Oct 11, 2008

I woke up in the morning and decided I wanted to go somewhere. So I loaded my bike into the car and headed out.

I took the turnpike to Jersey City and took a couple of trains, bike in hand to Manhattan.

The first place I rode to was the Brooklyn Bridge.

There is a temporary art installment (www.nycwaterfalls.com) that I wanted to see. It's coming down on Monday so I had to get up there. The waterfall looked pretty sweet under the bridge. Better than the others that were just randomly placed.

I rode across the bridge, something I have been wanting to do for a long time.

Then I got into Brooklyn after a much less strenuous trip across than I expected.

Though not as aesthetically pleasing as the other one, this waterfall at Brooklyn Heights shows you behind the scenes.

I took a few pictures from here and enjoyed the view before heading off.

I got a closeup shot from underneath the bridge while I avoided bridesmaids from a wedding going on at the dock.

I took the Manhattan Bridge back over the river.

I stopped in the middle for some pictures.

Biking around the city is the best way to go. Especially for photography, it's so easy to see a lot of things and stop quickly to get a shot.

I followed the waterfront up to the central part of town and then headed in.

I got a bagel with cream cheese and rode to my favorite spot in Central Park to sit and eat. It was nice.

Riding in Central Park is pretty great too. Before I knew it, I was at the very north end of the park, riding up and then coasting down big hills.

I finally got to stop by Strawberry Fields for a minute and listen to a bunch of guys doing covers of Beatles songs on acoustic guitars with the crowd singing along.

Once I found it, I made the obligatory stop at Jamba Juice. Mmm.. Pomegranate Paradise.

Next, I stopped by the second place I wanted to go while I was there, The Village Pet Store.

It's an art installation by Banksy. It's quirky and has a message.. I think. Here are chicken nuggets eating from a dipping sauce.

Here is an aged and de-feathered Tweety Bird.

Hot dogs in cages with a mustard bottle.

I made my way back to the waterfront to get some night pictures of the falls lit up. They were much better to look at in darkness. It was an awesome installation.

I found my way back to the PATH train and to the car and headed back. It was a perfectly beautiful day out for a bike ride. I got to do something I've been wanting to do forever and it was better than I'd hoped it would be. This makes me want to move to the city badly.