You never know what you'll see in NYC. You might spy a red-tailed hawk swooping down over Washington Square Park. Or a breakdancing routine break out in a subway car. You might even encounter...a supermodel on the bus.

Such was the case yesterday in midtown when Carol Alt, the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model and current host of Fox News' A Healthy You, took a ride on a Gray Line New York Sightseeing bus as part of their Ride of Fame series.

The Ride of Fame is a series of mobile monuments (in this case, the buses themselves), that have been dedicated to honoring public figures who are exemplary New Yorkers. Alt, a lifelong New Yorker who grew up in Queens, was honored with her own bus in October 2013.

Alt boarded the iconic double decker with an intimate legion of fans who'd been selected via social media to help her launch her new book A Healthy You, which features advice and testimonials from more than 50 experts about the health benefits of a raw food diet. Alt, who is now 54 years old, has been eating a mostly raw diet for some 20 years, and is herself a walking testimonial to its benefits. 

"I was half-dead at 34, now I'm doubly alive at 54," she said, beaming. "I know it works, because I've been doing it."

Since its inception in 2010, the Ride of Fame series has honored several New Yorkers including Walt Frazier, Sir Patrick Stewart, Rachael Ray, Mariano Rivera, Joe Namath, Susan Lucci, Paul Shaffer and more.

"The best part of being on these buses is that you get to see all of the amazing buildings that you don't always look up at when you're walking around," Alt said as the bus turned around Bryant Park. "You really get a different view of the city."

A Healthy You, by Carol Alt is available now here. For more information on Gray Line New York Sightseeing bus tours, click here.