Washington DC and New York City with 2 Boys

My sister, Penny, my Mother, and I took two boys (my nephew, Ryker and my son, Eli) to Washington DC and New York City and we survived! To say that it was an adventure is an understatement. 

Ryker was in the third grade at the time of the trip and Eli was in the first grade. They talked non stop and I mean they NEVER stopped talking. They even talked in their sleep! We all had a wonderful time and made some great memories!

Traveling with two boys is no small undertaking. A trip to our nation's capital is a trip in and of itself, but we decided to slip in a trip to the Big Apple while we were visiting DC. 

We caught a REALLY early flight out of Memphis, TN to DC. This was great because we arrived at the Ronald Reagan Airport around 9:30 a.m. We grabbed an Uber and dropped our luggage off at the hotel. 

Mount Vernon- The Home of President George Washington

We grabbed another Uber and spent the afternoon at Mount Vernon. This was my favorite part of the trip. I have traveled to DC several times, but I had not gotten the opportunity to see Mount Vernon. It is a very beautiful and moving place. Eli and Ryker really loved it because they could roam the grounds of where the first President of United States lived.  

Ryker was so proud of his first purchase- a baseball made of money!

We ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. It was delicious and refreshing. 

The tours inside the mansion are led by incredibly knowledgeable people who love to answer the hundreds of questions that young children throw out to them. In our tour, we actually were able to see the upstairs bedroom and the actual bed where President George Washington died.  

The Mansion faces the Potomac River and the view is just breathtaking. 

Ford's Theater 

I definitely recommend going to Ford's Theater. It will cost you absolutely nothing to hear of how President Abraham Lincoln came to see a play in the theater and was shot in the pictured balcony below. I was pleasantly surprised when the ticket lady told me that their was no charge for tickets. 

Ryker and Eli found this really interesting to get to see where Lincoln was shot. 

    Across the street from Ford's Theater is where they carried Lincoln and where he later died. You can tour this as well, but Ryker and Eli's attention span was gone by this time. 

DC Duck Boat Tours

DC Duck Boat Tours are a must. If you are planning a trip to DC with children, please take the time to book one of these tours. This Duck Boat can drive on land and float in the water. The Captains of the Duck Boat are very knowledgeable of the history of our great United States. It was a very educational excursion that both boys absolutely loved. 

Each child gets a turn at steering the boat! Go Captain Eli!

And everyone receives duckbills that quack!

The United State Capital building.

Georgetown

After the Duck Boat adventure, we took an Uber to Georgetown for cupcakes!

These are the BEST cupcakes! Georgetown is a few minutes outside of DC. It is a college town with adorable shops and restaurants. 

We ate at a pizza place across the street from Georgetown Cupcakes. Joseph and I ate at this exact same pizza place (I can't remember the name of it) when I was pregnant with Eli. 

Please don't judge me because I have two cupcakes in my hand. Georgetown Cupcakes are that good! This was before COVID-19 and we were trying at least one bite out of all them to figure out our favorite flavor. 

United State Capital Building

One last look at the US Capital building before our next adventure!

On this trip I was the girl looking for our Uber driver, while these two gals pictured, looked for some TJ Maxx stores. You can't sight see all day and not shop. This is real life right here. There is absolutely nothing fake about the photo above. I laugh every time I look at this photo!

We also took the boys to Arlington National Cemetery. I did not take any photos there. It is a place for silent reflection and gratitude. I was so proud that the boys got to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It sparked a myriad of questions and I think they started to understand that their freedoms in this Country came and still come at a great cost. 

Riding the Amtrak Train to New York City

We road on Amtrak to New York City. From Union Station DC to  Penn Station New York is two hours. We booked an early morning ride (like 5 a.m.). This insured plenty of time to explore New York City. Taking the Amtrak train is affordable and fun for two adventurous boys. 

We Made it to New York City! Can't you tell by their faces? Eli was so excited, he couldn't stand it! I was practically running after him all over the city. 

New York City

First stop was at a Delicatessen to get a Black and White Cookie for breakfast! 

We do not eat healthy when we are on holiday! 

Next stop, the M & M Flagship store that has anything you could ever want M & M related.

 

I was not impressed with the Double Decker city bus tours. They were slow, hot, and not dependable. We stuck with it until we got to Macy's at Harold Square and then jumped off there. Our tickets for this included a ferry ride to see the Statute of Liberty, but I would just recommend purchasing the ferry tickets separately.

The ferry ride was a great way to see the city from the water. 

And there she is- the Statute of Liberty! 

Time Square

If you asked Eli and Ryker, what their favorite part of the trip was, they would immediately tell you- FAO Schwarz.

Since the Toys R Us closed on Times Square (there was a huge Ferris wheel inside the store), FAO Schwarz is the next best thing. Eli and Ryker were in paradise! 

Eli got to build and customize his own remote control car. 

Of course, Mom (that's me), couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to Lululemon on Fifth Avenue. The look on Eli's face says it all- "How long are we gonna be in here?"

They can hot press the NYC skyline on some of their products. 

This is exclusive to this Lululemon store. 

We found a Lego Store on Fifth Avenue and we just had to stop in and grab a Statue of Liberty Lego Mini figure. 

We did not go to the top of the "King Kong Building" (that is what my Mother calls it) aka the Empire State Building, but we did go inside. They have a model of it and lots of other items of interest. 

You can't go to New York City without going to Central Park. It is practically the only green space in the City. It is beautiful and the boys enjoyed climbing.

The photo ops in Central Park are awesome too!

Dining in NYC

We didn't make any reservations anywhere to dine in the city. There were a couple of places that I had on my list to go, but our scheduled stayed really fluid for the boys.  The Stardust Diner was on my list. I remembered coming to this restaurant as a teenager and I knew the boys would like the atmosphere. 

We ate breakfast one morning at the Stardust Diner. This is a super cool restaurant where the waiters and waitresses sing Broadway songs while you eat. 

It is very entertaining, but very expensive so be prepared.

The Roxy Diner

New York Cheesecake- Oreo, of course.  I had eaten here before, but for some reason, the service and food was not as good as I had remembered.

DO- Cookie Dough Confections

We took an Uber to  DO Cookie Dough Confections. IT WAS SO SO GOOD! I had never eaten here before. It is definitely worth your time to try if you are a fan of cookie dough.

This was four packed to the brim days of sight seeing, shopping, and eating our way through Washington DC and New York City. Eli and Ryker had the time of their lives. We will have to make another trip to see the things we missed on this trip, but we made some unforgettable memories. 

The flight home was a silent one because the boys were so exhausted and the Mamas were too!