I woke up at 5:30am, then ended waking Todd up at 7:30. We got out of bed at 8 and I showered and packed.
We met Mom at 9:15 and checked out, left our bags with bell services, then walked across the street to the 810 Deli & Cafe. I had the same breakfast as before; a protein wrap that I split with Todd, and a Bolthouse Farms strawberry banana smoothie.
After we ate we walked to Central Park and watched the falling leaves around the duck pond, then walked to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Autumn in New York
Nature's palette
I recall Central Park in fall...
Heading to the bridge
Over the bridge to Essex House
Mom and I
Todd and I
The Apple Store. The line of people in the background are waiting their turn to get in.
A peek inside the glass
The MoMA was an interesting mix, by design, and we left disappointed. Two of the galleries were closed for installations, one of which was the architecture and design gallery which I had been looking forward to seeing. I must be getting older, because I thought the Sturtevant retrospective "art" was more like walking through some nutty funhouse than it was thought-provoking. I realize that may make me sound unsophisticated, but fuck it; this shit was weird, y'all:
A video projection that spanned the entire length of a long hallway and featured a looped video of dog running through a field
An empty room with a spinning projector on the floor moving an image of a person around the room
A circle of light-bulbs and wires puddling on the floor in front of a 3-paneled black wall with crude chalk-like drawings of genitalia all over the wall
A series of televisions in a line on the floor showing disturbing and ridiculous videos, each at top volume so you heard them long before you saw them
Other stuff
Dog video hallway. Photo from whitewallmag.com.
Windows and chairs with goop on them. Photo from whitewallmag.com.
Sturtevant made her name by mimicking other artists. Photo from whitewallmag.com.
You could hear these videos several rooms away. At this point I could help but feel for the poor staff or docents who had to stand in these rooms all day and listen/watch this stuff. Photo from whitewallmag.com.
Bulbs and wangs. Photo from whitewallmag.com.
However, to balance all of that out, we then saw works by Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Andrew Wyeth, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Vasily Kandinsky, Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Henri Matisse, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, et al., so it was well worth the visit. We left the museum at noon after a brief stop in the gift shop.
We walked back to the hotel to pick up our bags, then took the E train from 7th down to 34th and Penn Station, where we would board the Amtrak train to Washington, D.C.
When we arrived we headed upstairs and Todd went to the Amtrak counter to get a voucher for my aunt's unused travel. Then we headed back downstairs to the mall-like area to eat. We decided on Nathan's for lunch. I had a hot dog with mustard and onion, fries and a lemonade. They also put ketchup on the hot dog, but it was still good. Todd got a knish with his meal, so I tried it. Now I realize this is a fast-food version, so I didn't have high expectations. True enough, it tasted like undercooked, bland hush puppy. It wasn't bad; just boring.
We sat in the back of Nathan's (with our luggage) for quite a while before getting up and going to Jamba Juice. I had a large Strawberry Whirl. Then it was back upstairs to sit in the Amtrak waiting area. We had about an hour to wait until our 3:05pm train departed.
We boarded the train and had a pleasant, smooth ride. We arrived at Union Station in DC at 6:30pm. From there we took the Red Line Metro train to the Metro Center station and then walked four blocks with our luggage to the hotel. It was much colder than New York. We were staying at the W hotel, which was a block away from the White House.
W
We walked in the side door and immediately felt old and out of place. There were many younger people in suits and smart black cocktail dresses, everyone had a cocktail, there was a dj in the lobby, a video projected on the ceiling, the chandeliers were lit with purple LEDs, etc. Apparently this was the hip place to be in the evening.
I didn't feel too bad for long though. Todd and I were booked in a "Fantastic Suite", and it was well worth it. At check in they fawned all over Todd once he told them who he was, and handed him his welcome package with the suite perks info. and breakfast vouchers for each morning. We went up to the suite and were completely blown away. First by the iced bucket of champagne and tray of fresh fruit waiting for us (apples, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), then by the handwritten card welcoming us again and inviting us to contact the "Whatever/Whenever" desk should we need anything, then by the suite itself.
The suite consisted of a short entry hallway that opened into a large open room that used the furniture arrangement to divide it into a living area and a work/dining area. The bedroom was off the living room, and the bathroom was separated from the bedroom by a sliding door. The frosted glass shower/tub enclosure made up half of the bedroom wall.
Entryway
Work/dining area
Yes, thank you
The living area
Couch, curtains, throw
This way to the bedroom and bathroom and the shower enclosure that divides them
The bed was low to the ground, but super warm and comfy
Bathroom
Shower and tub room
The place was huge, comfortable, and very well styled and lit. We were ecstatic with the choice, even if we didn't quite fit the target demographic.
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