in all, where we went in New York City is a place where I felt safer then my hometown.
Yes we saw homelessness, but certainly not in significant numbers. And a quick search says that over 90,000 people slept in homeless shelters each night in 2023 out of a population of over eight-million people.
The largest city in the United States, or a town like Cobourg, homelessness is everywhere. People and governments have to work on this harder to help individuals as best they can.
But, final words. If anyone can go to New York City, just for a few days – it’s worth it.
And just a few days will have you hooked for a lifetime.
Thank you Kerri for making a unknown dream come true.
“I love New York.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
