We drove up on Saturday afternoon and got to our hotel (the Omni Berkshire) around 4pm. We had a little trouble getting to the hotel because Google Maps wanted us to turn left where there was a "No Left Turn" sign, and I didn't want to be the first person to disobey a traffic sign in Manhattan. The room was huge and in a great spot (52nd and Madison Ave), near Rockefeller Center and a short walk to Central Park and Times Square.
We started by walking up Madison Ave, past all the fancy stores like Chanel, Dior, and others with fancy Italian names, to Central Park. We watched some street dancers break-dance (yes, it's still around in NYC) and then hopped on a horse-drawn carriage for a nice ride around Central Park. Then we went to the Plaza Hotel (where the fictional Eloise lived) and went to their Eloise store. Then we had a cupcake break and headed to FAO Schwartz. We had a great time there and could have stayed there nearly all day (well, maybe). They had so many neat and interesting toys and things to play with. Iron Man and Captain American were also there walking around. Peter was a little scared of them but kept wanting to see them. Peter and Katie got to play on the big floor piano from the movie Big.
Then we walked down 7th Ave towards Times Square and then headed back to the hotel for a dinner from room service. The kids loved running around the room. I feel sorry for whoever was staying below us. We all slept in the king-sized bed but when we woke up, the kids had switched places and were sleeping upside-down (feet at the head of the bed). We have no idea how they pulled that off.
On Sunday morning we attended Palm Sunday mass at St Patrick's Cathedral. We were hoping Cardinal Dolan would be there (fresh from Rome to elect the new Pope) but he wasn't. The beautiful cathedral was covered in scaffolding inside and out so it diminished its beauty a bit. About halfway through mass, Peter got restless so we went outside for a walk around Rockefeller Center to watch the ice skaters and see the Today Show (weekend edition) being taped. Then we met up with Nancy and Katie and had some yummy muffins, but we had to eat outside and froze! The kids were shivering.
We walked up 6th Avenue to Central Park and Peter got to pet a horse (he had been saying he wanted to do that all morning). He even got to feed it a carrott! Then we went to the Central Park Zoo. It's a small zoo but that was fine with us because we didn't have much time. We saw a great seal show where they did flips, swam and jumped over rocks, and barked. Then we saw a great penguin exhibit and a sleeping polar bear. The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo with sheep and goats.
After the zoo we walked around the park a bit and saw an impromptu sidewalk puppet show. Then we climbed some rocks and saw the dog statue for Balto. Katie met a friend who was a bit pushy in wanting to exchange phone numbers (she didn't seem to understand that we didn't live there). Then it was time for the girls to walk to Broadway to see the Lion King and the boys to go back to the hotel to watch basketball and nap.
Katie loved the Lion King. We found some advice that said to get aisle seats on the floor because you'll get a great view of all the great animal costumes that walk past. That was very true. We were very glad she had a good time.
Afterwards, Peter and I met the girls in Times Square for dinner (pizza) and then went to the big Toys R Us store there to check out their indoor ferris wheel. The store was hot, crowded, and messy -- a total change from the pleasantness of FAO Schwartz. We didn't stay there long because Katie had no interest in riding the Ferris Wheel. Then we trudged back to the hotel, tired but happy at our fun-packed day in NYC.
We were very happy at Katie's behavior. We had gone into a several stores without buying anything but she didn't get upset or whine. To reward her, we said she could pick any store she wanted and could buy something under $20. She decided on the Disney Store in Times Square, which wasn't as impressive as we thought it would be. It seemed small and similar to any Disney store at a random shopping mall. They're renovating it so maybe it'll be different soon. But for a Times Square store, it seemed rather ordinary. Katie begged to differ though. She was in heaven and had a hard time deciding what to buy. She finally settled on a princess jewelry set (earings, necklace, and other stuff).
After that we hopped on the subway to have lunch at Serendipity 3, home of the frozen hot chocolate. Nancy and I went there together many years ago. We had to wait for about 45 minutes so we passed the time at the nearby Dylan's Candy Factory. It is a huge store with every type of candy imaginable. They even have a display where celebrities picked their favorite candies and attached a note. It was fun but exhausting to keep Peter from grabbing everything in arm's reach.
Our lunch was really good and the frozen hot chocolate was excellent. Katie and I shared one while Nancy and Peter shared a caramel one. They were huge! I don't think either of us finished it. After lunch we split up. I walked to Broadway to attend a taping of the David Letterman show. Nancy walked with the kids to the American Girl doll store.
The Letterman show was something I've wanted to do since I watched him as a teenager many years ago. It was really neat to see how they tape it. The theater is the Ed Sullivan Theater so it's full of history. As I sat in the balcony, it was fun to imagine what it was like to see the Beatles there nearly 50 years ago. The stage looks smaller in person and I was surprised that they tape the show as if it were live. They don't usually cut or re-tape anything, although Letterman did flub his first joke and started the show over again. And during the commercial breaks, the band plays and Letterman confers with his writers and the director. It was a very streamlined operation, which is not surprising because he's been doing it for 31 years! The guest was James Franco (sort of boring), the grocery bagging champion (which gave Dave a chance to "compete" against him and try to cheat), and some English folk singer who was pretty good. It was over before a knew it but I was very glad I finally got to do it.
Katie had a fabulous time at the American Girl doll store. She had collected a lot of loose change around the house (over $60!), rolled them up, and took them to bank. That was her spending money at the store and she did a good job of figuring out what she wanted. She got her doll's ears' pierced (but thankfully skipped the haircut and spa treatments), bought a dress, and some other stuff including a wheelchair (McKenna broke her ankle). She had fun having her doll try on different shoes (even though they all would fit). Nancy said they have a personal shopper service that tells you all about the doll and what she would like. But it sounds like Katie had more fun exploring on her own.
Afterwards, we met back at the hotel, grabbed a quick pasta dinner, and drove to Grammy's house in Connecticut.
NYC was a lot of fun and we managed to cram in everything we had hoped to do (which almost never happens). It was interesting to see the city with kids for the first time. I had sort of thought that there would be different parts of the city that I would like more with kids, like Times Square. But it turned out that Times Square is still not my favorite place and I enjoyed the places I usually do in NYC -- mostly Central Park and it's surrounding areas and walking around the great city. There was something else different about this trip and I think it had to do with embracing being a tourist. Before I think I tried hard to not look like a tourist, which is a lot easier to do without kids. But this time I didn't care. Also NYC didn't seem quite as noisy or crazy crowded as I remembered it. Maybe the cold, windy weather had something to do with that. Or maybe it was that I used to go to NYC and try to figure out if I could live there, so maybe I paid more attention to the noise and crowds. But this time they didn't bother me nearly as much. Of course, being in our hotel room by 9pm every night may have also had something to do with it.
The kids did great with all the walking and were very well behaved (which is very important when you have crazy cabs driving all around you). We were very happy with our hotel too. It was nice to be able to walk to everyplace we wanted to go. We can't wait to go back!
But enough with the long verbage, let's go to the fun photos!
Katie on her way to NYC!
About to go for a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park.
Snuggling to stay warm
A view of Manhattan along our ride.
Peter enjoys a chocolate cupcake at the Plaza hotel.
The kids on the big piano at FAO Schwartz
At one point, Peter slips and falls and plays a flat note (haha).
The beautiful St Patrick's cathedral (apart from all the scaffolding)
The kids with their palms
At Rockefeller Center
Katie loves NYC!
Petting a horse
Peter feeds a horse
A seal doing a flip during a show at the Central Park Zoo.
A penguin checks out the kids
Feeding goats at the petting zoo. You could buy goat food for 50 cents or pick some up that had dropped on the ground... but you had to make sure the pellets you picked up were actually goat food.
Oh the web we weave...
The kids watch an impromptu puppet show feature Mrs Humpty Dumpty.
Nancy and Peter on top of a big rock in Central Park. There were lots of great rocks to climb on.
Peter at the Balto statue
Katie with the Cookie Monster and Elmo in Times Square. Lots of costumed characters roamed around Times Square. It was neat at first but gets a little old after you've seen your 7th Elmo within a few blocks.
Katie at the Lion King
Peter hangs out at the hotel room and enjoys a snack.
Peter with Elmo in Times Square (photo taken by Iron Man -- really!)
Katie at the Lion King, not sure what the pose is for.
Another Lion King pose
Katie in Times Square. They erected a huge set of bleachers (to the right of the photo) in the middle of Times Square for people to hang out in. We weren't really sure what that was all about.
Walking through a waterfall
Katie at the Disney Store
The kids on the subway. Katie looks like she saw something she wishes she hadn't (a common occurrence on the subway).
The kids at Serendipity 3
A stair at the excellent Dylan's Candy Store
Think she likes the frozen hot chocolate?
Peter enjoys it too
In line for the Letterman show
Ticket to laughter
Katie showing off McKenna's newly pierced ears
Trying on doll shoes
Peter seemed less enthusiastic about the American Girl Doll store.
So many options!
Katie and McKenna at Rockefeller Center
Katie with McKenna in her wheelchair
A screenshot from the broadcast of the Letterman show I attended. That's me in the back row of the balcony. I heard they only put the most attractive people in the back row of the balcony.
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