Thanksgiving in NYC

As you know, my wife and I do not have family in New England. So, instead of our usual dinner with friends from church, we headed down to New York City. Because we were so close, we thought it would be great to see the Macy’s parade up close.

Our friend, Mark, went with us on our trek to NYC. After helping out at Lazarus House on Wednesday night, we hopped on a bus from Boston to NYC. It was not the greatest bus ride, as the driver did not seem that experienced, but we got there nonetheless. In fact, we got there even earlier than we expected. From 2:30-4:00am, we walked around the streets of NYC, seeing things like “Ground Zero.”

After staking out our spot on the sidewalk, we settled in for the long wait. After five hours, the parade actual began. It was not until 10:00am before we saw it, though, as we were near the end of the parade route. The first balloon was Snoopy, and the kept going from there. They were so much larger in person, and we also got to see all the people it took to keep the balloons in place. There were some great marching bands and fun floats with celebrities. We got to see Jimmy Fallon, Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, and many others.

After the parade, we grabbed lunch at a nearby bar & grill. I, of course, had to have turkey on Thanksgiving…so I got the closest thing I could get — a turkey wrap! Afterward, we walked to Time Square, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park. It was Yvette’s first time in NYC, so we had to hit all the big spots. Unfortunately, it was raining a bit, so it was not as fun as it could have been.

We caught the 8:00pm bus back to Boston, and eventually were home at about 1:00am. We slept in the next day, “Black Friday,” and then did a bit of Christmas shopping (both online and at the mall). There was no need for us to stay out all night like last year’s Black Friday.

Overall, I definitely recommend heading to NYC for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is much different than watching it on TV. However, be sure to dress warmly, and prepare for a long wait. In the end, though, it is totally worth it!

Be sure to check out my Facebook photo album, which contains 134 photos from our trip! View it HERE.