{Girls Trip} And, We're Off!

Off on another fun adventure...

While our boy is off on an abbreviated study abroad in Scotland, the girls and I decided to take a little road trip up to New York City, with Hubby planning to fly in for a long weekend...

We made a few stops at some unique little free libraries to drop off some books...

and made a quick stop to eat at Isaac's Deli, one of our favorite nostalgic spots...

We arrived at Uncle B and Aunt E's house, our home away from home, late tonight and are ready to get to sleep in anticipation of a BIG day tomorrow...

More FUN to come!

{TEEN Trip} New York City - A Walk Down Memory Lane (NYC Style)

 Houston, we are about to have our very last TEENager!

How can it be? Our baby officially turns 13 in just over a month from now...

{January, 2023}

For some time, I've planned to take the children on a special, solo trip to NYC when each turned the big 13. We took B back in January 2019 and I took L just about a year ago in March 2022. Now, it's finally M's turn!

While M has been to NYC a handful of times before, it's always been with both her brother and sister in tow...

Over the years, we've visited a few sites here and there...

Fall 2010 - lunching at the American Girl Café, grabbing a cupcake (well, smiling while everyone else did) at the original Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker, taking her first subway ride, and visiting the American Museum of Natural History, while in town for the weekend to hear Aunt E preach...

Spring 2013 - playing in Riverside Park, paying respect at President Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb, lunching at the New York Junior League, touring President Theodore Roosevelt's birthplace, becoming a cab riding pro, exploring Central Park, and trying a proper cupcake from Magnolia Bakery...

Summer 2013 - ferrying over to Staten Island, visiting the Statue of Liberty from afar, taking in the view from atop the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge, riding the tram over to Roosevelt Island, exploring under the Queensboro Bridge, meeting Cousin A, and enjoying dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner...

Summer 2015 - saying goodbye to the iconic FAO Schwarz store on Fifth Avenue with Cousin A and taking a late night taxi ride...

Spring 2019 - visiting both the real Winnie-the-Pooh and friends stuffed animals and the famous lions at the NYPL's iconic location on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, hanging at Rockefeller Center, saying hello to the NEW FAO Schwarz store, now located at Rockefeller Center, 

walking through Times Square, enjoying dinner at Junior's, checking out the Today Show Plaza, taking in the views from the Top of the Rock, experiencing her first Uber ride, devouring milkshakes at Black Tap and cookie dough scoops at DO, and having fun on The High Line...

Summer 2021 - lunching at Gramercy Tavern, drinking fancy grape juice, checking out The Vessel (now closed), playing & shopping at Hudson Yards, snacking on some street food, visiting Alexander Hamilton, and grabbing dinner at El Vez...

most of them have been off the beaten path, and she's not really done a lot of the typical "tourist" things in the Big Apple...

So, this morning first thing, we hit the road ~ just the two of us!

We took our time, making a few favorite stops along the way...

We enjoyed a much anticipated lunch at The Village Coffee Shoppe at The Draper Mercantile in Draper, VA...

and grabbed dinner at another favorite, Isaac's, in Mechanicsburg, PA...

before stopping for the night...

Tomorrow, it's into the city we go!