New York by land and by sea

Day two in New York held the itinerary item that Caleb was most excited about: the Holiday Train Show at the botanical gardens.  

But first, we woke up to a semi full of camera equipment being unloaded outside our window.  The street was blocked off and a whole crew of men was unloading and then drinking coffee, waiting for whatever happens next.  When we set out later to walk to the subway, we passed a scene involving the NYPD being filmed on a side street.


Amazing that they can shut down part of the most important city in the world--keep buses from bringing kids to school along our street, as they did the other mornings--even block off major landmarks like the World Trade Center or Rockefeller Center at Christmastime, just so some private company can film some entertainment. 

Anyhoo...I was expecting to be charmed by mini trains chugging through a model New York at the Botanical Gardens.

I was truly impressed.

But that was before I discovered that the exhibit continued into the next room.

New York Public Library (see the tiny lion statues flanking the entrance!)

...and the next, and the next, and the next.

All the incredibly detailed New York features are made out of natural materials:  acorns, leaves, sticks, bark, fungi.

Rockefeller Center (see the tiny Christmas tree lit up?)

Afterwards we tried our best to piece together public transportation that could get us from the Bronx to the Battery in under an hour so we could make our Statue Cruise.  In the end we took an Uber.

We got tickets to access the top of Lady Liberty's pedestal, since you must be 48" tall and also plan ahead five months to get crown tickets.

Sunset cruise back to Manhattan

After navigating the subway system and the Uber system, touring the entire New York Botanical Gardens conservatory with enthusiasm, struggling through heavy security, riding a ferry, eating lunch standing up in the Crown Cafe, and clambering out onto the Statue of Liberty pedestal, we were exhausted.

We decided to skip the restaurant near Battery Park that we had planned on, and instead made our way closer to our hotel before finding a pizza place. 

Caleb, beside himself with excitement:  "Look!! A dinger-thingy!!!"  [aka a buoy with a bell in the middle of the harbor]
And a minute later, to me:  "What does it do?"
Me:  "Um...it dings."

The kids were so tired that when I started Googling for great dessert places nearby, nobody showed any enthusiasm.  Jeddy said all he wanted was to not walk anymore.

Goal #1:  Don't lose anybody.  Check.

Goal #2:  Fill our days until everyone drops straight off to sleep?  Check.