New York City - a visit with Peter

After saying good bye to Franzi at the airport, I had dinner together with Peter. Then we went to South Station to catch our overnight bus to New York City. I knew it was going to be cold due to the overuse of A/C. Still, pullover and long jeans were not sufficient... moreover, the bus was uncomfortable and the driver crazy. Although the bus started almost an hour late, we were half an hour earlier than schedule in NYC. At 4 am even the Times Square was almost empty - only a few cleaners and us. Luckily the Hilton Garden Inn was right next to Times Square. We left our luggage there and went to explore the city together. From Times Square we went to Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building. Then we watched sunrise over the East River and enjoyed a New York bagel breakfast at Daniel's Bagels. We then took the metro to Lower Manhatten. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and along the East River promenade in Brooklyn. I really like it here :) Back over the Brooklyn Bridge we then walked to Ground Zero and visited the 9/11 memorial. Our feet carried us further down to Battery Park where we then entered the Staten Island Ferry to get a good view of Lady Liberty and the skyline of Lower Manhatten. Interestingly, the crowds were tiny and hardly noticable... much more relaxing than during my earlier trip in May. After that ride we visited Wall Street and got a burrito for lunch near New York's city hall. The metro then brought us to Madison Square to see the Flatron Building. From there we walked back to Times Square. After the short night and the long walk we checked into our hotel and had a 2h nap. At the evening we hopped on the metro again down to One World Trade Center (OWTC). We bought tickets earlier online, but the lines were small anyways. I read some reviews before and most people said that OWTC is less good than Top of the Rock or even Empire State Building to get a nice city view. Well, I have been to Top of the Rock during my earlier trip in May and I have to disagree. I found the views to be more spectacular. It surely helped that there were not many people and getting a spot to take photos was not difficult. Again, I timed our visit to start during sunset and finish when it is dark and one can see all these amazing city lights. I especially liked the view down passed Lady Liberty to Staten Island and the view of Brooklyn and Manhatten bridges. These are better than the views of Central Park from Top of the Rock. So the only thing you really miss is the open air experience. That's why I'd say it is on par with Top of the Rock. After taking plenty of pictures, the metro brought us back to Times Square where we enjoyed the lights before we went to Rudy's Bar & Grill, which now is my bar to go in NYC :D
The next morning (24.08.) we checked out and walked from Times Square to Columbus Circle and picked up coffee, muffins and crossaints on the way. A breakfast picnic in Central Park is a good start in the days :) We walked to Berthesda Fountain and then back to 5th Avenue. From there we passed the Rockefeller Center, beautiful St. Patrick's Cathedral and Grand Central Station before we visited the NY Public Library and Bryant Park. In the latter we sat down to enjoy some sun. We then had lunch at Times Square and went for some shopping. Later we picked up our luggage from the hotel and Peter took the bus to JFK Airport, while I took the bus back to Boston... time flies...

sunrise over East River

Empire State Building (left) and Manhatten Bridge seen from Brooklyn Bridge

Lady Liberty from Staten Island Ferry

Sunset over Jersey City from One World Trade Center (OWTC)

Lady Liberty (left) and Jersey City (right) during sunset

Sunset over Jersey City

View from OWTC to the Empire State Building

View from OWTC on Lower Manhatten (front) and Staten Island (right, far away)

View of Manhatten and Brooklyn Bridge from OWTC

Colorful Hershey's at Times Square

Bethesda Fountain in Central Park

Peter in front of Middle Manhatten skyline from Central Park

Times Square - under construction^^

Boston: whale watching, Peter's visit and party cruise

The morning after coming back to Boston from the Green Mountains we were surprised when we found that our rental car was towed. That stupid rule that parking is forbidden in front of hydrants^^ While I went to work, Franzi, Anne and Dirk got the car back. Luckily towing in the US is not as expensive as in Germany. 90 something dollars and we got the car back and brought it back to the rental company. While I continued working, Franzi showed Anne and Dirk around Boston. I joined them at the evening for dinner at Penguin Pizza :)
The next day (12.08.) we went on a whale watching trip together. It started from Aquarium in Boston. A 1.5 hour ride to Stellwagen Bank where especially humpback whale feed during the summer months. We saw a finn whale in the distance on our way to Stellwagen Bank. We underestimated that roughness of the sea once the boat left Boston bay and the surrounding small islands. When we arrived at Stellwagen Bank, our stomachs were almost upside down :P Shortly after our arrival, we encountered a group of three humpback whales and saw them several times diving for food and coming back for air afterwards. Later we saw two more groups of two humpback whales each. We were super lucky when one whale of the last group jumped out of the water - preaching. Really impressive! Too fast for a photo though^^ On the way back Franzi and I prefered to sit inside until we reached the calm waters of Boston bay again...

out to the sea to see whales!

Boston skyline view from the harbour is always nice :)

a humpback whale while diving for food

tired after becoming a little seasick :P

enjoying the sun and calming the stomach back in Boston harbour

Anne and Dirk left the next morning (13.08.) towards New York. At the evening Franzi and I cycled to Carson Beach and Castle Island (Fort of Independence) before we attanded the monthly German Academic International Network (GAIN) meeting. This time the meeting was at Legal Harborside, a bar in the hip Seaport district overlooking Logan Airport.
The next day (14.08.) Franzi and I went to a public pool near Charles River and then played with Boston Frisbee. Later that night Peter flew in from Washington to visit us in Boston. After some good breakfast on Saturday (15.08.) we took the Commuter Rail to Manchester and visited the Singing Beach that many recommended to us. We started a little late and a rainstorm was slowly approaching. Franzi and I took a swim in the cold Atlantik and then we played some frisbee with Peter. Later Christian and a friend of his joined after they were on a whale watching tour nearby. That was really lucky as they drove us home to Boston when the rainstorm hit the beach^^ After some sightseeing at the MIT we went home for dinner. At night we then went to HongKong Karaoke bar near Quincy Market together with Patrick and two of his friends. When it got a little boring we switched to Howl At The Moon which I had good experiences from when Stefan visited. After two beers on the live band floor we switched to the electronic club downstairs. The only playce I saw in Boston yet that comes close to what you call a nightclub in Germany
On Sunday (16.08.) we started a little late (again) for our trip to Providence. So we had to wait for the train... in the meanwhile we encountered a Hispanic (mainly Dominican Republic) festival nearr Copley Square. That was much fun. We then entered the Commuter Rail with our bikes. An hour later we arrived in Providence, Rhode Island. We went to a bike shop to get a bike for Peter. In Providence, too, we encountered a Hispanic festival (mainly Columbian this time). Then we cycled an hour down the Bay Bicycle Path. Quite a nice route that I would like to drive all the way down to New Port one day :) After we gave back the Peter's bike, we visited Brown University and then went for dinner in Providence Downtown. While the city is cute, it was like a ghost town. Obviously a sunday during summer season (no students) is not a lively time in Providence. A search later we had dinner at Providence Coal Fired Pizza and were surprised with great food :)
On Monday (17.08.) we went for kayaking on the Charles River in Newton with Boatingboston. Quite a relaxing sport after some day of work :D The next days Peter went sightseeing through Boston while I was working and Franzi enjoyed the great summer weather. On Thursday (20.08.) evening we went on a party cruise. We hopped on the Provincetown ferry that was used as party boat that night. For 15 USD they drove us around Boston harbour while playing music. Ourt expectation weren't high. So it was surprising how great the party was. One of the liveliest parties I have seen in Boston yet. And it is quite amazing to party on a boat and see the skyline while dancing or have a plane flying shortly over your head while it lands on Logan Airport. Definitely a great experience!
On Friday (21.08.) evening we went to Middlesexloung in Cambridge. Uncommon for Boston, it got crowded past midnight. So we spent two hours of chatting and drinking beers before we danced a bit.
Saturday (22.08.) was the sad day. After Franzi packed we went to Castle Island together with Peter and simply enjoyed the sun. Later I brought Franzi to Logan airport and she flew back home to Frankfurt :(

Sunset from Castle Island

geese wander along Charles River while we enjoyed the sun :)

Our Party Cruise crew

Party Cruise!

4) Niagara Falls and Green Mountains

At the evening we arrived at Niagara Falls. We were eager to see the falls and drove directly to them. A hefty parking fee didn't stop us from parking close to them. We quickly realized why everyone says that you can see the falls much better from the Canadian side! The view is amazing along the promenade. Visitors on the American side could only see the smaller American Falls but hardly the big Niagara Falls. After a first photo session and watching these amazing falls, we drove to Simonida House, where we were to sleep. The next morning (09.08.) Franzi enjoyed her run along the promenade overlooking the Niagara Falls a lot. And she was super lucky spotting a beaver! Wild life that we were hoping to see at Algonquin National Park^^ Simonida, a Serbian expat, made us a nice breakfast. We walked along the promenade to join a Hornblower Tour - a boat ride to the Niagara Falls. It was awesome to experience the strength of these Falls and we had a lot of fun there taking pictures while it rained upon us :) Some souvenirs later, we went to Behind the Falls. As the name says, it brought us behind Niagara Falls. However, that was not exciting at all. But we were able to get a great view from an outlook next to the Niagara Falls, which in the end was worth the trip. Lunch at Tim Hortons and then we picked up our car at Simonida House.

Niagara Falls at night

Franzi's good morning view while running

Franzi's beaver encounter

expect to get wet on the Hornblower Boat Tour :)

American Falls (left) and Niagara Falls (right)

sweeeeeeeeet :)

view from Behind The Falls outlook

also from Behind The Falls outlook

From Niagara Falls we drove to Bennington, Vermont to visit the Green Mountains. Border Crossing to the US was not complicated, visa on arrival was available to Dirk and Anne, Franzi already had a valid ESTA stamp and my J1 makes life easy anyways^^
On the way to Bennington we stopped in New York at a town near the interstate for dinner. At midnight we then arrived at Catamount Motel. Very convenient the concept of motels^^ The next morning (10.08.) we bought breakfast at a nearby grocery store and were then looking for a picnic spot. However, the lakes were charging entrance, so we went to Equinox Visitor Center. The old lady there was not very helpful as she only wanted to sell us to drive up to the mountain. After picnic we found a way to trek up the mountain thanks to our guidebook. The climb was longer and more exhausting than we thought (1175m height)^^ However, due to all the car driving we really needed some hiking and the views up hill were not bad. As so often, the way down was much less convenient than the way up. For some swimming after the hike we drove to Gale Meadows Pond. After some struggles of where we were allowed to swim and where not, we enjoyed the sun and a short swim in the cold pond until the sun started to set. We then drove back to Boston.

successfully climbed Mount Equinox (1175m)

3) Toronto

In Toronto we met Jennifer, the host of our AirBnB. The apartment was in 400 Adelaide Street East and we could pick up the keys nearby. The aparmtent was super clean, modern and in a great location. However, while we booked for 4 people, the room offered bed space for only 3 - that was quite inconvenient. After a short rest we went Front Street towards Toronto Downtown. Especially the Lawrence Market was quite an eyesight. We picked up some snacks on a street market and continued to CN Tower. The queue was short and we made it in time on the top for sunset. Really interesting has been the elevator ride - because it is at the side of the tower and it's sides are made of glas. That gave us quite a unique view while speeding to the top. I always like high towers where you can get a nice overview of the city. After sunset the city was even nice with all the lights. Unfortunately, the tower was a little shaky what made it difficult to shoot good pictures. We then went to Toronto's lively King Street West and had dinner at Gabby's. Afterwards we went to a dance club nearby, which turned out to be really good! We enjoyed dancing for some hours before we returned to our apartment.
The next morning (08.08.) Jennifer was already waiting at the door, while we were sill packing. After bringing our belongings to the car we had breakfast in a café nearby. We then walked down to the Ferry Terminal. Unfortunately, Franzi had quite some troubles with her stomach. From the Ferry Terminal we walked to the the Nathan Phillips Square that is Cornered by the Old City Hall, the Toronto City Hall and the Trinity Church. Some photos later we paid a short visit to the Eaton Center for shopping. Then we got picked up our car and drove to the Niagara Falls. On the way, we stopped at Dixie Outlet Mall. Packed with new Levis jeans for everyone (35 CAD a piece) and more we had dinner there and then continued to Niagara Falls.

Lawrence Market in front of Downtown Toronto

Franzi happy due to little things: a cute food truck :D

Toronto Downtown after sunset from CN Tower

Toronto Union Station

Lively Kent Street West

Party time! :D

many ways of Toronto^^

Old City Hall in front of a skyscraper

Dirk, Anne, Franzi, and I at Nathan Phillips Square

Trinity Church at Nathan Phillips Square

2) Algonquin National Park and Lake Simcoe

From Ottawa we drove northwest to Algonquin National Park. We were eager to see the famous Canadian landscape. We drove straight to the Visitor Center, where we arrived at late afternoon. After gathering some information and a map, we went for the first hiking trail: lookout. Already after a hundred meters we saw the first chipmunk and we were to see plenty more :) This short trail indeed offers a great lookout over the National Park. Before sunset we also went to Beaver Pond. Unfortunately, we didn't encounter any beavers. After sunset we checked into our hotel Bellwood Inn. Which was conveniently located near the entrance of Algonquin National Park. The owner was friendly and helpful and offered us to do campfire or bbq behind the hotel. Instead we walked down to Whitney village and enjoyed a great dinner at The Mad Musher.
The next morning (05.08.) we drove to lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park and rented two Kayaks for four hours. It was my first time in a Kayak, but Franzi explained it well to me and it was quite some fun. The lake is amazing. After each corner you pass you see a new part of the lake, even larger than the one before. After ~1 km we stopped on a tiny island and after ~5 km we stopped for lunch picnic. The way back was faster than expected but still a bit exhausting :) From lake Opeongo we drove to the Visitor Center for some lunch. Afterwards we headed for Booth's Rock hiking trail, which was highly recommended to us by a guide in the Visitor Center. Just after leaving the Visitor Center we saw three black bears crossing the street! We were skeptical at first but then it turned out to truly be a great trail with amazing vistas. Also, on the way we spotted two red squirrels :D As it was already near sunset, we drove to The Mad Musher again for dinner^^ After dinner we drove into Algonquin Park again desparately hoping to see a moose - but we wern't lucky. However, we bought some marshmallows earler and had a campfire and our hotels place. That was super cozy until something make noise from the woods. As it turned out the next morning it might have been black bears that came that night looking through the trash bins. The next morning (06.08.) we checked out and drove through Algonquin Park stopping for Hemlock Bluff, Hardwood Lookout and Whisky Rapids trails. At Hardwood Lookout we encountered a very lively chipmunk during a short banana-break. However, all three trails were a bit disappointing compared to the Booth's Rock and Lookout trail from the days before... but may also because we didn't see any new things.
We then continued to Orilla at Lake Simcoe. There we stayed at Lakeside Inn motel. We quickly went to the beach for some sunbathing and got some ice cream on the way too :D A short break at our hotel later, we went for dinner at the center of Orilla - the restaurant was called Brewery Bay Food. The next day (07.08.) we bought some groceries for a picnic breakfast and went straight for the beach again. This day Franzi and I went for swimming too (the water was terribly cold - probably less than 20°C). Additionally, we played tok tok and frisbee - our beloved beach activities :) After some good beach time we bought a milk shake at Tim Hortons and continued towards Toronto.

Overlooking Algonquin Park from the Lookout trail

Kayaking on Lake Opeongo

Red squirrel on Booth's Rock trail

scenic views from Booth's rock trail

that is how one imagines Canada :)

photo-session overlooking Algonquin Park

love it :D

leaving Booth's Rock trail

Franzi and Anne at Hemlock Bluff trail

lively chipmunk at Hardwood Lookout

Franzi at Whiskey Rapids trail

ice cream near beach at Lake Simcoe