Planning our NYC Adventure

I normally vacation for 2 weeks in May. It's the perfect travel month, spring break is over and school isn't out yet. It is CHEAP! This is the last school-free year for us, so we are going out with a bang.

Towards the end of May is a week beach trip with my Mom. The first week of May is NYC with my boy. It's hard to balance 2 different people who want to travel!

I've been researching hotels like constantly for a month now. 2 beds, non smoking, under $200 a night....its been a little hard to locate! Especially the 2 bed part without having to pay a large 3rd person surcharge.

So we went over to Long Island City. There is a Sheratan opening just a few days before we arrive in NYC. It is a basic room with 2 beds, then entire hotel is non smoking and there won't be any bed bugs. It is also $1010 for 6 nights including taxes :) We will be 500 feet from a subway connection and the ride into Manhattan is an extra 5 minutes. I am pleased :)

Our train tickets are free because we signed up for Amtrak rewards. I bought theater tickets like last Sept, so those aren't included in this year's budget.

Want to see what we'll be doing? (Remember, Stephen pays for his own stuff.)
Statue of Liberty - $17
Top of Rock - $21
Central park Zoo - $19
Natural History Museum - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
Guggenheim Museum - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
NYC Aquarium - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
Met Art Museum - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
Modern Art Museum - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
NY Science Museum - Free (corporate passes - yay!)
Chinatown - dinner and walking around
Little Italy - we will grab lunch here since it's been reduced to a city block
Brooklyn Bridge - gonna walk it and take pictures
Wall Street - this is my thing - makes my little daytrading soul happy. I hope we are there on a day when C is doing well so I can take a pic of it on the ticker.
Wicked - bought last year
Manhattan Beach (sooooo excited, the aquarium is practically on the beach!)

All this, plus my share of the room, a subway pass and a train ticket for Natalie is a mere $657. That leaves $543 for food for 6 days and some small souvies.

I know big city folks are going to groan now but here goes - I think I'm taking some food with us.

Breakfast is not included. I've google mapped the area and I do not see fast food for breakfast anywhere. I am *this* close to buying a hot water pot to take, like what was in my rooms in China. I can take rolled oats and run them through the food processor to make them instant oats. I just bought tons of awesome dried fruit and nuts for it. A little hot water and tada! breakfast. The little pot is also something I can take on other roadtrips.

Another quandary....where are all the coffee pots in NYC? Why don't rooms have them? I've looked and looked and maybe I'm just missing them but I don't see any. I am *this* close to making some little coffee "tea" bags and bringing them along with our travel mugs.

Anyway, I am hunting down tasty cheap places to eat while we are there. If you have any suggestions please let me know :)