New York...

Howzit folks.  Update on what's happening in Quantico.  The big trip to New York!!!  After finishing up Week #4, members of Session #246 boarded two charter buses and started our journey to the big city.  Now I have never been there, but have heard that this is a must do while attending the NA, so me, along with Jeff signed up.  There were a total of about 85 NA students who signed up for this trip.  On our way northbound on I-95, there was an accident that caused our buses to make a detour, which added another 30 minutes to our ETA, which was supposed to be at 10:00 pm. 

We had some box lunches, (not the kind from Hawaii, but filled a void in the stomach) and some refreshments, and a couple of movies.  The excitement was building as we crossed over the Delaware bridge and a State Trooper started what was to be our official escort to and throughout New York.  They were great in ensuring our safe arrival as well as navigating through the traffic jams in the city.

Times Square was a site to behold...people were everywhere!!!  We unloaded our luggage at the Millennium Broadway Hotel.  Nice accommodations.  Then we ventured our and looked for a pizza place and found Famous Famiglia a few blocks away.  Ordered a huge slice of pizza and spaghetti and meatballs to take back to the room.  Good eats.


Walked around for a bit and returned to the hotel to rest up for the rest of Saturday.  Got up and had breakfast downstairs at the Charlotte and we were off.  NYPD assigned an officer to us for the duration and he was great in getting us to our destinations.  First stop, the New York City Police Museum.  I think this was the very first precinct and turned it into a museum.  Nice exhibits and artifacts from 9-11 as well.  We then went to the NYPD Special Operations Division, which was a brand new joint operations center which opened just a couple of weeks ago.  Impressive technology, but can't say too much...sensitive information.  The off to One Police Plaza....NYPD Headquarters.  Place is HUGE!!!  Got the tour of the facilities.


Dinner was set up at Carmine's and it was great!!!  Family style dinner and the food was awesome and plentiful.  The libations were great AND included too.  Near the end of dinner, the NYPD bagpipe band rolled in and they were terrific.  One of them was an NA Grad too.   Walked around Times Square and turned in to prepare for the activities for Sunday.


Breakfast at Charlotte's again and checked out of the hotel and headed to the Empire State Building.  They gave us the first class treatment and got in front of the lines and up to the top.  Although it was quite foggy, the view was spectacular.  Then off to the Hudson River for the boat cruise about the FDNY boat, which took us up close to the Statue of Liberty and a tour along the New York shoreline (not sure what you would call it).  


Then we went to Ground Zero....hallowed ground and we were allowed to go behind the scenes with the Port Authority police.  Hard to believe we were there and that the Twin Towers once stood there.  Then off to the NYPD Police Memorial and then lunch, before we boarded the buses to return to Quantico.


Big Mahalo to Noel Lamberty and Dave Stein from NYPD who made the New York trip possible and memorable.  

Aloha for now.