Rockefeller Center

I’ve lost count as to how many times Charlie and I have visited New York City. Early in our marriage we squeezed in as many trips as we could to our favorite destination. After having three kids our travels were limited to road trips visiting in-laws in Ohio or day trips to the beach.

Shortly after the 9/11 attack, with hearts broken, we made a pilgrimage, as a family, over the Thanksgiving holiday. Renting a small apartment through Manhattan Getaways in Hell’s Kitchen, just a couple of short blocks from the corner of Broadway and West 53^rd, we were able to take in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Making our way to lower Manhattan we witnessed the still-smoldering remnants of the World Trade Center. It was a sobering visit, kind of scary, at times, for the kids but a trip that needed to be made and a lesson that needed to be learned.

Since retirement we’ve tried to make our way to Manhattan every few years, finding inexpensive lodging such as the Stay The Night in the upper East side (you’ll share a bathroom) or a cute walkup in Harlem through Airbnb. This time we were taking advantage of frequent flier miles so we decided to splurge on an actual hotel. Of course, during the holidays you won’t find anything decent under $350-400 per night in Midtown so we still had to go through Hotwire to find something closer to $200. Our 4-Star request landed us at the World Center Hotel, smack dab next to the newly constructed Freedom Tower and 911 Museum.

Freedom Tower

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