Central Park Pictures, Part 1

Well, back to the vacation pictures! We will spend a little time in Central Park, the huge green belt designed by Frederick Law Olmstead for the recreation of the population and the relief of those who need to see green and growing things.

Above you see the DelaCorte Clock, located near the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. On the hour the monkeys strike the bell and the other animals are supposed to dance around.
Central Park is carefully managed, but much of the terrain is left unleveled with bare outcroppings of the native rock poking out so people have something to climb around on. Besides, what's the point to a park that's perfectly flat?
Beautiful rolling hills and some of the trees are starting to turn their leaves autumn colors.
This is Conservatory Water, a small lake in the southeast quadrant of the park. The only signs of life at this hour of the day were the occasional dog-walker and of course ducks.
Engineer's Gate is located at the intersection of East 90th Street and Fifth Avenue and contains this memorial to John Mitchel, a Mayor of the city who "died in the service of the United States" during the Great War.
This is the Reservoir, the major body of water in the park, and it is huge. I walked most of the way around it. The two stone buildings on the left in the distance are pumping stations built around the time of the Civil War.
One of the views of the Great Lawn.
This shot was taken from a stone outcrop. In the distance you can see a children's playground.
This is Cleopatra's Needle, an obelisk that was first erected in Heliopolis about 1600 BC, then moved to Alexandria by the Romans, then given to the United States as a present from the Khedive of Egypt. It stands in the park opposite the rear of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's been rather eroded over the centuries, but bronze plaques at the base give translations of the legible bits.

There'll be more pictures to come, never fear!