iwannagothere.com This is travel, not tourism

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

New York is mostly about the skyscrapers, the people, the hurry, the contrasts, the surprises in each corner, the different neighborhoods… The city that never sleeps. But there’s one thing apart from all the city life that it’s also the heart of Manhattan: Central Park.

Central Park is huge and has so many different spaces that you will see so many different people, activities… First of all, the park is so big so my first recommendation to you is to rent a bike. They have them on the Boathouse at a very fair prize. Riding a bike is the best way to visit every corner. Do it on a Sunday, it’s when the park is more alive

First stop: The Dairy. There they’ll give you a very detailed map. There you’ll see all the places worth to visit. I’ll give you some of my favorites.

The Dairy is in the southern part so we decided to visit all this area first. The Carousel is quite unique and it is next to a baseball court so we stopped for a while to see some middle-aged friends playing. It was fun. Then we did a quick visit to the Zoo from the outside and the little pond there.

Then we ride all the way to the upper side (don’t worry, the park is mostly flat, you won’t get tired at all). After visiting the north meadow, we bordered the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the biggest lake at the park. Very beautiful views there.

Then we got to the Great Lawn. It’s often full of people doing yoga or practicing martial arts, sleeping, reading… you get the point, right?   In that area you’ll find the Delacorte Theatre, the Obelisk and the Belvedere Lake. Take a picture to the Belvedere Castle from the opposite side of the lake and then go up the hill and visit the Castle; you won’t regret it at all.

Going down there is the Ramble, a labyrinth of little paths surrounding The Lake. I recommend you to do the Ramble, it’s pretty and you’ll encounter the Bow Bridge on your way to the Strawberry Fields.

Then we took the transverse road t o get to the famous Bethesda Fountain and Terrace. Do not just visit the fountain, if you go under the bridge, there’s a beautiful arched structure where a family chorus usually sings on Sunday.

To finish the visit, we went to the Conservatory Water, where the Hans Christian Andersen statue is located, and tried to see Pale Male. We did!
After that, it was about time to get back to the boathouse and return the bikes.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to lear