The Big Apple + Catman & Other Tales
We returned from Manhattan late Friday, 4/16/99 after spending twelve nights there on a truly glorious vacation. One great highlight was arranging to get acquainted with the remarkable Catman. He met us for evening hors d'oeuvres at the Marriott Marquis on 4/5/99; that's one Marriott property (I'm sure there are others) where the evening food in the Concierge Lounge is always superior both in quantity and quality. We had a fun time discussing our several mutual interests and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the future when we again visit New York.
I'm pleased to report that the Diners Club card gets the cardholder and a guest admitted to what in reality is the Northwest Airlines Club at the Newark Airport. My wife and I went there on our way back home; since we're not elite on any airline (and don't fly often enough to justify the actual purchase of a club membership for any airline), it was a new and pleasant experience. This lounge provides free wine, beer and mixed drinks along with fruit and snacks. The bad news is that Newark is the only airport in the USA in which Diners has any sort of lounge access arrangement; I wish they would add more. The good news is that it was most enjoyable.
The flights were all in coach via United and United Express. But they were all on-time or early. And the price was right as they were "purchased" with script my wife received from having consented to being bumped twice on a flight she took last year. And you definitely get miles for these tickets since you, in effect, did purchase them.
In New York we toggled between the East Side Marriott and the Marriott Marquis as the rates dictated our otherwise bizarre behavior. But we got more Marriott bonus points due to our having four "stays" instead of just one (that's the current Marriott promotion where every three stays result in 5,000 bonus points).
The Statue of Liberty, the Staten Island Ferry, the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 47th Street jewelry center (just window shopping), etc, etc. And (count 'em) eight Broadway plays with all tickets being purchased at the TKTS (half-price day of performance) booth. All Broadway productions are special, even if they're flops. But we got to see several of high quality, with the one we enjoyed the most being Cabaret.
Well, that's about it. Am sad to report that we discovered no independent wealth in our absence, so it's back to work for us. We've got our next vacation set up for the future; it's always nice to have something to look forward to.
TravelDave
[This message has been edited by TravelDave (edited 04-19-99).]