Day 1 – Niagara Falls – US – We combined two trips into one. Since Niagara Falls wouldn’t fill a whole week, we added New York City. The trip began with an overnight stay in Minneapolis so we could get an 8:00 flight in the morning to Buffalo, New York. We got our rental car and made the 3o minute drive to Niagara Falls, New York.

The US side of the falls has a nice viewpoint on Goat Island, next to the Falls. The Cave of the Winds attraction was a walk up and along some wooden stairs next to Bridal Falls. Even with the plastic poncho we were given, we still got wet, mostly the bottom of our pant legs and our shoes.  

There is a large observation platform that we walked out onto, while we dried off in the sun. Eventually, we drove across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada and to our hotel for the next two nights.

Day 2 – Niagara Falls – Canada – The next morning started with a nice breakfast in our hotel, then on to Voyage to the Falls, our boat ride into the falls. Again, everyone got soaked, even with the ponchos provided. We didn’t need our car today because we bought tickets to attractions that included a city bus ride to all attractions. The WeGo bus took us to the Whirlpool, White Water Rapids Walk and back to the Journey Behind the Falls. There were lots of other stops, but we did not get to everything.

The Old Power Plant and Tunnel wrapped up the day. A trip up the short inclined funicular railway put us back at our hotel.

Day 3 – New York City – Today was a very early day. Our flight left Buffalo at 8 AM. We had the drive plus going through customs and finding a gas station before returning the rental. An hour and a half flight to LaGuardia airport in New York City and we were off on the next leg of the trip.

We did a lot of research on using the subway in New York City, and Manhattan specifically, and it is the best and cheapest way to get around. The funny thing is, the subway does not go out to LaGuardia. But it’s easy to get to the subway with the free Q70 bus that runs from the airport to the nearest subway station, about three miles away. We purchased subway tickets and got on the E train. Easy to find and maneuver using the MTA app. After an uneventful ride, we got out a block from our hotel.

We were at our NYC hotel before 11:00, much too early to check-in. We checked our luggage with the front desk, got some directions and started walking. Just a few blocks east of our 23^rd Street hotel and a little north, was the Empire State Building. We had tickets for an afternoon admittance to the observation deck, and got in out of the rain to see some great views, before the clouds completely obscured the view.

There are two observation decks at the iconic Empire State Building. The 86nd floor is outdoors. If you pay extra (everything is extra $$), you can also go to the 102^nd floor for a smaller, higher, and enclosed view. This was nice, as there was an attendant that pointed out landmarks and buildings and answered questions. We had a City Pass that included some attractions. You have to do your homework to schedule what you want to see. Many of the famous buildings require advanced timed tickets. You can’t just walk up and stand in line to buy a ticket.

Day 4 – New York City – We took the subway to a stop near Times Square and walked through the bright lights. Even on a Sunday morning, there are lots of people and bright lights.

We walked through Times Square along Broadway. All of these brightly lit signs are constantly changing. What a sight! It could be sensory overload for some. We made our way towards Central Park in a light mist, much like yesterday afternoon.

We were on the south side of the park and walked some of the many paths. At the beginning, along the street, were several horse-drawn carriages waiting for customers. I couldn’t help but think of Kramer in the Seinfeld episode (there’s a Seinfeld episode for just about everything).

Eventually, we veered off and out of the park to the southwest corner, to Columbus Circle and one of the Trump hotels. As we got close to the theatre district and Broadway, we took shelter from the mist turned light rain in a hotel lobby. We rested our legs, warmed up, dried off and planned the afternoon. Our tickets for the Wicked play were for 2 PM.

We had plenty of time for lunch, and found McGees Pub a short walk away. It turns out this is one of the locations for the inspiration of the pub for the How I Met Your Mother tv shows.

We walked to the Gershwin Theatre for Wicked, which was very good. Now we can say we saw a Broadway play, on Broadway, even!

After the play, a short walk put us at Grand Central Terminal, another iconic place we’ve only seen in old movies.

Also in Grand Central Station, in the lower level, is an archway of two intersecting hallways. If two people stand in opposite corners, look up at the ceiling and whisper, they can hear each other. We tried it and it works.

We headed towards our subway stop and were soon back to Times Square. A few more people and lights, and lots of bicycle-drawn carriages with loud music offering rides.

Day 5 – New York City – Today we got up early in order to get to the Today Show. We were in line, after a quick subway ride, by 5:45 AM and had a good place along the fence for the outdoor crowd in Rockefeller Plaza. It paid off later when we shook hands and had selfies with Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Hoda Kotb.

We walked to 30 Rock and took in another observation deck. Then walked east to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Saks 5^th Avenue (across the street from St Pat’s), and past Carnegie Hall. We knew when we were walking through the diamond district. It was obvious from the store windows.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is as grand as any European church we’ve been in. It’s a block from Rockefeller Plaza and across the street from Saks 5th Avenue.

We eventually made our way to the southern end of Manhattan, to the 911 Memorial Pools, which were in a nice park, and the 911 Museum that required timed entrance tickets. Ours were for 1:30. There is a lot in the museum.

Afterwards, we found Alexander Hamilton’s grave at Trinity Church, the raging bull statue and the fearless girl statue in front of the New York Stock Exchange. The stock exchange was along a street that was closed to traffic, so it was like a plaza. The actual Wall Street was just another street, not very impressive, in my opinion.

We had some dinner along the way, and realized that every glass of water or soft drink included a paper straw, not a plastic one. Then back to get some rest after a long day.

Day 6 – New York City – Our last full day started with a trip back to southern Manhattan, the financial district, and our ferry boat ride to the Statue of Liberty. On the map it said our hotel was three miles from the tip of Manhattan, and Manhattan is only two miles wide. It was a 15 minute ride to the boat landing from the subway stop that was on the corner next to our hotel.

To get tickets to go up inside the Statue of Liberty, you must apply months ahead of time. We had Pedestal tickets and could only go as high as the top of the base that the Statue sits on, but that is 60 feet high. Still a nice view. After taking our time here, we got on the boat that took us to Ellis Island, where the immigrants were processed into the United States. We took a short park ranger tour and learned how rough things were for our ancestors.

Below are a couple of photos of the Manhattan skyline, from the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Left side is the Hudson River. Right side is the East River. The Brooklyn Bridge is seen faintly on the right.

After returning to the mainland, we took the train to City Hall, which is where the Brooklyn Bridge begins. We walked across the bridge, along with many others. I didn’t know it was a thing, but there were lots of people walking the walkway between and above the traffic lanes.

On the other side is the area called DUMBO, or Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Lots of cool places here, along with a view of the Manhattan Bridge. After eating at a large food court type of place, we took the ferry across the East River to Pier 11 at Wall Street, then walked to the train and back to 23^rd street. This time, while on the train, I noticed it didn’t stop at every station. Since it was during the rush hour and after work, the local train had become an express train for a while. We got out at a stop that allowed us to switch to a local train that did stop at every stop, including the one next door to our hotel. No problem.

Day 7 – Back to the Midwest – We took our time this morning, as our flight wasn’t until 1:45. We had a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, then headed out to LaGuardia, reversing our subway and bus trip from last week. We arrived in Minneapolis at 4 pm and back to normal life.

October 2023

First, the Zion National Park. Lots of hiking trails, including The Angels Landing hike. The first part takes a couple of hours and gets you to the point where you need a permit to continue. Only a limited number are allowed on the last part of the trail where you have chains to hold on to because of the steep and narrow climb. We did not have permits, and that part of the trail was closed for maintenance while we were there, anyway.

Travel from Utah to California

Next we drove to Sequoia National Park in California. A short portion of our trip was on Route 66 in Barstow, California. Lots and lots of traffic and windmills. Also saw acres of solar panels.

Sequoia National Park, California

Moro Rock in the distance

Cell phones – Arrived at the Zurich airport at 10:30 AM their time, with a good dose of jet lag. Our first stop, after collecting bags (our normal carry-on bag in the US was a little larger than European carry-on allowance, so we checked those bags) and going through customs, was to purchase a sim card for Sheila’s phone. My phone allowed me to use an esim card, but hers didn’t, so we had to install an actual card. We purchased one from Sunrise cellular, the first cell phone store we saw in the Zurich airport. 20 Swiss francs, about $22.

The sim and esim cards let us our phones for data, like maps, Messenger and FB. We didn’t have our US phone numbers or text messages.

Money – We used our credit cards just as easily as in the US. We did stop at an airport ATM to get some cash, just in case. However, it turned out we could have gotten by with very, very little cash. A few francs for tipping (which is a lot different than the US).

Language – There was no language problem during our entire stay. Everyone speaks at least three languages: German, French and English. There are also different versions of German, depending on where they came from. We were told, occasionally two German speakers might use different dialects and not understand each other, so they would negotiate another common language to converse in. And those living close to Italy spoke Italian, of course.

Trains and Transportation – It’s very easy to get around Switzerland without a car. In fact, it’s promoted in most of the online research we did. The Swiss train system is extremely reliable, on time, clean and safe. The locals use it every day for their public transportation. We used the Swiss train app on our phone to find departure times and platforms. Easy to use and very helpful. When you choose your starting point and destination, the app finds the best route. You can buy a ticket on the app, at a ticket machine or a counter from a human. We used the machine mostly. A ticket might include many modes of transportation, depending on the destination. One day we traveled on a boat, train and cog wheel train, all on the same ticket! Many destinations include riding a cable car (ski lift gondola).

Swiss timing is everything. If your ticket includes changing to another train or lift, typically your arrival time is a few minutes before the departure time of the next leg. So you don’t have to wait around very long. If you have to change tracks or platforms at a larger station, the walking time between platforms is figured in and shown on your ticket, so there is no confusion.

Itinerary

Lucerne – A ten minute train trip took us from the Zurich airport into the Zurich main station. We changed trains and continued for another hour to Lucerne, while watching the green scenery go by. Our hotel was only a block away from the main train station, but it was still too early for our room to be ready. We left our bags behind the counter while we began exploring. The helpful hotel clerk gave us a map and drew out a route for us through the Old Town. Only a block away from our hotel we saw the famous Chapel Bridge. An easy walk through Old Town took us to the Lion Monument, a carving in the side of the mountain of a lion. We stopped at a bakery for a hot, fresh out of the oven, apple strudel!

By the time we strolled back to our hotel, we were able check in to our room and grabbed a cat nap to assuage our jet lag. Then back to Old Town for an early dinner.

The next day was a trip to Mt. Rigi, about 6,000 feet above sea level. Quite a view. After a boat ride across the lake, we took a cog wheel train. A third rail is the cog, used to keep the train from sliding down the mountain on steep grades.

On the way back, we stopped at the Transportation Museum, then took a bus back to the hotel. Dinner across the Chapel Bridge and around the corner to an Italian restaurant for pizza.

Murren– Purchased tickets from the machine at Lucerne main train station for a 3 hour ride to Murren, in the mountains. The first 2 ½ hours was via the train. A very comfortable way to travel. The weather was rainy and cool, but the train was clean and dry. We watched the Swiss scenery go by. A change of trains near the end of the journey and then on to a cable car to go up the side of the mountain from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp. Here we changed one last time to a smaller train for the last fifteen minutes into Murren.urren is a small town at 5,400 feet elevation. We checked in and went for a walk along one of the hiking trails above town. The small town of Gimmelwald was below us in the valley and the Alps just across the valley.

Jungfraujoch – The next morning we woke up to snow and heavy clouds. Our original plan for the day was to go up to the Schilthorn peak at over 9,700 feet. We checked the webcams at the peak during breakfast, and it was even worse than the clouds and snow in Murren, so we decided to go down to Lauterbrunnen and explore there. It’s always recommended to have an alternate plan in case of weather changes. Our breakfast choices in Murren always included cold cut ham, raw bacon and raw summer sausage. I guess it was smoked, not raw, but it looked awful raw. We ate other stuff.

After walking through Lauterbrunnen and seeing the Staubach Falls, we took the Info Center’s advise and went to the east side of the valley by train and up into the Jungfraujoch region. We looked around the Eigergletscher railway station and ski area (7,600 feet), then took the Eiger Express cable car down to Grindewald, where we caught the train back to our starting point. All on the same railway ticket!

Schilthorn: The next morning was the Schilthorn day. It was sunny and clear. Schilthorn is the mountain peak above Murren and the location of the Piz Gloria rotating restaurant that was the site of the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The cable car ride from Murren is less than 20 minutes, with a change in Birg. The peak is over 9,700 feet in elevation.

On a clear day you can see into Germany and France. We ate brunch in the restaurant while looking out over the skiers and peaks. On the way down, at our cable car change at the Birg station, we walked around the outside of the mountain on the suspension catwalk. A sturdy grate and railing that we could see through, all the way to the bottom. There was a twenty foot section of cable provided to walk on, tightrope style, with cable side rails, for an extra thrill.

While riding down the cable car, we saw a paraglider with skis and soon realized he was going to land with his parasail, then ski on down the mountain. As he got close to the ground, his chute (sail) suddenly collapsed and he lost a lot of altitude very quickly. Everyone watching thought we were witnessing his death. Just as suddenly he maneuvered a little, the chute filled with air and he landed softly. He pulled his gear in and away he went on skis!

Zurich – The last morning in the mountains was a little rainy. We took the train to Zurich for our last night in Switzerland. We walked through the Zurich Old Town, and through the narrow cobblestone paved streets. Pedestrian only traffic. We ate in a German café. In the morning, an easy 10 minute train ride put us in the middle of the airport for the trip home.

More Photos:

March 2013

Ski trip to Keystone in Colorado.

First time skiing in the mountains.