Skip to main content

Self-Guided Tour

In my travels, guidebooks have been of tremendous assistance. Guidebooks have lead to great restaurants, must-see attractions, and more than a few nice hotels. However, there have been some pieces of information that even the most complete guidebooks have not revealed. Though they may initially seem to be a negative, these omissions can add to the traveling experience. In some cases, it is not what you know, but what you discover that makes traveling a true adventure.

In even the largest of cities, there are still tiny, out of the way places to be found. Places that, without a keen or, perhaps, curious eye, one might otherwise miss. It is these places that often prove to be among the more memorable moments of any journey. For me, a great example of this is Manhattan’s Trinity Church. My first encounter with this Church came about entirely by accident. Wandering the crowded alleyways of the financial district, near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway, I noticed a number of tombstones surrounded by a wrought iron fence. I did not think much of this, until I began to notice the dates on the stones, the majority of which were from the middle to late eighteenth century. Detouring from my sightseeing, I found my way into the cemetery and spent more than one hour exploring the courtyard-sized plot of land.
Before long, I became curious about the unimposing brown brick structure located next to the graveyard. The sign at the entrance marked this structure as Trinity Church. Entering the Church, I found myself in a dimly lit sanctuary with several dozen pews leading up to a small altar. As I walked around the sanctuary, I could not help but notice the paradoxical quality of this place. The surrounding buildings hosted some of the most frenzied business dealings in the world. Yet, this small church, with its unassuming architecture and equally small, courtyard-style cemetery seemed to be a respite, of sorts. The only audible noise was that of a small choir rehearsing for an upcoming service

After my visit, curiosity got the better of me and I began to read about Trinity Church and its surprising place in Manhattan’s history. The Church, I learned, had been the onetime seat of the Church of England in New York. Trinity, in fact, had been the Anglican Church’s first home at New York’s founding. Continuing my research, I would learn that the small cemetery I had explored held a part of American history. Buried in one of its larger graves, among some of Manhattan’s earliest residents, was Alexander Hamilton, the Treasury Secretary under George Washington.

Traveler’s guidebooks can lead to many places. They can tell you the
do’s . . . and don’ts . . . of life in a different city. Yet guidebooks cannot tell you everything. Had I relied solely on a guidebook, I might have missed Trinity Church entirely. While I certainly was not the first traveler to find this tiny landmark, it was no less of a discovery for me.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Olympic Memories

Twenty years ago this week, I - along with my family - was sitting in my house watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics.  I have always loved watching the Olympics, but this time was different.  This time, the Games were not on some far-away continent.  These Games were in my own hometown!  In fact, just the night before, I had been in Olympic Stadium - now Turner Field - watching the dress rehearsal for what I was watching on tv.  Now, twenty years later, some of my most vivid memories remain: The seemingly always-crowded highways of Atlanta were practically desolate, providing a seldom-seen sight. Meeting the Frenchman who wondered if I had ever heard of the book about the Civil War written by an Atlanta woman named Margaret Mitchell. The dress rehearsal crowd cheering wildly during the parade of nations for the entry of the flag from (the nation of) Georgia. Attending the women's gymnastics podium trials, watching the Magnificent 7 prepa...

Playing Slots

             It is impossible to win on these machines, I thought.  Playing an airport slot machine is basically throwing away money, I was certain.  But, I had a long layover between flights and was looking for a way to pass the time.  I could see the neon glow of the Las Vegas Strip through the windows, but I did not have enough time to make that trip.  Despite my doubts, then, I sat down at a quarter machine near my gate and dropped in one dollar.  That was all that I would spend, I assured myself.  If nothing else, I would not be out much money.               I sat at the machine and, every few seconds, pressed the blinking button that sent the rolls spinning.  I would win. . . then lose. . . then win the small sum that I was playing.  When I looked and saw that I actually was ahead, I decided to q...

A Late-Night Walk

Driving through a city in a car or tour bus, there is only so much one can see. Most of the city goes by in a blur. Stops are made on a preset schedule. For a true tour of any city, the best way to see it is by walking. When walking, one can see a city at their own pace. As many or as few stops as desired can be made. In my travels, walking has provided some of my most memorable experiences. One of my more memorable walks happened late at night. It was not so much the walk itself that was memorable, but the circumstances surrounding it. It was January 1, 2000. A group of friends and I had spent much of the evening on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., welcoming in the new millennium with countless other people. After 1a.m., the crowd began to disperse and we were faced with a decision. Earlier that evening, a friend had dropped us off near the Mall before continuing onto her own New Year’s celebration. Did we join the throngs of people waiting for ...