If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…. Since my kids were little, I had always dreamt of taking them to New York City! Mind you, I never thought I’d be doing it by myself and with four teenagers, but I have to admit I don’t think I’d have it any other way. Teenage years are perfect for a trip to the Big Apple. It’s fascinating what New York does to you. I walked into the city a bit fearful, insecure, lacking in self-esteem and confidence, and I came out of that city confident, secure in who I am, knowing my worth. My kids are fairly certain I must have been a New York Taxi Cab driver in another life, lol! I can’t wait to share our adventure with you!
As the old saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail; thus, first things first, I started setting aside money for this trip a year ago, conducted my research, and provided my teenagers with a thorough daily itinerary. My goal was to expose them to as much of New York as I could in three days. Yes, I said three days. Given everyone’s work schedules, we had two days for travel and three in New York. Additionally, for everyone and everything to fit in the car each person was given enough space for one backpack and a pillow. Once at the hotel each person emptied their backpack and then used it to carry food, water, and necessities thoughout the trip, this works out nicley because each person is responsible for their own items (mom is not). I will be sharing the itinerary for each day, images taken each day, and tips for traveling and exploring New York City!
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The first day was a travel day; we drove roughly 600 miles to Newark, New Jersey. We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Newark Airport, Elizabeth. I booked our stay through Super.com and got a great deal. It was $125 a night for 5 people, included continental breakfast, fridge and microwave in the room, a larger workout room (where the pool once was, this was disappointing because when I booked it said it had a pool, but in hindsight, we got back so late each night we would have never used it) and key entry parking.
We arrived at the hotel around 10:30 pm and immediately inquired about a grocery store. They informed us that there was a local Shoprite open 24/7, not too far from the hotel. We immediately headed there and purchased food for lunch for the next three days. They offered pre-made sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc., and between the hotel offering breakfast and packing lunches, we saved a lot of money not buying food in the city. We also purchased another case of water. We packed a case, but knew it was going to go quickly. On average, we each drank six to eight bottles of water each day. New York City is hot in the middle of July, and hydration is key! After we went through the checkout (they do not provide bags), we hopped back in the car, drove to the hotel, and rested up for what would be an epic 72 hours. Here is our itinerary for day one…
Day One in New York
| Time | Activity |
| 10:45 AM | Depart the Hampton Inn & Suites Newark Airport |
| 11:20 AM | Arrive at Lot 8, Liberty State Park |
| 11:30 AM | Walk to the ferry terminal |
| 12:30 PM | Security screening for the 1:00 PM ferry |
| 1:00 PM | Ferry departs for Ellis Island |
| 1:30 PM – 5:15 PM | Explore Ellis Island and then Liberty Island: visit Ellis Island, the museum, gift store, grab a coffee/snack, then take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, the museum, and picnic on the South Side Lawn |
| 5:15 PM | Return ferry departs for Liberty State Park |
| 6:00 PM | Arrive back at Liberty State Park, drive to the parking garage near Rooftop at Exchange Place |
| 6:30 PM | Arrive at the parking garage (10 Exchange Place) |
| 6:45 PM | Walk to RoofTop at Exchange Place |
| 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Dinner reservation with stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline |
| 8:30 PM | Depart for Hampton Inn & Suites Newark |
That first day, we were all excited and anxious, and I was a bit nervous being the only adult and driver navigating New Jersey and New York City. I managed to locate Liberty State Park lot #8 with ease. Parking was only $7 (your car can stay in the lot until 10 pm, but the last Ferry back is at 5:15 pm). We headed for security with a half hour to spare. Practically every tourist attraction in NYC requires security, so arrive roughly ½ hour before your scheduled time to go through security. Security is similar to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at an airport.
For those who are interested, the only authorized official provider of tickets to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island is Statue City Cruises. Please be aware that Street Vendors do NOT sell genuine Statue of Liberty tickets. Avoid Street Sellers. While I was interested in the Crown Reserve, those were booked up to three months in advance. We purchased the Pedestal Reserve ticket at $25.80 a person, and it grants you access to everything except the crown. It includes:
- Priority entry into the Screening Facility Queue saves you wait time at the departure point
- Round-trip ferry service to Liberty Island (Statue of Liberty National Monument) and Ellis Island (Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration).
- Access the Pedestal Observation Deck (6P) of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
- Access to the grounds of Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
- The Statue of Liberty Museum includes three interactive galleries that tell the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
- Audio Tours of Liberty and Ellis Island are included. The Audio Tour is available in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
After going through security, we waited a bit by the pier, and the ferry arrived within 25 minutes. We boarded and headed to Ellis Island.
What a profound experience it was to step off the ferry and onto Ellis Island, just imagining all the immigrants who stepped off ships as steerage with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hopes and dreams of a better future for themselves and their families.
When you enter the National Museum of Immigration, to the right are devices for self-guided tours. Stop there and grab one for everyone in your party. Then go check the schedule for the movie so you can plan your visit accordingly. The self-guided tour is roughly 40 minutes, and it has you walking throughout the museum as if you were one of the immigrants coming off a ship. The movie runs 30 minutes. I highly recommend giving your group time for both and then heading to The American Family Immigration Center, where you can search the passenger lists for your ancestors who arrived at the port between 1820-1957.
The sacrifices made, the horrible travel conditions, coming to a new land where you didn’t even speak the language, to place yourself in the shoes of an immigrant stepping onto Ellis Island, put everything into perspective. I was flooded with emotions, from gratitude, humility, and respect for all the courage, bravery, fear, etc. immigrants, our ancestors, must have experienced when they arrived. And then I realized what a privilege it is to be here, in the United States of America. I am grateful and blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America and thankful for the leap of faith my ancestors made.
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Before we boarded the ferry to Liberty Island, we stopped off at the gift store where the kids purchased their own souvenirs and then we grabbed a quick coffee in the cafe. If you are interested in purchasing food there they offer a variety, similar to a food court at a mall and you can eat inside in the air conditioner. Or, you can pack food and there are some great locations to picnic on Liberty Island.
After we grabbed our coffees, we headed to the pier to board the ferry for Liberty Island.
As the ferry docked, it was so impressive to see the Statue of Liberty in person; the pictures do not do it justice. At this point it looked like the weather was not going to cooperate for much longer and given the fact that the statue is copper, quite literally a conductor of electricity, we booked it for the lockers to place our backpacks in so we could head into the pedestal of the statue.
Unfortunately, we were not fast enough; lightning was already detected within a 7-mile radius, and pedestal and crown reservations were halted for at least half an hour with no guarantee that they would resume for the day. We still had the opportunity to go up and at least look out a small window, it was at this point I was thankful we did not have the Crown reservation, and felt bad for those individuals who had booked and reserved this Crown experience over four months ago only to be told that they could not go up due to lightning. We ventured up the Statue of Liberty pedestal, and we got our step on that day! Speaking of steps, I forgot to mention that comfortable shoes, hiking shoes that fit properly, yet are still breathable, are a must for a trip to New York City!
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After we came down the steps, we stopped in the basement of the statue, where there was a small exhibition and information on the statue, and then headed to the Statue of Liberty Museum.
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The museum houses the original torch and provides information on how the statue was designed, built, and assembled. It also includes information on the architects and much more, I highly recommend allotting time to visit.
When we walked out of the museum, it was pouring. That night, New York City received so much rain that the subways flooded.
We were in such a rush when we arrived that we hadn’t taken any pictures with the statue, so we stopped to take our pictures, drenched in the pouring rain on Liberty Island, and it was as if the rain, the storm, was meant to be a part of the experience.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
We got our money’s worth; we were the last to go back on the ferry. We had the ferry to ourselves.
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Dinner that night was our “splurge” night. I had made a reservation at the RoofTop so we could have an epic view of Manhattan while we ate. The view was hit and miss with all the rain, but the experience was one to remember, being that high up, in the middle of a storm, surrounded by so much glass was impressive.
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I enjoyed the conversation over dinner, hearing each of the teens take and perspective on the profound experience that was Ellis and Liberty Island. After dinner, we walked down to the pier, took in the Manhattan skyline, in anticipation of the adventure that would await us there the next day!
Stay tuned for Day two when we take on Manhattan! As always, please feel free to comment, ask any questions, and remember there are no stupid questions.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 