The last time we were in NYC was for my 30th birthday, December five years ago. Joe wore Hannah in the Bjorn the whole time and I carried Joseph in my tummy. That was a great time, too. As we like to say in our family, New York is a trip, not a vacation. Both trips were exhausting. You go, go, go. There is so much to see and do and we manage to pack in as much as possible.
This time we were there for four nights. We flew in on Saturday early afternoon, checked into the hotel and went to the NYC marathon expo. While it wasn't their first, the plane ride was a highlight for sure. When we got to Laguardia, Hannah and Joseph changed into Pocahontas and Captain America. It was Halloween after all.
...Captain America was flat out exhausted and fell asleep at the expo. It was a long day, coming right after an emotional day with Chloe. Joe's mom and sister met up with us at the hotel, and we found a classic New York pizza place for dinner not far from our hotel, near Madison Square Garden, and then hit the sack.
Sunday was the marathon. Joe was up and out super early (5:30!), taking the Subway to the ferry to get to the start of the race. We had a much more leisurely morning, having breakfast and then taking the Subway and finding a spot along the race route. It was crazy crowded and I questioned our slower pace, but we ended up not only getting to see Joe as he ran down the Queensboro Bridge ramp, but he saw us!!
I loved having the race app on my phone; we knew exactly where Joe was along the route, his pace, projected finish, etc. Very convenient for a large city and a huge race. The NYC marathon is the largest in the world with about 60,000 runners. Imagine that plus all the spectators and police, and you've got quite a crowd to maneuver around.
As is the case with all of the big races, there is a lot of waiting. We wait and wait and then, if we're lucky, we get to see Daddy for a few seconds. It's still exciting and we make the best of the waiting part. Here we are in Central Park, with the Plaza Hotel in the background:
We made our way inside the park, found a great place around mile 25 to watch him pass. We then followed on the app as he crossed the finish line.
Then came the difficult (and frustrating!) part: finding him after the race. There is usually a family reunion spot which is great, but getting to this one was almost impossible. It took us an hour and a half to get to Joe after we saw him run by. There were so many people, barricades, and detours. But we made it and got our family pictures!
Joe finished the race with a time of 3:15:03. He would have liked to go a little faster, but still he did great. He said it was the hardest of all the races he's done. There are five bridges (they go into all five boroughs), numerous ups and downs, and the pavement is very uneven. There are potholes, repairs, and all the road issues you'd expect in a big, northern city. Runners like to settle into a rhythm and put their focus forward, but in this race you have to watch where you step most of the way. We were amazed at how many runners we saw stop with cramps. It's a tough one! We were proud of #5067 and now he has another major under his belt.
After a little relaxation (and a bloody mary) at the hotel, we dressed and headed to Little Italy, always one of our favorite stops in NYC. Again, the Subway and escalators were exciting enough on their own for these two littles:
After the yummiest dinner at Angelo's on Mulberry Street, we walked to Ferrara's for dessert!
Day two down. On Monday morning, we toured the September 11th memorial and museum. It was incredible and such an awesome experience, a must-do if you are planning a trip to New York.
We walked down to Battery Park and along the Harbor, catching views of the Statue of Liberty.
Hannah jumped along the rocks and Joseph tested out his new FDNY fire truck. It was quite a bit of walking, so we are glad (as we were several times on this trip) that we brought the convenience stroller. The kids took turns riding, I gave piggy-back rides, and we also made a pit stop at Starbucks.
As afternoon turned into evening, we walked/ran to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. The skyline was beautiful as the sun set behind it. I didn't want to miss the view from the top of the bridge, so I ran while pushing Joseph in the stroller. When I got to the top, out of breath and sweating, I realized he fell asleep. Classic. The others hurried too, not far behind me. We stayed for a bit, and even got to witness some unplanned excitement. The President flew in on an Osprey, landing not too far from us, and traveled right underneath the bridge in his motorcade. Very cool.
The day ended with a visit to Grand Central Station, where we ate dinner in the dining concourse and Hannah twirled around the terminal.
Tuesday was another gorgeous day. Seriously, we had incredible weather the whole time. Only needed a jacket at times, and not a heavy one at that. It was perfect New York fall weather and playing around Central Park was the perfect start to the day.
We went to the Museum of Natural History right at opening and toured all four floors. That place is so neat, halls designated for mammals, ocean life, ancient peoples, and space science exhibits to name a few. The kids loved it (as did the grown-ups)!
Next up was The Empire State Building. Joseph was very impressed with all the buttons on the elevator. The adults were impressed at how short (non-existent) the line was to get to the top. We walked around the observation deck for a while and tried to locate things down below. {I even got a kiss from my little boy.}
Tuesday night we went to Times Square, had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, and visited the Hershey store. Joe was in chocolate heaven.
The day ended with Aladdin. The Genie stole the show; he was hilarious. We all loved it!!
Wednesday was our last day. Before heading to the airport, we said hello to Patience and Fortitude, the stone lions outside the NY Public Library, stopped by Rockefeller Center (and gawked in the window of the Lego store - it wasn't open yet), and strolled down 5th Avenue, posing in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Oh yeah, we also had to stop and pick up a few things from the American Girl store. Joseph was thrilled to pick out something of his own: an AG Dalmatian puppy he named Chloe. Happy ending. :)
When the captain on the airplane let him check out the cockpit, Joseph was beside himself.
It was a really good trip, filled with memories we will not soon forget. So thankful for the opportunity to go, for Joe getting to race in the NYC Marathon, for the kids loving every minute, and for Meme and Gran Gran (and for a part, Aunt Sarah) being there with us.
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