4 November 2007 - New York, New York
Just over a week ago I was on holiday in New York. It was my first trip to America and I had a lot of fun. Below you can see a panoramic photo I took from the top of the Empire State Building (click the picture to see the large version). It's a spectacular view, though you definitely need to get there early to avoid the queues. I went up before 9am on a Monday morning and it was relatively empty.
If you're ever on holiday in New York it's worth picking up a City Pass. Even if you skip a couple of the museums, like I did, it's still good value. I particularly liked the Circle Line Sightseeing cruise, which offers great views of the Lower Manhattan skyline. I went on the cruise back in October, so it was a bit cold at times when the wind swept across. I definitely should have taken a hat and scarf with me!
During my holiday I stayed in Hotel Pennsylvania. Its best feature is undoubtedly its location opposite Madison Square Garden and just a couple of blocks from the Empire State Building. The room I stayed in was nice, though I didn't spend a great deal of time there - it wasn't an especially long holiday so I had to try and do as much with each day as possible.
Now that I'm back in England work will resume on some small improvements to Fingerjig. I dare say that Fingerjig is almost at a point where I'll be prepared to call it finished.