There are many great places to explore within driving distance for us. The definition of “driving distance” has changed dramatically over the past years. There was a time when the distance was only two hours, and I had some medical issues worsened by being in the car too long. Then gradually, that distance started to grow. Two became four, and four became six, and then it grew exponentially. We once drove 13 hours to see a waterfall. Distance is now only calculated if we have enough time to do what we want to do and be back at a reasonable time.
New York City is well within our definition of a weekend trip, and oddly, we never thought we would be going there any time soon. It felt too far and too big to explore. I have a trip planned where I intentionally miss NYC in order to see the attractions around it. But all of this changed.
My work was going to be shut down for Christmas for a nice long period of nine days. I would stare at my wife, secretly wishing she would quit her job and take advantage of this unexpected time off. She works in retail, and Christmas is the busiest time of year for the line of business. With an incredible amount of luck, she was able to get several days off after Christmas and looked for a quick trip to do, and I planned the impossible: a short trip to NYC.
One of the destinations I chose was New York Botanical Garden. We love gardens, flowers and greenery. Plus, they were having their annual train show. I purchased tickets, and on that day, we were one of the first to arrive.
New York Botanical Gardens grounds are rather large. If we ever return, we will certainly be exploring it during the height of summer to see it in its fullest glory, but we were there for the trains. We were in Pittsburgh for a similar showing only weeks prior and were eager to see this version.
We were satisfied. And we were satisfied to a great extent.
They did a fantastic job putting everything to scale. In Pittsburgh, they used little plastic models of buildings; here they used every part of a plant to create the structures. From leaves to twigs, nuts to flowers, bark and wood, buildings that would be recognizable to anyone from the area were expertly recreated in perfect form using these materials.
Not being from the New York City area, many of the structures were unknown to us. We did see some that we had visited a day or two ago and pointed excitedly like tourists. We saw a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, and when we saw the real one, it was lit pink from the setting sun, and we both gushed at the sight. This mini version was terrific in its scale and detail. I began to wonder how long it takes to make these models and where they store them.
One of the things we did discover about NYC is that it gets crowded fast. We were smart, got the first tickets of the day, and enjoyed much of it before it became unbearably crowded. And like any and every other place, the people were polite, patient and kind. Travel does wonders in removing stereotypes and prejudices. It is easy to think one region or one city is less than another and the people there are just as bad, but we have been to so many, everyone is alike; all are wanting to enjoy their time and have their own experiences with family and friends.
Christmas is our favourite season, and seeing this unique display of famous NYC buildings was a surprising highlight of our trip. We would go again.
- Expect it to be crowded. NYC is one of the world’s largest cities, so attractions of this calibre will attract large crowds.
- New York Botanical Gardens is open most of the year.
- This location will inspire you to keep coming again; consider a membership.
- Parking is an issue. The lot we were in filled very quickly.
