Possible stop in New York on June 26

I'm in the midst of biying my tickets to Prague. One possibility includes a 12 hour layover at JFK, from 8 in the monring to 8 at night. This looks attractive to me, depending on transportation into and out of the city. (I'm going to ask at Making Light too). Has anyone here ever taken the bus (or subway, or whatever) from JFK into New York? How long is the ride really? (I have an informational website here but I feel that direct experience might help understand this). I see there are several routes to different parts of the city. Depending on whether someone wants to meet me for lunch that day, what I envision is probably hitting a museum or two and getting lunch and then heading back to the airport to arrive there around 5:30-6:00 since the next leg of the trip is international.

Any advice? Anybody want to meet me somewhere for lunch? Do you have a better idea?

Selfish travel wishes

I want to go to this folk dance festival in Moravia. I don't know how to get there, though there is a taxi service from Prague to there for 30 Euro per car (and up to 8 people, all for one price). It's a three or four hour drive depending on the route.It happens right after I get there, so I don't know about managing it. Fortunately, there is also this folk dance festival right in Prague.

I missed getting to the botanical garden on two occasions. This is my big chance. I'm doing a study of the map of the place, trying to figure out, strategically, how my achy knees are going to get around the whole place. Sine the entry fee is 50 CZK -- usually a bit over $2.50 -- I figure on going more than once.

Another place I have never been is Divoka Sarka, a nature preserve on the edge of town (on which I have modeled "More Boemek," a forested area at the edge of the capital of the Empire in the not-poland book, even before ever seeing it, so you can see why I need to see it). Of course, I also want to go swimming there!  It amuses me very much that you can ride the streetcar to the forest.

. . . also, I think, wild mushroom season is summer in Central Europe.

In all this time I have never gone to a black light theater. Probably Frank hasn't either. It's kind of a tourist thing. You should read that wikipedia entry, it is a lovely example of Czechlish. It's almost a natural translation into English, but it still bears the stamp of Czech grammar.

Also, I should go to the planetarium in Prague Castle. And the old castle at Vysehrad. And the Zizkov tower again.

My brother in law is begging for us to visit him in Denmark. It would cost about 200 dollars each to fly to Copenhagen and then get a bus to Odense, so it might be doable.

Also, there's the usual museum hopping and a trip to the Cross Club and this one ice cream parlor we went to before.