Answer: About 100 days. Question: How long before you come back to “the city”?
Family, friends and springtime in NY are all good reasons for an extended visit. Before USbyus2016 Adventure Phase II, “West of the Mississippi” begins, we circled back to catch up with our hometown’s art, music, food and most of all family.
We have been fortunate to have visited the famed cherry blossoms of the tidal basin in Washington DC many times. We have also seen the beautiful blossoms at the gardens of the United Nations along the East River. This year we were able to see the cherry blossom festival in Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ. Breathtaking. There are more than 5,000 Japanese cherry trees which produce a panoply of blossoms. The park has the largest collection of Japanese flowering trees in one location in the United States.
The crisp cloudless sky edged my favorite skyline. A walk in Central Park amongst the joggers, cyclists and tourists always makes me smile. This year’s Public Art Fund display at the park entrance near the corner of 59th and 5th is a piece by the German artist Isa Genzken. The sculpture is of paired stems of white orchid plants winding elegantly skyward. (28 and 34 feet).
A littler further south on Park and 53rd is another piece from the Art in the Park program titled Looking Up by American artist Tom Friedman. 
A charming 33-foot-tall, quasi-human figure, gazes up above the skyscrapers of Midtown. Looking closely, this stainless steel sculpture appears to be constructed of crushed aluminum foil roasting pans. Imagine how many turkey and lasagna dinners that could have been! Instead, I stood at his huge feet and followed his gaze.
The Morgan Library on 37th and Madison is always a treat and typically not crowded. Along with the permanent collection we enjoyed two other outstanding exhibits. Andy Warhol by the Book is all about Warhol’s career as a book artist. There are screen prints, self-published books, and dust jacket designs. It is just a few rooms but it captures his love for books and great design. Wagner’s Ring: Forging an Epic is in its final few weeks at the museum. The exhibition includes rare music manuscripts, personal letters, books, costumes and stage designs. Fascinating history and a lot shorter than sitting through the operas!
Zigzagging our way through the streets, my Fitbit is happily counting 20,000+ steps each day and is glad that my metrocard stays in my pocket while the weather is beautiful. 
We are enjoying music at the Greene Space and Merkin Concert Hall presented by ChamberMusicNY, Michel Camillo at the Blue Note and many more groups around the city. Our luck has not been as successful with the Hamilton lottery. We have, however, seen the shows Cagney and Shuffle Along and we will keep entering Hamilton’s daily lottery.
Our meals with friends and family all over the city have filled us with joy, delicious food and great tap water.
Fortunately we have some time to enjoy even more of the city so nice they named it twice. We❤️NY.
Where is Wendy 