Last week I mentioned my trip to New York City, and this week I thought I’d share some of that trip with you. Most of my time in New York was spent celebrating the union of two dear friends, but a few of us still made time to see some of the sights. I’ve been to New York a few times before, but had always spent my sightseeing excursions going to museums, dining with friends, and doing a little shopping here and there. So this time I made sure to spend some time in Central Park.

The weather there was really quite perfect, so it was a great fall weekend to spend a little time strolling through this amazing park.

There are some fantastic roads and bike paths all throughout the park, and we saw lots of joggers and bicyclists taking advantage of the beautiful day.This is the mall, which has appeared in many a movie and tv show throughout the years, and being there I could see why. It’s a wonderfully romantic place, covered with a canopy of trees and with plenty of benches to sit and read, take a rest during your walk, or just breath in the fresh air. This place feels very far away from the bustling big city surrounding it.
The trees weren’t changing to autumn colors as much as I had hoped, but every once in a while there was one like this to remind me that those fall colors are indeed right around the corner. At the end of the mall, the Bethesda Fountain almost seemed to pop up out of nowhere. There was lots of activity here, some people just passing through, others enjoying the fountain or taking pictures. I love the views from inside the park. There’s something magical about seeing the skyscrapers of New York watching over the park.We came across several refreshing ponds, where life thrived all around them.

Since it was right before Halloween, there was even a pumpkin patch right in the middle of the park. We made sure to visit Strawberry Fields, where dozens of people were gathered to pay tribute to John Lennon. I imagine it is this crowded, or more, all the time. It really says something about the influence the Beatles continue to have, even now. I loved coming across this bridge, Oak Bridge.
And I loved the view from the bridge even more.
And of course, we had to pay a visit to Belvedere Castle, which provides the highest point from which to view the park from within. (Incidentally, it’s also the point from which the national weather service monitors the temperatures for the city.) See, look at that view!Central Park is huge, and we really only explored the lower half of it. I hope to explore the rest next time I’m in the city.

Do you have a favorite spot in Central Park?