Central Park Why you so big?

So Sunday I woke up and decided I was going to do so more exploration. I didn't know where or what but I was going to get out some more. I have done that about every other day. This city is so awesome and there is so much to see and I want to see it all.

Well it started with the park across the street from my apartment. It is big but there is this strange Tower in the far corner from what I can tell and it seems the park sits on a cliff. So I went a walking and I was actually surprised the park is not as big as it seems. It was rather a short trek from my door to the tower all in all 5 minutes or so.

What is this tower?

There is nothing there about what this tower is, why it exists, or when it was built? Not here at this location. But it is freaking cool and completely gated off. It sits like a lone soldier of time in a world ever advancing. I was going to hop the gate but what you don't see in the picture is the four park employees that were walking around picking up trash. I did find out what it was though. I'll get to that. 

Well my stomach started acting up, and cut the exploration of Rape/Murder park, (as my friend B and C like to call it), short. So I walked on home, grabbing my laundry from the laundry mat, and went to the restroom. I did see what I wanted to see so there was that. I also got this rad shot 

Bronx from across the Harlem Aqueduct on a cold morning!

Well being of strong testicular fortitude I was not going to give up so I quickly hopped on the A down to 125th street transferred to the C and got down to 110th. The Far northwest corner of Central Park. Man is it awesome. As I entered the park the path led me to a traffic lane which was divided into walking, Running, and cycling. It was so busy and congested it reminded me of riding the river trail 11am or so on Sundays. People everywhere. There was a marathon going on in the park as well as the first Sunday without snow so a great deal of cyclists where there as well. Well I walked up the hill on this path and found a trail that broke to the southwest that was walking only. I don't need my fatness being the hiccup in someone else's day. So I excused myself from the hustle and bustle of the traffic lane. I quickly ended up in snow and on the top of the hill at what they call Grant Hill. I would of shot a picture but it was snow and and a fence and that was it. So I kept walking south/southeast. I went down a hill followed a trail and came across this.

Random Waterfall in Central Park which there are many

Old stone bridge crossing the stream from the waterfall.

I walked through the bridge and quickly was in a little pasture opening in the trees with no pathways and surrounded by multiple creeks and streams. It reminded me of being on the farm in Colorado in winter. I stood in that area for about 20 minutes until some random runner came out of nowhere and interrupted my peaceful moment. I still have no clue where he came from, but whatever.

I proceded to walk some more and I just wandered along trails and paths with no direction in mind and no idea of where to go. No mission just trying to get lost in Central Park. I found myself near the North field which is fenced off due to the snow and them wanting the grass to be strong in the spring, I saw Blue Jays and Red breasted finches, huge fat fucking squirrels which we will get to. I couldn't get pictures though because I'm slow as shit with my phone camera. 

I ended up on the East side of the Park about three quarters of the way up. Near 5th Ave. I didn't want to leave the park so I hung a quick left when I saw another trail. I walked up it not knowing where it would lead and as I crested the top of it I found this;

Jackie-O Reservoir. Kind of hard to see but there is the fountain in the middle

I walked around this snow and ice covered manmade lake, for what seemed like forever. Always south and for a moment a little west.

As I walked I came across lochs or some call them dam buildings. They are really beautiful in their construction and architecture and have stood for decades if not a century and a half. 

Well as I kept walking I came across the main loch which was huge and beautiful and led out to the main street. It was covered in plaques and tourist information about the water and irrigation system of Manhattan, which lo and behold is the last place I would of thought to look for my original conquest The TOWER!!

Signage telling the tower was part of the original gravity fed water system of New York along with Harlem High Bridge.

 Well with that mystery solved I looked around to see where I should head and was stunned. There is one of the places I want to visit and forgot about in the overwhelming nature of this city. I proceeded to cut out a course for this place of beauty and headed due east then North then East again. I walked along muddy, icy, slushy paths, slipping every once and awhile. I was going to get there. I exited the Park at 5th Ave and I believe 90th St. I walked southbound on 5th Ave and came across this Beauty of a Cathedral.

Church of Rest 

 Well after a block or so I came to it. I was there. This monument to art and beauty. The Guggenheim. When I was going to school for design this place always grabbed me. I dreamt of spending days inside of it. It is marvelous. And much smaller than it appears in MIB. It is awesome though to look at. I attempted to walk up to the front door but the place was packed. You can't see it in the picture but there was a line already at the front door and inside.

Guggenheim from corner of 5th Ave and 88th St

So with the museum being packed and not wanting to drop $25 to be overwhelmed and annoyed with other people I proceeded back into the park after walking down 5th for a few blocks. Then I remembered Carlos said something of a Castle. I will find it I said. I walked along the North Edge of the Met and looked to the Northwest. There it was the castle. Belvedere Castle to be exact.

From the main Terrace looking out over Turtle Pond

From the Main Terrace looking at Belvedere Castle

From the top Terrace looking down upon the two lower Terraces

The Tower of the Castle

What the Castle is used for now.

So after that I continued on. No direction just meandering along paths and trails. Remember the Squirrels. Here is one of those fearless bastards right now. They are not afraid of humans and will still your food. This one was 4 feet away from me and we sat and stared at each other for at least 2 minutes.

You wanna fight bro!

 The final part of my exploration brought me to Strawberry Fields. No clue what this place was just knew it had something to do with the Beatles song. I walked up a short hill and came to this.

Memorial for John Lennon. 

This is in memory of John Lennon and his life. This is the area Lennon was shot. He and Yoko's apartment at the time is directly at my back in this picture. I still say six inches to the left would of made the world a better place. It kind of choked me up. I remember when my grandmother called my mom to say Lennon had been shot. I had no clue who that was, I just remember I hated him because he made my mom cry. I was barely 5 years old. 

Well that is enough and way to big of a post but hey, it was a lot to take in. I'm going to try and keep up on this for some people who asked me to do this. Next one will be shorter.