112 | July 2012

I STILL remember my first dalliance withthe USA and this passionate encounterstarted my love affair with NorthAmerica.

It was a girl’s weekend and there were six ofus meeting up at Manchester airport for stPatricks day in the Big Apple in March 2000.The excitement was palpable andexpectation was high. The hen had arrangeda limousine transfer from the airport to ourhotel with champagne on ice, a sex in thecity style entrance to the one of the mostenergetic cities in the world. It all went toplan.Flight on time, bags not lost and transfersas booked. As we passed over the bridge itfelt strangely like deja vu as the icons of theUSA were actually in front of us. The regalstatue of liberty gazing serenely out to sea,a maternal guardian for the city that neversleeps and the we gazed at the skyline thatonly 18 months later would be dramaticallyand painfully altered forever. Midtown was the perfect base as locationis everything in NYC. Times Square is apermanent neon lit metropolis with hugecolourful electric billboards that changeimages frenetically. Our senses werebombarded by the smells of hot dog standsand incessant sounds of canary yellow cab’shorns and emergency service sirens racing

frantically to their designations.Our pilgrimage to historical5th Avenue and the familiarnamed department stores ofMacy’s, Bloomingdales and Sakswas rewarded with a succession ofbargains and I would advise you totravel with plenty of room in yourcase as resisting temptation is futile. A melting pot of cultures and a racingvibrant energy that makes London look halfasleep we explored the magic, slightlymanic streets. Eccentricity is the norm hereand it was no surprise to find myselfchatting to a lady dressed as a hippy fromthe 70s who was returning home fromwork with her pet rabbit on a lead. New Yorkis cold in March, in fact it is freezing. Eventhe weather is extreme from bitterly coldwinters to raging hot summers. A trip tothe summit of the Empire States Buildingresulted in zero visibility due to the weatherconditions so check beforehand beforeforking out.We just about made out the snowysilhouette of the skyline but the interior isjust as impressive. The location to the filmsan Affair to Remember and Sleepless inSeattle it is easy to imagine this has beenthe rendezvous for many a romanticproposal.Central Park is an oasis amidst the high rise

buildingsand a retreat

for the locals where recreation comes inthe form of jogging, biking and simplytaking a minutes peace from the hustle andbustle. Artists display their crafts which areavailable to buy and a relaxing way to seethe whole park is by horse and carriagewhich in winter have cosy rugs to snuggleunder. We did go to the twin towers and we didride the elevators to the windows of theworld restaurant sipping long island ice tea.New York is a tough lady and my admirationfor her puts it at the top of my mostfavourite destinations in the world.As the saying goes live in New York oncebut leave before it makes you hard. I sayvisit New York but leave before shecaptures your heart. Be warned, thisseductive city is unforgettable.I fell head over heels.When I returned to USA it was to the polaropposite of New York. The laid back sunnysuburbs of Los Angeles beckoned as Iexcitedly checked in.

EMMA’S

WORLD

EMMA WILKINSON from Hednesford-based TimelessTravel takes us on her trip to the Big Apple – New York

Living the American dream