Several years ago, summer camps were voted out at our house and replaced by an idea of a
family trip to an often-requested destination by our kids - NEW YORK
CITY. It is an understatement to say that our kids were ecstatic about
it! To be honest, my husband and I were pretty excited about the idea
too! Who doesn’t, after all,
♥
New York? It is the city so nice, they named it twice. But,
admittedly, it is a bit daunting to think about navigating such a
bustling locale with kids for the first time. Our approach to keep the
kids revved up with that big city energy was to fill each day with the
anticipation of doing lots of the fun activities for which NYC is famous
- Broadway shows, attractions, shopping, great food, and big-time
sports.
At the top of our ‘To Do’ list was checking out the Broadway production
of “Spiderman Turn Off the Dark” so we booked that right away. Then,
with lots of great suggestions from our friends, we laid out a 4-day
schedule that only the amazing Spiderman himself could possibly manage -
but we were up for the challenge. At the end of our NYC adventure, we
were happily exhausted with tired little feet. But, let me just say, we had a phenomenal time
together and were excited about all of the things we were able to see on
this trip! My husband and I agreed that NYC is a fantastic and
manageable place to visit with kids.
We got a super-sized taste of the Big Apple and we can’t wait for our next bite!
The photo summary below shares the amazing web of fun that we weaved...
DAY 1 - Broadway and About Town:
- The kids enjoyed all the sights, sounds, & smells of their first NYC Cab ride :)
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We lucked up on great family rate at the InterContinental Times Square! Can you tell that our kids love staying in swanky hotels? :)
- And, of course, Times Square was a sightseeing first stop must!
- Couldn't pass by without riding the ferris wheel in Toys 'R Us. All I can say is thank goodness they got the Mega Bloks car or I would not have been permitted to post this picture.
- A friend told us about Sony Wonder Technology Lab. (thx Becky!) Hands-on cool techno activities like having fun with their own photo to project to a video board (shown) and making a studio news report. Best of all, it's Free! Just make a reservation well in advance.
- Visiting the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero was a solemn experience even for the kids. It was beautifully designed. Free but reserve tickets in advance.
- Dinner the first day with friends at Grimaldi's Pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge. We all agreed it was the most delicious pizza we have ever tasted! Plan to wait in line for a table and be aware they only take cash payment.
- The evening peaked with a Broadway production of Spiderman at the Foxwoods Theater. Fun family show w/amazing aerials - kids loved it! Seats on Lower "Flying Circle" Balcony were ideal -
Spidey lands there a lot!
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Arrival in NYC
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Toys 'R Us
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Sony Wonder Technology Lab
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DAY 2 - Museums, Central Park, and Shopping:
- Visiting the Guggenheim Museum was a perfect way to experience
great works of art with the kids. Not only is the architecture
stunning, but it is a very bright and open setting with no
stairs. Check out the Alexander Calder mobile hanging - my daughter had just studied him!
- The weather was gorgeous so we grabbed sandwiches for a lunch in Central Park. OK, we got popsicles too ;)
- We
only made it through about 1/12 of the Natural History Museum but what we saw was really cool! The kids were hoping the
creatures would come to life like in the movie.
- Our little girl's dream-come-true shopping trip on 5th Ave at NYC's American Girl Place.
- My husband couldn't resist a stop in the unbelievable 3-story M&M
World store! He was just sad that I voted down his idea of installing
ceiling high dispensers like these in our house :)
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Guggenheim Museum
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Natural History Museum
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American Girl Place
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M&M World Store
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DAY 3 - Sightseeing and Sporting Events:
- View from the top of the Empire State Building is breathtaking. A friend told us to visit here early in the AM in order to avoid really long lines - it worked. My husband thought the upgrade for the audio tour was well worth it.
- If you like Peanut Butter & Co
flavors (Cinnamon Raisin Swirl is our favorite), then it's worth the
trip to the Lower East Side for some yummy sandwiches at their
restaurant. I had the "Jerry Seinfeld" - bagel topped w/PB, honey, and
cinnamon.
- The
Enterprise Space Shuttle had just 'landed' for exhibition at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. Always humbling to be this close to a shuttle.
- We
were excited to go to a baseball game in the new Yankees
Stadium. It was super easy to get there on the subway!
Amazing stadium, exciting game, and awesome fans! Great family outing! Go Yankees!!
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Peanut Butter & Co
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Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
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Yankee Stadium
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DAY 4 - Our NYC Finale:
- Lady Liberty is awe-inspiring up close. She is currently being restored so we weren't
able to tour inside, but there was plenty to experience walking around the base of the statue. - While at the Statue of Liberty, we picked up the free audio tour at the entrance. Even our youngest found it informative.
- Our son is very intrigued by Wall Street so it was fun to make a stop by the Wall Street Bull (along with a huge crowd of other tourists).
- The Ellis Island museum brought history to life for our kids as their school studies have included
a detailed Immigration simulation. Also, they were curious to try find information on their great-grandfather who came to America through Ellis Island. - A final bite at Doughnut Plant in the Lower East Side left us with a sweet taste of the Big Apple! Gourmet flavors galore such as Creme Brulee.
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Statue of Liberty
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Wall Street
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Ellis Island
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Getting our
final ride to the airport.
The kids could hail a cab with the
best of 'em by the end of the trip. |
The unanimous decision from our family... We ♥ New York!!
