I took my sweet time getting to the inflation site - work even let us go in the early afternoon because of the holiday, but I managed to find a million and one things to do instead of heading straight over to see the balloons.
Just one of my afternoon distractions - the leaves in Madison Square Park! I relaxed on a bench and enjoyed the leaves for awhile.
When it began getting dark and I finally headed over, I decided to walk to the parade route from my apartment so I'd know exactly how much time I need to allow in the morning. Just so you know, it's a good 15 to 18 minute brisk walk up to Columbus Circle/Central Park West area. I was excited to see barricades already piled on the street corners on Broadway, and as I walked the few blocks up to Columbus Circle, the bleachers sent me into a dreamy frenzy - "I can't believe I'm actually going to see THE Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade tomorrow! Live and in person!" I could just see myself sitting in those bleachers, watching the bands and balloons and Santa! parading proudly. As I continued along Central Park West towards the balloons, I carefully studied the bleachers lining the route, even debating on the location of trees and traffic lights that might block my prized view.
Bleachers set up on the park side of Central Park West - which seat should be mine?!
As I walked through the 60's Streets and got into the 70's, the people on the street started becoming a crowd. "I guess I'm not the only person who thought this would be fun..." As more and more people walked in my same direction, others were coming toward us who obviously had been to see the balloons. None of the been-there-done-that people I passed by looked overly joyed or in a smiley good mood; I mean, they didn't look mad or sad either, but they just didn't have the stars in their eyes I thought seeing the secret of the balloons would give you.
At 75th Street, not only was I questioning my good judgment for having walked - it's a mile from Columbus Circle, and Columbus Circle is a mile from my apartment! - but also questioning what in the heck had I gotten myself into?! A policeman instructed the crowd who had just arrived that this was the exit, to enter the balloon inflation area you must walk one block west to Columbus Avenue - cross the street- walk up to 79th Street - cross back over - and walk back down to 77th Street. Okaaayy - what's a few more blocks at this point?
As I followed the policeman's directions and neared the official viewing entrance, it was like walking onto the scene of an ant bed that had just been kicked - thousands of ants swarming the little corridors, running here and there not really knowing where they're headed. Only difference was none of these ants were moving!
I have never seen so many people packed so deep and so far on a sidewalk in my life. The man I was sandwiched to described it best, "There have to be 50,000 people in these two blocks, and none of 'em are going anywhere!" I was determined to power through - "surely the crowd is moving, we just can't tell from where we are" - but after 20 minutes to make one short block, the whole while feeling like I was slowly suffocating, I broke free from the crowd and headed in the opposite direction as fast as I could!
Although I didn't get to see Kermit or Scooby's flat, lifeless bodies growing more and more robust with each air poof, I was witness to the greatest crowd inflation ever!
I did manage to see the tops of some of the already-inflated balloons waiting on ground level for their big air show in the morning. It's so dark, but see the yellow and red of the balloon in the distance and the crowd on the sidewalk?
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