Will H's USA Trip

Two of the checklist items I had for New York were to attend both a Mets and a Yankees game.  Tonight I checked off the Mets. The Mets play at Citi Field which is only about 3.5 miles from where I'm staying in Queens.  I decided to ride my bike over to the game.      The Mets aren't doing so well this year so it was no problem to get a walk up ticket for less than $20.  It was a grandstands seat which was fine since I really just wanted a chance to look around. I sat  through the first four innings (the Mets led 4-1) before deciding to get up and wander the stadium.  There's actually quite a bit to see.  They have a large food court behind the outfield. There's a standing viewing area in the outfield named Shea Bridge, a callback to the old Shea stadium that was replaced by Citi Field in 2009. The stadium is practically across the street from LaGuardia airport.  The upper deck provides some nice views of th...

Took the bike out for another long trip, this time to Brooklyn to revisit Prospect Park and tour the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Since locking the replacement bike inside my car every night I've not had any additional theft issues.  Apparently breaking out auto glass is a step too far for the neighborhood thieves guild.      I started out headed east on Queens Blvd, a road I've been running on in the mornings.  It's got a dedicated bike line which is nice and you can see the Empire State building in the distance. Eventually I took a southeast turn onto Greenpoint Ave which crosses Queens into Brooklyn as it approaches the East River.  Upon reaching the river I followed Franklin St and Kent Ave along the river, passing the Willliamsburg Bridge on the way.      It took little over an hour to make it to the park.      The park was created in 1867 and encompasses 585 acres of territory.  B...