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New York City is very intense — the world-class attractions, people from all over the globe, crowds — all making for a thrilling and fast-paced experience.
But, it is possible for families to enjoy their time in the Big Apple in a relaxed and somewhat budget-friendly manner. December is a perfect time for a visit, with the amazing holiday decorations, special shows, and dazzling lights everywhere.
Over the years I have tried every mode of transport to reach New York — planes, trains, buses, and car. Based on my most recent trip on Amtrak, I would vote for the train. Parking is very limited and expensive in Manhattan for anyone thinking of driving. While airports are stressful places these days, the Amtrak train station in Depew was calm when we arrived at about 7:15 am.
Parking is free, but you need to show your train ticket to receive a parking pass to put on your dashboard. The train departed on time and arrived in New York on time. On our return we were about 20 minutes late. Remember there are no special security or airport machines to walk through. Of course, you keep your shoes on.
The relaxing Amtrak experience actually began online. The tickets cost about half of a plane ticket and they are refundable. Best of all, the train arrives and departs from Penn Station in the center of mid-town Manhattan. We were able to walk to and from our hotel. Arrival at the airport means an expensive taxi ride in serious traffic or a longer bus ride in the same traffic.
All the Amtrak staff members we encountered were friendly and helpful. There is free WiFi, as well as plugs for charging your devices. There is also a Club Car with a variety of healthy foods for sale. You can eat in the car at tables or take your food back to your seat. (Speaking of seats, these are large and comfortable with plenty of room, unlike typical plane seats these days.)
We brought along our own food and drink in keeping with our money-saving goal. Passengers can get up and walk around. Several times when we arrived at a train station we were invited to step outside for fresh air and to stretch our legs.
The final leg of the trip from Albany to Penn Station is the best part of the train experience. The tracks travel along the mighty Hudson River. Keep your eye out for the majestic buildings of West Point, America’s oldest military academy.
We came prepared for New York sightseeing with a CityPass. There are two New York versions of the pass. The traditional pass includes admission to six of the city’s top attractions. It is good for nine days and offers up to a 42% discount over individually purchased tickets. The city is very crowded these days with high numbers of tourists. One of the best features of the CityPass is that it allows ticket holders to skip most lines at attractions.
To take full advantage of the pass you really need to visit six attractions. This can be difficult to do on a weekend visit. The newer New York pass is good for admission to three of the city’s ten most iconic attractions with a saving of 27%. There is no need to pick attractions before you arrive; select them while you are traveling. Both passes can be purchased online and you will receive mobile or printable passes.
Passes in hand, we set out for our first two stops — the USS Intrepid and the Circle Line offering cruises around Manhattan. Both are next door to each other on the Hudson River; an easy 15-minute walk from our hotel.
The Intrepid is a long-time favorite and a guaranteed kid pleaser. Launched in 1943, the former aircraft carrier USS Intrepid fought in World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike. The ship also served in the Cold War and the Vietnam War. The ship later served as a NASA recovery vessel in the 1960s. Now a National Historic Landmark, it is the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
The Space Shuttle Pavilion showcases the impressive space shuttle Enterprise, the prototype NASA orbiter that paved the way for America’s successful space shuttle program. The Submarine Growler is the only American guided missile submarine open to the public. Then there is the British Airways Concorde plane that crossed the Atlantic in a record breaking two hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds.
The museum offers a wide array of family-friendly activities and programs all year long that keep children engaged, entertained, and curious about history and science. It is even possible for families with kids ages 6-17 to spend the night on the Intrepid. The program includes educational activities, talks, and unlimited rides in a flight simulator, pop-up planetarium shows, and meals.
There are a variety of weekend family programs that are free with admission but require advance registration. One fun workshop titled “Drone On” invites kids and their parents to plan, program, and fly a drone in this adventure. Guests learn how drones work, then use basic programming to plan out the route for the drone in this interactive workshop.
The “High-flying Design” workshop invites guests to make the most unique paper airplanes while learning about the forces of flight.
A good introduction to the Intrepid is the movie “The Story of Intrepid.” It is shown throughout the day. There are also free science demos throughout the day. Stopping in the Education Zone, we learned why the Earth’s atmosphere is so important and why astronauts wear spacesuits. Using a bell jar and vacuum pump, educators mimic the vacuum of space.
Next up was a relaxing cruise around Manhattan on the Circle Line. Beyond showing all of Manhattan from a different perspective, our tour guide really made the cruise quite memorable. New York born Malachy Murray was full of fascinating tidbits and fun facts. A veteran who served in the elite Special Forces, he began his Circle Line career as a deckhand. During one cruise the tour guide became ill and Murray came to the rescue, taking the microphone and giving his passengers a tour they would never forget. He has a passion for all things New York and a background as an actor with parts on All My Children, As the World Turns, Law and Order and the Oscar winning Scorsese film, The Departed.
We quickly learned that our boat was first on the scene to rescue passengers on the USAir flight that landed in the Hudson River in January 2009 and led to the Miracle on the Hudson movie.
This cruise is the only sightseeing cruise to completely circumnavigate Manhattan Island. Along the way we saw all five boroughs — Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx. We also saw all three New York rivers, all the major bridges, and all the best sights, including the full Manhattan skyline.
We had up-close views of the Statue of Liberty and learned the statue wasn’t always green. It is made out of copper and originally had a reddish-brown hue. It did not take long for oxidation to give it the more familiar color we see today. And its full name is “Liberty Enlightening the World.” Best of all, it welcomed generations of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island from 1892 through 1954.
The cruises operate year-round and the indoor seating area is heated with large windows.
Next up is the iconic Empire State Building, in the heart of midtown Manhattan. Here CityPass ticket holders bypass most lines and can also return a second time in the same day — try a morning and night visit to see the skyline in lights. Time your visit for the morning when crowds are less. Make sure to use the bathrooms on the second floor before getting in line for the elevators to the Observation Decks.
The 86th Floor Deck is the highest open-air observatory in New York. It has been the setting of dozens of movie and television scenes, as well as millions of unforgettable personal moments. It wraps around the building’s spire, providing 360-degree views of New York and beyond. There are spectacular views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and much more. There are high-powered binoculars for a closer look, as well as an official Observatory Experience app that teaches about the views.
The Top Deck on the 102nd floor offers even higher views and on a clear day you can see beyond the skyscrapers up to 80 miles away. As you take the manually operated Otis elevator, watch your altitude rise as you ascend.
The American Museum of Natural History is another very popular attraction for families and available through CityPass. One of the world’s largest museums, it would be easy to spend the day at the museum so if your time is limited planning is a must.
Most everyone loves dinosaurs and this museum has one of the greatest dinosaur fossil collections in the world. The popular Barosaurus display shows the enormous plant-eating dinosaur rearing up to protect its young against an attacking Allosaurus. Don’t miss the Tyannosaurus rex with its enormous four-foot-long jaw and the six-inch-long teeth. The Glen Rose Trackway is a 107-million-year-old series of fossilized dinosaur footprints. They were excavated from the bed of the Paluxy River in Texas.
Other museum highlights include the 94-foot long model of a female blue whale; Lucy, one of the most complete skeletons from early hominids that lived between four and two million years ago; and the Warren Mastodon which died about 11,000 years ago in a bog in Newburgh, New York. Theodore Roosevelt, who became president in Buffalo, has a strong connection with the museum and you can follow a self guided Theodore Roosevelt Tour.
There are a variety of free hour-long highlight tours. Ask for a schedule at the information desk.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on New York City visit www.nycgo.com/family or call 212-484-1200. For CityPass visit citypass.com or call 888-330-5008. The website is full of tips from travelers that can be very helpful. For Amtrak visit Amtrak.com. Remember that department stores and hotel lobbies are generally good places to look for public bathrooms. Of course, attractions and restaurants also have bathrooms.