How not to go to New York

I'm sitting on a bus right now, on my way home to Manhattan. I just spent the last two nights in Reading, PA with my wife's family. What does this mean? I'm on a bus full of people who are making their annual trek to the "Big Apple." Right next to me is a family trying to agree on what to do. You can tell it's going to be a project from the stack of menus (Italian restaurants only) they have printed and are reviewing).

"I have no interest in shopping," man says to woman, "you know, shopping for dresses and stuff."

Next comment: "Aw come on ... She wants to go ice skating."

Finally: "I'm not saying I don't want to spend time with you; I just don't want to go shopping."

Then, they give up for a while.

A bit of advice for anyone heading to New York anytime of year. While the city is big and can be intimidating, don't over-engineer your visit. There is a lot you can discover just by walking around and getting lost (thay's how I found Gramercy Park). Plan to have fun; don't plan every movement.

If these people do anything else funny, I'll let you know

Filed under: Transportation, Budget Travel