New York City, An Adventure of Firsts
After MANY years of struggling, learning hard lessons, and sacrifice, in March 2023 our family made a huge step in the direction of financial independence! We had been following Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps advice and working to arrive at this monumental goal post! When the day came, we could hardly believe it! Some days we are still in denial! We had daydreamed about reaching this goal in the past, but it hardly felt in reach, so when we planned our celebratory reward for hitting the goal post, we weren’t sure where to begin! But fate stepped in and pointed us in the right direction when Tam was assigned to a one-day-work-event in NYC. Tam asked if we would want to come along, as a family, and plan a fun mini vacay, since we had been talking about taking the girls to NYC “someday soon!”
This girl, will never turn down an adventure, so I immediately started daydreaming about the places we could take the girls, and Tam instantly read my mind, when the words: “Well, if we are going to NYC, should we…” He looked up and finished my sentence: “Go see Hamilton on Broadway?!” I could hardly hide my excitement at the thought of making our little ladies bucket list dream come true! Ever since Hamilton was on Disney+ and the girls were old enough to understand the story and history, they have been completely obsessed with the musical, and all things Revolutionary History. Last summer we planned mini staycation day trips to Philly to visit Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, among other stops! The girls couldn’t get enough, and even kept joking that they loved visiting “New York City!” We would giggle and correct them: “This is Philadelphia,” promising that we would take them to NYC someday soon (waiting for all the pandemic stuff to calm down).
That was it, we had our celebration set! Our little family was going to give our girls an NYC Experience & “Hami” Tour! We decided to let the girls think that we were going to visit NYC and some historical Hamilton sites (as requested by them), but we never let on that they were going to see Hamilton the Musical!
Since this was a HUGE event for us, and a very special celebration, we decided to score some sweet seats, not far from the stage. I could barely keep the secret from the girls as I delved deeper into planning our super fun trip, but we decided to print out a small picture of the iconic Hamilton Musical sign on a small piece of paper and fold it up to hide it inside an Easter Egg over the holiday weekend. We saved the special egg for last so we could film their response, Cora almost passed out, when we explained that it meant we were ACTUALLY going to see Hamilton the Musical in NYC, while Ada stared, looking to Cora for cues of what to do, since she was a little confused about the entire thing. Once Ada realized what we meant by putting the Hamilton Picture in the Easter egg, she was super excited too! Although our trip was still weeks away, the girls wanted to start packing immediately, and our NYC countdown began!
Read On for Our Trip “In A Nutshell,” and/or The Wordy Story (if you so choose), and My Hamilton Review, as well as some Tips for visiting NYC with kiddos…
I had learned a long time ago, during pandemic mini local trips, that I could not do EVERYTHING in one short trip, which gave me the permission that I needed to step back, pick a few favorite/important experiences and to remain open to spontaneous events and living in the moment, enjoying the break for what it was, instead of trying to fill every second of a trip with fun, for fear that we would never return to that place again. I took those lessons with me on this trip, and we ended up having WAY MORE Quintessential NYC Experiences & Fun than I ever would have been able to plan, while keeping my sanity! YAY, for balancing plans and spontaneous fun!! (Sometimes that is easier said than done).
With that in mind, my original “plan,” left plenty of room for rest, the unexpected, and spontaneous events with the key experiences being: Time Square, The Hotel (because our girls think every hotel is like visiting Disney World), The Empire State Building, Food & Treats, Hami Souvenir Shop, Hamilton The Broadway Musical, a few Historical Hamilton Locations in NYC: Fraunces Tavern Museum, and Trinity Church were on the MUST SEE List, but we were open to more, if time allowed, and my bucket list item was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Otherwise, we would see where the days took us.
We stayed from Thursday AM through Saturday, departure time from NYC to be determined…
Below is Our Day by Day NYC/Hami Adventure in the Speedy, Nutshell Version!
Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” – Emma Chase
(MORE PICTURES THROUGHOUT THE STORY)
Thursday In a Nutshell – The Big Apple Is Calling:
Hamilton The Soundtrack in the Disc Drive on our road trip, Having to pee so bad your eyes turn yellow, The overwhelming Experience of Manhattan Streets & Side Walks, Ada’s First Introduction to Pigeons, Madame Tussauds (fun & history learned), Time Square New Year’s Eve Ball, Street Performers, Lessons about the characters waiting for you to take a pic, NYC Delicious Pizza, NYC Tiny Hotel Rooms, Waiting over an hour to get our things out of the car, Views of the city, Delicious Poke, Taxi Rides, Empire State Building AT NIGHT & The new 102nd floor observatory, as well as, the new immersive experience in the museum, Late night hotel room hangs in the city that never sleeps!
Friday In a Nutshell - Curtain Call:
Early wake up (not by choice), CROWDED NYC free breakfast buffet, Subway Rides, WTC Memorial, Trinity Church (inside & out) – Hamilton & Eliza’s grave, Angelica’s is there too, but we didn’t do the research to find her (we will go back again), Federal Hall, Walking Past Wall Street, Fraunces Tavern Museum (the oldest restaurant in NYC & Site of George Washington’s Farewell to his troops, as well as the site Hamilton and Burr met up before their duel), quick lunch, NYC souvenir shop, Paris Baguette Pastry Shop, Hotel Power Naps, Early Dinner & THE BEST Bubble Tea at a Ramen House, Hamilton The Musical!!! Bathroom lines at intermission (that is an experience), Accidentally Finding the Autograph Line – Pictures with the Stars of The Show, Walks Home in NYC Trash & Rain. Late night hangouts in the city that never sleeps!
One Last Stop On The Hami Tour - SATURDAY: (HEAVY RAIN IN THE FORCAST):
Change of Plans, no more city time: tired, broke, wet, and ready to go home for this trip, CROWDED NYC lobbies at checkout time, Quick loading the car in the rain, Headed Out of TOWN, Spontaneous detour to Weehawken to see the dueling site and view of the city, and the final stop for this adventure: A breakfast of the BEST BAGELS we EVER HAD at “Bagels On Park!” We can’t wait to go back for a new and different NYC Experience!!!!!
(MORE PHOTOS OF OUR ADVENTURE BELOW)
The Wordy Version (The Full Story & All The Tea) – (Scroll on for Tips & My final thoughts): The Big Apple Is Calling - THURSDAY:
Thursday morning finally arrived, the car was packed, and everyone was ready to go… Before our wheels even left our driveway, the girls were asking to listen to the Hamilton soundtrack on the drive to the Big Apple. Tam and I giggled and promised a few songs, for fear that somehow listening to the entire musical, one more time, would spoil the live show (spoiler alert: we were very wrong!). So, we kicked off the ride with “Alexander Hamilton,” “Aaron Burr, sir,” and “My Shot.” By the time we hit The Lincoln Tunnel, I acquired my VERY FIRST, Tip for you all… HOT TIP #1: Stop to use the bathroom in NJ, just before entering the tunnel. I felt the little voice in my head calling out as we passed the last opportunity to use the restroom, but apparently, I was feeling like we needed a lifelong hilarious story to giggle about, because by the time we made our way through traffic, circled the block a few times looking for parking close to our hotel, actually parked our car, removed our bags, and marched a few blocks down the street to our hotel, I swear my eyes were turning yellow as my bladder reached its absolute maximum capacity! The kids will never stop laughing about the length of time they had to wait for their turn to go potty at the hotel!
So, we finally made it to NYC… We were immediately dumped into the busy streets of Manhattan, on our own, as Tam set off for his work event. After being away from the city for 11 years, even I was feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of navigating the city with two little ladies, entertaining them, keeping them safe, and not immediately overwhelming them. So, I found out that Madame Tussauds New York wasn’t too far from our hotel, and it would be a good way to keep the girlies contained, entertained, and myself somewhat stationary, while I adjusted and refamiliarized myself with the city. On our brief, but chaotic walk to Madame Tussauds we had another small FIRST one this trip. It still makes me giggle to remember! We were hustling down the sidewalk to our first destination, when felt Ada's grip on my hand shift. I looked down to see her swerve to avoid something. After a second of processing, I realized she was side eyeing a pigeon, which was the exact moment that I realized how new that experience was for her!
We don't have random birds just walk up to you at home, so Ada was thinking this bird was sus! I giggled and asked her if she was swerving because of the bird! She sheepishly grinned at me and confirmed that it startled her at first. When we had a calm moment outside of the museum, we paused so I could explain that the pigeons won't hurt and that they are used to all the people and are just looking for food! We chatted about the pigeons’ covid struggles when less people were on the streets, and from that point on the girls thought it was hilarious to try spotting a pigeon finding food scrapes on the streets!
My semi-spontaneous plan to visit Madame Tussauds was, absolutely, perfect, as the girls got a little taste of the busy city streets, and just as they were getting a little bewildered by sensory overload, we entered the much calmer museum which was only mildly busy on a random weekday.
They had a blast checking out the creepily real wax statutes of celebrities, Broadway actors, musicians, historical figures, world leaders, and some favorite movie characters, all while learning another interesting bit of history tied into the intricate web that led to the American Revolution (Madame Tussaud’s connection to the French Revolution). We took endless pictures, learned about Madame Tussauds, and Salvador Dali, just to name a few. By the time, we had explored every corner of Madame Tussauds it was the perfect time to meet up with Tam for a bite to eat, so we opted for the quintessential NY choice: PIZZA! We enjoyed some DELICIOUS, and likely, overpriced, pizza close to Time Square, and reemerged ready to add some more experiences to our belt before, finally, retreating to the comfort of our hotel room.
The Official Hamilton Souvenir Shop was around the corner and across the street from The Richard Rogers Theater where the musical would take place, so we decided to let the girls pick out their Hami souvenir early, so they could enjoy it for their entire trip, also knowing that our plans for the following day were on the opposite end of town, and we may not have time before the show. The girls had a blast checking out all the Hamilton Merch, and they both pronounced that they wanted to buy everything in the store, but eventually they both settled on their one special piece as a Black Hamilton Hoodie, adorned with the iconic Hamilton silhouette in front of the golden star. They left the shop amped up and ready for the show, now donning their official merch, never to leave their body for days on end.
Following their souvenir hunting, we realized that we were still right on the edge of Time Square, so it was the best time to show the girls the New Year’s Eve Ball and give them the “Time Square Experience,” watching some spontaneous street performances, lounging on the red steps and people watching, while we explained to the girls about the characters dressed up like Mini Mouse, Batman, etc. were going to ask to be paid after jumping into selfies, and practically demanding you take a photo with them. That conversation was interesting as the girls grappled with making sense of environments completely different from their small suburban town, which made it a win in my mom-book.
Everyone was starting to reach the point of exhaustion and overload, and the timing had finally aligned for us to check into our tiny NYC hotel room, so we hiked a few blocks back to our hotel to check in, found our room, and then had to go back up the street to get all of our luggage out of our car, which by this point was stowed away several stories up in a secure parking garage that could only be accessed by the site manager and one other person. So, after a busy afternoon, we sat at rush hour for over an hour spinning in office chairs, scrolling through our pictures from the day, and occasionally complaining while we waited for the garage attendant to have a free moment to escort Tam to our car. Once, Tam finally made it to the car he would have to schlep ALL our luggage down the car elevator to our tired, slightly grumpy butts, because only one customer at a time was allowed into the garage. The silver lining here was that the girls learned some patients in a world where basically everything is on demand. It was nice to see them quickly navigate, entertaining themselves and coping with their tiredness with about as much grace as one can expect from a 6- and 10-year-old! Aside from a few groans, they did great!
After flopping on their sofa bed and commenting on the wonder of how different this hotel room was from those, they had previously experienced, the highlight was sitting on the large windowsill and taking in the city from the quiet bird’s-eye-view. We all sat back, grateful for a quiet place to rest our heads, caught up on stories from the day, and took little naps while I planned our first night’s adventure. After an hour of rest, we ventured back out into the city looking for some delicious sustenance.
Tam found us an amazing Poke & Bao place, where the girls tried Bao, Rice Bowls, and Pot stickers, while Tam and I enjoyed some mouthwatering Poke. When our leftovers were wrapped up and ready to go, the girls experienced their first-ever NYC Yellow Taxi Ride to The Empire State Building. We had pre-purchased tickets to visit the 86th floor observatory for off peak hours, visiting after sunset, because it was an overcast day. We figured it would be more fun to view the twinkling lights of the city skyline, than peer out at a daytime view obstructed by the low-lying clouds. Since most of my trips to NYC were day trips, this was the first Time Tam, or I would enjoy the view at night. Let me tell you, I experienced some sticker shock when booking our tickets, since I expected this experience to be somewhat inexpensive, but since it was a MUST SEE on this very special trip, I forged on, accepting the miscalculation on my part.
HOWEVER, I was VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED by the entire experience and feel like the price was 100% worth it (just be prepared that it is not cheap if you plan to visit the ESB). Every single employee we encountered was extremely courteous, friendly, and seemed enthusiastic about their jobs, waiving Hi and Bye, cracking jokes, and generally brightening our experience in their period dress. The ESB museum has been elevated to a new level of immersion that I had not previously imagined. I was expecting the usual small museum experience of reading about the building’s development, but the new experience is so much more! Of course you CAN read about how the building was built, but a visitor is also surrounded by reenactments, and artifacts, and join in the experience with photo opportunities, as well. It truly was impressive, and so fun! We could have spent even more time exploring every nook and cranny of this museum and its interactive displays if we weren’t so excited to reach the top of the observatory.
HOT TIP: Next time, we will leave more time to enjoy every corner of the museum, and gift shop at the end.
After touring the museum, we enjoyed the views from the enclosed floor, and finally made our way to the line for the elevators that would take us to the 86 floor, outdoor observatory. We just found our place in the line, when Tam overheard a conversation about the 102nd floor… He turned to me and asked if we were going to the 102nd floor, to which I explained that we were only going to the 86th floor, since the tickets were pricier than I expected, and the 102nd floor was an additional cost. Tam thought for one second and then asked if we wanted to go to the 102nd floor, and how much it would cost. I told him that I didn’t remember how much, but it wasn’t cheap, and it was up to him. After a few seconds’ consideration, he explained that he saw an upgrade station back in the enclosed observatory, and we could upgrade our tickets, he said: “LET’S DO IT! This is a special trip, let’s make it [amazing]!” We excitedly backtracked to the upgrade station, scored our special, ACTUALLY PRINTED OUT tickets, and returned to the elevator line. We waited in excited anticipation to experience the new 102nd floor observation site. But, first stop, the 86th floor! The twinkling views were breathtaking! We were just below the clouds taking in the awe-inspiring views, pointing out landmarks, taking endless pictures, and making sure to view every single angle and side of the city, at least twice before, returning to the elevator line to experience the 102nd floor. The 102nd floor was a magical, and warmer experience since it was enclosed and more intimate. The observatory is located at the base of the pointy part of the ESB and is surrounded by 360 view of the city through floor to ceiling windows. We were accompanied by the clouds which just made the view and experience even more unique and magical. We toured the entire observatory stopping at each window, located the Statute of Liberty, took a seat on the floor, and leisurely enjoyed the views with only a handful of other guests joining us, and we didn’t budge from our favorite spot until the last few rides to the ground floor were announced. Sometime after 10:30pm, we returned to the 86th floor for one more lap around the building, this time with less than 10 people present, and the clouds at eye level, it was yet again, a magical, unique experience to encounter anywhere in the city so calm, serene, and isolated, and the magic was not lost on us. Once again, we lingered until the last few rides to the gift shop were announced. We took a speedy spin around the gift shop but decided to save our NYC souvenir hunting for the street shops, on another day. We hailed our cab home and returned to our hotel room for late night snacks, unwinding and retelling our stories of the day, until exhaustion crept in sometime after 1 AM. Surely, part of the NYC experience is the after party in the city that never sleeps.
Curtain Call - FIRDAY:
After our late-night unwinding, I replanned the day in my mind before drifting off to sleep, assuming the girls would sleep in, which would be more than welcomed by myself and Tam. I figured we would just play the day by ear, and if we couldn’t do everything, we originally planned it would be fine. We would remain flexible and enjoy whatever adventures came our way, but our little ladies were up, bright, and WAY EARLIER than I expected on Friday morning. I guess the excitement had them not wanting to miss a minute in NYC, so we reluctantly started preparing for the day around 8 AM. We dressed, and made our way to the lobby for our complimentary breakfast, not at all prepared for how insanely crowded the lobby would be. We were fooled into believing we were residing with a handful of other travelers, since we only encountered a handful of people in lobbies or elevators when coming and going, but this AM we were confronted with the rude reality that there were, in fact, HUNDREDS of other travelers in our hotel, and they ALL wanted free breakfast, too! Dealing with that many tired, and hungry people before coffee, should be illegal! I learned that morning that I am not built for New Yorking before coffee! The line to choose our food from the buffet went pleasantly fast; however, finding a place to eat it, and navigating endless crowds with two kiddos and your hands full of food and coffee, was VERY UNPLEASANT. After several laps around the corridors hoping for a miracle, we decided to give up and return to our room to eat, which sounded like a genius plan, until we realized half of the people had the same plan, and now we needed to wait in an endless line just to board our elevator. When we FINALLY returned to our room, we all calmed down, enjoyed our food, and planned our trip downtown.
That morning we spontaneously added a few experiences to our day since we were up and at ‘em early. Tam and I briefly discussed if we both wished to visit the World Trade Center Memorial (neither of us had visited, and I hadn’t seen the site since November 2001). Tam decided that since the girls experienced their first taxi ride, they also needed to experience the subways, so he set to work beginning to understand the lines and how to navigate the city underground, while I quickly researched if we could visit the World Trade Center Memorial (looking for baggage rules, any tickets necessary, etc.) We also prepared the girls for what they were going to see.
They have learned about 911 in passing, but I intentionally chose to save deeper discussions of the topic for a time when I felt better prepared to discuss something so personal to our family history, and when I thought the girls could better grasp, such an unimaginable event. Today was the day to start those conversations, while I am proud of both of us for getting through it, for the quizzical questions, and innocent hearts for wondering how and why someone could do such a thing, it also broke my heart a little to shatter the glass of their innocence. I know they need to know, and our conversations will continue and deepen with time, but bringing such sad and dark news to pure and beautiful hearts hurts mine. I know these ladies felt the weight of our visit to the WTC site as their somber silent hearts looked on in awe at the shear size of the building foot prints, and at their realization of the meaning behind each name engraved on the walls. We gave proper time and respect to the site, being sure to visit both footprints and viewing the site from a lookout above, but we didn’t linger too long, in order to bring some levity back to our little ladies’ day.
The next stop on our Hami tour may not seem like a lighthearted stop, but it was a MUST SEE, and intentionally requested by both Hamilton lovers, the grave site of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton at Trinity Church. Our girls understand that grave sites are memorials to those who have passed and visiting them is a way to pay our respects and remember those who have passed. They are VERY familiar with visiting their grandfather, and great great uncle at Arlington. We toured both the inside and outside of the historical church, visited both Alexander and Eliza, and marched on to our next stop.
Next up, was Fraunces Tavern, but on the way we paused outside of Federal Hall for photos and brief self-guided history tour, explaining to the girls, that several Congressional sessions attended by Hamilton were held at Federal Hall. He also argued cases at Federal Hall as a lawyer, including the first murder trial in NYC following the Independence of America, known as “The Manhattan Murder Trial,” where Burr and Hamilton joined forces as the defense team in the trial. We then passed by Wall Street briefly explaining Hamilton’s involvement in the founding of our financial system, and on to Fraunces Tavern we walked.
The Tavern was a MUST SEE on our Hami tour for its history, the miracle that it still stood in the ever-changing history (many of the stops on a hami tour of the city were only plaques outside of buildings that had long since been replaced), and the adorable little museum housed inside a functioning tavern. The Tavern is the oldest running restaurant in NYC, you could dine there, or you could travel on to the 2nd floor to enjoy a rich history of the site by touring its museum, perhaps the cheapest outing in the city (only $7 for adults, $4 for kiddos & kiddos under 5 years old are Free). The girls were insanely excited to learn about its rich history, especially since it was connected to both George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. If you read the nutshell version of this story above, you already know we chose this stop since it was the location of George Washington’s Farewell Speech to his troops, and the location Hamilton and Burr met up before their fateful duel in New Jersey. After enjoying the museum, we realized the girl’s excited energy levels were waning and we wanted them to power up for the late-night show, so we decided to grab a quick lunch on our way back to the subway. On our journey back to the hotel for naps, we stopped off at a few tourist souvenir shops for the girls to pick their favorite NYC gift, grabbed some delicious coffee and AMAZING pastries at the Paris Baguette and retreated to our hotel for snacks and power naps. We emerged from the hotel half recharged, half operating on adrenaline and excitement for the show, and just in time for an early dinner before heading to The Richard Rodgers Theatre.
We all have our roles, while mine is to do most of the research and planning for our trips, Tam is mostly in charge of picking delicious food stops, so he found a delicious Ramen House just down the street from our theatre, and it did not disappoint. The saddest thing about our dinner, was that I wanted more of my favorite-ever Ramen & Bubble Tea, but we were limited on time, and clearly weren’t carrying leftovers into the theatre, so we chose to share a giant bowl of ramen and the best matcha/jasmine sea salt bubble tea! I would have returned the next day, but the rain changed our plans a bit, so this place is on my must-return-list! Cora also enjoyed fruity bubble tea and ramen, while Ada tried brown sugar bubble tea and panko shrimp. After filling our bellies, we gleefully marched off to THE SHOW!
Read on for a Review of The Musical from a mom who has seen the original performance on Disney+, at least, a dozen times, and who knows most of the songs by heart from the thousands of times the kids have played the soundtrack! Spoiler alert, it was WORTH IT!!! EVERY PENNY!
Hamilton The Musical was phenomenal! Being in THE ROOM THAT MADE IT HAPPEN was priceless! The energy, the talent, the music, it was all so amazing! Giving our ladies a special experience and making one of their dreams come true was another highlight! The theatre staff was so warm and welcoming, making sure our girls had a special comfy pillow to boost their views to eye level, getting to take pictures in front of the stage, taking in the beautiful electric atmosphere, and feeling that first beat in person, just hit different! We were all captivated and riding high when intermission struck. Cora let me know that she needed to use the restroom at intermission, so we got up and hurried our way to the lobby, where we were escorted by the theatre crew to a secret passageway around the crowded concession stand. I thought we were getting the VIP tour to the restroom, only to find out that he gave us a short cut to the other side of the lobby, because the bathroom line snaked around the entire theatre, several times. Before I knew it, we emerged on the opposite side of the theatre, barely feet from where we had exited it moments before. Only now we waited at the end of the bathroom line. We nervously waited and chatted with the other ladies around us about how crazy the line was, when we were graciously reassured from the staff that they do this most nights a week, and despite the seemingly endless line, we would make it back before the 15-minute intermission wrapped up. I can honestly say, this was the quickest and most efficient women’s restroom line I have ever experienced. Sure enough, we made it back to our seats, just moments before the lights dimmed once again!
Again, the show was AAAAMAZING! It must be experienced in person if you ever have the privilege! I was a little worried as someone who has seen the Disney+ version several times, and since the kiddos are absolutely obsessed with the musical, I pretty much have the soundtrack memorized. I was worried that I would be too used to the original cast, or that somehow it wouldn’t hit as special since I knew the show, but I WAS SO VERY WRONG! Being in the room, in person, is next-level, and the cast was SO talented! By the second song, I was wrapped up with the current cast, and done comparing and contrasting. They stood on their own merits, and we LOVED THE SHOW THEY PUT ON! I would buy tickets to see it again, in a heartbeat! Every single one of us loved this electric experience, as we were swept away by the captivating story and history brought to life in a unique and wonderful way! I am so glad we could take our girls to experience their first ever Broadway Show, to have them experience a favorite adventure site in my childhood, and let our potential future performer see what Broadway and NYC are like in real life. To have them witness a strong, beautiful, and talented Asian women as a lead in the show (Eliza Hamilton) was a wonderful and heartwarming surprise, only to be topped by our happy accident to follow the show!
We sat in our seats well after the standing ovations ceased waiting for the exiting audience lines to die down, and taking in the theatre’s details one last time, before readying our umbrellas knowing that rain was expected at the conclusion of the show. As we stepped out of the side doors we stopped on the sidewalk, plotting our next stop on our journey. When we prepared to finally set off towards home, we stumbled into a small waiting crowd outside another set of side Hamilton Doors. We noticed the fences blocking the door and a man standing guard at the doors, simultaneously hearing someone mention that “they may not sign autographs tonight, because of the rain.” We all paused to look at each other and wondered if the girls wanted to hang out in the rain a bit in hopes of spotting one of the show’s stars. The girls were game, so why not wait, it was all part of the adventure.
After a few moments standing in the rain, the door guard was kind enough to check in with the actors to see if they planned to stop and visit fans. He emerged mentioning that some may come out and others may not, since it was raining, and they had two shows to perform the following day. We waited longer, Tam and I like two stage crew hands, holding umbrellas over our little VIPs waiting for a glimpse of their favorite actors from the show. After a while, a few back up dancers arrived sharpie in hand ready to sign Playbills! The girls shimmied their way to the front of the fence in the rain and waited anxiously for their first autograph! After a brief friendly chat with the first back up dancer, she signed both girls’ Playbill! When she moved on to the next fan, both girls spun around beaming with pride and excitement to show us their newly autographed prize! We continued to wait, our patience rewarded by the girls’ favorite star emerging from the backstage door… Eliza appeared and made her way around the small crowd signing each Playbill until her Sharpie failed in the rain! The girls smile could not have possibly grown any bigger, when the doorman announced that due to the rain the remaining actors would take photos in place of signing the Playbills! These crazy lucky girls were truly having an AMAZING NYC/HAMI EXPERIENCE that could not have been planned more perfectly than the way it played out naturally! We waited in the rain, continuing to shelter our girls and any actors that emerged with our umbrellas and snapping pictures with Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and George Washington, and briefly spotting Thomas Jefferson/Lafyette slipping by undetected out a different door. Before we readied to make the soggy trip back to the hotel, I paused to impart some silver lining wisdom unto our ladies…
I explained that without the soggy, seemingly less than perfect weather, we may have never met the actors, because the crowds around the door would have been so large, we would have been lucky to spot them from a very far distance through tiny cracks in the crowds. But since the weather was cool and soaking wet, only the adventurous were willing to brave the elements, and our spontaneousness was rewarded with a once in a lifetime experience. So, the next time you are tempted to curse the uncooperative weather, remember this day, and how it can be a blessing in disguise!
I also cannot say enough kind words about how loving and generous the actors were for braving the weather to make a handful of fans experience, extra special! They are true stars!
We capped our Friday NYC Experience, with a soggy walk home, amongst giant NYC Street water filled puddles, and trash lined streets awaiting pick up, and I feel like it was the perfect NYC dichotomy for the girls to experience. The glitz of special seats to a Broadway show, meeting the stars, followed by the raw, real, and wet streets of NYC. Once again, we made it back to the calm of our tiny room, washed away the grit of the city, and “chillaxed” with snacks and late-night hang outs, recounting the events of the day, and adapting plans for Saturday knowing that heavy rain was in the forecast for the following day.
One Last Stop on The Hami Tour - SATURDAY: (HEAVY RAIN IN THE FORCAST):
Since Saturday’s forecast was calling for heavy rain, we decided to end the trip on a positive note, instead of attempting more adventures that were sure to end in drenched and cranky adventurers. So, we woke up, packed up our luggage (we had ZERO intention of braving the NYC free breakfast line again), and planned to find food outside of the city! Sadly, this meant my last chance to hoard all my favorite treats from the trip, were out the window, and they would simply have to haunt me until our next NYC trip, or forever if they closed shop in the meantime. (On my wish list for Saturday was a stroll across the historic Brooklyn Bridge with me personally narrating history for the kiddos, another trip to the Ramen house for my favorite Sea Salt Foam Jasmin Green Tea, and another tour of the Paris Baguette shop, shamelessly collecting every delicious pastry that caught my eye! We also thought we might take a quick detour to Central Park or The Highline, if time allowed, but alas those adventures would have to wait for another day!)
Even though we planned to leave the city a little earlier than expected, we did spontaneously add one more stop to our Hami Tour! On our way into the city, we began killing time while waiting for tunnel traffic to clear, by looking up where exactly in New Jersey Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled. I discovered that it was in Weehawken, NJ not too far out of the city, and it was memorialized with a small park, statue, and plaque, as well as large boulder that Hamilton was said to have rested on at the duel. The park also boasted some amazing views of the city, which was ironic, because Cora repeatedly told me that Hamilton was overlooking a beautiful view of the city before the infamous duel.
Of course, the Weehawken duel site HAD to be added to our Hami Tour! The plan was: to check out of the hotel, head across the Hudson to Weehawken for a quick visit to the dueling site, and then find breakfast somewhere delicious. But, before we made it to our last stop, we would need one more crowded, chaotic Manhattan experience to wrap up our trip.
Once again, half the guests at our hotel had similar plans, and were crowded in the small lobby attempting to check out and waiting out the rain while their spouses’ dressed kiddos in ponchos or hauled luggage around. We decided that it was best to send Tam out into the city rain to retrieve our car, and we would bolt for the door, quickly loading the trunk once he pulled up to the hotel door (luckily, we were on a less than busy side street, so many people were loading and unloading in front of the hotel, as well). Despite the rain, all went as well as could be expected in the chaos, and we were off to Weehawken after a short wait in the crowded lobby.
It only took us about 20 minutes in mild traffic to get to Weehawken, but by the time we arrived the rain had escalated to a downpour, though that wasn’t going to stop us from our intended destination! Tam pulled up to a close parking spot, and my adventurous little ladies happily hopped out of our van, umbrellas in tow, all to bear witness to Hamilton and Burr’s dueling site! Though the majestic city view was obscured by all the rain and low-lying clouds, we could make out the silhouette of the city just enough to want to return on some sunny day! We took in the sights, discussed the history, and hopped back into the car just before becoming completely soaked.
Off we went in search of something good to eat. Tam was researching restaurants while we were examining the dueling site, so we briefly discussed the options he came across, and we landed on a local bagel shop. I must admit, the idea sounded a little lack luster to me, but Tam was set on enjoying a breakfast bagel sandwich, so I got on board. I cannot tell you HOW AMAZING these bagels were! I have heard stories and pop culture references to NY/NJ bagels being next level, but I already like our PA bagels just fine, so I wasn’t sure where there was room for improvement… I WAS WRONG!! We had THE BEST BAGELS, EVER, at “Bagels On Park,” that day!!!
We must have circled the block 4 or 5 times trying to find parking close by, due to the rain, and I even asked Tam if he wanted to try somewhere different, but his mind was fixated on a breakfast bagel sandwich (lol). FINALLY, we found a parking spot, and I am SO GLAD that Tam has more patience than me, and was determined to try Bagels On Park, because this little café was the exclamation point on a fabulous adventure, we ended on such an awesomely positive note… They were so stinkin’ good… seriously, I will drive to NJ to have their bagels again!!!! I can’t begin to explain what exactly made them better than PA bagels, because my attempts will not do them justice… just go try them, if you can!! The girls got a plain cream cheese bagel and shared, they even agreed, BEST BAGELS EVER!! Tam and I ordered the Jalapeno Cheddar Everything Bagel toasted Weehawken Style, Bacon, Egg & Cheese with Salt, Pepper & Ketchup… Again, it was TO DIE FOR! I also tried their iced vanilla coffee and “Indian Donut,” and a homemade biscotti gifted to us by the owner, who’s mom lovingly makes them for the shop! Everything was delicious! The owner was the sweetest, and clearly others agree that the shop is amazing, because we met another couple from Philly, who took the bus from Hoboken to visit Bagels On Park! I get absolutely nothing out of sharing this, other than the satisfaction of sharing another small business owner’s hard work and dream with you, but have I mentioned GO TRY IT?! If not, GO TRY IT!!! We had a lovely little breakfast in the corner of their café, and I will daydream about visiting again, until we return to NY, they will be our first stop on the way into the city, and our last on the way out!
A Few NYC Tips/Hints & My Final Thoughts:
1. Use The Bathroom in NJ before crossing a bridge or tunnel! It will take you awhile to get through traffic, park, and find your first destination, and bathrooms in NY are a commodity!
2. Leave extra time for traffic, lines, navigation, naps, or breaks etc. Things will take you longer than you think, and you may need a respite between adventures with the hustle and bustle of the city.
3. Be Prepared for the cost of things to be higher than at home! This is a major city, with a lot of tourists, things are pricey, and pretty much everything costs money. We were prepared for the major expenses, but forgot to account for parking, taxi costs since they weren’t planned, and the actual cost of tickets for experiences like Madame Tussauds & The Empire State Building. I wouldn’t change any of it, but I will be better prepared next time.
4. Plan to eat light, but often! This one is a Pro Tip: Your hotel will likely have a very small refrigerator, if one at all, and it probably won’t have a microwave, so plan to eat whatever you order. If you order smaller portion items, or share, you will get to try and experience more delicious food places as you can try others when you are hungry again, or save money, by sharing. We already knew this from past trips, but it is still hard to adjust when we normally love having leftovers, and we were dealing with two kiddos who typically like different things but are also used to eating their leftovers for days on end. You don’t want to waste food or money, but carrying leftovers around the city, and having no realistic way to preserve or reheat them, is not ideal. We got the hang of changing our ordering habits by the end of the trip, but again, we will be better prepared next time.
5. In This Post COVID World, always look up the sites you want to visit, tickets may need to be reserved ahead of time: We needed to purchase Empire State Building Tickets ahead of time and select a time frame to visit. It is a good idea to build your day around things like this, so you can arrive within the granted window.
6. Bonus Tip: The Empire State Building HAS PEAK & OFF-PEAK Hours and Pricing to visit adjusts accordingly!
These are just a few of the most important tips that come to mind, but if you want more tips and tricks in another blog, let me know in the comments.
My Final Thoughts on This Once in A Lifetime Special Adventure:
I still have no idea how we managed to cram so much fun, memories, and amazing experiences into a few short days, and still feel relaxed and excited to return! If I could summarize my thoughts on this entire, jam-packed adventure, in one word, it would be: GRATEFUL! These memories will stay with me forever, I am just eternally grateful for the fun with the ones I love! I crave adventure, and my heart is so full when we get to have days like this together! Some parts of the trip may sound less than ideal, and definitely a bit chaotic, because, well it is Manhattan, but I am 100% the girl who views the privilege of a trip through idealized, rose-colored lenses! I learned a LONG TIME AGO, as a young child on a simi-disastrous trip with family, that the craziest of vacations are just adventures that you will never, EVER forget! They give the gift of a great story when the dust settles, so barring something tragic, we are mostly up for viewing anything as life experience to learn from, revel in, appreciate, and remain grateful for, while finding the joy & silver linings in the less than perfect moments! As usual, this adventure was perfectly imperfect, and exactly what our family loves and appreciates!
I highly recommend a trip like this for city lovers, those looking to give their kiddos a new perspective/experience, and of course Hami Fans!
If you would like me to write another blog about a more detailed guide of the places we visited during our weekend in NYC, and some tips and tricks we learned while there, let me know in the comments. I would be happy to share routes we took on the subway, tips about bathrooms, parking, where to visit, and how much certain excursions cost to help you plan a similarly fabulous experience!
Thanks for reading! I can’t wait to bring you along on our next adventure! 💜
