Today we have decide to make the trip to visit the Macey’s santa. We were supposed to leave early but time slips away and we arrive around 11am. We are told there is a two hour wait. Hmmm, that’s a long time! Only other option is to get here at 6.30 am tomorrow. Not my idea of a good time so we decide to wait it out now. I’ve heard the santaland is amazing and it’s really worth the visit, it’s also the third thing on my list. 5. HOURS. LATER. We walk into see santa. Yes, santaland was pretty buy by no means amazing and santa is in this tiny room (they have more than one) sitting on a bench, no lights, no decorations, no tree! We are out in under two min, collect our dodgy prints that cost $70 and fled for our lives! Another thing to add to the underwhelming nature of New York. We were supposed to catch a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty but it’s now 4 pm, so we head back to the hotel for dinner. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little brighter!
(Photos have been re-edited by me because the origional were just soooooo bad, and they still aren’t great)
It’s a rainy Christmas Eve so we decide to do the Natural History Museum today. It opens at 10am so I set the alarm for 8 thinking two hours will be enough time to just throw some clothes on and eat breakfast. Wrong! By the time we finally get down to the subway, it’s already 10.30am. Not sure how that happened?? The subway machine only takes coins ( who carries $12 worth of 25c coins around) and credit card. After purchasing two tickets with the credit card, the machine decides it won’t take it anymore. There is no one to talk to, and we are causing a huge line up! So we need to put the kids in front of us, swipe through the card and try and both push the turntable thing at the same time. Not fun. The kids love standing on the train because it’s so bumpy and an new experience and it does get us to the museum in about 6 min instead of walking the 42 blocks! We arrive at the front door and of course there is a line up, all the way down the block…. and around another block. More waiting, but in the rain! After an hour wait, the ‘suggested’ entry for the 4 of us is $77USD. So over $100 Australian. Ummmm, sorry, what? I’ve read, that you can pay a donation instead so I offer $25USD for all of us and the guy doesn’t bat an eye. Phew, a much more acceptable price.
We tour the dinosaurs, space and native Americans searching for the giant head out of the Night at the Museum movie. It really is huge! Some of the displays look amazing and extremely life like. It’s easy to spend all day here.
It finally stops raining and now that we are an expert on the subway, decide to head all the way down to lower Manhattan to Chinatown for dinner. That’s an experience! The streets are lined with little stalls selling fake Loui Vuitton bags and Rolex watches. Fresh fish stalls are crowded with different seafood and some of the smells are less than pleasant. Now to find a restaurant I’m actually going to eat at! We decide on one and order the lobster special. Two for $25 cooked in ginger and scallions. It’s the first time I’ve ever ordered lobster. We start with some fried dumplings (which Ayrlie eats and loves for the first time ever) and spring rolls and follow with lobster, rice, crispy skin chicken and ribs. It’s all quite delicious.
On the way back to the subway, we stop at a few little bakeries to pick up some treats to have when we get home. We get a lemon sesame roll, chocolate black forest cake, strawberry mousse cake and a chocolate hazelnut roll. Yum! We snuggle in bed, watching Harry Potter till midnight before drifting into a santa dreaming sleep.
