Last week during the kids April school vacation, our family took a trip down to New York City. It was the first time for the kids and the first time for me and my wife in over twenty years. Needless to say, a lot of things have changed in New York City since then!

Our first stop was the 9/11 Memorial and Museum  in lower Manhattan. Last time my wife and I visited the site, the museum was opened but still under construction and the memorial was not completed. Today the memorial and museum are fitting tributes to the lives lost that day.

One of the other sites I wanted to see at the World Trade Center was the new Oculus Transportation Hub by the architect Santiago Calatrava. I was in awe of the structure especially how the light pours into the building from its central skylight.

Next on our to-do list was the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island. The kids and I climbed to the top of the pedestal and from there we got unbelievable views of the Manhattan skyline. Ellis Island provided us the opportunity for the kids to learn about their great-grandfather who immigrated from Scotland and enter American through this historic site.

The next day we travelled to the American Natural History Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). There were some many exhibits in each building, we felt like we could have spent a whole day in one of them. We also took a stroll through Central Park and took advantage of another beautiful day.

Our final day we spent touring Rockefeller Center and the New York Public Library. In the evening we saw a show off Broadway. 

Click on the images below for an expanded view.