My first lesson in traveling to a big city with small children is to have low expectations. There were a few days when B-real's work colleagues or B-real himself would ask what we had done that day and I felt like I didn't have much to offer. If the trip had consisted of two adults who loved walking, well, we would have seen a lot more of the city. Although we took advantage of public transportation and taxis, we still walked a lot and the girls got tired easily. I wanted the trip to be fun for them and wearing them down would not have made it fun. I had some general ideas for each day but I tried to respect their energy levels.
My second lesson is to realize the things you think they enjoy may not be what speaks to them. The girls favorite activities were feeding the birds and pigeons their leftover pretzels and climbing the rocks in Central Park. I think Big C would have enjoyed visiting some of the art museums but I have photos from last year of us pushing little c around in a stroller, while she read at book, at MOMA. I also want the girls to have reasons to want to return to the city -- like Big C has not seen either of the large art museums.
There were many moments I found frustrating on this trip. It rained way more than I was expecting. Walking through midtown Manhattan with two little people and three umbrellas is taxing. I felt like a mother duck being followed by her two baby ducklings. There are also very few children walking around mid-town Manhattan. The food was stressful, seeing as one of our children eats very little variety in her diet. I brought peanut butter from home and we learned that she really liked street vendor hot dogs. Before we would go into anyplace to eat, we'd grab her a hot dog, which she either ate in the restaurant or ate beforehand. People would ask if we ate anyplace amazing. Again, had it been B-real and I on a trip, we may have but it seemed silly to me to spend money on food the girls would not enjoy or appreciate.
I talked to the girls in advance of the trip and explained that this was a big, different city and although I have been to New York quite a few times, it's still a tricky place to navigate. I would need their patience. I also explained that part of the trip was just taking in the sights, sounds, people of the city. It has a totally different vibe to it than anyplace they had visited before and part of my goal was for them to have experience it. I gave our less patient child my phone to navigate. That helped her quite a bit because it gave her some control over getting around and gave her something to do while we walked. Typically this would have been very boring to her.
One day we went to this free museum called Sony Wonder Lab. I had read mixed reviews but it was raining and it was free, so we checked it out. The girls seemed to enjoy it. At the end of the day, I asked the girls what they had learned that day, hoping for something history related or a new awareness of the city. Little c said "The Sony Corporation hates short people". They had an exhibit that was too tall for little c to use so she climbed up it and ended up getting reprimanded. See, the things that speak to them and that they remember, aren't always what you might want!
B-real finally made it to Ellis Island. I was glad we went too; very interesting and historic. They even had a little museum for children. After many trips to the city, he finally managed to convince his traveling companions to go. Wink, wink!
Another highlight for me was going to the top of Rockefeller Center.
We went at night and the view was breathtaking. B-real jetted from a meeting and met us there and we saw it together. Then he went back to a work dinner and the girls and I went back to the hotel. So glad we shared the experience, the four of us. One of those things I will never forget. You feel like you are on top of the world. I was a 'tad' scared to be on the 70th floor in an open air environment. I held onto the railings on the stairs until I broke away for a second to get a photo of the four of us.
Little c and I much preferred the techo colored room they had on the 69th floor. She and I dance Ganga Style with some Korean travelers. So fun!!
Do you think we had fun?
People chide us for going to NYC in January and Orlando in September. Neither are ideal times to visit those places BUT we don't wait in lines. You would not believe the set-up for the line that could have snaked through Rockefeller Center to get to the top. It would have taken the fun out of it for our family if we had to wait for hours. We practically had that place to ourselves. The same for Orlando. Yes, it was hot there in September and the girls wanted to go to the pool instead of the rides. Going in March would have meant long lines.
I feel so fortunate to be able to give our girls these special experiences. I think they are getting to the age now where they appreciate the opportunities too!
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