We went to the NY Botanical Garden 4-5 years ago for the annual Holiday Train Show. It was a bitter & extremely freezing cold day in December. I was super excited because I love trains but when I got there I realized the show is all about the model structures which was a nice surprise. They are made out of natural plant based resins and materials. The details were impressive.
Some of these are blurry but it still gives you an idea what it’s like. These were taken with the Nikon D80.
Here’s another train! There really aren’t that many trains. Either that or I was too busy looking at everything else.
The bridges were really cool.
There was a gingerbread area too.
This is my favorite garden. It feels more remote compared to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
It was freezing the day we went.
Don’t laugh – this is nature for me.
We went to the show with our friend Kyle. Vic and I took the D train up but going back to Manhattan we took Metro North and got suck not far from where we departed. It took us over 3 hours to get back to Manhattan. Our train lost power. A rescue train was sent.
“Watch that rescue train need a rescue train,” Vic joked.
An hour later an announcement was made that the rescue train needs a rescue train. I couldn’t stop laughing and Kyle was like ,”Fuck you, man. You jinxed us.” We couldn’t stop laughing. But we were also so damn hungry.
So a second rescue train was sent.
A while later. Another announcement was made. The second rescue train isn’t working. We are going to have to ask the people in the first few cars to walk to the last few cars. Then we took off very slowly up the Hudson. Pretty far up to where the tracks switch over. Eventually we were headed back down to Manhattan. We felt really bad for the tourists that missed their Broadway show because it took so damn long to get moving.
I don’t remember when we got back to the city. Since Vic and I bought our tickets on the train it was extra expensive. We got a complaint ticket from the Metro North window and figured heck with it. We’ll file complaint to get our money back and figured we wouldn’t.
Maybe 8 or 9 months later we get a full refund for our Metro North train tickets!
Jebus Mews & Andrea 
The NYC Metro system is amazing, at least to this native Californian who often gripes about the lack of public transit here. When the subways work, it’s fantastic. When they don’t, it’s, uh…. When my daughter and I went to see the Whitney during the summer, the connecting train we were supposed to take was dead in its tracks. There was an announcement that it would be fixed in 20 minutes, but my daughter said, ‘You can’t ever believe what they say about when the train will be running. Anyway, we can walk there in 20 minutes.’ So we did. Luckily, the weather was relatively pleasant for August, so the hike was actually nice. I don’t think I would have been as cheerful if it was in the middle of a bitter winter day.
Didn’t you find it kind of ironic your train broke down after you visited the train show?
I’m super pumped now to see the train show with my grandson! I think he’ll like it. I know I will, even if the train going there breaks down, lol. My daughter might not think it’s so fun to have to haul the stroller and a cranky two-year-old around the Botanic Garden, but when I travel I try to be an optimist. Plus the weather is supposed to be spring-like that weekend. I’m only worried about rain, but we’ll bring umbrellas!
At least the Metro North train has toilets. Bring sanitizes and extra tissues and snacks. Sometimes the toilets are clean. Sometimes icky but they are in service all day. I’ve used it 2x. Once on LIRR and one on Metro North. Hand santizer or sanitzer wipes. Your train will be fine. Was a freak accident it happened. It’s rainy and tomorrow is suppose to be 70! I wish it wasn’t rainy – I’d really like to go for a bike ride. Have fun and Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you! Enjoy your visit to Philadelphia!
This is awesome, I don’t re ember this one.
Old pics. Never posted this. Thought we went 2 or 3 years ago. It was around 4-5.
So it’s not just crumbling old UK infrastructure that results in rescuers needing to be rescued, or compensation for all the inconvenience coming as a further inconvenience! We have a system whereby if you travel and are delayed by a number of hours you eventually get compensation paid in vouchers, only to be used on the service that caused you the headache in the first place.
I take the same train to work for the last 10 years. Around the same time. I swear they are running slower. I get there 5-10min later. Our infrastructure is getting pretty old.
We were surprised we got our money back!
Lovely pics – even the squirrel! I haven’t seen a black squirrel before, so that was a treat. Sorry the train was unreliable, but at least you were with friends. Happy holidays!
I see black squirrels sometimes depending where I am. Not often. There use to be a lot of black squirrels and black and half reddish or brown squirrels at Stuy. Town in the East 20s. I would walk by there in High School. They were so cute and I never saw a squirrel split in two colors. Was so cute. Happy Holidays!
It must feel really weird for you ! I’ve heard that it’s incredibly warm in new york 🙂 Merry xmas !
Very weird. I was really annoyed that it was Spring on Xmas day. I was wearing a tank top, Birkenstock and a sweat jacket on Xmas Eve. So wrong. But I finally felt Christmas on Saturday when we went to Koziar’s Christmas Village. Will be posting about that soon.
Winter has finally arrived here in the uk. How about you over there ? Is the weather colder ?
LOVE that train show – those model buildings are incredible!!! It is fun to go through and figure which ones you have already seen and which you need to go visit!
I was excited for the trains. When we were there we realized it was about the models. So well made and the details were amazing.