As I mentioned yesterday we took my 77-year-old mother to New York City for the first time! It was a lot, but also not too much, but also totally different than any other trip to NYC for us. It all started when we asked Jackson what he wanted for his birthday and he said, “I want to go to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn.” That’s his favorite place, to be sure, so we were like hmm. With Covid being Covid and all that we wondered if we could pull it off and how safely. Everyone has their own idea of what is “safe” right now and in our house it’s like this: We are all fully vaccinated, waiting for boosters in December, Jackson is in school full-time in person (with a mask mandate in place), J is back to going to office once a week, usually, and we have been successfully traveling since this summer. However, I am still not willing to get on an airplane. I know, I know, it sounds dumb, but like I said, we all have our things. I am totally fine eating in a restaurant, but no airplane for me I just don’t trust others enough. So we decided to drive to NYC that’s when the idea of bringing my mom came. She was already asking if she could come stay with us for a month this year and it happened to all line up with my birthday, my mom’s, and Jackson’s. So we asked Jackson if we could bring Mama (we invited Grandma too, but she already had plans) and he said, “Sure!” Then the planning began.
When Mama got here we talked about all the things she wanted to see, and factored in all that Jackson wanted to see/do including the Transit Museum, the 9/11 Memorial, and Coney Island. Then we realized that we had never been to Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty. Then our friends from Rhode Island were planning to join us one day, so we mashed all of this together and come up with a kind of solid plan. And for the most part, it all went exactly as planned. How amazing is that?!
The rest of the story can best be told in pictures, so I’ll let them do the talking, but in reality just know that there were some unexpected trips (did you know that there is an awesome Harry Potter store in NYC?) and we only missed one timed reservation, but it was okay they let us cancel our tickets and instead we took a hard-hat tour of the hospital at Ellis Island which was fantastic especially since we had watched a documentary on it before we went to NYC. We got to spend all the time Jackson wanted to at the Transit Museum, then I finally got to ride The Cyclone and The Thunderbolt at Coney Island which was a lifelong dream that turned out to be a terrifying nightmare and I will never ride them again! Like for real. Scariest rides I’ve ever been on, and I love crazy rollercoasters, y’all. Whew.
Okay, pictures as promised. Just pictures.
Take care. Thanks for sharing in the memories!
M.
He loves this station. Bright lights, big city! She dropped some serious cash at the M&M store. She loves chocolate and giving gifts, so you know, it was a duh. “Oh, Hamilton!” Haha, we’ve still not seen it and we are still totes okay with that. Maybe one day… Junior’s for cheesecake, as one does. If you’re gonna force yourself to eat on Broadway, make it be Junior’s. This was him showing that it was after 11 pm and he was drinking Mountain Dew because NYC. She’s terrified of boats and yet… there’s only one way to get to Ellis Island.Ellis IslandJackson got an iPhone 13 for his 13th birthday and now he’s obsessed with taking weird pics…Hard-hat tour, if you get the chance I recommend it. Your ticket helps fund the restoration of the hospital and the history there is wonderful. Financial District behind us, taken from Ellis Island. One World Trade is the tall one. Helping Mama see the city. These two. 😍They pushed her wheel chairs and walked painfully slow. They accepted all things that came our way and not one time did they complain (about Mama anyway, there was a lot of complaining but it was about other stuff! Haha! Have you ever driven in NYC?!)There she is! Went down to Tribeca to see this place! A hit with all of us, one of Mama and Jackson’s favorite movies is the all-female version of “Ghostbusters.” It’s actually the only one any of us will watch anymore. So there’s that… The original wooden escalator at the 34th Street Macy’s. Mom loves “Miracle on 34th Street” and Macy’s! 😂Brooklyn, headed to Transit Museum where we met up with friends. The Transit Museum is full of old subway cars dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Here they are in a fairly modern one, but Mom got to see trains from all decades and then of course, we went on an actual subway train later! Jackson and his friend, Morgan, at the Transit Museum. Next stop was Coney Island! Mom got to see the famous Boardwalk, I got to eat a Nathan’s Hot Dog, and we all got to play games and ride rides! Totally worth it. Everyone felt like a kid again. Told you. Yes, I’m still pescatarian, but not when it comes to Nathan’s on Coney Island. Oh while we are talking about food… bagel and lox. Duh. Same plate. We split food now cause our stomachs are shrinking, did you know that was a thing?! Shameless plug to say that I’m 30 pounds down and my cholesterol is 30 points down just from eliminating most meat! Oh yeah, the cheesecake pic! Cheesecake at midnight on Broadway, I’d love to say this was our first time…Sorry I got sidetracked. Back to Coney Island! Luna Park! “Is that a giant mermaid?” Yes, yes it is. On the BoardwalkThe only ride we could get her on. Though she did tear up the arcade! This bitch. Never again. I didn’t make it on The Steeplechase however, I’m still willing to ride that one. No one did the Wonder Wheel. Next time. Jackson loves taking the subway. He’s just at home here. So weird, but so wonderful. He was giving directions to people on the first night. All his “walking with confidence” pays off in NYC and I wouldn’t be afraid to follow him anywhere there. She navigated the subway pretty well. Though I wished she’d stop taking her mask off for pics, especially underground. 🤦🏻♀️😂Butterbeer at the Harry Potter Store where he found Hermoine’s wand (the one he’s been wanting) and Mama got to see the bathroom straight away, though to be fair even waiting in line for it was magical. Bathroom is right around the corner. 🤣One of a kind experience, even with all the people. Just take your time and know where the exits are and how the lines go. 👍🏼You’ll be fine. Finally made it to Ground Zero. He’s watched ALL the documentaries and can give you a tour of the 9/11 Memorial whenever you’re ready. North PoolUnofficial tour guide She wasn’t prepared for the scope and the sadness. You never are. Foggy day, couldn’t see the spire. For more facts on the building itself, or the original Twin Towers, please talk to Jackson. He brought a fire patch from our local DeKalb County fire station #5 and traded it with NYFD #10, who are known as the station that is “Still Standing” on account of being untouched during the 9/11 attack. You know how he obsesses over things: Enter the Unisphere from the 1964 World’s Fair. We drove all the way out to Flushing to see this bad boy, on account of the Men in Black movies. It legit had nothing to do with the World’s Fair. 🤣We actually went to Macy’s the night before specifically to look for a black suit and tie so he could pose in front of this like Will Smith, but they didn’t have a black tie! Not a single black tie in all eight floors! So again, next time…Oh yeah, and these weird things which were actually just a “cover for alien spaceships.” I ended the last night in NYC floating in the hotel pool alone and thankful for the quiet. It was a whirlwind five days, but I’m so glad we did it!
Melissa Goodnight 