The Ambitious Odometer

Monday, March 20, 2023

{TEEN Trip} New York City - Day 1

What a day!

We got up early and drove up to Uncle B and Aunt E's house in Hastings-on-Hudson to leave our car. Then, Uncle B ran us over to the train station, and we were off!

After a quick stop in the main area of Grand Central Terminal, we set off to find our hotel and drop our luggage...

before heading through Times Square...

and spotting some fun "M" door handles...

on the way to do a little errand...

before lunch at Serendipity 3 for a sweet, birthday treat...

and it did not disappoint. M chose the Cookies and Cream Frozen Hot Chocolate, and it was yummy...

With full tummies, we decided to explore Central Park a bit, and started with the Central Park Zoo!

It proved to be a good choice for our animal lover...

{I can never resist a good flower picture!}

As we exited, we checked out the Delacorte Clock...

and continued on through the park to find both the Hans Christian Andersen statue...

and the Alice in Wonderland statue...

We walked back down to our hotel (about 30 blocks!) and officially checked into our hotel where we charged my phone and relaxed a bit before heading down to the Empire State Building!

It's a classic, must-do in my book!

{looking S toward the World Trade Center & the Statue of Liberty}

From there, we headed back toward our hotel and walked over to dinner at John's Pizzeria...

and then, across the street to the Majestic Theatre...

for M's first Broadway show...

Though she has seen a West End show in London (and touring shows at our local theater, etc.), as it was for B, L, and for me (though it is one of Hubby's favorites, it was not his first), Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic became her first "official" Broadway show...

and was made all that more special as we were among some of the last to see it, as after an unprecedented 35+ year run at the Majestic, it is set to close in less than a month...

After logging nearly 25,000 steps, we walked back to our hotel and went to sleep!

Day 1 Step Count - 23,249

{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...