We returned to Abilities Expo for a few hours yesterday and managed to speak to a few more organisations due to the event being significantly quieter. I even got to go up on their adaptive climbing wall, which I would have a cool video of but Leisa forgot to press play 😂! It was a cool experience and the range of adaptive climbing kit on offer was pretty cool.
We decided to take the afternoon off and head back to our hotel for a swim in the lovely warm indoor pool. This was a really nice bit of down time and the opportunity for some exercise therapy which was really nice, particularly as we were travelling to JFK the following day.
Last week when we arrived in New Jersey for the Expo I quickly realised that our original plan of leaving NJ for JFK was going to be a bit difficult. The idea of travelling early in the morning and trying to catch a flight in good time wasn’t going to be easily achievable and would certainly be very stressful. So I decided to look at closer hotels and found out that JFK has an onsite hotel called the TWA. It was not the cheapest but it would ensure that we were at the airport on time and eliminate a great deal of additional stress so I booked us a night (tonight).
On top of this a company called Ride IOT were providing transport for the Expo and we asked what they’d charge for a transfer. They quoted $100 dollars cheaper than our original transfer price so we snapped that up too!
These two decisions turned out to be the absolute best thing ever! Our driver, Rus, picked us up bang on time this morning in a comfortable clean vehicle, he had even set the car so I could ride up front. He then surprised us by offering us a tour around New York, included Manhattan and the East side before taking us directly to the hotel. He said he was sad that we didn’t get the full New York experience and wanted to show us what the city had to offer. This was truly excellent and completely transformed our New York experienced from underwhelmed to genuinely impressed, having a local guide is so helpful when learning about the location and what it has to offer. If I over returned I would be getting straight in touch with Ride IOT as the value for money, genuine care and attitude was top notch!
Image Description: Standing on the New Jersey side of the Hudson with the New York skyline behind us.
Image Description: Me and our driver Rus on arrival at the TWA. I can’t thank him enough for an incredible surprise tour.
The icing on the cake was the TWA hotel, honestly it’s the pinnacle of cool! The whole design is built on the original 1960’s TWA Flight Centre, the architecture and general vibe is awesome. There’s lots of places to eat and drink, there’s a rooftop bar and infinity pool and there’s even ‘Connie’ the plane parked outside which serves as a second bar. It’s such a great place to stay if you’re passing though - 10/10.
Image Description: Me sitting inside Connie the plane testing out the old airplane seats (they’re 100 times more comfortable!).
Image Description: My wheelchair hiding under one of Connie’s wings! I needed to find somewhere dry to park whilst I explored inside!
All in all it’s been a day of unexpected joys, which are generally the best kind. We veered off the plan and it paid off so so well. Today I feel very grateful to be able to do this and I’m looking forward to heading to Colorado tomorrow.
Ps. A video of the inside of the TWA is coming up on Facebook, I just need to find the time to edit it!
Comments