Trips for Mature Travelers

I have been to NYC many times, especially in the past 11 years of knowing my husband. The fact that he used to live in the city is exceedingly helpful in his ability to drive through the insane traffic and crazy drivers; and find reasonable parking relatively easily. Back in my days as a single mom, I took my daughters into the city a few times- I mean you must experience a show on Broadway!

Now I have to mention that we only live 2.5 hours away in PA. But being that the aforementioned drivers and traffic have always scared me (even as a seasoned driver on Philadelphia’s infamous Schuykill Expressway, affectionately called ‘the Sure Kill”), the girls and I would typically take a bus from the mall into Port Authority, or drive to New Jersey and take the train in from there. Public transportation absolutely works!! It gets you there stress-free, so I do highly recommend it for mature travelers. The only drawback is that you must build in the extra time to ensure you’re catching buses or trains to get you where you’re going on time.

The only thing I would caution against is taking multiple forms of public transportation on one trip. One time we visited a friend in NJ, took a bus from his house to a train, then a subway to a jazz club we wanted to visit. After an amazing night, we left at like 10 pm, and had so many buses and trains to deal with when we were SO tired. The car would have been a better choice that day.

I’m listing some cool things we’ve done in NYC over the years with both my kids and us alone. Also tips and tricks we’ve learned to help us better navigate a big city like New York that will hopefully be helpful to you in your travels! Keep them in mind for any cities you visit.

Some City Travel Tips

Parking. I cannot say enough about planning your parking correctly. In my post, Tips for Mature Travelers, I mention that planning in general is the most important thing for anyone before a trip, but particularly older adults or those with disabilities.

I emphasize this as much as I do because we have been badly burned by making mistakes and ended up walking so much farther than was necessary, taking its toll on aching backs. If you’re going to more than one thing, say a show and dinner, make sure that where you park is equidistant to both things.

Proper Shoes. Make sure you wear appropriate walking shoes for sure. You must be able to walk comfortably, but it’s a challenge when you want to at least try to be a bit fashionable because it feels like every other person is a model or actress. I have some good walking shoes that are nice enough to walk in and then go somewhere a bit fancy. Take some time to do some browsing, and leave plenty of time to break the shoes in.

Check the weather. We have been to the city in every type of weather and have learned our lesson in being prepared. Since you’re in and outside so frequently, be sure to think that through. I was so happy on our recent trip that I did the layering thing with a sleeveless top and light sweater. Inside in air conditioning I needed the sweater, but not sitting out on a rooftop bar! Make sure if you use the Weather app that you enter NYC (or wherever), and don’t make the mistake of using your current location to which it will always default. It’s actually an easy thing to overlook!

Taxis. I really suggest breaking up your walking with a ride. For me, too much sitting, standing or walking is a killer, so we plan to take at least one taxi if we’re moving around a bunch. I prefer taxis over Ubers in a tight city like New York. Taxis are usually more expensive, but those drivers really know how it’s done, and understand the whole culture, navigating the streets best. And taking a taxi in NYC is one of the things you have to do, right?

Cool Activities in NYC

Carriage Ride in Central Park. We did this when we were first dating, and I loved it.

They have these really funky new bicycles to drive people around now, too. They are all lit up with lights, playing music- so we definitely have to try a ride next time!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We felt like it was a museum you ‘have’ to see. Both of us were there as kids, but you definitely appreciate it more now. Make sure you take ample breaks and sit whenever you can, because museums can be hard for those of us with back issues. My husband is more a meanderer, and I look at something for two seconds and move on. So it can be a challenge to balance, but it works! I particularly love sculpture, and they have an impressive collection.

911 Museum. It’s terrible but worth seeing, if that makes sense. Just like the Holocaust Museum in DC, it is well done and leaves you with some hope in humanity when you learn how many people tried to help that day and beyond. The worst room for me was the Flight 93 passengers’ recordings of their goodbye messages to their loved ones when they knew that the plane had been hijacked and was going down. Heartbreaking.

The museum is built on the actual site of the World Trade Center, so you can see the beams that were destroyed and it just blows your mind that a building like that could have been constructed in the first place, and how much destruction was caused when it was hit.

A Show. If you want to see a Broadway or off-Broadway play or musical, head into the city and see what’s available at TKTS on 47th. They are much cheaper than buying through a Ticketmaster or other site, and there are great shows that are available that day! You might find something interesting like we did. We took my oldest daughter into the city, and happened on the musical Something Rotten. To this day, I have it on the very top of the best shows EVER. Smart, entertaining, just an overall great time. And we completely took a chance!

I really suggest if you’re like me with the standing too long issue, that you invest in one of those walkers with a little seat on it. You may or may not need the walker or chair, but if you find yourself in a long line waiting for tickets or to get into the show, these are a life saver. I had a terrible experience not long ago waiting to get into the Daily Show.

First, we wait to see if there’s even enough space for us to gain admission. Then once we get a ticket, we wait until a certain time when the doors open. I don’t remember exactly how long it was, but it was overall more than two hours which is death for my back with no seating anywhere. My husband finally had to ask them to bring a chair out for me, which honestly was embarrassing but incredibly helpful.

A Concert. We love concerts in venues like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. Check out my post on Eighties Band Concerts that I rated 1-10!

Top of the Rock. This was a fun place to visit on our recent trip to NYC. It’s right near Radio City, and is worth seeing. The views are incredible, and if you get a drink or snack in the cafe, you can sit in the comfortable chairs on the patio- which is my speed- food and drinks outside with a view! My husband actually put my sweater over his face and took a short nap!

There are a couple tourist packages they offer, and we did this beam photo-replicating the famous “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” of the iron workers who built the building, sitting on a steel beam eating their lunch like it was nothing. Wow, were they brave!

Food!

Hot Dogs! I love them, and it’s fun to grab one (or a hamburger, taco…) at one of many food trucks you find along the streets in the city. We like to hit a truck or deli (Katz’s below) when we get onto town, then a nicer dinner in the evening before a show. If not a food truck, maybe Papaya Dog, my husband’s favorite!

Katz’s Deli. This is famous, and I understand why! I’ve honestly never seen so many sandwich choices in my life. There’s a special ordering process which I always find fun in places like this. And the sandwiches are HUGE. Expensive of course (it’s NYC after all), but you almost get your money’s worth in the size of those sandwiches.

Rooftop Bar. The View is the coolest restaurant, located in Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It revolves! So you get continually amazing views that keep changing. It goes slowly enough that it’s honestly hard to tell you’re even moving, but you are. We went when it was a lounge/bar, but it’s recently been transformed into a fine dining restaurant. I would certainly suggest checking it out for a special occasion. Maybe pair it with a show, since it’s really close to the theater district.

Fine Dining. I highly suggest splurging on a great restaurant in NYC if your budget can handle it. It’s a culture shock when you live in small-town Pennsylvania where the cost of living is low. But make it a special occasion! I love researching restaurants (and hotels) everywhere I go, it’s so much fun to see the photos, menus and reviews and make my decisions.

If you’ve done your research like me, you will find the most amazing selections of any cuisine in the world in NYC. I might even suggest a nightcap at a wine or cocktail bar after dinner or a show, if you’re not exhausted. Every upscale restaurant I’ve been to in this town is just beautiful and/or interesting and funky, so the more you get to experience the better!

Boat Ride. We added this to my birthday weekend a few years ago and what a great experience! Seeing the city from a different vantage point and enjoying a calm ride.

For Kids

Museum of Natural History. Little kids will love this museum with the huge dinosaurs  and other prehistoric animals.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This is just a must for kids to see. When I was a kid, we hosted foreign exchange students, and always took them to NYC and Washington DC to do all the touristy things (and of course to downtown Philly where I grew up, to see the Liberty Bell).

My daughters enjoyed the ferry, climbing stairs in the statue, and also the ride over to Ellis Island. I love that the tour there is self-guided! Perfect for me and teenagers with small attention spans. Maybe because we could go at our own pace, it was that much more interesting to me, personally, than a lot of other museums I’ve visited.

Down by the ferry, there are really talented street performers doing all sorts of acrobatics. We loved watching them!

Empire State Building. Another touristy thing that should be done at least once. Kids just love to be in really high places. There’s a sense of danger involved in that I guess. Although the ESB is your standard bucket list spot for families, consider the Top of the Rock I’ve already mentioned. It has a lot more space and seating with three different viewing levels.

Singing Waiters. Little kids especially will like Ellen’s Stardust Diner on Broadway. The waitstaff sing Broadway songs and Disney tunes all day long!

Older Kids

Find their Interests. As teenagers, my girls were into Kylie Jenner’s makeup and ‘popup shops’, so we literally went to one of those and made a day of it. I would definitely ask older kids what they might want to see in NYC. We used to watch The Cake Boss and Say Yes to the Dress, so when we went to the World Spa, we stopped at Carlo’s Bakery! My daughter is engaged now, and is interested in hitting Kleinfeld’s Bridal, just for the experience!

Dinner and a Show. In my post 10 Incredible Gifts Your Adult Children will Love, I talk about how a wonderful way to celebrate older children is to give them trips and activities. They are fun, educational, and you get to spend quality time together! I took my daughters to see Wicked and to an incredible Italian dinner. We of course, took the bus, but it worked great!

Have you visited New York City and have some suggested activities or tips for getting around for us mature travelers? I’d love to hear!