Oh Anne of Green Gables, I, too, am glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. Octobers and brisk walks in big cities. In New York City, to be precise. Day Two brought more delicious meals and wonderful discoveries. My favorite thing about traveling is the newness of it all. I love being in new places and learning things I had not previously known. I have an uncle that worked in an international position with an oil company during my childhood. He would bring me the most wonderful gifts and I remember almost every single one: a blue and white sundress from Greece, a Eskimo-dressed doll from Canada, marionette dolls from Central America and bracelets from the middle East. With every country and perfect gift, came a new paper adventure inside the covers of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. All of those imaginative adventures and my own trips around the United States and beyond, could not have prepared me for the excitement and energy of Manhattan. I wanted to bring our kids here, when they are young, to gain perspective on this great, big, wonderful country. I want them to know that their dreams have no boundaries.
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| Pretzels, hot dogs, gyros warm and wafting through the air draw you in with invisible tugs. |
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| Breakfast (and banana pudding) at Magnolia Bakery. It was wonderful banana pudding, unless you were raised in the south, have a coveted family recipe, then I would say, "it was decent." |
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| Cupcakes for breakfast? Why not. |
After our banana pudding breakfast, we headed for the massive expanse of Central Park. What an oasis! A family favorite, for sure.
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| Playing on Umpire Rock in Central Park. |
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| There were fun, interesting people at every bend in the park. |
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| Who knows how long you'll be able to take a carriage ride in Central Park? A "must do". |
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| Does it get anymore American than this? A parade, Old Glory, the Apple store and the New York City Fire Department. |
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| A Columbus Association in the largest parade in NYC: the Columbus Day parade. Who knew? |
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| F.A.O. Schwarz - the stuff kid dreams are made of. |
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| She has no idea how many kids saw the movie Big and dreamed of dancing on that piano. |
After a long wait to watch the Columbus Day Parade go by, we wandered through FAO Schwarz, which did not disappoint. The good news is that it is so overwhelming, the kids didn't even ask for anything! Just walking through the store felt like Christmas.
After FAO Schwarz, the girl and I headed to the American Girl Doll store on Fifth Avenue. I made reservations ahead of time for tea, a perfect option for girl's that may not like to wait very long at meal times. Because we were already full from lunch, we could enjoy the tea sandwiches and bite-sized treats. The room was full of giggly girls and their mothers. It, too, was a smidgen overwhelming. Arrived in NYC without your doll companion? No worries! There is a display of beautiful AG dolls to borrow during your meal! They thought of everything.
She selected her doll and we were escorted to our table for a memorable mother/daughter experience.
After a tea of sandwiches and crumpets, it was masculinity's turn. We were tired and in desperate need of a nap, but with non-refundable reservations at Ninja (25 Hudson Street, Tribeca), we headed out into the misty night for another fun time. Ninja is rated fairly high in various reviews as a good place to take kids. Although it was a little on the cheesy side, it was hilarious and we had a great time. Our son LOVED it. I won't give away the Ninja secrets, but I'll just say, it's "surprisingly" fun.
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| Good night, Day Two! |
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