This week we hit a few of New York’s iconic attractions.
First, we took the subway out to the Bronx Zoo on a cool but sunny fall day. The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States. We loved the Wild Asia Monorail, which took us through a 40-acre area that recreates the mud wallows and pastures, forests and riverbanks of Asia. 
As we traveled along the Bronx River, we saw Siberian tigers, Indian elephants, and rhinos. Another favorite was the Congo Gorilla Forest which is home to 20 lowland gorillas. After this exhibit we decided that gorilla watching in the Congo or Rwanda is now on our list of places to visit. All in all we were impressed with the Bronx Zoo and would highly recommend it.
On another day this week we braved a rainy and cold day and walked across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We’d heard the raves about the Met, the largest museum in United States, but we really didn’t comprehend the magnitude of it until we stepped foot inside. From Egyptian temples to arms and armor and from Asian art to European masters, we were in awe at every turn throughout the vast building. 
A few of our favorites included two sets of King Arthur VIII’s armor: one set from when he was in fighting condition and one from when he was much larger. We were also impressed by the taxidermic deer covered with glass orbs, created by a Japanese artist. Of course, the impressionists stole the show, as there is nothing like seeing an original Van Gogh, Monet, or Matisse.
Today we took the free Staten Island Ferry across the bay to a highly recommended restaurant. Brunch is a big deal here in NYC, so we decided to partake. We dined at Beso, which was just steps from the Ferry Terminal. For a fixed price of $25 each we had sangria, soup, steak and salmon, and two desserts. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, topped off with great views of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan from the ferry.
In the past week we also finished our concert-going streak by seeing the classic 80s band Foreigner in an acoustic performance at Carnegie Hall. While we are fans of Foreigner, the visit inside Carnegie Hall was worth the price of admission. Then, on Friday evening we ticked another New York classic off the list when we saw Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. Bill Joel is the only artist to have a residency at the arena, and he’s done over 33 sold out shows over the past few years. Needless to say, he was incredible.
Marathon week has officially kicked off and our next week will be all about the race. Yesterday we attended another free fitness class sponsored by Dr. Jordan Metzl and the Central Park Conservancy. 
Yoga for Runners is an annual event to launch the marathon activities, and we had a great day for the outdoor stretchfest. We followed that up with the Poland Springs Five Mile Marathon Kickoff Race in the park. The race started and ended at the Marathon finish line and the bleachers, signage, and pavilion are all up and ready for next week’s big event. You can watch Steve and over 50,000 other participants run 26.2 miles through all five of NYC’s boroughs, finishing in front of Tavern on the Green next Sunday, November 6. It will be broadcast on ESPN2. Our next blog will be a special marathon edition.
Have a great Halloween everyone and thanks for reading!
Marnie and Steve Travel 