Page 34 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Starry Nights
and Stripes
It’s always difficult trying to figure out what to get my site of the National
mom each year for birthdays or holidays, but last year it was very easy. When I heard that there would be an immersive experience for my favorite artist, my mom and I agreed that spending some time together in New York City was the perfect gift.
We chose to visit on a day when we knew there wouldn’t be a ton of people there. Independence Day was the ideal day as many locals flee to the coast. We
knew crowds would be smaller and the
weather would be warm. We booked our train tickets to stay overnight and reserved a room at a hotel at which neither one of us had ever stayed.
After a two-and-a-half-hour train
ride into the city, we checked into the Marriott Marquis New York, only a one-minute walk from Times Square. The hotel provided a great place to rest our heads because of the convenience of its location. Unfortunately, as we
went before Broadway had reopened, we found out the hard way that many things were still closed. We still enjoyed ourselves and made the best of our time. During show season, this hotel really is in the center of it all.
We soon made our way to the water right by World Trade Center, as this was where our exhibition was located. This was the first time I had ever been to the
September 11 Memorial & Museum. It was incredible to see, especially on such an important American holiday. We followed Vesey
Street down to the pier to see beautiful blue water and many boats in the harbor. One could even catch a glimpse of Lady Liberty herself. It was quite the view!
Next, the main event. We entered Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience not knowing what to expect. It was indeed
a brilliant nod to the renowned post- impressionist artist who never lived to know how famous his pieces and legacy would come to be. With dedicated video packages, larger-than-life displays and a 360-degree visual history room, it was hard not to be moved by the story of his life and his creations. The exhibition took about an hour and a half for us to complete, though we did not opt to do the virtual reality portion. As we are both art lovers, this was a very special experience to share with my mom. We headed back to Albany the next morning with thoughts of sunflowers in our heads and looking forward to our next visit to one of our most beloved cities.
Emily Gnacik is the Editor of AAA Every Day Magazine.
34 I MAY/JUNE 2022