We did our first Grandkid NYC trip. We never have given our grandkids birthday presents, and we always tell them that when they get older we will take them on an amazing trip! Well we finally cashed in with the first two. Andrew and Sophia were perfect traveling companions. They never complained and just kept going and going and going. We had many 20,000 step days.
Shuttle bus
Moving walk way
Elevator
Escalator
Airplane
Taxi- and horn
Subway
Ferry
STAIRS
Uber
I told them that NYC is Meema's Disneyland and I pointed out, explained and had them experience why that is so for me.
We left on the Red Eye flight Wednesday night at almost midnight. We had celebrity Kristen Chenowith on our flight– the original Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. Sophia was thrilled to see her first celebrity. None of us really slept on the flight, although we tried, and we got to NYC and taxied into Manhattan. Our Taxi driver was awesome. HE drove fast , changed lanes a lot and used his horn constantly. He did the byways and the highways and we got to the Marriott Marquis on Time’s Square in record time. And the most amazing news of all…we were able to check into our room and not just drop our bags. We took a two hour nap and were ready to go by 9:30.
We went to the Stardust Diner for breakfast and had pancakes while the wait staff sang and performed for us. We really liked the guy who sang a song from “Little Mermaid” and passed out straws like roses to everyone is a very dramatic fashion. We also learned how to say “Yous guys” like real New Yorkers. “Hey I’m walking here”
Then off to the Statue of Liberty. We got subway tix - and the kids loved figuring out this experience. The ferry ride was awesome. Cold but doable. (IT’s fun to see all of the different forms of transportation we took on this vacay.) Being on Liberty Island and being able to climb into the crown of the Statue was great. No one has been able to climb this since 9/11 so we felt pretty special to have this experience. Climbing into the crown is no small feat. Sophia and I were feeling it in our thighs. The spiral staircase was wild. The windows at the top are smaller than before. But still great to look out of. We took a lot of funny pics and got the green foam statue of liberty crown to wear around.
We ferry’d back over to Battery Park and walked through the Oculus Building on our way to Eataly. Eataly is a fun market and restaurant full of Italian delicacies. We ate at the restaurant and Sophia and Andrew loved the Gnochi and the focaccia bread dipped in amazing olive oil. So Fun!
We subwayed back uptown and checked out Times Square and the Nintendo store at Rockerfeller Center. Then back to Times square and got a donut at the world’s largest Krispie Kreme donut store. It’s always fun to see the process and the sugar shower and eat warm donuts. Then to our hotel after 18,000 steps and we pretty much crashed - because of no sleep the night before and we all went to bed pretty early. At night we all share the 3 best parts of our day and one not so great.
Day 1 -
Melinda
- Singer at Stardust cafe singing Eric song from “Little Mermaid” passing out straws like roses. So funny.
- Climbing to crown of Statue of Liberty - getting and wearing foam crowns.
- Check in hotel early and actually nap from 7-9 am.
-not - feet killing me.
Sophia
- Two hour nap
- Statue of liberty
- Eataly food. Gnocchi and Focaccia bread in oil
Andrew
- Statue of liberty going to the top of the crown
- Bread and gnocchi at Eataly
- Nintendo store - only 3 in the world. 2 in Japan and 1 in NYC. Bought a cool sweatshirt.
-not-bird poop on jacket
Wayne
- Unheard of 7 am check in at Marriott Marquis
- 19,000+ steps
- The Lasagna at Eataly was exceptional.
-not- have to work still.
From here we subwayed over to Brooklyn. We got Brooklyn ice cream cones, wandered the docks and then walked the Brooklyn Bridge back over the the Manhattan side. So many sights and sounds, and fun vendors to check out along the way. We picked out a NYC print to add to my travel collection at my house. By this time we were at about 18,000 steps and our feet were killing us and we still had a night of things to do. So we subwayed back up to our hotel and crashed- naps always help.
We let the kids pick where they wanted to eat dinner at– and although against my rule of not eating any where that they have in Utah - they chose Chic fil a and I told them that if eating at Chic-fil-a is a best part of their day I will punch them. We laughed a lot. Although we think this is the smallest Chic-fil-a ever since there was no tables. Just order and go. Times square was full of all the crazies. It’s funny to see the costumed characters every where– looking so grungy that tourists take their pics with..and then have to pay the character money. We steer clear of this but enjoy the crazy of it nonetheless. At one point we saw Batman, iron man, a gorilla, 4 Elmos, 2 sets of mickey and Minnie mouse, Hulk and a giant rabbit. Crazy.
We saw “Wicked” and it was just as good and magical as the first time I saw it. The kids were blown away. This is my 5th time seeing it, and I made a declaration when it was over that just like Galinda changes her name to Glinda…I’m now changing my name from Melinda to Mlinda. They got a kick out of that. My grand kids are benefiting from my aging eyes since I get far closer tickets now that I can’t see as good. My kids were always in the balcony. By the time we Bring our last grandchildren we will be sitting on the front row. Sheesh. After the show we went for cheesecake and cupcakes and Juniors and it was delicious.
It was easily a 20,000 plus step day.
Day 2
Andrew
- Walking Brooklyn Bridge
- World tower observatory
- Wicked
not - not being able sit down at chick fil a - no tables.
Sophia
- Tallest Tower observatory
- Trying Soup dumplings at 21 Shanghai
- Wicked - it was wicked good.
Not- feet throbbing. Didn’t beat papa in steps. Only 22,000
Wayne
- Wicked!
- China Town soup dumplings. Scallion pancakes.
- Walking Brooklyn bridge
Not- can’t all 4 go into free breakfast at the same time.
Melinda
- Loved Wicked and officially changed my name from Melinda to Mlinda.
- Walking Brooklyn bridge - gorgeous weather. - picked some artwork at the top.
- Junior’s cheesecake
Not - didn’t bring the right shoes.
Saturday we did our breakfast routine then subwayed up to the American Natural History Museum on 78th street. It was fascinating to see all of the real “ stuffed” animals and birds and reptiles from all over the world. The Dinosaur bones were awesome and huge. This day Sophia is determined to get more steps than Papa Wayne so she is walking a lot and doing all of the stairs etc. It’s so funny. We wandered over to Levain Bakery for giant chocolate chip cookies that I find amazing, then down to the LDS church and Temple so they could see what that looks like then down into Central Park. The weather is cold, but not windy, rainy or snowy– so it was nice. We enjoyed the peacefulness of the park , then went down to the Thompson Hotel where in side is the crazy Burger Joint restaurant. It’s such a juxtaposition with all of the elegance of the lobby then behind the velvet curtain a graffitied and stickered place to eat. The sweet potato fries and french fries and burgers and grilled cheesers were great. We wandered the 5th avenue stores. The kids favorite was the FAO Schwartz Toy store and the giant Lego store. Andrew got a personalized mini lego man made for him.
We saw the ice skating rink at Rockefeller center with the gold statue– the as per our usual- we head back to the hotel because our feet are killing us and we all need a nap.
Pizza from Joe’s Pizza was our dinner– we waited on line with a ton of people, but Joe’s moves fast and it’s a kick to eat there– and pretty cheap. We taught the kids to fold their pizza in half to eat it like they do in New York. Then off to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” This show is magical but only if you know the Harry Potter saga. There are so many allusions to the first books. This story starts up with Harry married to Ginny and their son is now going to school and making friends and figuring things out. THe scenic element are amazing… the Demontors that fly, the changing of people in an instant, the disappearing of people, a working lavatory with Moaning Myrtle, a funny Ron Wesley now married to Hermoine and even a swimming pool pops up on stage. It’s all magical. We loved it. After we celebrated at Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream cones with all of the crazies on Times Square. We checked our steps that night to see if Sophia had finally beat Wayne and she was 125 steps short, so she raced down the long hallway and back and told Wayne to just stand still. She was the winner of over 22,000 steps. Sophia was soooooo happy.
Day 3
Sophia
- Natural history Museum - the gorillas
- Joe’s pizza.
- Harry Potter show
- Beating Papa in steps!
- Central Park
- Harry Potter show
- Ben and Jerry’s ice cream
- Pizza
- Harry Potter and it’s magic
- Natural history museum
Not- watching Melinda slip and fall in a rock in Central Park.
Melinda
- Walking in Central park
- Finding the burger joint and the sweet potato fries at Thornton Hotel lobby.
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was spectacular. So many amazing special effects.
Sunday we did our breakfast again at the Marriott– it’s the biggest Marriott in the world with over 1,900 rooms! And 45 floors of people and 8 glass elevators. We wandered into times Square empty of people in the morning, but still the Elmos and Mickey’s and Batmen and giant Gorillas…. We Loved the Disney Store, the M& M store, the Hershey’s Store… and wandered over to 5th Avenue to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral in all of it’s glory. It’s an amazing structure. Lego Store and Nintendo store again. More Joe’s Pizza for lunch– then packed up and off to the airport for our 4:30 flight . It was a glorious Grand kid trip and I can’t wait for the next ones. IN four years we will take Alfie and Tayla. In six years Poppy and Lady and in nine years, Elsie and George. So fun
Day 4. Short day—
Andrew
- Made personalized Lego man at huge NYC Lego store
- M & M store
Sophia
- Eating more pizza at Joe’s
- All the pigeons.
- Seeing 4 Elmo’s at one time in Times Square
- Collecting a Dog farm at the Lego store.
Not- dead pigeon on the sidewalk
Wayne
- More Joe’s pizza!
- Made it to airport in good time
Melinda
- Got my scarf off the street vendor
- Showing off St Patrick’s cathedral to Sophia and Andrew- we counted it as church
- Big Gorilla at Times Square
- Sophia air dropping cat / dog pics to random strangers at airport.
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