April 5, 2017 - NYC Kid Friendly Weekend Itinerary to LA to Vegas and then Hawaii

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 7 DAYS

NYC Kid-Friendly Weekend Getaway Itinerary

Hey there,

Mid-week and if I began to tell you the progress I've made around the house in the past two days, you wouldn't believe it.

Organizing, packing for London, piles for the VA -- I've been on a roll.

Not to mention, I now have an appointment for Gianna with the "back doctor."  A quick rant - she was being treated by one of the top pediatric back specialists here in New York, affiliated with one of The Hospital for Special Surgery.   But guess what?
She is no longer in-network with my (crappy) insurance.

So, I had to find another in-network doctor; then get all of Gianna's records sent from the previous doctor, as well as x-rays and test results sent to the new doctor.  Don't get me started on that prices as it required having "releases" sent to me; signing them and faxing them back  - ugh!

In any case, we were in good shape as of yesterday and I now have an appointment for this kid for tomorrow morning.  Fortunately, she is getting better each day. So to all the hysterics who are telling me to "do something" - the proof is that time, rest, and old fashioned remedies DO work.

However, in spite of it all, I'll get the doctor's opinion tomorrow.

Ok - so on to some fun travel talk!!!

(credit: quotesgram.com)

Yesterday, I spoke about some local Summer weekend getaways near New York City.  These destinations (Mohonk Mountain House, Hershey, PA and New York City, itself!) are on my list - but not as yet on my calendar - for the upcoming summer.

As promised, I wanted to share with you a few possible itineraries for a Summer weekend in The Big Apple, to hopefully, inspire you to "vacation" in your own backyard, if you live in the surrounding area.

What's perfect too, is that it is W2GW (Where to Go Wednesday) here on TC, so this dovetails so nicely with the theme of "local places to go and see."

New York City just happens to be one of the greatest cities in the entire world. Of course, I'm a bit subjective, being a native New Yorker!

So much to do, so many options and without a doubt, a million different way sot plan an itinerary for almost anyone and any interest.

My personal preference is to "train it" into the city to save on tolls, parking and aggravation.  Since it's only for two nights maximum, you can travel light with a small rolling bag for each person.  

This leaves you free to decide if you want to take a cab to your hotel or the subway, with relative ease.

Here is a quick itinerary I put together for a possible Summer Weekend in NYC with the kiddies...

Kid Fun in The Big Apple

Friday: 
* Arrive NYC mid-afternoon.

* Stay at mid-town hotel - this will keep you central to the stores, Times Square and theatre district.

* Lunch at Osteria al Doge (Times Square), for a delicious Italian mid-day meal.

* Enjoy the merriment of Times Square - visit  some fun stores such as M&M World and the Disney Store.

* Head west to The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and take a tour of this National Monument dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of history, science and service as related to its home aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid.

* Dinner at Virgil's Real Barbecue
I've dined here once and it's quite a fun place!

TIMES SQUARE, NYC (c)travelincousins.com

Saturday:
* Breakfast at Kellogg's NYC
Why not make breakfast super fun!!  The recently opened cereal bar on Broadway between 48th & 49th Streets lets kids have breakfast all day long! 

* TKTS in the heart of Times Square to secure  discounted tickets for same-day theatrical performances and shows Arrive between 10am and 2pm on Saturday for matinee tickets. (For exact hours, TKTS official site)

* Lunch - City Kitchen Food Hall is the perfect location for a variety of options, quickly. From burgers and fries, Mediterranean and much more, this is a great way to get something for everyone without breaking the bank. 

* Matinee  

* Dinner - El Azteca
How about a little Mexican fare of cheesy quesadillas, horchata (a kind of spiced milk), and fried bananas topped with honey and whipped cream. Kid-friendly and good native food for the whole family.

ROCK CENTER CAFE (c) travelincousins.com

​Sunday
* Brunch:  Rock Centre Cafe

* Leisurely walk around Rockefeller Center
So much to do around this iconic New York spot
> Photo Ops around the Plaza
> Duck into some of the stores & shops
> Top of the Rock Observation Deck at 30 Rock
> The Lego Store & American Girl Store on Fifth Avenue
> St. Patrick's Cathedral

* Late Lunch - Early Dinner: 
​Ellen's Stardust Diner
Super fun without a hefty price tag. 50's themed with great music!
​
* Head home


​Ok Folks - I'm getting super excited for a weekend getaway in my favorite city!!!

I'll do another NYC Weekend Getaway itinerary next week featuring "Romantic Weekend." 

For now, I'm going to get myself going as I've got some errands to run with my girlies after school.

Hope it's a great one for you!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 1 DAY

A little venting and a whole lot of good stuff

Well hello again :)

I'm baaaaack and leaving tomorrow for Moab, Utah (by way of Las Vegas)!

Am I ready?  
Uhhhhhh not quite...Not even close!

Okay I guess it's my turn...
Are you ready for a vent? 

I managed to help Dave with his packing last night. It was a doozy of a "good" time - the man absolutely HATES packing and doesn't pretend or even try to play nice while we are gathering what he needs to pack.

I seriously don't understand what in wrong with him?

He claims to have always been this way - but I just refuse to believe it.
Luckily (for some odd reason) I have an extreme amount of patience about it, because I am certainly NOT what you'd call the most patient person out there.

He seriously acts like a naughty child - and only if were one because there would definitely be some dire consequences for his poor behavior.

I happen to be a very kind person, but I am also very strict and consistent.
I stick to my guns about the good and the bad - which is just and fair.

And there is no way that I back down or give in to my final word.
So if you push me to that point than you should expect what is coming to you.

As for my kids, they know this through and through and poor behavior just does not go over in my book and is completely unacceptable.

However with Dave - he is an adult. He is not my child. And basically at this point it's probably fair to say that he is pretty hopeless.
​
You have to want to change in order to change and he simply does not want to change.

So in dealing with his poor behavior and his lack at finding things (it amazes me at how easily I locate HIS belongings that were driving him mad that he had no clue where they could possibly be!)
I do believe that I know how his mind works even better than he knows himself.

So after all the non-sense he is just about finished with his packing. 

I have all the supplies for the trip ready to go. 
​Now I just need to pack my clothes. And while doing so I'll also be putting aside some our London wardrobe that I'll need to pack just as soon as I return from Moab. Whew!

I also finally managed to begin the HUGE task of switching out our winter for summer clothing and now have a huge mess of clothes to deal with. This is only the beginning. This chore gets messy!

Something else I also finally managed to do which also fits into today being - W2GW 
​WHERE TO GO WEDNESDAY was secure tickets to the (fairly new) Broad Museum in Los Angeles!

I was/am pretty stoked about this and have been trying to get tickets for months and months - so needless to say that I am almost a bit shocked that I got them.

We are set to go on May 20th - woo hoo!

credit: thebroad.org

From the The Broad website:
​
The Broad is a new contemporary art museum founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles which opened in September of 2015.

The museum is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler and offers free general admission.

The museum is home to the 2,000 works of art in the Broad collection, which is among the most prominent holdings of postwar and contemporary art worldwide, and has launched an active program of rotating temporary exhibitions and innovative audience engagement.

The 120,000-square-foot, $140-million building features two floors of gallery space and is the headquarters of The Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending library, which has actively loaned collection works to museums around the world since 1984.

In its inaugural year, The Broad museum far exceeded attendance projections, welcoming over 820,000 visitors.

Amongst the variety of collections we'll find yet another of Jeff Koons Balloon sculptures.

This was the first of Jeff Koons sculptures that I had ever seen - at the MET in NYC (c)travelincousins.com

Jeff Koons is an American artist known for working with popular culture subjects and his reproductions of banal objects—such as balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror-finish surfaces. 

His works have sold for substantial sums, including at least one world record auction price for a work by a living artist. On November 12, 2013, Koons's Balloon Dog (Orange) sold at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York City for $58.4 million, above its high $55 million estimate, becoming the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction!

Critics are sharply divided in their views of Koons. Some view his work as pioneering and of major art-historical importance. Others dismiss his work as kitsch, crass, and based on cynical self-merchandising.    You decide.

Tulips displayed at the Wynn in Las Vegas, NV (c)travelincousins.com

Popeye also displayed at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, NV (c)travelincousins.com

I think they are cool!

​
Yesterday while at Dominic's class I had the pleasure reviewing my new book - 

I'm plugging away at our plans and need to get our itinerary in place soon!

Hopefully I'll have an update for you next Travelin' Tuesday ;)

I've got my work cut out for me today, so I best get on it!

Ciao 4 now,
-T