bobbye7

i'm going to visit my daughter in westchester for a 3/d/wknd in october. we'll probably go into the city for one day, not sure what else we'll be doing. she's new to the area herself. any suggestions on (a)what/how much to pack, and/or(b)things to do in on day in the city would be greatly appreciated.
also, would a 21-inch carry-on be sufficient? and would carry-on be preferable to checked?
i'm not real strong and a little leery of having to lift luggage in and out of overheads.
sorry to be so long-winded!

Valerie427

You may want to take one of those big apple tour buses to see some of the sights.... if you wanted to go to Ellis Island that eats up a big chunk of time. Do you like museums? maybe you want to go to the newly reopened Museum of Modern Art, or to the Gugenheim... maybe you want to see a broadway show and dine before hand in the theatre district (they have lots of pre theatre price fixed deals). It really depends what you like to do...it's always fun to check out china town, and do some shopping. As for Westchester, you may want to go see Kykuit (pronouced Ky-Cut) the Rockefeller home, especially if you're coming in the fall, it overlooks the hudson river and is a pretty tour (they have different tour lengths). Check out www.historichudsonvalley.org for the info (and their other restoration sites).

nytraveler

If you have only 1 day n the city I wouldn't do a bus tour - you end up just looking at the outsides of buildings - and not really doing anything. And the SO/Ellis Island take too much time.

I would do the following:

Spend a couple of hours at the Met (or MoMA if you prefer Modern Art (do go to the Met web site to pick out 2/3 favorite departments)

Spend some time in Central Park - even if only a few minute stroll near the Met

Have a nice relaxed lunch - preferably someplace with an outdoor cafe if the day is nice

Top of the Rock (you can get advance tickets)

Have a look at Rock Center and a little of Fifth Avenue

See a Broadway show (go to broadwaybox.com to get discount tickets in advance)

You can have a quick snack either before or after the theater before heading home

(Trains to Westchester usually run every 30 minutes or so until midnight)

nytraveler

Sorry - there's a lot to do in Westchester - but you really need a car to get around- assume you daughter has one. In that time zone you should have some very pretty leaf country and you could consider:

West Point

Bear Mountain

FDR's home at Hyde Park

Culinary Institute of American (get reservations in advance)

Rockefeller's home at Kykuit (sp?)

Sleepy Hollow Restoration in Tarrytown

Drive the Storm King highway along the Hudson for incredible views

abram

There's so much to do in NYC that it's very difficult to make recommendations wiuthout having any sense of what you like. ?Art, History, Monuments, Theater, Shopping, Museums, Churches, Landmarks, Neighborhoods?, etc, etc.

I like to travel light, and a 21" carry-on would be plenty for me. I'd take black jeans, khakis, black dress pants, tops I could layer that go with all three, comfortable shoes.

For short trips, I prefer to carry on my luggage to decrease the chances that it will get lost.

bobbye7

my daughter does have a car so we can drive around. glad to hear there's plenty to do in westchester. she's still getting settled in her apartment in tarrytown so we may have to shop for furniture, etc.

thanks for the packing advice. my only concern about a 21-inch carry-on may sound silly but what do you do if you're not strong enough to lift it in and out of the overheads? i've never had to do that and don't think i could.

HowardR

If your daughter lives in Tarrytown, then it would seem logical that a visit to nearby Kykuit would be in order.

doug_stallings

Someone will probably help you with your carry-on. My mom can lift a 21-inch wheeled bag enough to put it in the overhead bin (it's not going to weigh much more than 20 pounds). However, to be perfectly honest, if you can't lift a 21-inch suitcase up into the bin, you really should be checking your bags.

bobbye7

your mom must be stronger than me.i'm 67 and do weight-lifting exercises. i can pick up something that's 20 lb. but i don't think i could possibly do that much over my head. i hate to have to check something for such a short trip.

mclaurie

I don't understand how you can manage with just carry on with the restrictions on liquids and sharp objects in carry ons. I wouldn't bother. You're not on a business trip in a rush. Check your luggage like a lady and only carry on the bare essentials. Have a bag with wheels and don't worry about lifting.

You've gotten good advice on sightseeing. Lots of stuff to see and do in Westchester. Biggest decisions will be to tour or not to tour in Manhattan. Have you considered going to the theater? Broadwaybox.com has some discounts on the left column that you can buy in advance.

abram

I have no trouble at all fitting enough toiletries for a week into 3 oz (or smaller) containers in a 1 quart ziplock bag. I'm not sure what sharp objects would be a problem--I take a small folding scissors in my cary on.

My 84 year old mother takes a small (less than 21") wheeled carry on, and someone always offers to put it in the overhead bin for her.