Dobbs Family Blog: New York City

A Day In THE Big City!!

We arrived in Croton-on-Hudson, New York yesterday afternoon after a drive through some beautiful country. We drove clear across Pennsylvania, and it really is a pretty state. There are big barns and silos in the cultivated areas, and everything is very green. We crossed the Delaware when we came into New Jersey, and Keegan said we were just like George Washington. New Jersey was not what I expected. It was very green and pretty. We got a bit off of our navigation when we were supposed to turn in New Jersey, and we were headed straight to either the George Washington Bridge or the Lincoln Tunnel…neither one would have been a good choice. Luckily the Garmin got us back on track, and Coley, the pro, was at the wheel. We had to cross the Tappan Zee Bridge to get into New York, and the toll was $24 …you should have seen our faces! The campground is in a beautiful county park about 40 minutes from NYC by train. We drove through Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow on our way up, and we want to go back and visit both places. It is cool here. It was 83 when we pulled in yesterday afternoon, and it was 66 when we got back today because it had rained.
Today we slept a little later (7:00), and caught a 9:30 a.m. train to the city. We missed the commuter rush into the city, but we had to park in remote parking. The kids thought the shuttle bus was the coolest thing. Our metro north train took us to Grand Central, and once we got out into the station, the kids were very excited because they recognized it from the movies. We were going to go to the Empire State building, but it was overcast so we decided to wait. Instead we ventured out into the streets. We walked to Broadway and went down Times Square. The kids were a goggle at the lights and “tv’s on buildings”. We went into the Toys R Us and rode the Ferris Wheel. Keegan and Serena picked out a long list of toys that they want, many of which I don’t think have reached West Texas yet. We ate lunch at McDonalds-quick and easy, then started walking to the Museum of Natural History. We made a stop at the M &M store and ended up buying M &M’s that were way too expensive, but the coconut ones were very tasty, and we had snacks for the rest of the day! It was a longer hike than I thought, but the kids did a fantastic job. The museum was ok. They had an amazing number of artifacts from native societies, but Keeg was a bit disappointed. It did not look like it did in Night at the Museum, and it really ticked him off. Several of the things that were very prominent in the movie did not exist at the museum. Coley and I were a little disappointed as well. We caught the subway back to Grand Central and managed to make a 6:30 train back tonight. It was full of commuters and us.
It was really a good day. The kids did a fabulous job of staying with us today, and they walked and walked. Tomorrow is the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan. Since it is a Saturday, we will be able to take our time. Sunday is the very large Gay Pride parade down 5th Avenue, so to avoid any really bizarre sightings that might cause questions we don’t want to answer, we will probably visit West Point on that day and check out the rest of the local area. I want to go see OCC in Newburgh. Coley says I am a big nerd….oh well.
I was very jealous of all of the people with Iphones today….can’t wait to have internet again……