The Subway - New York City

The Subway is one of the most popular ways to get around in New York City. The traffic is always terrible, and the Subway seems to take care of all of those headaches. My trip to NYC was also my first experience on any sort of major public transit, and I was anxious to see how it worked, and how it could carry all those people and get them to their destinations in a timely fashion.

It will always amaze me at how underground Subway Systems are built. Not only is carving out miles of dirt a feat in itself, but carving out the earth under water takes it to a whole different level! And that's what I experienced even before I stepped foot in the city!  Our plane landed at JFK, so that meant we had to cross a waterway in order to get onto Long Island, hence the name. I didn't realize that we were beneath water until my brother pointed it out to me on the Subway map. Such a weird feeling!

The rest of our visit in NYC concerning the Subway was fantastic! The trains arrived right on time, and it felt like they traveled at the speed of light. There are so many Subway Stations in the city so it is a short walk from anywhere to catch a ride. The only times the Subway might be delayed is when a game or event is going on, which is almost always, but there are so many trains to ensure a speedy Subway process.

Before New York City, the only Subway I knew of was the sandwich shops, but now when I go to big city's, I swear by them!

Fenway Park - Boston

We were originally going to vitis the New England Sports Museum to get our sports fix in Boston, but in talking to a few other tourists, they said to get the whole experience and tour Fenway Park instead. I was sold!

I remember barely sleeping the night before with the thought of visiting one of the most storied Parks in MLB, home to the Boston Red Sox. I thought the ticket price for the tours would be through the roof, but they are only $9, very resonable for a family. Their tour guides are very knowledgable on Fenway, and the tour groups are small and intimate, promising the best experience!

The first stop on the tour was the concourse in right field. Up here, the tickets are drawn out of a lottery only. The few lucky ones get instant service, the ballpark grilling aroma, and of course a GREAT view! A unique fact to note was the bar on the concourse. This particular bar was made out of bowling alley lanes that were, in fact, under Fenway at one point...imagine taking in a ballgame AND bowling!! The second stop was just below the club level along the 3rd base line. Here we got a perfect view of the field, and of the skyline!

Along the way to our 3rd stop, we passed the Red Sox Hall of Fame where we got to meet baseball greats like Cy Young! The final 3rd stop destination: THE GREEN MONSTER! I capped that in trying to convey the enormity of it! For those who don't know, the Green Monster is the nickname of a 37 feet left field wall, and it has seating, again, only for people picked out of a lottery. Out of the yet again lucky winners of the lottery, those fans can only sit in those seats once in their lives. The Green Monster is a very sought-after area in baseball due to its targeted popularity for right-handed hitters!

Our final stop took us just behind home plate where the guide told us just how old Fenway is. Not only were we sitting in the oldest seats in baseball, but Fenway is also home to the oldest scoreboard as well. Between innings, a guy comes out of a tiny door with a step ladder and changes the score manually!

Our Fenway Tour was the most memorable activity I did in Boston. Maybe it's because I'm a huge baseball nut, or maybe it's because of the rich history. I do not know. Fenway sure outshined whatever it was that the New England Sports Museum had to offer, and I didn't even have to go there to know it!

I even had the honor of taking in a ballgame there. The Milwaukee Brewers were in Beantown, and there wasn't a chance we would miss it!

Tips on Fenway:
-If you are going to Fenway for any reason, take the subway. There is no parking around the park.