New York Observations from a Mom on the Run: Central Park Zoo, Hayden Planetarium, American Girl Place, Metropoitan Museum of Art, The Plaza Hotel

We’re BAAACCCKKK from our New York City trip. Left Friday at 3p.m….arrived home tonight at 11 p.m. Good time had by all, well, we had some mixed moments mostly to do with the amount of walking needed to get anywhere in the city. I could not live in the city…too busy and hustly and bustly for me.

Quick Observations on NYC

I saw so many smokers on the NY streets…hate the smell of smoke.
The smell from the sewers near Time Square was sickening.
My children were fine walking many blocks from the Natural History Museum to Time Square with the “carrot” of pizza at Ray’s Pizza. Those same children were practically hobbling around the Metropolitan Museum of Art complaining of sore feet and legs with no “carrot.”
After a quick trip to The Plaza Hotel and Central Park, it is a happy coincidence that Home Alone 2 is on TV…kids love watching this movie.
5-year-old still loves the Central Park Zoo. My husband took him 3 years ago on our last trip while I took our to the American Girl Place. This year my 10-year-old daughter joined us…she had a good time, too. The polar bears were hysterical as they tore open their tubs of food. The monkeys sat beside, but would not go in the hot tubs. My daughter kept laughing at them as on of the monkeys dipped his mango in the hot tub to wash it?!?
12-year-old had a great time shopping for Christmas presents with grandparents. They let her linger and browse in stores longer than I would have.
10-year-old dearly wanted to join her cousins at the American Girl Place. I’m not sure why since she doesn’t play with her AG Doll and had forgotten that we packed up the doll several months ago.
It is very challenging to explain to kids that a place called “Flashdance” is not a place suitable for children. “But, Mommy I love dancing!” Flashdance is in fact a “gentleman’s club”–sandwiched in between Planet Hollywood and Toys R Us. Nice!
The Hayden Planetarium show is a kit with kids and with fans of Robert Redford. He was the narrator. I listened intently to his narration.

More posts tomorrow. It’s odd to think I have not blogged or checked other people’s blogs since Thursday. I enjoyed the break, but now back to our regularly scheduled programming…