My shopping cart
Your cart is currently empty.
Continue Shopping(If you're here for our Land of Stories adventure stops in NYC, head to the bottom of this post.)
It's the end of National Library Week. For obvious reasons, we're big fans of libraries around here.
A few years back, our small one was deeeeeeep into reading the Land of Stories books by Chris Colfer. So much so that when I was planning a work trip to New York, she asked if she could go with me so she could see all the places mentioned in book 6 (Where World's Collide). Out of sheer admiration (and wanting to undergird any and all love of reading she possessed) I enthusiastically said yes!
The days we spent winding thru the streets of New York, ticking off the special spots she knew from her reading were all incredible. But the best one... the one that seemed almost holy... was when we were at the main branch of The New York Public Library .
She became very quiet when we walked in... reverent... aware that she was in her own kind of church. but then, when we reached a particular staircase, it was like she combusted into excitement & joy. "This is the portal mama!"
We spent the rest of that day reading in the Rose Main Reading Room, taking breaks to sit on the steps outside, eating our lunch, & talking about other books we could find that mentioned this incredible spot.
Thank you libraries and authors and the hearts of little kids... for making portals that take us deeper into our own story.
These are the spots we visited on our Land of Stories Adventure Day in NYC:
Bryant Park -- We played board games, sipped fancy drinks, & listened to buskers on a beautiful summer day.
Statue of Liberty -- We did the historical tour, headphones & all. At the time, our small one was almost 8 years old. Any younger and the walking of that day (in the August heat) might have been too much.
The Chrysler Building -- We found the whole affair of getting tickets to tour the Chrysler Building a confusing endeavor. We opted to stop by, but when we got there, we just decided we'd rather be out in nature & headed to Central Park instead.
Main Branch of the New York Public Library -- As mentioned, we spent the better part of the day there. Seeing the Winnie The Pooh display was also a highlight.
Central Park, specifically Belvedere Castle -- A fun stop that had us at the nearby Turtle Pond for our picnic lunch.
Washington Square -- This was a very fun stop because of the market happening at the time of our visit. We were the consumate tourists in that moment, almost forgetting we were at the site of one of the book's biggest battles.
The Subways -- She took her first ride on a subway with our dear friend & Brooklynite, Pam, who prepared her how to ride a subway like a real New Yorker. When we ventured out, she was ready & thrilled to journey thru the city like Connor & Alex.