3-day New York City Itinerary

 

Manhattan from Staten Island Ferry

While we spent more than 3 days in New York and New Jersey in our family trip, going through attractions, doing some meet ups, and shopping (of course!), if you only have 3 days in New York, here are some of the places you can hit:

Day 1 – Central Park, The MET and World Trade Center

We took the subway to get around NYC. It was not very accessible for Grandma with escalators under repair and elevators not available in all stations (many quite stinky!), but she powered through (thanks to Salon Pas!). 

New York Subway Train

We got off at 81^st and walked across Central Park to get to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was quite hot and extremely humid on the day we were there, but you can spend a few hours just in Central Park. There are a few things to see such as the Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain/Terrace and the Bow Bridge, among many others. But, we had to get out of the sweltering heat (and it was not quite 10am then!) so we just passed through to get to The MET.

Central Park

We got to The Met as it opened at 10am and went to the Special Exhibit first. If you can time it or book it, there are free tours you can join. While there are practically only 3 floors you can explore (rest are for restaurants and lounges), I think that a full day is not enough to appreciate everything the museum had to offer. We spent about 5-6 hours here, including lunch (at the ground floor Eatery which was not bad at all!), and even with that, we were not able to explore everything. I absolutely loved The MET! The collections were extensive and I would not hesitate on getting a membership if I lived in NY.

The MET

@The MET

@The MET

After a day of exploring, we took the subway at 86^th to Fulton to get to the World Trade Center. We checked out The Memorial which honored those who perished at the 9/11 attacks, at the sites where the two towers were. There was also a museum, which you can go to, but we skipped this. We then just walked around the Oculus, a nice and modern transportation hub/shopping mall. There were also many eateries close by for dinner.

Oculus

Inside the Oculus

World Trade Center Memorial

Day 2—Chelsea Market, High Line, Vessel/Hudson Yards, MoMA and Staten Island Ferry

We actually took the Staten Island Ferry the night before, after WTC, as the views were beautiful at sunset. It was a bit exhausting (after a full day at The Met) so I suggest this itinerary instead.

We were going to have lunch at Hudson Yards so we explored Chelsea Market and the High Line before going there. We got off the subway at 14^th and walked to Chelsea Market. We loved this place! The interiors were industrial chic which we really liked. The shops were fun and vibrant and we enjoyed a super yummy chocolate chip cookie croissant from Sarabeth’s. Unfortunately, we were only able to check out a few stores as not many places were open at 10 am. I think you can easily spend an hour or so here.

Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market

We walked to the High Line which is a rail trail transformed into a park. Some of the entrances were under construction so we took it from the middle. It was nice and relaxing to be walking through this greenway, practically right beside some apartment buildings, with sculptures here and there. At the end, we got to Hudson Yards, by the Vessel. The Vessel was a very interesting structure but unfortunately, closed. Even if it were open, I don’t think I’d have the guts to go up there, though.

Buildings along High Line

High Line

The Vessel

We had a most wonderful lunch at Queensyard, but if you are looking for something more casual, Mercado Little Spain at the lower floor has so many options. Wish I had more space for a second lunch as I would have loved to try out some of food there!

Chocolate Mousse @Queensyard

Jamon @Mercado Little Spain

After lunch, we took the train to 5^th Ave/53^rd St to the Museum of Modern Art, which housed my favorite Starry Night--I know it is just too “common” and popular but I have loved this artwork since I was in high school, so, sorry, art snobs. MoMA closes at 530pm but 7pm on Saturdays. There was also a company-sponsored free first Friday night for NYC residents (read: crowds) that we managed to catch so we took that as our cue to wrap up our visit. 3 to 4 hours should be sufficient for MoMA.

Photo (C) at MoMA

Photo (C) at MoMA

From here, you can take the subway to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. There is a ferry about every 30 minutes and it is free. Along the way, you can catch a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Once you get to Staten Island, there is a shopping mall right beside the terminal and other attractions you can take transit to from there. Or you can just wait for the next ferry ride back to Manhattan. It was a relatively relaxing ferry ride when we took it. My friend who went with us said that it was surprisingly cleaner than when she was last there years ago.

@Staten Island Ferry Terminal

Lady Liberty

Day 3 – Broadway and Times Square

We could not go to NY and not catch a Broadway show. We saw a matinee performance of &Juliet. It was such a fun show and all of us enjoyed it! Of course, there are many, many other shows available on and off Broadway that you can see. I got tickets online, but there is a ticket seller by Times Square for some last-minute ones.

Times Square NYC

We then walked along Times Square and explored the many stores along the way. It was extremely busy, as was usual for this area. We happened to catch a street festival when we were there, which was a nice bonus! Rockefeller Center is a 5-minute walk from here so you can also try to squeeze that in.

We absolutely enjoyed our time in NY, even if we likely did not even scratch the surface in terms of places to visit. We definitely needed more time to spend with friends! We averaged 16,000 steps a day (hey, if we can make it there…), but this was apparently not enough to burn off all the good stuff we had been eating. Number of pounds gained from the trip will not be discussed. Yet, there were so many other treats we missed and would definitely come back for next time!

A most wonderful visit to The Huntington: Library, Museum and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington Library

One of the attractions we visited in our LA trip was the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. This turned out to be the best attraction we went to in this trip. We absolutely loved it!

Here are some of the highlights about The Huntington:

• Their library is one of the world's great research libraries with 12 million items, dating from the 11th century.
• They have more than 45,000 pieces of British, European, American and Asian art, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and sculptures.
• Their Botanical Gardens are spread out across 130 acres with more than a dozen spectacular themes and about 83,000 living plants including rare species.

Needless to say, we spent all day there and we did not even finish exploring everything. 

While the parking was free, there was an admission fee. And, if I lived in the area, I would have gladly gotten a membership so that I could explore this place at length.

The first place we checked out when we arrived was the Library. What an amazing collection! I loved seeing the manuscript of Canterbury tales, and the Gutenberg bible with its hand-printed illustrations was just beautiful. It was great to note that the library was not just a collection on display, but that researchers from all over the world, actually make use of their materials.

manuscript of The Canterbury Tales @The Huntington

After the library, we went to the next building, the main Art Gallery, hosting British and European Art. We marvelled at their collection, which included Gainsborough's The Blue Boy. We were also happy to be able to catch the touring exhibition of Raqib Shaw with his vibrant, fantastical works showcasing his Eastern influences. They have paintings spanning from the 1400s including van der Weyden's Virgin and Child and new works by California's Mizuno. 

The Blue Boy (C) @The Huntington

Before we explored further, we decided to have lunch at the 1919 cafe where they have a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, soups, grilled items, Mexican dishes and even pizza. They also have a bar and you can enjoy your drinks and meal indoor or outdoors. The prices were not so outrageous and the girls and I enjoyed our Poke.

After lunch, we set out to explore the gardens. We decided to just focus on several gardens as we could not explore them all. Their gardens include Australian, California, Camellia, Children's, Chinese, Desert, Herb, Japanese, Jungle, Lily Ponds, Palm, Ranch, Rose, Shakespeare and Subtropical. They also have a Conservatory! 

view outside the main Art Gallery @The Huntington

We first went to the Desert garden which was the best garden we have seen! We were ooh-ing and aah-ing at almost every turn. Maybe it was because we were coming from the North and not normally exposed to such a wide array of desert plants, but the collection was just beautiful!  They apparently have one of the largest outdoor collections of cacti and succulents in the world! I could have spent more time here but there were so many other gardens to explore.

one of the beds of the Desert Garden @The Huntington

The Huntington has shuttles to take visitors from one garden to another, so we took the shuttle to visit the Japanese garden--another beautiful garden featuring a moon bridge, Japanese house, Zen garden and a most amazing bonsai court. For a while, I forgot we were not in Asia. We also explored the heritage Shoya house which was a restored residential compound from 18th century Japan. They had disassembled this house from Japan and brought them over to the US, including some of the rocks in the gardens! Listening to the audio tour and talking to one of the docents, gave us a glimpse to Japanese rural life centuries ago. 

at the Japanese Garden @The Huntington

Connected by a walkway, we then went to the Chinese garden. Yet another beautiful one, with a lake and several pavilions to relax in. There were rock formations, stone bridges, wood carvings and calligraphy. They even have a tea shop (and they served bubble tea :)  haha). 

at the Chinese Garden @The Huntington

While it was not in full bloom, we went to visit the Rose garden next. There were still some roses in bloom and we can just imagine how beautiful and fragrant it will be in spring. Beside it, we saw the Herb garden which had both common herbs and many unusual ones as well. We briefly walked through the Shakespeare garden which featured a variety of plans cultivated in England during Shakespeare's time and mentioned in his plays. Nearby, we saw garden sculptures, a collection reminiscent of what we saw in Versailles. The grounds were just awe-inspiring and brought such serenity and relaxation to our otherwise busy vacation. 

at the Rose Garden @The Huntington

We had a quick look through the American Art gallery before we ended our visit at their gift shop. Even the gift shop did not fail to delight us. The items they sold were unique and I would have loved to get a few things, had there not been such a long line. It was one of the more beautiful museum gift shops we have seen.

We loved, loved, loved our visit to The Huntington and would recommend in a heartbeat. I hope I get a chance to visit again some day.  

A visit to The Getty Center

Getty Center

We were in LA one week before the devastating wildfires. We were thankful we had just made it home before this happened but sad for those who were affected and had to evacuate. While we went to the Getty Center and did not have a chance to visit the Getty Villa, we were still watching the news closely and hoped the museum would not be damaged. We still got chills knowing the fires were so close to the Getty Center as well, where we just were!

Admission was free, but reservations needed to be made and there was a fee for parking. From the parking, you will have to take a shuttle tram to get to the Center. From the Architecture Tour that we took, we learned that it was intentional as the architect wanted to take us out of our daily cares and transport us to a different place where we can relax and explore the modern architecture, gardens and galleries. 

After joining the tour, we decided to have a quick lunch before exploring the galleries. We went to the cafe and got some over-priced salads and sandwiches. If we lived in the area, we would have followed the locals and brought our own lunch. There are plenty of areas to sit and enjoy your own food and drinks.

view from The Getty Center

As the line up to see Van Gogh's Irises was long at the West Pavilion, we went to the North, East and South Pavilions first. Their collections were beautiful but it did not take us too long to explore--about an hour to 1.5 hours per area. I loved that I was able to see some of the early works of Rembrandt. And as well when I finally got to the West, I saw a few works of Monet (my other favourite Impressionist) that I had not seen before!

Of course the highlight for me was catching the temporary exhibit on "Ultra-Violet: New Light on Van Gogh's Irises," which I lined up almost half an hour for. It was amazing to see how modern science was able to uncover the artist's materials and methods to reveal how the colours were originally. 

Recreated Van Gogh's Irises (C) Getty Center

We did not explore the gardens at length but viewed them from the platforms of the pavilions. It turned out great as we were able to see the masterful landscaping top view!

view of the gardens at Getty Center

We spent less than 5 hours at the Getty Center, though I can totally imagine staying much longer to just take in the views at the courtyard and gardens or to contemplate art further. I hope to be able to visit the Villa next time.

A stroll at the Universal City Walk, Orlando

Universal City Walk

On our last day in Florida, we explored the Universal City Walk. We had lunch at Bubba Gump, which was the girls’ first visit. We got all sorts of shrimp, of course, and we all enjoyed it!

Shrimps galore at Bubba Gump, Universal City Walk Orlando

After lunch, we checked out the store at the world’s biggest Hard Rock Café as well as the NBA store. We spent a big chunk of our time at the Universal Store where we relived the fun memories of the previous day. Merchandise of all sorts for Minions, Harry Potter and Marvel superheroes were abundant. Wish my credit card and baggage allowance were unlimited!

 Biggest Hard Rock Cafe in the World: Universal City Walk Orlando

The City Walk, much like Downtown Disney, is better experienced at night. There are shows, bands, parties to guarantee an exciting evening. As we were there during the day, there was not much action as I expect there would be at night. So, after going to the open stores and skipping all the other restaurants, we were done discovering the City Walk. Besides, the heat was draining what was left of us. We just had some ice cream at Cold Stone before heading to the airport. The girls claim they had the best week of their lives so far. I think it would be pretty hard to beat!

Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade

Universal's Islands of Adventure

When we got to Hogsmeade via the Hogwart’s Express, we decided to finish all the rides first before breakfast and browsing. 

Hogsmeade at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal IOA

 We first went on the Dragon Challenge while DD#2 stayed behind with Grandma. She did not make the height requirement. I had my eyes closed the moment the ride moved as I saw from the outside that the coaster took you sideways, upside down and all other ways! DD#1, meanwhile, had the most awesome time!

Dragon Challenge ride at Wizarding World of Harry Potter--look for the Triwizard Cup within!

A few minutes after I got my bearings back, we went to the Forbidden Journey ride. I have to say that waiting in line for this (although at that time it was only 15 minutes) was not bad at all. We were going through Hogwart’s Castle and there were so many things to look at while you were there. It did not feel like being in a line but more like being inside a museum with rails to guide you where to go. There were talking and moving paintings and newspapers, the sorting hat was there, and Harry, Hermione and Ron also made an appearance.

Now, am not sure if it was the Dragon Challenge or Forbidden Journey which made me a bit queasy as both turned me around and around! But the ride left me a bit shaky for a while. Forbidden Journey simulated being on a broom through a Quidditch match, among other things. Still, it was a good ride and worth the wait.

Hogwarts Castle: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Universal Islands of Adventure

The last ride at Hogsmeade was the Flight of the Hippogriff, which had one of the longer waits so far. I think it is most likely because it was the ride with the lowest height requirement (38”). As we were outside, there was nothing much to keep us entertained in the line except for the occasional barking from Fang by Hagrid’s hut. It would have been fine if we missed this.

By now, we were quite ready for breakfast. So, we headed over to 3 broomsticks and got some pancakes and bacon. 

Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade: Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Universal IOA

We were just a few minutes early for lunch which would have been a better deal than our $15 pancakes, but we were already hungry. We also got some butterbeer (we skipped the pumpkin juice) and it was just delish! Now, am on a quest to discover the recipe! 

Cold Butterbeer (minus the souvenir cup)

Pumpkin Juice at Hogsmeade

You can also buy Gilly Water at Hogsmeade: Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The rustic tavern seemed so authentic with so much attention to detail that I would not be surprised if we saw Harry and his friends over in one of the tables!

We caught a show from the Triwizard tournament teams (a Spirit Rally) of Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy. Then, the girls giggled with delight as they ate Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans we got from Honeydukes. They tried black pepper and soap and DD#1 swears she took a bite of earwax! I lucked out and got some lime and cherry when I tried these.

Check out Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans at Honeydukes

Hogsmeade: Wizarding World of Harry Potter

We exited the world of Harry Potter to check out the rest of Islands of Adventure. First, we went to Jurassic Park River Adventure which we all enjoyed. The girls wanted to try the Pteranodon Flyers also in the Jurassic area so they lined up. As this was a kids’ ride, Hubby and I could not go. The girls were quite disappointed with the ride as the line-up was too long for such a short ride. This one we should have skipped.

We took lots of photos at Toon Lagoon. We wanted to try the Dudley-Do’s Ripsaw Falls but the wait time was over an hour.

Toon Lagoon: Universal's Islands of Adventure

Our new strategy for Universal was to take the Single Rider line as much as we can. Good thing DD#2 was big enough to know to wait by the exit for the rest of us. As we used the Single Rider line, we were able to ride the Amazing Adventures of SpiderMan. At Incredible Hulk CoasterDD#1, though, and Hubby abandoned the Single Rider line as it was just taking too long.  We had some pizza instead at Café 4 and later got some photos with Storm and Rogue (from Xmen).

Spotted Spidey in Marvel Super Hero Islands

We breezed through the Lost Continent, though, if you have the chance, check out Poseidon’s Fury. 

Poseidon's Fury at Universal's Islands of Adventure

Because we love the Cat in the Hat, we lined up for this while Grandma browsed the stores.  I totally loved this area with a Green Eggs and Ham restaurant, Truffula trees outside, and so many other classic scenes and characters from our fave Dr Seuss’ books!

Green Eggs and Ham at Seuss' Landing

Then, we were back at Hogsmeade and waited 40 minutes in line to get back to Diagon Alley. We really could have walked but did not want to go back all the way to the entrance. Good thing, the trip at the Hogwart’s Express to King’s station did not have dementors this time, but a different scene. At least we saw something new. There was a different scenery by the window showing how we were getting into London and with the Hogwart’s students peeking through our cabin. We were totally immersed in Harry Potter’s world and loved every minute of it!

The Hogwarts Express

What did the girls do a day after getting back home? Well, watch Harry Potter, of course! This trip was really one for the books!