This was my first impression of the City. It was Fourth of July weekend, and this huge flag hanging in the middle of the bridge was so beautiful! To be honest I was scared to death driving in the middle of this  but it was accelerating to say the least.

This is me, with the city scape in the back ground. I was so excited just to cross the ferry and see the inside of this majestic place. Thoughts flooded my head of what I would see and do here. Excitement!

Ground Zero was our first stop once we arrived. I must say it was the saddest place I have ever visited. Thinking of everyone this tragedy had affected. Not only the victims but all of America. I was a bit disappointed that they have not erected a memorial to visit, but I guess this will come with time. Tears flowed the entire time I was here. As close as all the buildings are in this city I am kind of surprised more buildings were not taken. God must have been holding onto her that day in some sort of strange way.

We did find the make shift cross erected in front of the church. How emotional and sad it was to look at this. As with most of us, I still have a hard time when I think about all that took place on 911. I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that tragic day. I am sure we all do.

Ahh...Wall Street was next. It was weird standing in front of this building knowing how much money passes through this place on a daily basis. Honestly I expected it to be much larger, but I guess lots can be done in small places...lol...With all that is going on there now, Who knows what the outcome of the New York stock exchange will be now.

Yahoo...Time Square.  I have always wanted to make the trip New Years to this place where so many wait for that ball to fall, but I never have. I loved it here, so busy, so much to see. It is smaller then I thought too. I expected to see but I was not disappointed. We had lunch here. It was raining this day and it was so funny seeing all the umbrellas walking down the street. I was so wet by the end of this adventure, because I like the rain and didn't stay under the monster umbrella most of the time...lol

Our final stop was of course the Lady that watches over the bay, The Statue of Liberty. This was an emotional time for me also. With my son being in boot camp, this fourth of July was a very special one. Liberty and freedom took on a much different light. I cried when I saw her, but I am nothing but an motional wreck all the time. Emotional, thats me. I have tons more pictures but these are my highlights of our trip to the big city. I would reccommend every one to visit this place at least once. I know I will make this trip again, maybe it will become one of my places to visit at least once a year. I was thrilled by the enormity of this place. So much happens here and for a few days I was a part of it. It is instilled in my memories of a life time.

New York City has quite a colorful history that actually can trace back its original roots to the Lenape inhabitants prior to the arrival of Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, however then the city had not been named “New York City”. Under Dutch rule in 1625, the city was named “New Amsterdam” and later renamed “New York” in 1664, after the English took control of the area. Interestingly, New York City experienced a major leap forward in 1898 after the city consolidated the “Five Boroughs” that once divided the landscape and the peoples living there.

Quick Fact: Number One

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New York City once served as the first capitol of the United States from September 13, 1788 to 1790.

Quick Fact: Number Two

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General George Washington was inaugurated at the Federal Hall on Wall Street on April 30, 1789 to become the first President of the United States.

Quick Fact: Number Three

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It is illegal to forage for food in New York City parks without having a permit.

Quick Fact: Number Four

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In 1853, the City of New York purchased 768 acres of land that once contained old sheds left behind by colonists, pig farms, quarries and swamps. This land was added to the land that the city had already owned to create an 843-acre city oasis that was named “Central Park”.

Quick Fact: Number Five

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In 1876, the French Government gave America the Statue of Liberty in honor of America's 100th birthday celebrating the country's independence. The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, which her face was modeled after his mother and the body modeled after a prostitute as the story is told. Gustave Eiffel, who is most famous for building the Eiffel Tower in Paris, built the steel framework of the Statue of Liberty and the completed 305-foot statue with pedestal was fully erected in 1886 on Liberty Island outside of New York City.

Quick Fact: Number Six

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Chinatown located in the lower part of Manhattan was established in the 1870s by Chinese immigrants who decided to settle in New York City and brought their ancient traditions creating one of the largest Chinatowns in the United States. Visitors can shop until they drop at one of the hundreds of shops or stores scattered throughout the city within a city. Chinatown is chalk full of historical landmarks including a statue of Lin Ze Xu and The Church of the Transfiguration, the oldest Catholic Church building in New York City built in 1801.

Quick Fact: Number Seven

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Grand Central Station was designed by John B. Snook a world famous architect that Cornelius Vanderbilt commissioned to design the railway station in 1869. In 1902, a horrific accident occurred in the Park Avenue tunnel taking the lives of seventeen people, because the smoke from the increased steam engines traveling through created poor visibility that led to the accident. In 1910, the use of steam engine trains were outlawed and replaced with electrified railway system that is still in use today.

Quick Fact: Number Eight

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Ellis Island was originally built just off the southern tip of Manhattan on 27 ½ acres of land, just prior to the War of 1812. Later in the island's history it was used as the gateway to freedom and a new life in the United States, where more than 12 million people from around the world immigrated into the US. Now, Ellis Island is an Immigration Museum that is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and hosts an enormous archive of documents, photos and artifacts that tells the story of new beginnings of the men, women and children that passed through its gates, so to obtain the promise of freedom that America has offered to millions of people then and since.

Quick Fact: Number Nine

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The Empire State Building is a towering 1253 foot skyscraper that has 73 elevators and took only one year and forty-five days to build from bottom to top. The classic film King Kong made in 1933, immortalize the Empire State Building in movie icon history and since then it has been featured in dozens of films and movies that only further cements its legacy in architectural history.

Quick Fact: Number Ten

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The United Nations Headquarters is located on Manhattan's eastern border on an eighteen acre plot of land that was purchased and later donated to the United Nations by billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr. The entire area was eventually used to build the International meeting center and is actually considered International territory that does not officially belong to the United States and is governed by the International body of the UN.

1. See a Show - For me, this meant Broadway, but of course, there are many great off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway shows to see. Our choices were Legally Blonde (for her) and A Bronx Tale (for me.) Even for people who ordinarily wouldn't countenance a visit to the theatre I would heartily recommend taking in a show when visiting the city. On Broadway, the production values are so high and the performances so accomplished that there is something for everyone to enjoy.
2. Go to a Comedy Club - This was something that I had been looking forward to and, looking back on my trip, I would say was one of the highlights. I visited The Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village. The comics were uniformly excellent and the atmosphere was great. The only thing missing from my mental image of this sort of club, garnered from years of television and movie watching, was a smoky haze lingering over the low-lit tables, but I can't say I was overly disappointed about that. One thing worth mentioning is that any shy and retiring types who are thinking about visiting should opt for a table at the back, or risk becoming part of the show as I did!
3. Go Really Really High! - That is, visit either the Empire State Building (ESB) or the Top of the Rock (TOTR) at the Rockefeller centre. I went up both buildings and wouldn't like to say which I preferred. I can certainly see why many people have expressed a preference for TOTR, given the overall more visitor friendly experience that it offers, from the interesting documentaries showing as you make your way to the top, to the Perspex barriers that offer unobstructed views of the city, as opposed to the wrought iron barriers at the ESB. Of course, you also get to view the bigger building from afar which is also a thrill, and the views of Central Park are breathtaking. However, the ESB is taller and that will be enough for many people. Whichever you choose to visit though it really is a thrill being so high, especially if you hail, as I do, from somewhere where the tallest buildings are no more than a few hundred feet in height. Ideally, if your budget allows, I would recommend visiting one in daylight and one at night time, to get the best of both worlds.
4. Take a Walk in the Park - Central Park is a gorgeous leafy idyll in the middle of the concrete jungle that is Manhattan, and as such, is something you should explore as fully as possible. I saw too little of it really, and should I go back to New York, as I sincerely hope to, I shall try and see more. You can take a romantic (if short and expensive) horse and carriage ride in the park if you so wish, ice-skate (in winter), or simply take a walk and enjoy the views. The snow that fell whilst I was there, made for some truly memorable views of the park, and it was really all quite magical, seeing a landscape you have seen on celluloid dozens of times blanketed in a pure, white veneer of snow. (Though we did get rather cold after a while!) So if possible, go when it snows!
5. Walk the Bridge - A lot of the things that I did in NYC cost a pretty penny, despite often being well worth it, but they say the best things in life are free, and walking the Brooklyn bridge, like the park, is a must-do, and best of all won't cost you a thing. The views looking back towards Manhattan island are breathtaking and make for some great photographs, especially if you do it on a cloudless day as we did. I only wish we had skipped breakfast though, so as to grab a pizza at Grimaldi's across the water. Reports from a couple of close friends suggest this alone is worth the walk.
6. Grand Central Terminal - A handsome building from the outside, with nothing short of a breathtaking interior. The main concourse, with it's 150ft high vaulted ceiling, is decorated with a representation of the stars of the night sky. For me, always associated as being the scene of the frantic dénouement of Carlito's Way, and doubtless featured in dozens of other films, this cavernous room is awe-inspiring. See if you can spot the one darkened patch in the ceiling left after the restoration to remind the public how dirty it once was. Also, visit the "whispering wall" where you can stand in opposite corners and hold a conversation in no more than a whisper thanks to an acoustic anomaly with the buildings vaulted walls. Aside from the concourse there are numerous shops and restaurants to visit, including the famous Oyster bar which I wanted to check out but again, my appetite failed me. Oh, I almost forgot, Grand Central is also a functioning train station!
7. Visit Lady Liberty and follow in the footsteps of millions of immigrants - Although an obvious choice, I thoroughly enjoyed taking the ferry out to Liberty Island to see "Liberty Enlightening the World." It's very interesting to see something in the flesh, so to speak, that you have seen a million times in books and on television etc. The museum is well thought out and the views from the pedestal great, though it's a shame you can no longer access the statue itself. The immigration centre at Ellis Island is thought-provoking and has some very interesting exhibits, notably actual belongings that early immigrants brought with them on their long journey to their new lives. Through the museum, you get a real sense of what it would have been like to be an immigrant coming to New York, one hundred years ago. I particularly admire the way the main registry room, on the second floor has been left bare, leaving you to imagine the hustle and bustle that would surely have taken place there all those years ago. We took the first ferry of the day and would advise anyone else to do the same, to avoid the longest queues. If you are on a tight budget and are giving the islands a miss, I would definitely recommend the Staten Island ferry which is free and offers comparable views of Manhattan. Plus, you get to tick another of the five boroughs off your list!
8. Times Square Baby! - Now, here's an attraction that a lot of people tend to get a little sniffy about but which your average tourist will love. I grant you that you will not want to spend too much time here and those who live in the city or have visited many times before may avoid it altogether. However, if you have seen the neon 100ft signs of Times Square immortalised on celluloid your entire life then it is somewhere you will definitely want to see. It certainly is not a disappointment as regards the size and buzz of the place; it really is as vibrant as it seems on screen, and for the first few hours many will be as bewildered as I was. The fact is you simply cannot stop looking up and around you. Yes, it's a tourist trap, and the shops, bars and restaurants are so themed but hey, what a tourist trap?! When you have grown up with the ubiquitous image of Times Square as New York then you have to allow yourself a little time to indulge in some crass commercialism; buy the I love NY tees, grab some Hershey bars, go nuts for M&Ms (ha-ha.) Don't however, eat at the Hard Rock Café or Appleby's, you can do better than this.
9. Eat, drink and be merry - One of the things I was most looking forward to about New York was the wealth of dining options. I made some reservations before I arrived and had some terrific meals, most notably at The Red Cat and Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London. It wasn't just fine dining however that I relished but just the whole New York vibe, again, dare I say, influenced by movies, of being able to decide at any time of the day to have, say, Polish food and being able to find it. I ate eggs over easy with home fries in a diner, then hotdogs from street vendors and huge porterhouse steaks from upmarket steakhouses. And I loved it. It was everything I had imagined and more. Little things like having a beer in a small bar like Jimmy's Corner and then midnight club sandwiches in a diner made me really very happy. Call me easy to please but these were the things that I envisaged doing when I visited NYC and I was happy that it was as I imagined.
10. Shop till you Drop! - When asked whether I was going to do a lot of shopping in New York, I tended to answer in the negative, reasoning that I could shop anywhere and that I had more important things to see and do than walk round shops all day. Then I got there. Boy, can you shop in the Big Apple. To come from the UK, where prices for most consumer items are considerably more, we would have been crazy not to splash out; especially given the great exchange rate us Brits are receiving currently against the dollar. We bought mainly clothes and gifts for friends and family, as well as tourist tat like the aforementioned I Heart NY t-shirts and a huge Hershey's mug that I couldn't resist despite not liking the peanut butter filled chocolate cups that it was filled with. In short, NYC is a shopper's dream, from the boutiques of Greenwich Village to the world's largest department store (Macy's).

Phew! So that's my list of my favourite things to do in New York. All Manhattan I'm afraid, but I will be sure to get into the other boroughs on my return. But wait there's more; a couple of things that I was disappointed with and would thus not recommend to other people:

1. New York Cheesecake - Sure to be a controversial choice and it may be a cultural thing but, hailing from England, I say, “Sponge base on cheesecake?!!” Not for me I'm afraid
2. Chinatown - I wanted: a vibrant local ethnic community with great restaurants and Chinese food stores. I got: street hawkers selling every counterfeit item under the sun.
3. The Museum of Natural History - We had time for one museum and my other half enjoys natural history museums. How I wish we had gone to the Met. Uninspiring and, frankly, dull.

There are far too many fine Las Vegas hotel casinos to mention in one article. I've listed the casinos in the order below as you stroll from south to north on the strip. These are the ones I've visited. You will find your own pleasure palaces.

Mandalay Bay Hotel Casino

It's quite new and close to the airport. Like most things in Vegas, it's larger than life, containing a large tropical bay, complete with sandy beach. With 3,700 rooms, many restaurants, and two wedding chapels, and its own House of Blues, it's a world of its own.

Luxor Hotel Casino

Right next door is this black-glass pyramid, guarded by a huge sphinx. It has 4,400 rooms, not counting restaurants, spa, shops, and the replica of King Tut's tomb in the basement.

Excalibur Hotel Casino

For a change of pace, step along to the Excalibur Hotel Casino.

There are 4008 rooms in this huge white castle, which encompasses a complete medieval village. You want dragons, jesters and jousting? You want to take your sweetheart to the Excalibur chapel, become Henry VIII and marry your queen? You can do it here, and the marriage will be legal.

New York, New York

Let's walk past the Tropicana and the MGM Grand, and take a look at New York, New York.

Tourists from the Big Apple will feel quite at home - maybe - with the Statue of Liberty, the skyscrapers, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Coney Island. You can eat New York food and watch Broadway shows in this small, exclusive (only 2035 rooms!) Hotel Casino.

Monte Carlo

Moving on, past the Aladdin, we reach the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino. If you haven't visited the original, this will do nicely. You can visit restaurants, a spa, tennis courts. You can take the River Ride. And, of course, there's the ubiquitous wedding chapel.

Paris

See the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe. Almost 3000 rooms, and quite European. Much of the staff was ferried over from France when the place opened; I don't know how many are left. Don't try to drop a quarter into the more expensive slot machines. Those are $25 slugs being fed in by that (ex)-millionaire.

Bellagio

Pass beneath Bally's moving walkways and enter the Bellagio, a Florentine palace with thousands of fountains and a unique display of dancing waterspouts. Wander the gardens and gaze at the Italian villas. This impressive cathedral of a casino contains a host of restaurants, an art gallery, botanical gardens and two wedding chapels. Take in the shopping mall, the spa, and the aquatic show.

Caesar's Palace Hotel Casino

Caesar's Palace, with its ornate statues and unique design, opened in 1966. It is still one of the most spectacular sights in Las Vegas. It conjures up the grandeur of Imperial Rome, with 2,440 rooms, spa, shops, restaurants, a wedding palace and a circus. Caesar's has been a top attraction in Vegas for three generations of vacationers.

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

Continue past the Imperial Palace, the Mirage, with its erupting volcano, past Harrah's, and you will arrive at Treasure Island. Watch the naval battle, where the British and American navy battle to destruction. Guess which navy wins. There are restaurants and shows, and two wedding chapels, plus a full-sized replica of HMS Britannica, where weddings also take place.

Venetian Resort Hotel Casino

Like to visit Venice and ride the canals on a gondola? You can do all that, amongst ornate palaces. Visit the shopping mall and the health spa, and enjoy the wax museum. The hotel has 3,000 rooms, and there are plans for building a 1,200 seat event center.

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino

Past the New Frontier, the venerable Stardust, past the Hilton, you arrive at Circus, Circus, the first major casino to cater to families. This place is a circus, a theme park carnival, a casino, and a giant hotel in one exciting package.

We're almost at the end of the strip, now. We walk past the Riviera, the venerable Sahara, built in 1952, and the Palace Station Hotel and casino. What's left?

The Stratosphere

For the grand finale, we might as well soar. The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino anchors the strip, and, at 1081 feet, is the tallest building in Las Vegas. Here, you can dine at the top of the world, and look out at the strip, the downtown lights, and the desert beyond this glittering oasis. This stop is a fitting end to our tour of the sights of Las Vegas.