Our D.C. Diary: New York: Big lights will inspire you....

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York!
~ Alicia Keyes

New York! What another amazing week! My dad flew out to a conference in New York City, so we took the chance to visit him and crash in his hotel room right across the street from Madison Square Garden in Midtown. The kids and I took a double-decker MegaBus up (Steve came up the next day) and we headed from DC, through Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey before we hit the Big Apple.

Nothing is more stimulating and awakening than the lights, sounds, smells and people of this huge city...and we dove right in! We packed in every major attraction into 3 1/2 days and still have time to spare relaxing in Central Park.

Below are some pics and details of our unforgettable week with my dad in New York City!

Just arriving in midtown NYC and Grandpa was at the curb to meet us.

Times Square

The first morning we were in NYC, we headed straight to the top of the Empire State Building so the kids could see just how HUGE this city is. Natalie found the Statue of Liberty right away and Sawyer resisted the urge to spit over the walls. Luckily we were there earlier enough to have room to walk around and enjoy the amazing blue sky and view at the top. Whew...pretty amazing!

Amazing view of NYC from the Empire State Building.

On top of the world.

Our favorite place, which we kept going back to each day, was Central Park. There is nothing else like it in this city! Playground after playground...miles and miles of trails...even movie stars. (I swear I saw Angelica Houston listening to her iPod on a walk). The kids were able to go crazy, eat street food, climb boulders, watch/listen to street performers and chase pigeons to their little hearts' content.

My favorite picture...with Grandpa in Central Park.

Radio City Music Hall...I couldn't help but sing Annie songs..."Let's go to the movies! Let's go see the stars!"

The morning after Steve arrived, we headed down Manhattan to the Financial District where we caught the Staten Island Ferry for a ride past the Statue of Liberty, visited Ground Zero to see the massive twin fountains that disappear into the ground, see the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere get "toppped" (One World Trade Center), visit Wall Street, and eat a yummy lunch. It was certainly a productive and memorable morning.

Since Hurricane Sandy closed down Liberty Island, we took the free Staten Island Ferry by the Statue of Liberty.

Mom, quit making us turn around for a picture, we want to look at the Statue of Liberty!

Silly time on the Staten Island Ferry.

Though the memorial isn't finished, the Ground Zero memorial fountains were open. It was a pretty spectacular and humbling place to be.

NY Stock Exchange and Wall St.

Cultural eating, as you know if you have read any of my other blogs, is a necessary and important to do when you are visiting a new place. So we made sure to eat at Hard Rock Cafe, have NY pizza and deli sandwiches to satisfy our needs.

...enough said.

Classic deli sandwiches and NY bagels in NYC.

...and classic NY Pizza!

And of course, what is a trip to New York without some shopping! Both kids went to FAO Schwartz to visit the important and "historical" artifacts that lie within. We watched "Big" before we visited so they enjoyed dancing on the Big Piano and seeing the Zoltar machine. The eyed the big stuffed animals that cost thousands of dollars, which I told them couldn't fit in their suitcases so not to even think about it...and Sawyer picked out a superhero toy. Natalie on the other hand saved every single penny she could for the American Girl Place (notice I didn't say store...yes...it is 4 stories tall) in Rockefeller Center. Sawyer and grandpa explored the Lego store while I took a shaking anxious little girl to explore her dream store. After about 2 hours we finally left...whew. Perfect 8 year old NYC vacation. :)

FAO Schwartz - the classic toy store. They got to see Zoltar and dance on the Big Piano like Tom Hanks did in Big.

What's a trip to NYC without a visit to the American Girl Place in Rockefeller Center? Natalie got a souvenir magazine with her on the cover! Pretty excited girl. The bathroom with the doll holder was her favorite part.