Millennium in New York
At the beginning was the idea
Christmas 1998, I had the idea to spend the Millennium on the crossroad of the world, the Times Square in New York. January 1999, I asked a good friend, if he would like to welcome with me the year 2000 in the heart of New York.
Although we heard in the german media, that there exist almost no flights and hotels for the Millennium anymore and one should book very soon, there was no travel-agency able to offer us a flight or a room for this date. They said, that we should wait until summer 1999 to search in the winter 2000 catalogues. But we didn't want to wait half a year and doing nothing, with the risk that then everthing might be overbooked. Thus, we searched the internet and found very soon a flight with the Icelandair over Rejkavik and a good middle-class hotel at the financial district in Manhatten a few hundred meters away from the World Trade Center. Including tax and breakfast we payed about 100,-DM (65$) per person and night. For this location (Manhatten/financial district), this season (Christmas and New Year), this hotel (good quality) and the Millennium, was the price really okay.
On the 24.12.1999 we started to New York and we had about one week to discover and enjoy this special city. Another friend joined us on the 31.12.1999 and together with more then 2 million people we welcome the year 2000 at the Times Square. Early this morning, we left New York to the south and visited beside other, Washington, Philadelphia and the Luray-Caverns. The way back, we drove on the coast and on the 8.2.2000 we traveled back to germany.
Arrival at the hotel and first impressions around the Brooklyn Bridge
The breathtaking view from the Empire State Building
Times Square - the crossroad of the world - at night
Soon, to be continued with a boat trip to the statue of liberty