Our last day in New York, and we finally made it to Times Square that evening. Naomi and I did pass through it briefly after Hamilton, but we didn't stop to take it all in. It was our last big stop before we headed back the next day.
We went to Paris Baguette in the morning for some fruit and pastries. It was on the way, and the place we originally wanted to go to was actually closed. More extra walking and backtracking! Too bad we didn't get to see the New York Public Library this go-round.
Our first stop in the morning was St. Patrick's Cathedral. Once again we had great weather, albeit a little humid at times. Though we aren't Catholic, we can appreciate the architecture and work that went into building this beautiful building. After that we made our way to FAO Schwarz. They had the famous Big piano (not sure it's the original one), which was slightly smaller than I thought it would be. It was fun to see all the toys and plushies. Now that my kids are beyond the age, they didn't really need anything,b ut we still got Lucas a plush dragon and Naomi a Care Bear purse. I don't think we got Isaac anything, but he'd already picked up a few souvenirs in Chinatown.
We then made our way to Rockefeller Center. You can get coupons for passes to go to the top of the building, known as Top of the Rock. For an extra fee you can do a beam photo. They strap you into seats on the beam and then turn the beam so you can take a photo over the city. The beam is above the lower level of the roof and not out over the city, thankfully. I was still scared, though, so I had to sit in the middle. So we hit several of the observation decks or skyscraper lookouts in New York. We skipped The Edge, though it looked pretty cool, and we did not go up to the One World Trade Center Observatory. Maybe if there's a next time. But we were pretty satisfied with the ones we did see. They all had their unique views and experiences. Be warned it took a long time, maybe over half an hour, to get our Top of the Rock photos.
Manny found this cool museum/experience called Rise NY. It covered a lot of history and culture of New York, including the stock exchange, the skyscrapers, fashion, science, and founding fathers. There was something for everyone and a number of interactive displays and sets. It included a fun ride at the end similar to Disney's Soarin'. Then we were pretty hungry and had a big meal at Hard Rock Cafe. Probably the biggest one we've ever been to. It showcased lots of memrobilia, including original instruments and costumes, album covers, and photographs. Also on display were giant replicas of a guitar and even the DeLorean from Back to the Future.
We rested at the hotel before heading back out to see Times Square at night. We got some dessert from Carlo's Bake Shop and some sweet treats from Hershey World. Honestly, it is sort of overwhelming and there are all these scammers you have to absolutely ignore if you don't want to be harrassed and of course huge crowds. But it was neat for the kids to see the tower where the ball drops each New Year's. I liked seeing the 3D billboard, though I couldn't stop to take a video of it and my photo didn't do it justice.
Overall, I was very thankful for the trip. We got to do so much and best of all go as a family and that all the kids were old enough to appreciate (and tolerate) everything. This was the first trip we took on a plane together since we went to Oahu with Manny's mom and dad seven years before. It may be many years before we all fly anywhere together again, so I cherish these memories.
