Minton’s do NYC

What happens while Daddy works…

We finally settled in NYC after two wild days and the kids must’ve needed extra sleep as they didn’t wake til almost 10am! Grand Central Station was our first stop (close to our hotel) and it is such a beautiful, old building with such character and history inside. We saw soldiers (like at the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe) for protection. Teddy, of course, saw animals painted on ceiling. I told the kids about the giant FAO Swartz store we were going to see then found out it closed! So I took them to a cute, little toy store called Kidding Around in Grand Central stead. They each could pick out a small toy which was great entertainment at the lunch table. We ate at The Park; an adorable restaurant where we ate in a covered area but trees were all around and birds chirped. What a fun atmosphere! The waitress gave Bea bread to feed the birds which she loved! Next I pushed through so much wind to an indoor playroom at The Field House at Chelsea Pier. I was the only mom amidst a nanny and two dads. Ha After naps, Cory met us for supper at Zengo, an Asian/Latin fusion restaurant..yum!

When Cory works late, he tries to have breakfast with us which he did the next day. Bonus to this was he helped us buy our tickets and get on our first Subway ride. It’s always great to have an extra hand when you try something new for the first time while also wrangling two kids. We rode the same first leg as him then we went opposite directions. All was going smoothly until the train didn’t stop where we planned to get off! We got off a couple stops later (once it finally stopped) and back tracked on the train. Of course our stop didn’t have an elevator so sweet Bea held Teddy’s hand walking up the stairs while I carried the stroller behind them….in the rain. The result was the Children’s Museum of Manhattan; a super fun museum with highlights of Zanzibar, Japan, Dora the Explorer and a play area. They did so well sticking together as I requested! Next was lunch at a true NY deli called Artie’s Delicatessen. I had the tallest salami sandwich I’ve ever seen and Bea enjoyed the pickles. Back in the rain we go to get on the Subway. Unfortunately, we went down (steps only) the wrong direction to the train. Agh! So back up we went and a nice lady held Bea’s hand on the steps back up. So we went across the street to the correct stairs and finally got on our train. We got off too early so we hailed a taxi for the rest of our journey to a friend’s house. We spent the afternoon/evening with her, her daughter and son. She is a good friend of my sister’s and was a true delight to be around! The kids had a wonderful time playing and relaxing in their home for the evening instead of being stuck at a dinner table or in our hotel room. She even cooked us all supper too! We took the bus home but not without Teddy getting his foot stuck between the seat and a pole. Oh mercy!

We hit the pavement on Wednesday to the Central Park Zoo. I bought tickets online so we just walked right up to the entrance and headed in. We were just in time to see the sea lions feeding. We all enjoyed this and the sun was shining bright! We saw penguins, a grizzly bear, snow monkeys, lots of rainforest birds, etc. It’s a small zoo but so fun! We also fed the alpacas and goats. And listened to the Delacorte Clock chime and dance. Teddy loved those animals too! We were on our own again tonight so we got a walkable recommendation for supper at Bareburger. As Bea observed, “we’re the only kids here!” Ha It was quite relaxed though and a fun time with them! The walk to and from felt so good; I miss doing that after (almost) each meal like we did in Chicago. As we got ready for bed, Cory text that he would be back soon. They were so glad to hug his neck as they hadn’t seen him since breakfast yesterday. 😉

Thursday’s adventures started at breakfast with Cory again before heading back to the American Natural History Museum. We had a big time seeing all the (stuffed) animals, a huge blue whale (Bea’s favorite), giant squid, walrus, polar bear (Teddy’s favorite), dinosaurs and Teddy Roosevelt. It’s a huge Museum that we couldn’t possibly see in a morning. We tried to take the Subway home but Google showed two trains (on my phone) come and go but no actual train, we left. I had had enough and Teddy was melting. It was so bad that someone else helped me carry the stroller while I wrangled Teddy. Yellow taxi for the save! For supper, we took the Subway (with all the daily commuters and was it ever packed) to Mighty Quinn’s BBQ (seen on Burgers, Brew and Que). It didn’t disappoint with delicious brisket, ribs, mac and cheese and baked beans. On our way home Teddy finally got to ride the subway not in the stroller! 😉

NYC part 2 is next!

Time Square