When I was cleaning out their closets a few months back I found Christmas gifts from last year that hadn't been opened! Lego sets that hadn't been put together, etc. The amount of stuff they receive from not only us, but their grandparents and their dad's side of the family is just embarrassing.
I know we are very blessed, but instead of all these THINGS, we need to make MEMORIES with them.
Big T has been asking to go to New York City for several years now, as he's seen it on TV and in movies.
They had been asking to go back to our favorite spot, Breckenridge, CO. but I knew the snow would be TOO COLD for them (we usually go in the summer).
So we booked a trip to the magical New York City during Christmas break.
We wanted to keep it a surprise, and not tell them until we were at the airport. So for weeks I bought hats and gloves, and snow boots and packed their suitcase in secret.
We told them we were taking Travis to the airport for a business trip one morning before school and then I was going to drop them off at school afterward.
When we got to the airport at 7:30am we parked and told them we had a surprise for them and that they were going with us.
Big T was excited, Mushy was sad about missing Polar Express Day at school.
It took him a minute, but he was excited as well.
Here's what we did and what I recommend with an 8 and 10 year old. (We left Trace at home with my mother in law, as we are a bit adamant on not traveling with him for a few more years and have a very eager grandma that wants to stay at home with him any chance she gets!)
Statue of Liberty
I looked into touring the Statue of Liberty (I've been before, but the kids and Travis have not) and I figured the boys would want tickets to the crown, but when I went to book them (about 3 weeks before we left) they were sold out.
I didn't think they'd like touring Ellis Island and just seeing the Statue of Liberty up close and not going in the crown, (Ellis Island has an AMAZING museum, but the boys would have been bored), so we opted for the FREE ferry to pass it. We took a cab from Times Square (where our hotel was) to the Staten Island Ferry which is free and runs every 30 minutes on the weekends.
The boys loved the boat ride and seeing the Statue of Liberty that way.
Top of the Rock/Rockefeller Center
This is one of the most crowded places in NYC during Christmas, so if you're going to want a good 360 degree view of the city, buy your tickets ahead of time!
The boys lasted about 15 minutes before they were ready to go. They like more DOING than SEEING.
Ice Skating
We opted for ice skating at Bryant Park's Winter Village. This was our favorite activity.
I know it's very iconic to ice skate at Rockefeller Center with the big tree, but we loved Bryant Park.
They have a ton of pop up glass houses with local artisans and cool gifts, food, and more.
It's truly like a little winter village. I would have loved to shop around if we didn't have the boys.
We ice skated for about 2 hours and they boys LOVED it!
I bought tickets for a specific time online the day before.
FAO Schwartz
This toy store is in Rockefeller Center and it was PACKED. Of course, it's Christmas time and it was newly re-opened but they have cool demonstrations of the toys and stuff you don't see everywhere!
Definitely recommend taking your kids here to see all the cool toys!
The Lego Store at Rockefeller Center
This is super cool! The boys loved seeing all the lego builds in here!
Black Tap Milkshakes
This was a must do for us. We waited in line for probably 45 minutes for a diabetes packed milkshake. Worth it.
Times Square
We actually stayed at the Sheraton Times Square and it was a great location.
I had so many people say not to stay in Times Square because of the crowds, but we really liked the location. When we walked ANYWHERE we had a rule of holding a kids hand at all times. Travis held and hand and I held a hand. The crowds are no joke, especially around Times Square, but we knew it was going to be like that.
The boys got a kick out of the street performers and all the craziness of Times Square.
Central Park
We didn't make it to Central Park this trip. I think this would be great with better weather. Maybe a bike ride around Central Park in the Spring or Summer (I've done it in April and it was GORGEOUS!)
Broadway Shows/The Rockettes
Many people recommended seeing The Grinch, or Frozen and I just didn't think my boys would enjoy that, so we didn't do any shows.
However, I have seen The Phantom of the Opera on a separate trip and it was AMAZING! So I would definitely recommend a show without kids!
This was by far the most recommended pizza place. When we got there, I realized I'd been there before but just didn't know what it was called. They have the best pizza!
We waited for about 45 minutes for a table. Their bruschetta, cheese bread and pizza is amazing!
I heard this place is great for cheesecake, but we never made it.
Getting Around the City
We walked almost everywhere. If something was more than a 15 minute walk we took a cab. They have an app you can download in the cab to pay, its super simple.
I know a lot of people said to take the subway, but we opted for cabs.
Clothing
I wore fleece lined leggings and then Lululemon leggings on top, long soft socks, comfy boots (THESE ARE AMAZING!!), a sweater, a parka, E tip gloves, and a hat and scarf or this awesome face mask thing I bought there.
The biggest thing was your face getting cold. It was in the 20s and 30s with SUPER cold wind chills the entire time. My body was fine, but my face got cold quickly!
I also wore a fanny pack the entire time and I gotta say, I'M A FAN!
I hadn't worn one since probably 3rd grade, though they're called belt bags now, but this was a game changer for me!
I wore it under my zipped up coat and it was great to be hands free and safe from pick pocketing while in the big crowds.
The boys wore fleece lined leggings, sweatpants, thick socks, snow boots, parkas, neck warmers, and face masks.
Eating
If you're going to go to the popular places, make a reservation.
Most places you'll end up waiting 45 minutes to an hour to eat.
We found some great lunch places based on reviews on Yelp.
The Counter in Times Square was GREAT! I had their veggie burger and it was awesome!
Their fries are great as well.
Gregorys Coffee is my favorite coffee place, and Le Pain Quotidien is our favorite place for breakfast. The boys loved this place, too.
Be prepared to spend a pretty penny on food. Each meal of ours was on average $100 for the 4 of us, more if we had an alcoholic drink. Travis and I aren't big drinkers, so when we drink, it might be 1 glass of wine with dinner. I think we did this at 2 meals.
All in all, we had a great trip. There's definitely stuff I'd like to go back and do, but we got to check off NYC at Christmas time off the Bucket List. It truly is a magical place at Christmas. The music, lights, shopping, it's really neat to see!
I really feel like you could live in NYC and still not see and do everything, there's so much!
I wouldn't recommend taking your kids if they are less than 10 years old, though.
I know people do it every day, but taking a stroller and small child around the city, in stores, up stairs, elevators, with coats and hats and everything, just seems like it would be a lot.
We really enjoyed giving the gift of travel this year and look forward to continuing this tradition with the kids!
