It’s a heat wave and we discover last night our hotel room’s air conditioner is not cooling when we get back to our room after dinner. The ‘engineer’ comes to our room attempting to figure out what to do.

So that was last night and today, the air conditioner made it down to 76 but no cooler. We called the front desk and were moved to another room with air conditioning! Thank goodness! The temperature today is going up to 101.

(I’d normally say this hotel is worth the price, but with holiday‑week rates being unusually high, the property does feel a bit tired. Our stay being affected by the room’s air conditioner not working, would understandably leave some guests feeling frustrated. Even so, the location is a real advantage — we’re close to the cruise embarkation point and to Lesley’s — and that convenience helps balance out the experience. Marriott – time to update this hotel!)

We could have eaten breakfast in our hotel, or at the many food trucks along the streets, instead we took an early morning walk down Fulton Street to Junior’s Restaurant. Every time I’ve come to Brooklyn, this is the place for the original NYC diner experience. No cheesecake for breakfast though!

Yesterday I mentioned that the hotel is hosting a major dance competition. Over 1500 adults will compete across the week and then on Sunday, it will be the children’s competition. Because it’s early morning, we were allowed to walk back and take a peak at the items for sale, just no entry into the dancing competition area. WOW! The selection of dresses and shoes for sale is fantastic to see up close.

Another must do in Brooklyn is walking the Promenade. We are hoping to see some of the tall ships or hear the cannons blasting from Fort Hamilton this morning. Only two tall ships docked and one naval carrier are visible from this location. Too far away for a photo, we also see the Goodyear Blimp.

The view of the New York skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, and even the distant Statue of Liberty is truly unmatched — a perfect photo opportunity for any visitor. The harbor stays lively, with ferries moving steadily across the water and helicopters passing overhead, adding to the unmistakable energy of the city that never sleeps.

Brooklyn homes along the Promenade have lovely shady trees and many owners have generously planted flowering bushes. Never saw a Tea of Heaven bush before – just beautiful. Of course, even in NY people don’t pickup dog poop🙄

As the temperature has climbed to 95 degrees, it’s time to head back to our hotel and cool down. Always something unusual to observe in NY. I was glad to see that Borough Hall was decorated with banners and the statues still exist in Columbus Park.

Thank goodness our hotel room finally cooled down… until—brace yourself—4:45 pm, when the thermostat apparently decided it was time for a sauna session and flipped itself to heat. Yes, heat. In July. I stared at it like it had personally betrayed me. So off we marched to the front desk (again) to inform them that unless they wanted us slow‑roasted by bedtime, someone needed to fix that thermostat while we were at dinner.

And because I couldn’t resist, I pulled up a temperature comparison with Florida—which, let’s be honest, always has air‑conditioning, it’s expected! Meanwhile I’m standing here thinking… Am I in Europe?

For our dinner adventure, we Uber to Lesley & Mike’s place for a visit, a cocktail by Mike, and to see what they have done to their place since the last time I was in town. Plus, Shirley has never been there so she is able to see how the ‘hipsters’ live in Brooklyn. The view from their apartment is of the New York skyline and harbor. They will be able to see the Queen Mary 2 and the spectacle on display for the 4th. It was so nice to see Emme and Ila’s rooms and Emme’s Lego talents!

Lesley, Shirley, and I walk to Cafe Spaghetti and enjoy a delicious pasta dinner while catching up on girl talk.

An Uber back to the hotel and thankfully our air conditioning seems to be working again. Fingers-crossed it will last our last night here. Tomorrow our big 250th Anniversary for the USA begins! And I know the ship will have air conditioning!!!🚢🇺🇸