Girls in the City: New York, AGAIN

I'll try to get back on schedule (end of summer, back to school) but this deserves its own post.

We headed back to NY for an end-of-the-summer trip. E and Viv refer these types of trips as "Girls in the City", as Jason works during most days of a trip like this. Our (first) trip (last year) was so successful, we decided to go again, only this time, armed with City Knowledge. You might notice E is wearing her "pocket sash", our current attempt at practical pockets. More on that in another post--she typically carried her clip on sunglasses, her metro card, and anything else little (lego person, map, money, etc.)

We traveled by train to NYC. We all love the train. The girls were busy with games, coloring, and walks up and down the carriages; parents read and planned our trip, while we all studied maps. Naturally, we brought Elena's wheelchair. Our goal this year was less on shows, more on seeing different parts of Manhattan. We were not necessarily going to shy away from the subway; we have became more confident with Elena and our ability to carry or use her wheelchair on public transit.

The weather was beautiful, even though it was a bit hot. It rained one day out of our week. The first day, we arrived in our lodgings near Chinatown and had an easy dinner. The following day, we headed out to brunch in Harlem (by Uber; the subway was going to take a long time!) and then headed to Central Park.

Elena received a song in her honor at Red Rooster!

We decided to try to ride bikes through the park. We rented three; a bike for Jason, a bike for Viv, and a bike for me with an attached trail-a-bike. I am the only parent who has successfully used a trail-a-bike, and my knee is much stronger than it used to be--but the last time E was on one, she was much smaller and lighter. I considered a tandem, and I am very glad I decided not to get one. Elena and I had a rough start; I felt very uneasy, had trouble starting once stopped (a significant issue, as bikes have to stop for foot/horse/vehicle traffic in the park), and Elena kept leaning from side to side so much I had a very difficult time maintaining balance for the two of us. Her feet kept falling off pedals (which would have been a HUGE problem on a tandem). We stopped by my request..I was ready to give up. I asked Jason to take the kids on the carousel, while I tried to collect myself and figured out what to do. I ended up talking with E about my concerns, and my plan to try again and what to do if our attempts ended in failure. We were a team. And we figured it out. We rode all over the park! Biking in Central Park was one of the top two things we all did in NY!

Jason daringly snapped this mid-ride

Strawberry Fields

Walking the bike was just about as difficult as riding it. For me.

Our only rainy day, we headed to the Museum of Modern Art. Elena loved it, Vivian not so much. Then we headed to the NY Public Library. Vivian loved the children's room, but E wanted more, so she and I explored the building.

Warhol Cows at MoMA

Trying to keep dry in the City

We were joined by our good friends the Gs; we spent a lot of time exploring parks and museums. We decided to head to Brooklyn from our Chinatown spot. Elena decided she wanted to walk the whole bridge; so she did!

Girls on the Bridge

Enjoying the Park

 We really enjoyed Brooklyn. Lots of walking, for all of us. We hopped on the Ferry to the Financial District.

Fearless Girls

The Bull

We enjoyed walking back through Chinatown. We ate in Little Italy. Viv and M and M and Z loved running around the parks, chasing pigeons and playing in fountains (Elena was tired). And, very important--if you are wondering if your kid can catch a pigeon, the answer is yes, so you better figure out how to convince your child to release it. 

Fountains

 

We went back to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We loved it. There is so much to explore, and with the wheelchair, there is enough energy for everyone to see as much as they can.

The kids at the top of Belvedere Castle on the way to the Met

Bamboo Display at the Met

Lots of playing in playgrounds and parks, stopping along the way for cool shops and food. Loved walking the Esplanade along the Hudson. Enjoyed the shops and bars in East Village. Only messed up once on the Subway--and everyone in Queens was very nice. Vivian and M ended up joining in a square dance/dance/exercise group in Chinatown. J and I got to go out to dinner, big thanks to the Gs for watching all the kids! So much to see...the only repeat we did this year was the Met and Rockefeller Center (kids always want to visit Lego and see what new displays they have!). Everything else was new.

Pickle Shop!

Heart Balloon

Hailing Taxi

Japanese Crepes? Yes please!

Union Square

We ended our trip with an easy evening at a Cat Cafe, called Meow. It was a very weird but pleasant way to recharge after being in such a busy city.

Refuge for Cat Lovers

Our only issue, besides me being tired from walking, was that we forgot E's crutch hand grips and she mentioned she probably wouldn't be as tired if she had them. We'll remember next time--b/c we'll definitely be back!

Long Overdue Post: GERMANY!

So, in September of 2016 we went to Germany (and Austria).

We traveled overseas because my sister was running the Berlin Marathon. We decided we would make a family trip out of it. We had some practice traveling with the kids during 2016 (it was a HUGE travel year--by car, train, plane, and ship) so we had an idea of how we would plan it (key note is always bring the wheelchair!).

I'm working from memory here, so I'll do my best. We took the overseas flight from DC to Frankfurt; the kids had a half day at school (trying to tire them out) and we hoped they would sleep on the plane. Vivian got a little rest; Elena got sick (after a significant amount of turbulence). I think that overnight flights are just hard if the kids are not great travel sleepers, which ours are not (nor am I). The flight staff and the other passengers were very nice.

Berlin Cafe View

Bike Pretzel Vendor!

We hopped on the train to Berlin and walked to our lodging (we picked a small apartment that had an elevator). I love the bike lanes, public transport (buses, underground, etc.) and the people were friendly. We walked and used the subway to see my sister on the marathon course. The weather was lovely, and we enjoyed seeing the city, even if it was only for a short while.

 

 

Such a beautiful day

Elena and Vivian both shared the chair--with E riding as often as she liked (which was often, as she was saving her energy to get out and run, or dance in the square, or try to walk along fountains, or look over the canal, etc.).

Needle

Boat Parade!

The marathon cheering section was loud, boisterous, entertaining, and supportive. It was wonderful to be a part of it. The kids enjoyed the runners, the costumes, the music, the monuments, the parks in the city (we found a few to check out) and did their share of cheering and searching for Kate as she ran.

Checkpoint

We were only in Berlin for two days; after the race, my parents and sister parted ways with us. They headed on a guided European tour, and we headed to our next destination: Munich.

We took the train from Berlin to Munich where Oktoberfest was in full swing. We decided to just see how far it was with a walk from our hotel...

A bit far of a walk for someone.

The next day, we headed out in our Oktoberfest best. Jason took the kids to the Flea Circus (I opted out: YUCK) and then we headed to the tents. This was "Family Day", which, I found out later, was pretty tame compared to any other time, including what I refer to as Family Day: Nights.

Flea Circus

Festhalle

I don't even like beer. But this was pretty good.

Just for show.

The only reason I know anything at all about not Family Day hours is because I managed to lose my phone at Oktoberfest. Needless to say, this is such a common occurrence that there is a specific protocol to recover one's phone, and it takes a minimum of 24 hours. We were leaving the country before that time allotment, but I tried. So I managed to bring down an otherwise fantastic day. (My parents and sister were traveling through Munich a few days later, and actually RETRIEVED my phone, with the amazing help of their guide! I could not believe it. SAINTS! I got it back two weeks later, after my parents returned from their trip!)

Beautiful Day in the Garden

Strolling through the park? Is this normal over there?

There is someone playing a white baby grand piano in the dome.

We left Munich the next day and headed to Austria. Along the way we stopped at Zugspitz. We took the cable car (scary and exciting) all the way to the top. It was great!

Just a little nervous

Zugspitz

Tandem Sledging (that's me and E)

Girls with a View

We also stopped in a lovely town (I forgot the name) b/c it looked cute and interesting. Cobblestone is really not comfortable in a wheelchair, though.

Such a cute place to stop

Our stay in Austria was the longest at three days. The weather could NOT have been better! I even went on bike ride (on loan from our AMAZING hotel).

Lock Bridge

We loved exploring the city. There was music everywhere, street vendors, parades, and so much to see. We went to Saltzburg Castle, and stayed up late for a Mozart dinner (where we eat and are entertained by live music and singers--what a treat!).

Exploring

Some sort of parade

Garden

Garden

 

 

Castle!

 

 

 

Cannon view

The castle was expansive and we had a little difficulty navigating. Well, not so much navigating as much as doing it without holding up traffic. It's not exactly wheelchair accessible (we brought it but left it at the cog train).

Happened on a fashion show in the street. I APPROVE.

Our last day we were sad to leave, but missed home. Everything was so beautiful and fun (except losing the phone part--but like I said, it worked out). I really wish I spoke German; by the time we left I had just started figuring out how words are put together. I should have prepared better for that--next time!

Our trip back was long but uneventful. The kids were great travelers! They love exploring, and we love exploring with them. The lessons from this one: bring the chair, bring the crutches, make sure everyone uses the bathroom, and keep valuables in a bag/satchel/backpack/purse, secured (everyone knows that, but I made some changes for our next trip), always bring water.

Danke Schön, Germany and Austria!

Girls in the City: New York! (Recap)

The girls and I continued our Girls in the City tour from Chicago to New York by plane. Jason was working so much in New York, we had the opportunity to stay with him for a few days--we even invited some friends!

Flying with the wheelchair was easy (the hardest part is probably putting it in/out of cabs). I guess we could have borrowed an airport chair, or asked for a ride on a cart, but having the chair with us provided me with a lot of security (I could keep track of all our things and the kids, and was certain no one would be too tired).

We decided to try more walking as opposed to riding in the chair once in the city. This was a shift from our plan in Chicago; I think all the riding in the chair made Elena more stiff than rested--it's a balance that we didn't quite get right. Here, Elena did a pretty good job keeping pace (we were pretty slow), and we were sure not to plan to travel more than a few blocks on foot without the chair (sometimes we just brought it and didn't use it). And, sometimes we didn't bring it and wished we had (as you'll see in some of the pictures).

Rock Center

Sister LOVE

Mom, Pack Mule NY Edition.

Against reader advice, we did take the subway (not all the time). The difference was I never took it as a lone adult with the kids; I always had another grown up, so we could keep eyes on kids, or carry the chair, or one help E while the other keep track of everything else. The girls LOVED the subway. We took elevators when convenient; if it was only one flight of stairs, E typically climbed up/down.

Girls on the Subway

Lady Liberty in the distance

 

 

 

Doing their best Marilyn impression

There was so much to do...the girls loved it. The weather was hot, but gorgeous. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art--I wasn't sure how much the girls would like it. Elena loved it! I could have been there all day. Our favorites were the Egyptian exhibit and the sculpture garden. I also liked the impressionist paintings.

The Met

The Met

Splashing

Central Park was more of a challenge than I thought. Mostly b/c even with a map, we found it hard to find the nearest restroom. The park is so massive, we only saw a small part of it. 

 

 

Boats

Alice in Wonderland

Carousel

The girls LOVED the Rockettes! I wish I could have taken a picture of how spellbound they were during the show. It was awesome! We also did some shopping, but with all the choices (and not much knowledge of what was fun for kids) the stores were a bit of a bust. We did find some really awesome glasses for Elena!

Pack Mule: Vivian is tired this time

New Yorkers were very kind--especially on the subway. I'll admit, I was surprised (maybe I shouldn't have been? Shame on me.). People were looking out for us, and were very friendly and helpful.

Girls in the City

Insomnia Cookies at night

Girls in an Elevator

Art Park

 My sister joined us for the last few days in the city. We went to the High Line--really beautiful!

Popsicle on the go

 

 

 

 

 

Chilling Out

Pack Mule, thirst quenching edition

We didn't do much New York at Night with the kids; they were typically worn out every evening. The grown up ladies did have one night out, which was really fun!

Times Square

We were all a little sad when our week was up.  We had such a fun time exploring, we weren't ready to leave. I was always very apprehensive when I thought about Elena in the city, because of all the walking she would have to do. But our experience taught me something very different.  I realized that if Elena can successfully navigate the subway, and learn her walking limits, her universe grows much larger. There is so much to see and do in a city like New York; if Elena can master the transportation piece, she can enjoy as much of it as she likes despite her disability. It was a really positive revelation. I think weather also is a factor; I can't imagine trying to navigate with lots of bulky clothing and coats.

Pack Mule; heading back home by train

Again, we enjoyed a relaxing ride home by train (we still LOVE the train!). It was great to sleep in our own beds, and be in our own house, and be in our own town. But it's official. The kids love traveling and exploring! Huge thanks to Aunt Kate, and the Gs who joined us! We loved your company and all your help!