Friday, December 11, 2009

Top Kid Friendly New York City Vacation Destinations

Top Kid Friendly New York City Vacation Destinations

Our Family Vacation Travels took us to New York City in the summer of 2006. While there, we were able to visit many kid-friendly destinations. In this article, I will list our very favorite and the most kid friendly of the stops.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were one of our favorite stops on the entire trip. The ferry ride is easy to take children on, and the history park area around the statue and the Ellis Island Museum offer a lot of space for expending energy between tours. If you are interested in touring the interior of the statue, a limited number of time passes are available at no cost daily on a first-come first-served basis from the Ferry Company

While there, take advantage of the Park Service photography service to have your group's photo taken in front of the Statue. They get the shot at a perfect angle to show you and the statue.... good family vacations souvenir.

NBC Studio Tour

This tour was especially kid friendly and fun. We toured several of the NBC studios including the Nightly News Studio, and the Saturday Night Live studio. The tour offered a few interactive activities for the group. The group got to go through the motions of creating a newscast including a weather report.

The tour starts in the Sweet Shop of the NBC Experience Store and ends back in the Studio Store.

The Brooklyn Bridge

The bridge is one of the completely free New York City Attractions. You can, of course, spend as much time as you want to on the bridge. There are plaques all along the bridge spelling out the history of the bridge. The views of New York City from the bridge are spectacular. The area around the base of the bridge is a beautiful area of downtown New York City. Chinatown is just a few blocks to the North of the bridge, and is another great place to walk through.

One of the best things about spending your family vacation time on the bridge is simply spending time together, walking and learning more about the country.

Teresa Mills writes and maintains Kid-Friendly-Family-Vacations.com a chronicle of her family's vacations. The web site's main objective is to motivate families everywhere to shake up the vacation routine and take their families on great kid friendly family vacations. Additional Kid Friendly New York City Destinations can be found on Kid Friendly Family Vacations' New York City with Children section

Thursday, November 26, 2009

New York City - Vacation Ideas For Everyone

With everything there is to do and see in New York City, the hardest thing to do is narrow things down to one trip! Here are some great vacation ideas to suit every visitor to the Big Apple.

New York City Scenic Tours
What would a trip to New York City be without taking time to enjoy the scenic treasures? One of the best ways to do that is by land and sea, compliments of the NYC Ducks, an amphibious bus that takes you from Times Square to Manhattan and right out into the Hudson River! Another well-known sightseeing service, Grey Line, offers hop-on-hop-off bus tours to suit nearly every taste.

If architecture is your passion, you'll fall in love with New York City. Plan to stroll through historic neighborhoods such as SoHo, The Battery and Tribeca and drink in the glorious variety of architectural genius.

And for first time visitors, seeing the famous landmarks is mandatory! What other city in the world offers the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall? Plan to visit at least one famous place in-depth; you'll find great guided tours and loads of photo opportunities.

New York City with the Kids
If your New York vacation includes the kids, you've come to the right place. Central Park's world-famous Zoo and Carousel offer hours of thrills for your young ones. To keep older youngsters happy, why not let them explore Sony's Wonder Technology Lab?

Legendary toy store FAO Schwartz in Manhattan is a vacation in itself. Your kids will think they've gone straight to Heaven as they discover floor after floor of displays, demonstrations, and some of the world's most unusual toys.

And be sure to introduce your family to the New York City museum experience. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the American Museum of Natural History, you'll find programs and exhibits geared to fascinate younger visitors.

Savoring the Tastes of New York
Whether you prefer to discover cuisine on your own, or take advantage of food tours offered by firms such as Foods of New York, exploring the rich variety of flavors here is a must. From China Town to Little Italy, the five boroughs are a garden of culinary delight. From ethnic flavors to eclectic cuisine, you should plan to spend time getting to know the restaurants, bakeries and delis of New York.

Shopping the Big Apple
Can you really visit New York without shopping? Here's a quick list of famous stores and shopping districts to visit:

Hammacher Schlemmer - for every gadget known to man (or woman!)
Barney's New York - for trendy, affordable fashion
Bloomingdale's - the queen of NYC department stores
Saks Fifth Avenue - right across the street from Rockefeller Center!
Gabay's Outlet - on First Avenue, home of designer chic at outlet prices
Loehmann's - the famous discount haven located in Chelsea
SoHo - this district features luxury brand and boutique finds
The Meatpacking District - home of trendy high-end boutiques

This guide represents a small part of what's waiting for you in New York City. Get started planning your NYC vacation now. There's a great adventure waiting!

This article was written by Joe Laing of El Monte RV, your source for RV and motorhome rentals. An RV is an excellent way to start off on your next vacation to the New York City area. Be sure to check out the El Monte RV website for more information about New York RV Vacations and New York RV Rentals.

Best Places to Visit in New York City

New York City is an exciting and diverse place to visit. . There are a variety of fun places to see and experience. There many attractions that you will not see anywhere else in the world. The following is a list of New York City's most popular and amazing places to visit:

Ellis Island: This Island is where the history of New York began. You can visit for free and enjoy the ferry ride to and from the island. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is an astounding showcase of American history.

The Empire State Building: This building is New York's icon. Visitors from all over the world come to New York to see the Empire State Building. There is an observation deck where you can take in the immense city.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The museum is one of the top art museums in the world. Popular displays include the Arts of Africa, the Oceania and the Americas permanent collection, and the Egyptian Art collection which contains more than 36,000 ancient objects.

American Museum of Natural History: A world renowned museum that features the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium. It also includes posters, postcards, books, and other keepsakes of the museum's remarkable art.

Guggenheim Museum: The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structure was built as a series of spirals meant to resemble an inverted pyramidal temple. There is a valuable permanent collection devoted to works from the 19th century through the present.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum: This famous museum features astounding wax replications of some of the most famous historical figures.

Coney Island: Take the subway out to Coney Island, on the southernmost tip of Brooklyn. The Astroland Amusement Park is famous as both the birthplace of the rollercoaster and the hot dog, Coney Island is home to one of the last remaining wooden coasters in the U.S. called the 'Cyclone.'

Central Park: A great place to visit if you are a history buff or nature lover. Take a free tour offered by the Central Park Conservancy. The 843-acre public area includes "View from the Past," a glimpse at the achievements of Central Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux; "A Road Once Traveled," a look at American Revolution and War of 1812 battles sites; and "Amble Through the Ramble," a hike through 38-acres of woodland.

Brooklyn Bridge: The Brooklyn Bridge was the tallest structure in North America when it opened in 1883. Take a walk on the pedestrian walkway and capture a view of Manhattan from Wall Street to the Upper East Side.

The New York Stock Exchange: This is the central hub of Capitalism. The famous Wall Street is nearby.

Grand Central Station: Visitors are astounded by the exorbitant ceiling and the world's largest example of Tiffany glass in the clock facing 42nd Street.

Times Square: The theaters of Broadway and the vast number of animated neon and LED signs have made Times Square one of New York's iconic images. Times Square is the only neighborhood with zoning ordinances requiring building owners to display illuminated signs.

Rockefeller Center: The Rockefeller Center boasts the largest Christmas tree in the world and the famous NBC TV studio and store.

Yankee Stadium Tours: Yankee Stadium is famous for such baseball legends as Roger Clemens and Babe Ruth. Visit the dugouts, clubhouse, press box, and Monument Park.

Fifth Avenue: Famous for Christmas fashion shopping and downtown West Broadway's upscale fashion boutiques.

A great vacation is all about relaxing and having fun, so enjoy New York City's boundless sightseeing excursions and famous historical sights. The 'Big Apple' will leave you with a lifetime of memories.

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