It is several years ago now since my first trip to New York but I still remember it quite vividly. I can recall the anticipation I had as the time for the departure of my plane approached.

There was so much that I wanted to do in my stay of just a few days. I had to limit myself to a few places that were at the top of my list. In first place for me was The Empire State Building.

This is one of the most potent symbols of New York, demonstrating the city's drive, ambition and success. The views from the top level of the Empire State were stunning; I was lucky to have warm, dry weather so the visibility was good. After spending a couple of hours visiting the Empire State Building it was time to move on to another icon of New York, The Statue of Liberty.

I took the popular ferry that leaves from Battery Park and visits the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Set in the excellent harbor of New York, one of the world's best, the Statue of Liberty, represents the hope the New World offered to millions of immigrants.

By the way, I was fortunate enough to pay a recent visit to the lovely town in Southern Ireland, formerly Queenstown and now named Cobh, from where so many people embarked to the New World in the last two centuries.

The New York ferry to the Statue of Liberty affords impressive views of the skyscrapers of Manhattan. I don't know of a more famous cityscape anywhere.

The final item on my must-see list was to spend a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm a great fan, particularly of the European greats. The Metropolitan Museum has a stunning collection; far too large to take in on a single visit so I decided to just concentrate on my favorite artists.

I headed for the Impressionist galleries, starting with the Manet gallery; he is definitely my favorite. After enjoying a leisurely spell with Manet, I also took in the works of Monet, Cezanne and Renoir. Heaven! It was a feast of wonderful art and such a treat to see.

Was my first visit to New York as good as I'd hoped? It most certainly was, I had a great time and I couldn't wait to go back. Since then, I've returned many times but my first sight of New York is still a very fond memory. For anyone who has yet to visit New York, I can strongly recommend making that journey.

Going on vacation is made easier when you get good advice from Bill Telford at: Travel, Vacations and more. More travel and general information is at http://dddd5.com.