Although we don’t see any ghosts, we start off our second full day in the Big Apple passing by the “Ghostbusters” firehouse. This slim, corner firehouse was famously featured in the “Ghostbusters” movies. After renovations, it still serves as a functional firehouse; but we have to believe that the NYFD uses it more for promotional purposes than actual fire-fighting.

Our first real destination today is Central Park. Established in the mid-19th century, it is the most visited park in the country-even though it’s only the sixth largest in New York.

There are so many notable places to visit in Central Park that it is almost as challenging as visiting New York City, itself. For instance, taking a horse carriage ride through Central Park is legendary; although we thought these vehicles were driven by gentlemen attired in formal livery. To us, it looks like the tourists are driving themselves around.

A special place of interest is “Strawberry Fields”, where the late musician John Lennon is memorialized. A tile circle with the word “Imagine” (one of Lennon’s last songs) is centered in the plaza. His compositions can regularly be heard here, but not his recordings. Some Lennon wannabe is invariably strumming his guitar nearby.

The views of the skyscrapers and tall buildings from Central Park add to its appeal. It reinforces the idea of a green haven separate from the metropolis. Of course, all NYC lodgings are expensive; but there is expensive and EXPENSIVE. Rooms with a view of the Park are among the latter category: for example, the slim “pencil” towers of “Billionaire’s Row”, the Majestic, or the Beresford Building.

Of course, within the Park, the reservoir and lake are prime attractions. On this day, except for a little rain, they are serene sanctuaries.

Just as many places in New York City have been featured in films, Central Park has had its own casting calls. Notable among these places shown in various motion pictures are the Civil War-era Bethesda Fountain (The Producers) and the Bow Bridge (The Way We Were, Enchanted).

Turtles are ubiquitous in the waters of Central Park. In fact, they have their own pond near Belvedere Castle. We take quite a few photos of the amphibious critters.

It’s time for some edification. For this purpose, we leave Central Park and enter the American Museum of Natural History right across the street. This museum is both old and huge. Established in 1862, it occupies over 2.5 million square feet with 35 million specimens. It seems to have that many people here today, too.

The main entrance hall to the museum (the Theodore Roosevelt Hall) prominently displays full dinosaur skeletons in its center. The tyrannosaurus skeleton (AKA Rex) played a starring role in the “Night at the Museum” movie.

In the Hall of African Mammals, there are gigantic African elephants occupying the central space while the perimeter is lined with dioramas depicting kudu, lions, and giraffes. Both ample prey and predators.

We can no more see everything in this museum than we could visit everyplace in Central Park. It is simply too vast. So we rush through most of the exhibits, paying particular attention to the American Indian displays of ceremonies and ceremonial clothing.

The Roosevelt Island Tramway came recommended to us; so we decide to give that a try next. The Tramway connects Manhattan to Roosevelt Island, which used to be called “Welfare Island” because it originally housed hospitals and prisons. When the island transformed into residential properties, a secure mode of transportation was needed to and from Manhattan. A subway route was supposed to fill that need; but it was subject to delay after delay. Meanwhile, the Tramway, which was intended to be temporary, became a permanent fixture.

We get on the Tramway at 2nd Avenue and East 60th street. It runs roughly parallel to the Queensboro Bridge and crosses above the East River. The one-way ride only takes about five minutes and costs around $3.

The experience is okay. There’s not much to see or do on Roosevelt Island, so the trip is the thing. There are some interesting views of the Queensboro Bridge and the East River going out and of Manhattan coming back. Since you must have a MetroCard to ride the Tramway and the OMNY subway payment system doesn’t work, it’s a personal decision as to whether it’s worth the hassle.

Time to wind down the day and, for that, we head to the Nish Nush Restaurant a few blocks from our hotel. The place specializes in Mediterranean vegan cusine; so meat lovers should go elsewhere. If, however, you wish to take a break from meat or falafel is your thing, this is the place for you.

With a day and a half left to go on our visit to the Big Apple, we have hardly touched all the possible places of interest; but we are at peace with that. Better to spend quality time at the sites we choose to visit than to whisk through them all. That being said, having strolled through Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History were dreams come true.

Musical Interlude: “Empire State of Mind”-Alicia Keys