On our first family trip to New York City we wanted to experience some touristy things that would appeal both to my husband and I and to our 3 year-old son, so of course we decided to see the city from the top of one of the skyscrapers. We settled on Top of the Rock, mostly because we wanted to actually see the Empire State building, and also because it was a more budget-friendly option. So off we walked to 30 Rockefeller Plaza after breakfast and enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of New York.

After that we got on a bus headed straight to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, where my two boys had the best time, as only boys with these cool toys can have. Our membership to Nashville’s Adventure Science Center got one of us in for free thanks to the ASTC Travel Passport Program, a great benefit to be aware of when planning your travels.

Time for lunch! We walked a few blocks to the Gotham West Market, where the little guy had some tasty pizza and the adults enjoyed ramen and pork belly buns. After lunch we took the subway to South Ferry station and got a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry, which allowed us a look at Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Once we were back in Manhattan we made our way to the 9/11 Memorial. Our little guy is too young to understand the enormity of the tragedy that took place, but we wanted to pay our respects. I went through many emotions: I had a good cry as I remembered the lives lost, I was amazed at how much this area had changed since I was last in New York back in 2003, but most of all I couldn’t help but think about how short-term our memory is as I saw people taking selfies and chatting in the most animated way, when all I felt was respect and sorrow for what had taken place here in 2001.

As we headed back to the hotel we got to experience a significant delay in the subway, which resulted in our little guy falling asleep and staying asleep all the way to his bed. This was our chance to get some take-out we had been craving from Momosan Ramen & Sake, which was just around the corner from where we were staying. Ben had no idea who Masaharu Morimoto was, but as a fan of Iron Chef America, I was really looking forward to trying the food prepared at his restaurant, and I was not disappointed, best take out ever!

For more of our trip to New York with a 3 year-old click here