Thanksgiving this year was a bit different. As Christmas will be spent with family next month we decided to spend the night in Manhattan and watch the Macy's balloons being inflated near the Museum of Natural History. The entire process is well watched over by NYPD and we thought it very well organised given the extreme crowds. It was literally just walking around the block (or two) and the weather was lovely.
Dinner was a laid back affair. The Shake Shack at 77th did brisk business that night and it was nice to visit the playground next door to run off a bit of energy for our overly excited child. Bouncy castles and monkey bars at night - what's not to love?
It was very cool to see the enormous balloon inflation and so strange to see them folded beneath nets in preparation for their big day. Although crowded, everyone was very nice and it was just a fun family event. Only posting our favorites here...
Elf on the Shelf (who should be arriving for his annual visit soon)
Buzz Lightyear!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (We've read nearly all of these)
It felt very special to wake up in the morning right in Times Square. We bought a ton of extra hotel points on sale this month so the stay was a bargain. No early morning train and no crowds on the way in! In fact, we found Times Square basically deserted - a prime opportunity to explore. We had a quick breakfast and then stopped into any store Monkey wanted. Which meant, M&M, Hershey, Disney etc...in fact we barely even saw the parade as we were having too much fun away from the massive crowds (have I mentioned that I dislike crowds?)
A really fun moment came when we "played" on the enormous live DunkMe photoscape in Time Square. It looks a bit like Where is Waldo, yet we are somewhere in this photo...
and here as well (hint - we are in the top third of the image and a kiss is involved)...
Our photos from the actual parade are not that great so I won't bother to share. Far away or only parts of an attraction. We took the train home and I cooked a massive feast from scratch, trying not to nod off over the scalloped potatoes. We spoke with family and friends and held hands to share everything we are thankful for this year. The evening was capped off with green tea and a Christmas movie - peaceful and perfect. All in all it was a fantastic Thanksgiving and I recommend watching the balloon inflation to anyone at any age. Great memories!
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