How do you visit Central Park? It’s a landmass of over 800 acres with seven lakes, a zoo, five visitor centers, two restaurants, gardens, statues and a carousel. Some people spend an entire day there and others just see it from the Plaza Hotel. You can take a guided tour, visit a specific attraction, catch a concert or even rent a boat.

 

 

Once a scary place due to budget cuts, deterioration and crime in the 1970s, the park has been restored to it’s former glory hosting joggers, cyclists and walkers along its many trails.We entered the park near the Met on Saturday evening. Walking the trails, we noticed joggers, families with baby strollers and the like. After walking to Belvedere Castle, which I’d never seen, we headed back towards the museum.

I was happy. I quickly figured out the reason – no crowds. I even posed for a pic that my daughter took of me stretching my arms out wide and not bumping into anyone. I could breathe!

Soon we found a playground area with swings. We jumped on them. With an awesome view of the sun setting over the skyline, this was my favorite activity. We’d done everything we had set out to do on this trip and I could relax a bit. No more schedules, no more timed tickets. All we had to do was show up at the airport the next morning.

 

Before our flight the next day, we decided to take the subway up near Columbus Circle. Then, we stopped by the original Alice’s Tea Cup and purchased a cup of tea to go. We walked back through the park on the West Side – near 72nd. As a musician strummed Beatles’ music on his guitar, it dawned on me we were in Strawberry Fields – the 2.5-acre section of park dedicated to John Lennon who was gunned down outside his apartment building across the street.

Although there are a couple of streets going through the park, they are closed on the weekends. For more information about the history of the park, attractions and the hard work of the Central Park Conservancy, click here.