Yes, this is an extra post. And I want to warn you ahead of time: it’s a long one. I know it’s not my typical post, and I don’t expect many of my regular followers to read it in its entirety, but I had several requests from friends to share recent adventures my daughter and I had in New York City. I decided to post my travelogue publicly in case someone is looking for travel ideas, especially for Manhattan. Enjoy!

What an adventure we set out to have. Courtney and I planned a trip to New York City the summer after she graduated from high school. It wasn’t actually a graduation present. The trip was something she had requested the summer before, but because of my speaking schedule, we’d travelled somewhere else instead and put the NYC trip on hold. In fact, she thought it was no longer a possibility, but Tim and I knew we were going to try to set back some money. He decided it would be best to make it a mom/daughter trip. He’d “sacrifice” staying home. Noise, crowds, packed schedules and musicals are not exactly his idea of the best vacation ever, and he suggested the money we’d save with him not going could be used for an extra day for us. I had only been in NYC once before – at the same age as Courtney was going. I was probably as excited as Courtney, but my excitement varied from Courtney’s a bit. Yes, of course, I was excited about spending time in the city and seeing many shows, but the best part of the trip would be the time I’d be spending with my quickly-growing-into-an-adult daughter.

We booked an early flight in order to maximize our time in NYC, so we arrived at the Hotel St. James by early afternoon. It was an old building, a bit run down, but it was clean, and it had character. It didn’t have many of the modern amenities often taken for granted in modern, chain hotels, but I didn’t mind. I liked the personality of the place. I liked to hear so many languages and accents of guests. I liked having an actual key for my door. I liked having to turn in the key at the desk each time we left the building. It was a good idea: no lost keys that way! Our room was small – just enough space for a queen size bed, nightstands and a chest a drawers and a tiny bathroom. I decided we could deal with a small room, and the money we saved could be spent on other ventures. As it turned out, we were only in our room to sleep and for a brief time each evening to freshen up for shows. The best part of the hotel was the location. We were one half block off Times Square. We could walk to and from shows each night as well as access shopping, restaurants and entertainment galore. We unpacked our bags that first day and immediately left to explore.

Times Square is impressive whether you like city life or not. It’s colorful not only in its lights but in its personality. Traffic has been limited in the area since the last time I was there, making more room for pedestrians and a myriad of activities. Yes, there are the well-known characters such as the Naked Cowboy. No, Courtney and I didn’t get a photo with or of him. She wasn’t impressed, and seeing someone walk around in his underwear just seems odd to me. I have to admit the winner of “oddest character in Times Square” has to go to the most-definitely-beyond-her-prime-woman-who-seemed-to-think-she-was-the-next-naked-cowgirl-and-wore-only-skimpy-underwear-and-pasties. Eww. Our favorite “odd character” we saw was  first. We were sitting in Olive Garden right after arriving in Times Square, and we had a great view of people walking down Broadway as well as in and out of the subway. We saw a young guy wearing a top hat, tights, and an upside down umbrella around his waist as a sort of skirt. We exchanged puzzled glances, laughed, stared a bit…and then realized he was promoting Cirque de Soleil. It suddenly made sense!

We meandered around the area most of the afternoon, stepping into the Hershey’s store, where Courtney posed with the costumed Hershey’s kiss for a photo and received a certificate for free chocolate for her boldness. We never revisited the store for the free chocolate. We either forgot about it each day, or it was too hot to carry chocolate for more than two seconds. We meandered through M&M World for a while. Even though we’re not M&M fans, perusing several floors of gifts and gear is simply impressive. We found the Capezio store and went in and out of many other stores (although we surprised even ourselves by not purchasing a single item besides food until late the next afternoon!). We strolled up Broadway to Central Park and enjoyed a brief stroll after saying “no thank you” to what seemed like dozens of young men who asked if we wanted tours through the park on their bike taxis. I love the relaxed atmosphere of Central Park. We didn’t explore it extensively but learned more about its development a couple days later when we were on our photo tour and explored another area. It’s truly a gorgeous location giving people an opportunity to stroll a meandering path with a dog, relax and chat with friends on a rock, or enjoy a casual lunch while feeling the grass between your toes.

We returned to Times Square with a varied route, stopping at an Information Center to ask a couple questions, specifically, how to use the subway system. We had a great teacher, but it still took us a while to figure it out. We were glad the person with whom we spoke suggested the 7-day unlimited pass, because we definitely would have spent more with all the trips we took. But we got to explore so many more areas we wouldn’t have accessed by walking, and we had no desire to take taxis everywhere, spending more money and sitting in traffic much of the time. In reality, we were pretty successful subway riders. We just seemed to have trouble around Canal Street – probably mostly due to being tired and hot the following day when we were going to explore some shopping options. We also had issues the final day when we travelled to Bronx Zoo, but that wasn’t completely our fault. More on that later! The bottom line is: it was a good thing Courtney and I were together, because at least one of us usually had a clue as to where we were and in which direction we needed to go (except when it had anything to do with Canal Street!).

It didn’t seem we’d explored for long, even though it was an entire afternoon, when we returned to the hotel to get ready for Phantom of the Opera. We had purchased tickets for our other three nights before leaving home to be sure we saw the shows we most wanted to see. Plus, we didn’t want to take a risk of getting delayed our first day of travel and missing a show. But we were able to get discounted Phantom tickets at the TKTS Discount Booth, which I highly recommend. Phantom definitely didn’t disappoint. It was Courtney’s first show on Broadway and only my second. Even though the theatres on Broadway aren’t spectacular in size or impressive modernity, there’s grandeur and sophistication in them. Some might say they’re dated, but I see them as rich with experience and history. Broadway theatres breathe a living legacy that fosters the magic of productions. People come from all over with all sorts of backgrounds, nationalities, goals, and theatre experience and appreciation, and for a couple hours, they sit side by side as they dialogue with the performers on stage (and from the pit, as the orchestras provide the inspiration and foundation for the performances). Time seems to stand still, yet during those couple of hours, the sun has set outside. The city is illuminated to a near-daytime light, and throngs of people are sharing a small piece of real estate. They come with different purposes, but they walk alongside each other, meet each other’s paths, and even bump into each other. Courtney and I caught bits of conversation. Taken out of context, we could come up with all sorts of stories!

It was late, but we were hungry and decided to eat one of our favorites: Steak ‘n’ Shake. It’s not the most nutritious thing to eat late at night – or any other time – but it was a quaint restaurant trying to maximize the small amount of real estate it assumed. Supplies were kept downstairs, which meant workers had to descend and carry armfuls of fries and dishes up the steps when needed. We discovered two things about this Steak ‘n’ Shake different from ours near home. First, we like the fries better, which might be difficult to believe if you know how much we like Steak ‘n’ Shake fries! Second, their self-serve fountain drinks were the best ever. I first pushed the button for Coke Zero and then had the option of flavoring: not just cherry or vanilla but about 10 options! I found a new favorite: half cherry vanilla, half raspberry. I had more than one during the trip!

With our tummies full, we returned to the hotel for our first night’s sleep in the city. We could hear the cars and construction outside our window. When we checked into the hotel, we were asked if we preferred the front or back of the building, and we decided we’d rather have the full city experience of the noise. We slept without problems…even though we both assumed we’d struggle sharing a bed. We’d had a full first day and were ready for the next to begin.

We ventured onto the subway for the first time the next morning to ride the ferry from Battery Park to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The Statue was surrounded by scaffolding the last time I was in New York, and my parents and I didn’t take the ferry to see her. She’s under construction again but only on the inside, so while Courtney and I couldn’t go inside, we could see her up close. Ellis Island was much larger than I expected. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but as we walked the stairs, rooms, and hallways, I couldn’t help but think of the many people who had come before me with their dreams and fears. They arrived on Ellis Island after long journeys often marked with tragedy. Not everyone in the family could travel and arrive together. Some didn’t begin or survive the journey. I looked at photos and stared into the eyes of just a small handful of the immigrants who stepped foot on Ellis Island in hopes of a new, better life. I wondered where their families are now. I looked at their luggage and some of the items they chose to bring, and I wondered how they decided. Did they bring everything they had? What did they lose along the way? What were the most treasured possessions they clung to for a sense of history, memories, and hope? I was thankful for those who came before me. I’m thankful for the steps they’ve taken so that I can take the steps of my lifetime. Their purpose is a precursor to mine. Mine is a precursor to others. I want to step with intention, courage, and hope. Over 25 years ago, I stood on the shores of Manhattan and looked at the Statue of Liberty with my parents. Now I was staring at her as I stood beside my daughter. The skyline has since changed as buildings have gone up and some have been destroyed, and the same can be true with legacy. I was reminded of perspective and perseverance – and the importance of both as I walk each step of my life.

It was getting hot by the time Courtney and I left Battery Park, and we were getting hungry. We decided to venture to SoHo via a quick subway ride to Canal St. The problem was the person who circled SoHo on our map didn’t specifically give us streets, so our first experience of SoHo wasn’t actually SoHo. However, we did find $1 pizza, which we had seen several places before, but it scared us a bit. I mean, really? $1 for a slice of pizza? Was it safe? Well, apparently it was, because we ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it! It gave us enough strength to persevere…right back to the subway station to go to another area of the city. Well, we didn’t quite go straight to the subway. Remember, I mentioned earlier that Canal Street was the one area of perpetual issues with our subway navigation. Between figuring out our direction and correct station and train, we meandered a bit but eventually made it to the World Trade Center area. We had decided we weren’t going to take the tour of the memorial, but there was something in me that just wanted to get close for a moment. New York City is rebuilding, and there are few signs of the terrorist attack of 9/11. I haven’t spent much time in the city, but there seems to be attention to safety without a fear. There’s community and conversation even amidst daily life alongside millions of strangers. There might be wounds remaining deep within the city, but it is resilient. I wanted to honor not just those who lost their lives or saved lives that horrible day but also the many people who continue to live their lives in the shadows of what physically and emotionally happened. I sat on my couch nearly 11 years ago, watching the terror on television from many miles away, but on this day in Manhattan, I stood tall as the skyscrapers are being constructed far into the sky and people are confidently walking by as their lives go on.

Except for the signs for the memorial, the only signs I could see as (I assume) a direct result of 9/11 were the presence and appearance of police officers. While most officers we saw wore basic uniforms, the ones we saw in the subway station near Battery Park, connecting to the World Trade Center area, wore full gear, including helmets and high-powered guns. They stood stoically and attentively.

Even though we were hot and tired after our adventures of the day, we decided to return to Times Square for some shopping. We wanted to check out Forever 21, which we thought was an average size store with a basement, evident from the escalators visible through the store front. Appearances can be deceiving. The ground level had the smallest floor space of any of the other floors – yes, floors. We took the escalators to what we thought was the basement only to discover there were four stories in all. The buildings in Manhattan maximize every inch possible because real estate is highly valued. The height of the buildings might get the initial oohs and aahs, but there’s plenty to explore underground as well. We ate at Hard Rock Café that evening, and it was designed with similar intention. The ground floor was the smallest area, reserved for apparel and eye-catching window displays. The bulk of the restaurant and the many memorabilia displays for which the restaurant chain is famous were underground.

After dinner, it was time for Newsies, about which we were both very excited. We’d watched the Disney movie more than once and love the music and story. Rarely do musicals highlight a group of young men, and this cast actually included many with which we were familiar because of our favorite television show So You Think You Can Dance: Alex, Jess, Evan, and Thayne (who we must have missed on SYTYCD, because we couldn’t remember him, but he definitely impressed us during Newsies!). It was a fantastic performance! The set and orchestra were amazing, not the mention the dancing, which was powerful and mesmerizing. Those are some amazingly talented boys who have without a doubt put in hours of training and rehearsals to get to their levels of performance.

Day three in NYC, and we had an appointment for a photo tour. When Tim asked a coworker who has been to Manhattan many times what she would recommend as a “must do,” the photo tour was her suggestion. We were met by our guide who gave us a personal tour for two hours, stopping along the way for many photos. We wouldn’t have gotten many photos together otherwise, and this way, we were able to get many photos in great locations while also learning quite a bit along the way. We took quite a few in Times Square before venturing onto the subway toward Central Park. He then walked us through a variety of areas, pointing out major buildings, stores, and historical areas as well as differences in neighborhoods. Then it was time for another subway ride to the Brooklyn Bridge. To say it was a bit hot that day is an understatement. Our tour was in the morning, and as we walked on the bridge, I wasn’t sure how our guide’s afternoon tour participants would be able to survive. The bridge itself was gorgeous and I’m glad we took the trek, but we quickly became sweaty messes. Fortunately, as we walked the return route, a breeze blew and dried us a bit before we continued to our final area: the real SoHo. Yes, we realized we definitely hadn’t experienced it the first time. I loved the architecture and lines of the streets. The recognizable names on the store fronts took a back seat to the character of the area for me. We parted ways with our tour guide, happy with our experience, and decided we needed to eat and drink soon or we’d collapse in the heat. We found a nice café on a corner and enjoy a long lunch.

Once we were recharged, we decided we could walk a stretch of Broadway in an area called NoHo. We found many treasures along the way, including a special gift for our puppy, several gifts for people back home, and a fun pair of Converse for Courtney. The Converse store was very cool – from the American flag wall designed with red, white and blue Converse to the custom-design area.

Shopping gave us our second wind, and we decided to venture to Century 21, which we were told was a huge discount store where all the New Yorkers who want great deals shop. At first we thought the first person who told us had misspoken because Century 21, to us, is a real estate company. But when the second person told us about it, we decided we needed to check it out. In order to get there, we’d have to use one of the dreaded Canal Street subways again, but this time, we maneuvered the system just fine and exited the subway right by the store. We realized it was also right by where we’d been the day before!

Century 21 was definitely an adventure. The store’s shopping bag says “Shopping worth fighting for” and we quickly figured out some people take the slogan very seriously. As I was casually perusing scarves, a woman was nearly shoving me out of the way without an “excuse me” or glance of recognition I existed! People who worked in the store nearly ran over us with carts as they restocked clothes. However, the clothes were indeed good buys. It reminded me of a Marshalls on steroids. Courtney decided to try on a stack of clothes, and we discovered the only fitting rooms were on the fourth floor in a corner Of course, there was a long line, and she said the experience was an adventure, but it was well worth the bundle of clothes and a few gifts we bought.

It was time to head back toward Times Square, but before we returned to the hotel, we were on a frozen yogurt mission. We were hoping we could find Menchies, since it’s our favorite frozen yogurt but not available close to us. We soon discovered there’s no Menchies in Manhattan, but on the first day in NYC, we saw several people walking around with green cups, similar to Menchies, and we were determined to discover where they got it so we could compare it. We didn’t see those green cups again anywhere, and we searched the streets and online for the possibilities. Finally, we decided to settle for any kind of frozen yogurt we could find and ended up at Pinkberry. It was delicious. Our eyes were much larger than our stomachs, and neither of us finished ours. As we leisurely ate our treats, we watched the man who came in the same time as we did wait for his order…of dozens of cups of frozen yogurt, costing him over $200. A group of people were getting great treats at the office during the heat wave that afternoon!

We strolled down 5^th Avenue to quickly walk by Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center before returning to the hotel to get ready for that night’s musical: Chicago. Again, we weren’t disappointed. Well, perhaps a little. Neither of us was crazy about the actress who played Velma Kelly. It was impressive that she was in the original cast of A Chorus Line and still going strong, but her portrayal of the character wasn’t my favorite. However, that’s a minor point. The production was great overall. The dancers were amazing. The music was phenomenal. And the actor playing Amos made me giggle many times. Despite seeing a stage nearly full of bodies who could be Bodies of Steel spokespeople, Courtney and I were hungry after choosing midafternoon frozen yogurt over lunch, so we checked out a couple restaurants recommended by our tour guide. We decided we didn’t want something so fancy and heavy, so we chose the famous Famiglia’s Pizza instead. Yum! It was a great way to cap our evening, and we walked it off a bit as we meandered through Times Square again.

We had nothing scheduled the next morning, but we didn’t sleep in too late, because we wanted to ventured to Hoboken, New Jersey, to sample some goodies at Carlos Bakery. This time we had to venture beyond the subway to the PATH trains and were in the middle of using the self-serve kiosk to get our tickets when a nice policeman asked us where we were going (and helped us streamline our ticket process). When we responded “Hoboken,” he said, “So…Carlos Bakery?” I guess we’re not the only tourists who want to taste the Cake Boss’ goodies! He recommended the lobster tail, which I bought, and I’m passing along the recommendation. It was absolutely delicious! Courtney and I actually bought a variety of items to taste, including the famous cannoli, a cupcake, croissant, and a couple cookies. We saved some for later! We were glad to arrive just as they were opening before much of a crowd formed. We got into the bakery right away but had to wait until our number was called. They only allow a certain amount of people in the bakery at a time, and it was crowded even with the limit! By the time we left the building, the line was a block long to get in. We sat across the street by City Hall and enjoyed our breakfast before returning to Manhattan.

We decided to peruse F.A.O. Schwarz, which ended up taking a couple hours as we explored stuffed animals, candy, puzzles, and oodles of other fun stuff. By the time we left, the expected rain began to sprinkle, and we decided to enjoy an afternoon movie. We enjoyed the comfy chairs and Madagascar 3 once we located our correct theatre screen of the 25 available! After quick trips to Grand Central Station to take photos and the Sansha dance store, we returned to the hotel to get ready for our final evening’s performance. We had tickets for the American Ballet Theatre, and we decided to enjoy a nice meal before going to Lincoln Center. We asked someone at the hotel if he recommended an Italian restaurant in the area, and before we could finish the question, he enthusiastically responding, “Tony DiNapoli’s!” (which sounded a lot like “Tony Monopoly’s” so we now refer to it by our modified name). We were glad we asked, because it was certainly scrumptious! It often pays to ask people familiar with an area for suggestions. We had a similar experience the following morning when we asked someone for a recommended breakfast restaurant. We were usually on the go first thing in the morning and didn’t worry about sitting in a restaurant to eat, but we wanted something different our last morning. We weren’t disappointed!

With our stomachs full with delicious Italian food, we took the subway to Lincoln Center, which is stunningly beautiful. It was the perfect setting for amazing dancing. We weren’t surprised by the level of dancing; we knew every person on stage had trained for years to perform with ABT. It was still breath-taking to experience live. As we walked away from Lincoln Center after the performance, I remembered the words of A Chorus Line song: “Everything is beautiful at the ballet.” It was.

It was our last evening in NYC. We walked, snacked, rode the subway, and soaked in the experience. Our trip was wonderful, and we were taking in every moment. We had many adventures, including the final day. After breakfast, we ventured to the Bronx Zoo. We were delayed a bit in the beginning when we got turned around in a subway station and tried to reenter an area we had just exited. Our Metro cards gave us “just used” messages, and we learned we’d have to wait 18 minutes to use our cards again. Fortunately, someone reset them for us “just this once.” We continued toward the Bronx, but we didn’t exactly take a direct route. Little did we know some of the subway routes we needed were interrupted. As soon as we arrived in the Bronx, still quite a distance from the zoo, we were told we had to exit the subway station and get on a bus to be taken to the next subway station. It was crowded and people were very grumpy, but what choice did we have? We got on the bus and drove a little way until the driver stopped and said there was an issue with the bus and we’d have to walk the rest of the way: “Just follow the crowd.” Well, that works if the crowd knows where it’s going, but this crowd wasn’t certain. However, we made it rather quickly and waited for the next train which slowly but surely got us closer to the zoo. There were a couple young families on our subway train, and we all walked to the zoo entrance together. Although we had allowed sufficient travel time, we hadn’t counted on the delays, and considering how much time we should allow for return delays, we decided we had no more than 45 minutes to see the massive zoo. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the best deal of our trip, but we weren’t about to turn around to endure the return trip without some sort of reward!

We didn’t see a lot of the zoo, but what we saw was great, and I highly recommend a trip to the Bronx Zoo if you have the opportunity. Our family loves zoos, but we’re partial to the St. Louis Zoo, and rarely does another zoo measure up to it in our opinion. However, Courtney and I loved the Bronx Zoo. It’s shady, and the animal enclosures mostly blend with the park design and vegetation. It felt as if we were simply strolling through a beautiful park and happened to see wild animals around us. Our favorites were the polar bear and the gorillas.

We knew we’d experience the same delays on our return trip. However, when we exited the subway station to catch the bus, there were more people, higher temperatures, and rising tempers. Couldn’t we just walk to the next station? It was worth a try! We asked for directions and set out on another adventure. Just when we thought we might have misunderstood the directions, we found the subway station, learned the train we intended to take wasn’t running, took the alternative, and arrived in Times Square with enough time to spare to run into a couple shops before catching our ride to the airport.

We had a long trip home, flying through Dallas-Fort Worth (yes, en route to St. Louis), but it was the latest flight available, and we planned to maximize every minute possible in NYC. I’d say we succeeded in maximizing our time and experiences during our vacation. We planned a few things before we travelled, but we mostly decided what to do as we discovered things to do. We explored what seemed interesting at the time. We tried to be flexible and enjoy whatever we did. In the process, we not only experienced a trip of a lifetime, but we did it together. I will always treasure the many moments we shared. I am blessed to be a mom.