Oh, I forgot to talk about Flushing, from a couple of days prior
to our last day.
When we were touring around
Queens eating ourselves silly, we found a bunch of time with no place to go and
no room to eat. So, we wandered around the streets taking in the sights and the
smells, and we ended up walking over to a park. I have rarely seen a park so
...used. There were soccer games going on - adult soccer games with families
all up and down the sidelines. Kids were riding bikes in fountains that had
been drained. There were ice cream vendors, grilling was going on, and oh, the
music. I couldn't help myself because there was drumming, music, singing and
dancing. We had moved over one block and instead of Asian communities, this was
definitely Latin. Exactly where, I had no idea. I just wandered into the crowd
and enjoyed being a part of it for about 5 minutes, then I noticed my family
was wandering far away so I reluctantly caught up with my group but kind of
wanted to be adopted by the singing and dancing crowd.
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| My favorite photo from the trip |
It turned out we were in the
park leading up the US Open, which was about to get started the day after we
left NYC. But, we also learned that in the days leading up to the actual
tournament, spectators could get into the grounds for free and watch players
warming up. On the day we first were in the park, we could hear the tennis balls
being hit behind a tall fence. Even that was exciting!
So, on our last day, my grumpy
day, we took the subway over and proceeded to check our backpack suitcases into
a special holding area (ahhh!), then, we went into the stadium and I could feel
my spirits lift, not just because I was able to sit down. The feeling of being there reminded me
of the Americas Cup in San Francisco, with the type of food and drink booths
available - quite high end...sushi, airline clubs, etc. On all the main courts
except the biggest one, Arthur Ashe, there were practices going on, technical
testing reviewing balls before they were hit out, and in my favorite
experience, seeing a couple of higher-ranked pros from front-row seats in Louis
Armstrong Stadium. I loved being so close.
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| Practice right in front of us |
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| Testing the ball cam |
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| Front row seating and Gael Monfils |
I also adored the vibe of the place,
the tension, the excitement, the possibilities for the players. There were fans from Europe and families from the surrounding neighborhoods walking around together. Being there was
a truly unexpected treat and great experience. We talked about coming back for
actual matches, and enjoyed taking in the tournament on TV, all the while
pointing out 'our seats'. It reminded me that being boots on the ground in
another place creates an instant connection. Whether it is El Dorado AR or
Riga, Latvia, being places changes you and connects you to the world and
others. I think that is why I like to travel so much.
We ended up with an easy and
direct flight home to Madison. I had another attack of the grumpies with John
in the airport food court - he didn't like the drink I had chosen for him and I
flipped out. Learning lessons all day, on that day! Still, it was a magical
trip and I think we wrung out double of what I expected on our NYC family trip.
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