And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.
Dave Barry
How does a family of eight travel to an expensive city and find a place to stay everyone can afford, have everyone get to do what they want to do -- and no one hates each other at the end of the trip? Question before us a few months ago as we planned travel to NYC for youngest son's graduation.
Ingredients:
Husband/wife
Three sons
Two most significant others
Two uncles
Guidebooks
Google Maps
AirBB
NYC Subway
Citymapper
Step One: Go to AirBB and find an old brownstone in not the most popular neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Step Two: Eat at the airport after the long flight so no one is hungry while progressing to final destination. Study car services before getting there so you don't get highjacked into paying some outrageous price to get to your place of stay - and a car that arrives at the appointed time.
Step Three: Don't try to organize anybody other than yourself -- for whatever. Supply information on the subway, phone Aps for directions, Broadway plays, sports events, parks, gardens, museums, bus tours, etc., and let it play out on its own.
Step Four: Keep your cell phones on to send or receive texts every now and then that say, "Hey, we're here and gonna do this. Anyone want to join us?" If you feel like it. Meet in good people watching places - Bryant Park, the fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel, the yellow and purple egg at Rockefeller Center.
And while you are waiting, take a quick stroll through the bottom end of Central Park.
Step Five: Make certain where you are staying has a huge table in the dining room so all can gather at the end of the day, toss down their collected brochures, ticket stubs, found treasures, and share their tales of the day.
Tales which might have included
 |
| The Guggenheim |
Food!
Baseball!
The theatre
Or more eggs.
Bike riding through Central Park
 |
| This old broad made it 7.3 miles around the park. This is me at the end. |
 |
| Some of us, uh... |
 |
| Brothers loose in the city. |
Step Six: Have a son who is a chef so he can come over and cook for you one night.
with the assistance of his sister-in-law - the only one who can keep up with him in the kitchen anymore.
while his dad and oldest brother do plate prep and cleanup.
And the rest of us fart around waiting for the food.
Which was well worth the wait.
Step Seven: Converse and enjoy.
There you have it. Recipe for successful family trip without scar tissue.
Take that Dave Berry.
Very nice, you all did well. I loved the tour
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was a fun time.
DeleteBusy Traveler is soooo proud!
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaha! I'm so pleased.
DeleteWhat an awesome weekend that was. So glad that we were a part of that. Can't wait to do it again!
ReplyDeleteOkay, when? I'm in.
DeleteSuch fun to see the photos of your trip and family!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janis. Was so much fun.
DeleteWow, that food your resident chef cooked is fabulous! Not to mention everything else. Great tour of your wonderful adventure. Thanks for the pictures, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments. The food was fabulous. Ian's roommate has visited the Union Square market the day before and picked up most of the supped he requested. Porgy, whole chickens with the feet still on them, ramps (wild leeks) micro greens, daikon. An education as we ate. Fun, fun, fun.
DeleteWhat a great trip! How did you like using AirBnB? I've never used them, we used VRBO and HomeAway but they've now merged. I travel with high protein snacks so won't be tempted by lousy fast food. Ramps...now you're talking! Dave and I would harvest them every spring and fry them with potatoes, onions, garlic...yeah, the more potent the better, and sausage. What a mouthful of delight that would be.
ReplyDeleteThat was my first experience with ramp - and so good. Your method sounds most tasty. We had a good experience with AirBnB. Using them again on our next trip to the Pacific Northwest so will let you know if that good luck continues.Traveling with food - did that with kids. Guess I need to do that again. However, I still need my breakfast taco at Austin's airport.
DeleteOf all the wonderful things in this post, I love "don't try to organize anybody but yourself" the best. Really, that should be a lesson for life period, not just vacation. I spend far too much time in other people's business, trying to make them happy, and the most often result is general unhappiness all around. (Case in point: waiting ALL DAY for my son to arrive to our cabin in Wisconsin. I should have canoed, cycled, anything but fed my anxiety which he didn't need to hear about after arriving.)
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, love the way you managed your time and meals. Brilliant.
Thank you, Bellezza. I have grown weary of doing all the research and organizing or as my family refers to me - the Camp Director. So, Camp Director has retired. Husband currently planning next trip. (However, he is not as good with the budget at I am. So it goes.
DeleteThanks for sharing your lessons and photos. What a wonderful trip!! I'm afraid it's too late for me to have a son who's also a chef... maybe one of my daughters will marry one! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOr become one, themselves! That chef thing is definitely a perk. I have not minded having someone else cook when we get to get see him -- at all.
DeleteI'm sure the planning to find an economical way with a group trip before chilling out paid off. Looks like you had a fun time and, of course, it's good when you have chefs in the family isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed fun. And, chefs in the family? Gotta love it.
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ReplyDeleteThree cheers for you with they great trip and the 7+ ride! We tend to micromanage everyone in our crew, and could certainly learn some lessons from your advice. Though the baseball would be included no matter which approach we used.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is good! I believe your kids are much younger still. Your day is coming.
DeleteSounds perfect. I cannot imagine getting everyone to enjoy the same things in NYC.. So many choices.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Tabor. Too much to see and do. Plus, when you have those that have never visited, they have a necessary list. Such a fun city.
DeleteI must remember to apply this lesson. My family would no doubt appreciate it. :)
ReplyDeleteMade it easier for me. Got to do some of the things on my list, but not all. Will just have to go back.
DeleteSounds and looks like you all had a wonderful time. You chef can cook those flowery dishes for me anytime! Please pass the chocolate covered açai!
ReplyDeleteYeah, good thing we were walking all over the place. Worked those delicious little bites off with no problem.
DeleteEveryone should have such a nice family. Great idea to have everyone eat at the airport to stave off "the grouchies."
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robin. I am blessed. As to the eating at the airport? Learned that last trip. Large groups of starving people not good.
DeleteWell done though I'm exhausted...:)
ReplyDeletePhoto essays exhaust me. Takes me much longer than using my words. Oh, and, yes, NYC is exhausting. After three days, I need a beach chair and drink with an umbrella in it.
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ReplyDeleteI wondered where you were!
ReplyDeleteGreat you had such an enjoyable trip.
You looked in great shape after your cycle ride
Smiles ~ Eddie :)
Thanks, Eddie. Mighty proud of myself after that ride. Rehabbing a knee for the past year so combined with all the walking, I was happy.
DeleteWell that sounds absolutely perfect! Way to go! You certainly figured out how to avoid many pitfalls. I'm glad you shared it with us. So many times when we vacation I have a picture of how it will go in my head and it just never works out that way. Maybe that is because the kids are young yet, but I hope one day we will be able to take a trip like this together and have it be as successful. :)
ReplyDeleteYou will. They become much more independent as they age. Ha!
DeleteOnce a camp director, always a camp director! lol You did a great job and your family sure looks like they enjoyed the trip! And 7 1/2 miles on the bike? Whew, that would have worn me out! lol Cheers, cher!
ReplyDeleteHa - we'll see. My husband is the Camp Director on our next trip. He's a rookie but I'll keep my mouth closed. Will have to see how that goes.
DeleteThis Is Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThings to do with kids in NYC
Great job! It looks like you had a great time with your family--and no one killed anybody! Maybe it was the Skyy that helped?? :-)
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