In the past, I have posted about beautiful vistas and mountain meadows or even ancient cities long deserted, but today I would like to take you on an adventure my daughter and I recently took into the wilds of...THE City...that is, New York City. It was a great trip and I would recommend doing it at least once in your life (or twice...or more!).
Our trip was unique in that we actually flew into Pittsburgh to visit family in Western Pennsylvania. We drove the approximately 400 miles across Pennsylvania, through New Jersey and into New York City for a weekend of fun. The drive across Pennsylvania was something I had never seen before; we drove during the peak of the fall foliage season. The leaves were changing and there isn't much I have seen in my life that could compare to the rainbow of colors changing across the state. I highly recommend Pennsylvania in October! (Watch for my post on Pennsylvania's McConnells Mill State Park coming soon).
Once across the state of PA and through New Jersey, we drove into the Lincoln Tunnel and on the streets of New York City...check that off my bucket list! I had talked to several people about driving in the city and felt pretty confident about getting to my hotel to park and only ended up getting honked at a couple of times. I am told that is a feat in itself! I had explored the options of using the train, the bus system or other methods of public transportation from New Jersey into the city, but felt that the best option based on price and safety was to drive directly to the hotel.
By the time we got into the city, it was about 7:00 p.m., so we went directly to our hotel and checked in. When looking for a hotel in New York City, I was really rather worried. I was travelling on my own with my 7 year old daughter, so I wanted something safe and reputable without absolutely breaking the bank. I found nothing that I was happy with after weeks and weeks of searching. Finally, I decided to use Priceline.com. I had never used the bidding portion of Priceline.com and was scared silly! I didn't know if I should do it, but I was able to specify the exact area I wanted the hotel and a minimum star level. I was nervous, but it turned out great! My second bid of $260 (before taxes and fees) was accepted AND they upgraded to a four star hotel (by Priceline.com's ratings). We ended up staying at the historic Warwick hotel and were within (safe!) walking distance of Times Square/Broadway and Central Park. The staff at the Warwick was exceptional and the on-site restaurants more than suited our needs.
Our trip to New York City was pretty much a 48-hour affair. I had visited the city in high school with a tour group, so I left it up to my daughter to decide what she wanted to do. Her list included the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Central Park and a Broadway show. We were able to accomplish all this on the list and more! We started off meeting a friend and a cousin for a quick breakfast in the morning then walked over to get tickets for the Gray Line New York Sightseeing tours. These offer "hop on, hop off" double-decker buses that have various routes through the city and in Brooklyn. I feel the price was fair and it allowed us to sight see while en route to destinations. We rode the bus through Times Square, passed the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Soho and the World Trade Center. We got off at Battery Park and purchased tickets to ride the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
After taking the ferry back to Battery Park, we "hopped" back on the Gray Line and continued along the tour passed South Seaport Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Little Italy, the United Nations and Rockefeller Center. We got off the tour bus near where we had gotten on, parted with my cousin and walked over to meet up with another friend for dinner at Southern Hospitality in Hell's Kitchen. We attempted to get tickets for a Broadway show at the discount "day of" place at Times Square but had no luck for the shows that we wanted to see. We did a little shopping at the M&M store before calling it an early night. We were pretty tired after walking so much during the day and made plans to see a show the next day.
The next morning we immediately went over to Times Square to get tickets for a show. We decided on Mary Poppins. I was super excited as Mary Poppins is my all-time favorite Disney movie! We got the tickets and headed up to Central Park. We walked on the outskirts of the south side of the park and what did we find but a rock jungle gym! This was much more exciting to my daughter than any of the play sets, so we spent a good part of the morning playing on rocks in the rain! After an hour or so of the park, we headed back down to the theater and settled in just in time for the show.
And so, that was our weekend in New York City. It was all we had hoped and more! Instead of allowing us to check a destination off of our list, though, we just added more places in the city we would like to visit next time. Maybe we'll have more time when we go again! If you are interested in any of the resources I used for this trip please see the reference list below.
Planning resources:
GPS Application for iPhone: MotionX-GPS Drive (http://motionx.com/)
*I purchased the $9.99 voice guidance so that I wasn't trying to mess with the phone while driving.
*My favorite feature was when there were multiple lanes, the app would let me know which lane to be in.
*I found that it was accurate and up-to-date.
Priceline.com (www.priceline.com)
*I used the "bid" option for the first time and was comforted by the fact I could choose the exact area and a minimum star rating.
*My 2nd bid was accepted plus I got an upgrade to a four star hotel.
The Warwick Hotel (http://www.warwickhotelny.com/)
*This is the hotel that accepted my bid on Priceline.
*The staff was exceptional and helpful throughout our entire visit.
*There were restaurants on-site that were great for a midnight snack or a quick breakfast or a full sit down meal.
*Valet parking is available for a fee.
Gray Line Sightseeing (http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/)
*I really liked the "hop on, hop off" feature.
*We used the tour as much for easy transportation as anything, it worked well for that as well.
Our trip was unique in that we actually flew into Pittsburgh to visit family in Western Pennsylvania. We drove the approximately 400 miles across Pennsylvania, through New Jersey and into New York City for a weekend of fun. The drive across Pennsylvania was something I had never seen before; we drove during the peak of the fall foliage season. The leaves were changing and there isn't much I have seen in my life that could compare to the rainbow of colors changing across the state. I highly recommend Pennsylvania in October! (Watch for my post on Pennsylvania's McConnells Mill State Park coming soon).
Once across the state of PA and through New Jersey, we drove into the Lincoln Tunnel and on the streets of New York City...check that off my bucket list! I had talked to several people about driving in the city and felt pretty confident about getting to my hotel to park and only ended up getting honked at a couple of times. I am told that is a feat in itself! I had explored the options of using the train, the bus system or other methods of public transportation from New Jersey into the city, but felt that the best option based on price and safety was to drive directly to the hotel.
 |
| The entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. I have to say that I have never experienced 12 plus lanes merging down to 2 lanes in a matter of minutes. Thank goodness I had a good GPS program (MotionX-GPS Drive) on my iPhone AND paid for a subscription to the voice directions! |
 |
| I thought the picture on our room key was better than any photo I took of the hotel, so here it is! |
 |
| As she does most of the time, my daughter managed to charm the hotel staff, enough that an employee insisted on a photo with my daughter! |
 |
| It was great to see the progress on Freedom Tower. I took time to make sure to explain the tower and its importance to my daughter. It is very emotional to see. We didn't get to go to Ground Zero, but would definitely like to in the future. |
 |
| There are really no words to describe what the Statue of Liberty represents---she stands tall and proud and represents so much to our country. However, we missed being able to go to the top by just a few weeks as there were renovations being completed on the stairways. Next time! |
 |
| A shot of the New York City skyline with the American flag in the foreground---our view from the ferry on the way to Ellis Island. A photo that really represents the freedoms of the United States! |
 |
| To me, Ellis Island is an intensely personal and emotional place to visit. While there I shared family stories with my cousin and my daughter, stories about where we came from and what our ancestors faced as they passed through Ellis Island on their way to a better land. I really wish I had an entire day to discover all that is Ellis Island, but with only being there for a weekend, there just wasn't time! |
The next morning we immediately went over to Times Square to get tickets for a show. We decided on Mary Poppins. I was super excited as Mary Poppins is my all-time favorite Disney movie! We got the tickets and headed up to Central Park. We walked on the outskirts of the south side of the park and what did we find but a rock jungle gym! This was much more exciting to my daughter than any of the play sets, so we spent a good part of the morning playing on rocks in the rain! After an hour or so of the park, we headed back down to the theater and settled in just in time for the show.
 |
| View of Times Square and the "ball" that drops on New Year's Eve. |
 |
| My daughter found a rock to climb in the middle of the concrete jungle. Central Park was a highlight of her trip, she got to get out, enjoy the air, play and let a little energy go! |
 |
| Mary Poppins was "practically perfect in every way!" Of course, being a Mary Poppins fan doesn't hurt. The show was delightful and fun and obviously family appropriate. Our seats were in the balcony and the "cheapest" available but were still good seats and we could see everything---we did get the tickets the "day of" though, so weren't expecting the best seats in the house. |
Planning resources:
GPS Application for iPhone: MotionX-GPS Drive (http://motionx.com/)
*I purchased the $9.99 voice guidance so that I wasn't trying to mess with the phone while driving.
*My favorite feature was when there were multiple lanes, the app would let me know which lane to be in.
*I found that it was accurate and up-to-date.
Priceline.com (www.priceline.com)
*I used the "bid" option for the first time and was comforted by the fact I could choose the exact area and a minimum star rating.
*My 2nd bid was accepted plus I got an upgrade to a four star hotel.
The Warwick Hotel (http://www.warwickhotelny.com/)
*This is the hotel that accepted my bid on Priceline.
*The staff was exceptional and helpful throughout our entire visit.
*There were restaurants on-site that were great for a midnight snack or a quick breakfast or a full sit down meal.
*Valet parking is available for a fee.
Gray Line Sightseeing (http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/)
*I really liked the "hop on, hop off" feature.
*We used the tour as much for easy transportation as anything, it worked well for that as well.
