9/11 Memorial and Museum-(New York City-Manhattan)

It took time and careful effort to construct this incredible museum on the site of one of the greatest tragedies in our nation's history. For those of us who witnessed the attack and eventual crumbling of the towers on September 11, 2001, this museum will bring you back to that terrifying moment and fill in the details that we could not imagine as we were glued to our televisions.  For younger visitors who were too … [Read more...]

Central Park (New York City-Manhattan)

There is no greater compliment to the hustle and bustle of New York City than the lush green swath known as Central Park. It's the perfect foil to the concrete and skyscrapers that define the city bringing balance, tranquility and and boundless opportunities to connect with nature and fellow New Yorkers. Bravo to the city fathers who saw the importance of the large expanse of green space and who preserved from … [Read more...]

The Empire State Building (New York City-Manhattan)

Wow, is there anything more iconic New York City, that the Empire State Building? Not in my book. Any visit to the Big Apple is not complete without going up to the observation deck and taking in the panoramic view from what was once the tallest building in the world. There are lots of options for taking in this very popular tourist attraction so let me break it down for you. The observation deck is open from 8am … [Read more...]

Grand Central Station (New York City-Manhattan)

  You've seen this place in a ton of movies, but nothing can prepare you for actually standing there in person and taking it all in. The Grand Central Terminal as it is officially called, is breathtaking in it's beauty in addition to being an architectural marvel that serves thousands of travelers by train on 67 tracks every day. Stand inside the main concourse you will find yourself staring at the … [Read more...]

Back to School Night: Putting Into Perspective What We’ve Learned On The Road

While Lilia my oldest child has settled into college, my two boys Isaac and Joel are still in high school.  Last night I attended Back To School Night and as I sat and listened to each teacher give their spiel about the class I really thought about how much value our road trips have added to my children's education.  Just about every class I visited I thought about some place we'd been in our travels that could … [Read more...]

Gray’s Papaya (New York City-Manhattan)

In the big apple you can get hot dogs on just about any street corner but for a unique experience, you can do what we did and head on over to Gray’s Papaya-an interesting combination of hot doggery and tropical juice stand. Weird I know, but hugely poplar. There’s always a line here so queue up and place your order. We ordered some basic dogs which you can get with or without onions. From there add your … [Read more...]

Katz’s Deli (New York City-Manhattan)

There are a few foods that scream iconic New York and one of those is the pastrami sandwich. While there are numerous deli's on the island of Manhattan, none are more famous than Katz's Deli. And so of course it was on our list of must try's. Located on the lower east side, the bastion of deli cuisine is always packed. You can't make a reservation, you just walk in, get a ticket and either wait for a table to sit … [Read more...]

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City-Manhattan)

New York has the most amazing museums and is home to what is probably thought to be the premiere art museum in the USA.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art is definitely the most visited and it is on the DO NOT MISS list of any trip to New York City. Since we were on a whirlwind tour of the city we really didn't have enough time to really appreciate it. In fact the kids and I all agreed we could easily have spent a … [Read more...]

MOMA-Museum of Modern Art (New York City-Manhattan)

My kids and I are huge fans of modern art. Modern art is often visually "fun" and very often thought provoking and we are always interested in trying to figure out what the artist was trying to say in his or her piece. Let's face it, any time I can get my teenagers to engage in any kind of discussion is a coup. It's for that reason we (and me especially) were particularly excited to check out MOMA, New York's … [Read more...]

Museum of American Finance (New York City-Manhattan)

There is not much more disappointing than being really excited about something on your road trip and finding out it falls way short of your expectations.  Located on Wall Street, I was super pumped to check out the Museum of Finance, particularly since tours of the New York Stock Exchange are now off limits. I was excited to learn with my kids all about the exchanges, commodities, stocks, bonds and all about the … [Read more...]