Our Sunday Magazine Section

Jillaine Schock gets into the act with New York City’s street art.

(Winthrop, Massachusetts, August 19, 2012) The Mirror is happy to publish photographs from our second intergenerational learning adventure in Manhattan, with hearty appreciation for the Road Scholars of all ages who made this program such a joy.

The Chrysler Building, everyone’s favorite, from outside Grand Central Station

Alec, Dylan, and Patsy Shiveley at Central Park West

The saxophonist of Tin Pan entertaining at Bethesda Fountain

John, Joanne, and Mason Street with Matthew Decker and some old friends

Bo Wheeler and Lucy Smith taking in New York’s skyline from the harbor

Road Scholars enjoying the quickest way to get around Manhattan

A schooner sails by us near Liberty Island

Grace Christie and Barbara Pelzel share a bus stop under the watchful eye of Yayoi Kusama

 

Mikayla and Kathy Peterson at Elllis Island

A Sri Lankan Devil Dancing Mask, to protect against evil spirits, at the Museum of Natural History

Lady Liberty enjoying the best weather of the week in New York Harbor

 

 

Central Park: The Place to Be on a Sunday Afternoon

Dylan Shiveley discovers one of the clues along the way on our scavenger hunt.

Mason Street at Belvedere Castle, the start of our hunt.

(New York, August 5, 2012) Today’s schedule called for a scavenger hunt in Central Park. We divided into two teams, each looking for a specific landmark, equipped with a map and Road Scholar guide. Our team, led by Eagle Scout John Moore, left Belvedere Castle heading generally south along the Rambles.

Louis Pratt and Holley Tate-Wheeler trailside on the Rambles.

Getting there, like they say, is half the fun. Well, maybe more than half. We passed a number of well-known landmarks like the Boathouse and statues of Christopher Columbus and William Shakespeare. We also discovered some lesser-known natural rock formations – Manhattan Schist, we learned – that were left behind by glaciers.

The lively blues of Tin Pan jazzed up Bethesda Fountain.

We also walked past other sights along the way – a wedding, musicians, and a fashion photo shoot. It seemed like everyone was out in the Park this afternoon, looking for fun or sharing their fun with others. We were tempted to linger and listen, or people-watch, but we were on a mission.

For a short time, we Road Scholars were not the most glamorous people in Central Park.

Finally, we found the landmark at the end of our quest – another secret we cannot reveal. You’ll just have to sign up for this program, along with your grandchild or grandparent, and see for yourself. So, with another successful afternoon under our belts, along with more terrific New York City food, we headed off to an evening in Manhattan on our own.

Joyce Bowen, Lucy Smith, Jan Green, and Bo Wheeler enjoy an Italian Ice at on the Mall at the end of our Central Park scavenger hunt.

A Harbor Full of History

The Hall of Records at Ellis Island, New York Harbor

(New York City, June 18, 2012) We met Molly Goodrich, our New York Road Scholar Program Coordinator, at breakfast, and all eighteen of us took the #1 Train to Battery Park and South Ferry, where we set sail for Liberty Island, home of the Statue of Liberty, and then Ellis Island, where 12 million immigrants first set foot in America from 1892 through 1924. Getting there, as always, was half the fun, including the ferry rides to these tiny but spectacular landmarks in New York Harbor.

Jim & Hannah Parker, Laurida Reesman, and Mary Parker in Battery Park

For the second day in a row, the Parker Family took Manhattan, if not the Bronx and Staten Island. Later, we established a foothold in Brooklyn, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves on the story of a very busy day.

The Statue of Liberty, June 18, 2012

Lady Liberty greeted us with the same arms she held open for so many other travelers, even if she was undergoing renovations and was not the hostess she has been, and will be again. Still, there are few views like her, and if she needs a little respite after 126 years of standing tall in the Hudson River, well, she deserves it. All of us, from youngest to oldest, were in awe of her presence. How many destinations can compare for the American family?

The Parker family enjoying the Statue of Liberty.

From Liberty Island, we took a short hop to Ellis Island, and even more history. The Hall of Records, beautifully restored, is inspiring. Exhibits record the experiences of people from all over the world who came here, and became Americans. It’s a magnificent story, beautifully told.

The day continued with a visit to the September 11 Memorial in lower Manhattan and St. Paul’s Chapel, places selected by the Parkers for their family to see first-hand the events that have shaped our 21^st Century so far. It is an experience our reporters did not cover, in respect of the Parkers and so many American families.

Shannon Baker, Emily Parker, and Laurida Reesman on the Brooklyn Bridge

Finally, we ended the day with dinner at Teresa’s Restaurant, a culinary gem in Brooklyn Heights, followed by a well-deserved promenade across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. Well deserved rest was next on our itinerary for a happy and historic day that taught us many truths about what it means to be a New Yorker.

The Brooklyn Bridge, approaching Manhattan

From the Top

Manhattan from the Empire State Building Observatory

(New York City, June 17, 2012) Jim and Pauline Parker are Road Scholar ambassadors, and decided that, instead of renting a beach house for their family vacation, they’d charter the Signature City New York program for themselves, their three children and spouses, their six grandchildren, and a family friend. After arriving from various places around the country, we met in Manhattan and headed to the Empire State Building for a spectacular view of Manhattan. The world’s most famous island did not disappoint. A nearly cloudless sky greeted us, and we had a great time reconnecting with old views and introducing new ones to the kids.

Jim Parker makes sure we all have tickets for the elevator.

New York is a walking city, and not just for the Parker family. We shared the sidewalks with thousands of people, some tourists like ourselves, others enjoying a hometown early summer evening. Ours included Chinese food, and some final stops for coffee, cake, or, everyone’s favorite: ice cream.

Shannon Baker, Emily Parker, and Leah Baker catch up with each other in Manhattan.

We share stories, like why Jim and Pauline’s son-in-law is named Zeke – their daughter Stephanie introduced him to them as Zeke when she first brought him home from college – and talked about the other Road Scholar programs many of us have taken over the years. And the kids caught up with their cousins as only they can do, enjoying each other at least as much as the city.

You can meet some interesting people in Times Square.

All in all, it was a great way to spend the last Sunday of spring in the greatest city in the world. Tomorrow we’ll ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and then on to the Brooklyn Bridge and other landmarks in lower Manhattan. Who said they don’t like Mondays?

 

 

 

The lights of Broadway bid us a fond good night on Father’s Day.