Nov 24th – 26th, 2017

Last minute, let’s drive to NYC. We have 3 days. Ok Ok… but no hotels booked, no day wise plannings, you do like this always….. etc…etc… VK has to reach back home from his travel by midnight and we all geared up to start at 5 in morning.

Who has how much cash ??  heard someone shouting 🙂  Then we knew, we have done this infinite times before. So Chill. Got the Westin at Newport, NJ. Minutes walk from PATH station and has one of the best view of Manhattan skyline

Little over 500 miles, brilliant drive we arrived at hotel half past 2 PM. Well enough to freshen up, settle a bit for coffee and still have enough for the evening. We have decided to venture close by and save energy for next two days of walking in NY streets.

Beautiful skyline in early evenings, It was biting cold and cold and windy. Still many all others are  roaming around, fingers wrapped around Starbucks hot coffees. We did the same 🙂

I posed up to get this captured. One of my favorite of this trip

Day turn into night soon and we settled in for dinner in one of many restaurants near Newport, Center Mall. Sumptuous dinner for all, and we then settled up in the warm, cosy and spacious room with a whole glass wall and watching the traffic go lean from our 23rd floor suite. Sleep was evident.

Morning happened quick. Rituals of breakfast was even quick and we are at PATH station where my Son quickly learned to take the metro card and load the ticket money. Less than 30 min , we were on 33rd street.

For Kids, it was their first NYC experience that too, Manhattan. Big grin on the face and mind started  in recording mode. You know by now what you have to do in Manhattan ? Just walk with the flow :). Shoppers were crazy for black Friday and we did our contributions in this craziness.

In and around Time Square. 

Shop till you drop. Crazy day. Only M & M store was just enough to burn a big hole in your credit card. Leave apart rest. Better not think about it. Getting sick. Lets go back to hotel folks, and keep tomorrow for central park and WTC memorial.

Similar night and morning routine and Day 2 in Central park. One of the best fall you can see in this part of the country.

Beautiful people all around and the air is filled with love and peace.

Endless walk, Ice creams, beautiful memories. Counting my blessings. It’s time to say good by to central park and head to Lower Manhattan side and spend some good time at WTC memorials and around. Mixed feelings, fearful thoughts. Still sense of strength and believe in humanity. Good amount of time spent in making the kids know all the history.

Time for Ice skating, good food and back to hotel.

Morning was a surprise, when my smally declared that we will start driving abck by 3 PM and hence we have enough time for one more time in Manhattan streets. Wow !!  Two days and this guys is glued. Ok, you are the boss and he literally lead us to PATH, ticket and where to get down and how to come back. This fast is this generation. I felt a relief, for so much worrying I had done for kids in the past. Didn’t knew they were born ready 🙂

Drive back home was along with full holiday traffic rushing their places after Thanksgiving. Got a delay of an hour, still reached home close to mid night. Loved every bit of last 3 days. Look forward for more Big Apple.

Love / K