Day 6: Farewell to Manhattan

Day 6: Farewell to Manhattan
We start our last day by packing our suitcase. We can leave our things at the hotel, allowing us to use the remaining time to take a little tour in the southern part of Manhattan. The sun is shining and we can see the Brooklyn Bridge from the pier at the East River. René attempts a headstand, a talent I lack.
Then we walk to Battery Park and want to head further south, but that is hindered by construction work. Eventually, we find our way. Unfortunately, the wind is quite strong, so we don’t want to stay there for long. For lunch, we eat pizza and then stroll back to the hotel. There, we are picked up on time. Originally, we wanted to take public transportation to the airport, but the shuttle service offers us a free return trip as compensation for our messed up outbound journey, without a negative review on Booking.com. We quickly arrive at the airport, and the process goes smoothly. At 6 PM, we board the plane. The flight duration is 6.5 hours, almost 2 hours less than on the outbound flight, thanks to the jet stream. The flight is calm and we can get a little sleep. On time at 7:00 AM, we land in Frankfurt. The immigration and baggage claim process is seamless and quick. We take the shuttle bus back to the parking lot. By noon, we are in Erfurt. The kids and I sleep for almost the entire ride. How René manages that is a mystery to me.

Now our conclusion:

New York is definitely worth a trip. There is so much to see and experience. The season is great as there are not too many tourists in the city, keeping wait times short. I have often wondered what it would be like to be in the city during a time with many tourists.
Fortunately, the weather is beautiful, except for one day of rain. The main thing is to stay dry; the right clothing is crucial.
The costs of the trip are quite high. Flights are relatively inexpensive, but hotels or apartments are costly. These two items account for 70% of our travel budget. If you have a kitchen, that’s where most of the saving potential lies. Also, the costs for admission tickets are not small, but it’s worth investing money in that. The cultural offerings are very extensive, with suitable options for everyone.

Our top 3 are:
David: Balloon Summit, Firezone, Crown of the Statue of Liberty
Erik: 911 Memorial, Crown of the Statue of Liberty, Firezone
Rene: Summit, 911 Memorial, Crown of the Statue of Liberty
Anna: Crown of the Statue of Liberty, Summit, Natural History Museum


Now we are back home and planning our next vacation. In the summer, we are heading to Iceland. Maybe we’ll read about each other there.