NYC: Eat, Shop, Sleep

New York City is home to many of the most elegant hotels, finest restaurants, and luxury brand stores in the world; naturally we visited absolutely none of these. In preparation for our trip we read some classic books about the city like This is New York, The Story of the Statue of Liberty, and of course, Eloise. Max was disappointed to discover we weren't staying at the Plaza like Eloise. 

Describing any type of accommodations in New York City as large seems unbelievable, but our suite was both roomy and functional. 

Big windows for Max to count taxis

Milk and cookies were delivered for Max before bed, and, most importantly, it had a separate bedroom so everyone didn't have to go to bed as early as Max!

We did manage to emulate a little bit of Eloise's lifestyle with room service for breakfast! 

"And charge it, please!'

Max was eager to try all the haute cuisine of New York:

Mac and Cheese Balls

The Grilled Cheese Restaurant

Milkshakes at the Shake Shack

and pumpkin scones at Alice's Tea Cup! 

(And it isn't even pumpkin scone season!)

But Max really came to New York for the shopping. He spotted his heart's desire just a few blocks away from our hotel: the flagship Lego store.

Welcome to Paradise.

We lured him into FAO Schwarz

but all he was interested in was the Lego section

until he spotted the Big Piano!

The Toys R Us on Times Square has a special attraction of its own:

A GIANT ferris wheel!

Max liked the Lego car the best.

It is worth the cost because it is the longest ferris wheel ride ever...and because it produced this sweet face!

Oh, wow, look what they have here! More Legos!

And dinosaurs, too!

We did make a stop at the Plaza to catch up with Eloise, but she wasn't home.

I tried to convince Max that Louis Vuitton had dinosaurs inside the store too, but Jason wouldn't cooperate.

Maybe the construction on the Plaza Hotel will be finished in time for our next trip and we can better accommodate Max's taste for luxury!

New York City: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Waaaay back at Max's birthday, we promised to take him on a family trip to see dinosaur fossils. Our first attempt didn't go very well, thanks to the stomach flu. Our second attempt was much more ambitious - New York City! World class museums, fancy stores, bright lights, and...the subway! Max couldn't wait to discover all the transportation methods of a big city!

Transport Option #1

As an experienced flier now, Max asked thoughtful and insightful questions during the delay for take-off, such as:

"What happens if we crash in the water?"
"Why won't that man turn off his electronic device?"
"When do we get the funny masks? (Oxygen)
"Why do I always get the seat over the wing?"
"It has been too long - I can't take it anymore!" while cupping his face in his hands.
And the ever popular, "When are are we going to take off, Daddy?"

Transport Option #2: Car

Limousine pick up at the airport might impress some yokels from South Carolina, but not the Max. "When are we going to ride the subway?"

Thanks to Jason's company for the surprise!

Transportation Option #3: Subway Train. 

We spent our first day exploring on foot, but Max's interest in the subway was undiminished. The Hopstop app provided precise directions for taking the subway to the Museum of Natural History.

A musical interlude

Animal murals decorated the subway stop - this one is for Mimi!

Transport Option #4: Taxi

Already hailing cabs like a native!

Transport Option #5: Horse and Carriage

Transport Option #6: Ferry Boat

A morning cruise on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and great views of Manhattan.

Transport Option #7: Plane (or lack thereof)

Max and I flew home separately from Jason, who was staying for a work conference. Bad weather across the country caused more than 30 flights to be canceled, including all the ones following ours. Three hours at the gate waiting for our plane (that was already at the airport), two hours on the runway, one hour to return to gate/unload/bring stroller, and then we were finally able to get in the incredibly long line to rebook our flight. My phone battery was in the red, my child had not eaten in 8 hours, we had no flight, no place to sleep, no bags, and it was already past his bedtime. Was the Max worried? Nope. His lego set souvenir was safe in our carry-on bag. Who needs clean underwear when you have a lego set??

This super star child did not complain a single time during all the delays, meltdowns, and chaos. He was thrilled that the airport hotel had fruit loops for breakfast and a place to do his lego set. 

We might stick to ground transportation for our next trip, like the new "Citi" bikes!