New York City 2009 - Trip Report and Photos
We had 113 parents, grandparents, and children with us on our trip to New
York City this May. Most of us met in Lancaster, SC, or
arranged to be picked up in NC and VA along the way. Families who
didn't live along our route arranged for their own transportation
and met us at our hotel.
This was Carolina Homeschooler's first group trip to NYC and I was
surprised at how smoothly things went. The weather was wonderful -
in the 70's and low 80's for the most part, and very little rain.
The long bus ride (15 hours or so, including meal stops and breaks)
allowed us to get to know each other before arriving in NYC.
Everyone seemed to be pleased with our hotel. The rooms were
spacious, clean, the beds were very comfortable, and the abundant free
breakfast was enjoyed by all.
Some of the sites we visited were the Statue of Liberty, Ellis
Island, Ground Zero, American Museum of Natural History,
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Tenement Museum,
Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock), and we saw the Lion King
performance on Broadway. Since we had free time scheduled, we went
to other sites, too (Sony Wonder Technology Museum, Times Square,
Wax Museum, American Girls, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, the Brooklyn
Bridge, shopping, shopping, and more shopping).
I'm still getting feedback from families, but I think many enjoyed
the Lion King, Top of the Rock, and the Tenement Museum the most.
Other families said their favorites were the Natural History Museum,
Met, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island (especially with the audio
tours).
A common theme in all the emails was everyone's enjoyment of the
group, including the bus drivers, and the flexibility - families
could stick with the group, or go on their own at any time. The
children, especially, enjoyed touring with other homeschooled
children. I received many "thank you's" from the children (as well
as pleas to talk their parents into future trips) as the trip was
winding down. That was my favorite part of the trip - meeting all
the great families and watching all our wonderful kids make friends. Several families said they would like to go back next
time so they can explore more of the city.
The cost of the trip for a "typical" family of 4 (depending on ages)
was around $1,950. This included our hotel stay for four nights;
breakfast on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; and all site admissions. It also included transportation
to and from the city, as well as transportation while we were in the
city.
I want to thank the families who traveled with us on our first trip
to New York City. It was absolutely a pleasure spending time with you and
seeing the sites together. Several families have already asked about
future trips to NYC, so I'll probably plan another one for May of
2010.
To get the latest information about all of our trips, please
subscribe to the Traveling Homeschoolers
mailing list. To discuss plans for our
trips, visit the Traveling Homeschoolers forum on our
message boards.
Trip Photos
On the Streets
More on the Streets
And Even More on the Streets
Views of Liberty
More Views of Liberty
Exploring Ellis Island
It's Grand! (Grand Central Terminal)
Playing in Central Park
Visiting the Museum of Natural History &
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Way up at the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center)
More Fun at the Top
And Even More Fun at the Top
