The kids and I were off today (and we are off tomorrow!)
We took a day trip to the Big Apple.
We live about an hour from NYC by train. In the morning, we took a train in, and that ride took 58 minutes.
On the way back, we did have to transfer at Newark so that ride was a bit longer.
Five things from our NYC day trip:
1. Aux Merveilleux de Fred. It’s a French bakery that has delicious pastries and good coffee. We had to refuel after our ride from NJ.

2.Kinokuniya store in Bryant Park.

I bought some stuff with cats on them; some notebooks, a small 2026 desk calendar, glitter markers, and stickers. The kids got some toys and puzzles. We also bought two Christmas ornaments made of felt-like material.

3. Bryant Park. I just love Bryant Park. They have a winter village already set up, including a skating rink. I *almost* bought a $40 glass ornament with NYC on it. I stopped myself in time. There were chairs all over so you could sit and enjoy the vibe of the city.

4. Chinatown. From Bryant Park, we took the N train downtown to see Chinatown and to have lunch there since my kids and I enjoy Asian cuisine. We got off at Canal street and walked for about 10 minutes (but what felt like an eternity) into the heart of Chinatown. We then ended up at a Nom Wah Tea Parlor: a dim sum restaurant and a tea room.










5. Herald Square Macy’s. On our way back home we popped into the famous Macy’s. Inside, the halls were all decked! But they were still working on the windows which had some kind of ginger bread framing? And they were doing them by HAND.

And that is five things from our day trip.
Do you have a big city near you?
This month I am participating in #NaBloPoMo2025. A running list of participants can be found on San’s NaBloPoMo page as well as more information about this lovely initiative on this NaBloPoMo page.
