The Long Adventures

I like to think we stumbled upon the TWA Hotel serendipitously back in February 2020. We were planning a trip back to Southern California for my cousin’s wedding and I was searching for a place with extended parking at reasonable rates. TWA Hotel happened to have the best rates available and we just happened to be flying JetBlue for this particular trip.

I fell in love with the midcentury modern style of the hotel and the kids had a blast checking out the Lilliputian BMW Isetta 300 in the lobby; however, we didn’t have a lot of time to explore as we had a flight to catch. So I mentally bookmarked it until an opportunity to visit again came up.

Fast forward to one year later and that opportunity finally arose. I saw that the TWA Hotel offered a Daytripper Stay option and I was sold. I liked the idea of having a hotel room for the day time while we enjoyed the hotel’s amenities before going back home and sleeping in our own beds. At the time of our visit, you could only select from a few choices for a Daytripper stay. Upon writing this, it appears that you can customize your check in and check out times further. Daytripper stays are available for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum 12 hours. When we visited, our stay was from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We were charged the daily max of $35 to park with no in and out privileges. Parking is valet style and reservations are handled electronically through alerts sent to your phone. You can also access the hotel if traveling via the LIRR and then hopping on the JFK AirTrain. TWA Hotel is located at terminal 5.

Checking in and out was relatively straightforward through an electronic platform located at the hotel’s front desk. We headed up and settled into our room before venturing out again. Our room type was a deluxe double queen with a historic TWA view. The beds and linen were comfortable and the motorized darkening window shade came in handy during Theo’s afternoon nap; however, the room itself was a typical NYC sized hotel room so I was glad that we’d be going back home in the evening to our own bedrooms and more space. Theo slipped multiple times in the bathroom shower since the floor is completely smooth so I’d keep a close eye on any young children.

The TWA Hotel’s gym is arguably one of the best that we’ve encountered. It’s equipped with things like multiple Peloton bikes and Eleiko plates. Hotel guests are welcome to use the gym at no extra cost. You can also access it via a day pass or a monthly membership.

The main highlight of our Daytripper stay was the rooftop pool-cuzzi. We visited in late March on a rare sunny weekday to avoid any potential crowds. At times, wee shared the pool with another hotel guest or two at most; however, for a majority of our stay, we had the pool to ourselves. It was also a treat watching planes land and take off. You could definitely hear the airplanes’ engines going but it wasn’t at a volume that bothered the kids. The pool-cuzzi lived up to its name. It was well heated and kept us warm.

At its’ deepest, the pool is 3’6”. There’s a bench that spans the entire length of the pool right by its infinity edge so you can sit comfortably while airplane watching. Theodore’s still in this “I hate getting in pools but I love playing with water” so he had a blast playing at the pool’s zero entry area.

The enclosed dining and bar area was under construction at the time of our visit but a helpful employee that was passing by let me know that there were several large bathrooms to the left of the bar. I thought that was super helpful information since there wasn’t any visible signage that I could see easily.

Only drawback about visiting during the pandemic is that a lot of the dining spaces were either closed or operating under more restricted hours. The small food hall that was open had limited offerings so I’m glad I packed extra allergy friendly food and snacks for Ava. The TWA Hotel has a rich history and does a great job in showcasing it. Definitely take the time to explore these little gems sprinkled throughout its wings.

Thanks for a memorable staycation, TWA Hotel!

I’ve been wanting to do the Catskill River Run for awhile now and my 33rd birthday week gave us a chance to finally check it out. You can read about their plans for social distancing here. Parking is a small gravel lot. Restrooms are in the form of a portable restroom trailer and there’s even a little gift shop. Check in time was 15 minutes before our trip time slot. They run a tight ship and our party left promptly on time so I’d highly suggest being on time. There aren’t refunds given for being late and missing your group’s departure time. We completed our liability waivers online before we left for our trip so check in was a breeze.

For some reason, both Mitchell and I imagined that you just get assigned a railbike and you’re sent on your merry way. In reality, there are multiple parties that’ll go at the same time as your timed reservation. Then to cross NY 28, all the railbikes get coupled up and cross at the same time.

There’s a small basket where a backpack (or a small, soft sided cooler like the railbike passengers in front of us brought) can fit. We were instructed to take anything loose out of our pockets unless they were zippered pockets. Note that cell reception is spotty at best. I also spied two umbrellas included with our railbike.

Blue teeth courtesy of a blue raspberry Airhead.

Each railbike will have a name tag. Ours was easy to spot since it was the only one with a toddler harness. I’m glad I took the time to inspect the buckles because one was slightly cracked so that if you gently tugged at it, it would come apart. A staff member replaced it with one that securely fastened. The railbikes can gain a decent amount of speed so I’m glad that Theo was strapped in snugly.

NY 28 to our right on our way to the halfway point

Esopus Creek on our left. NY 28 on our right.

The halfway point. We got off the railbikes once we reached the halfway point and waited a bit while staff turned the railbikes around with a hydraulic press. Another group had packed drinks and snacks and were having a blast while we waited. If we were to ever go again, I’d definitely do the same.

Don’t hesitate bringing your jacket! We left ours behind because we figured we’d work up a sweat. Pedaling warmed us up a little bit but I would have definitely appreciated having the option of having my jacket since it’s breezy as you zip along the track.

The kids were allowed to sit together and insisted upon doing so on our way back to the station. For reference, they were 7 and 2 years old at the time of our visit. There’s a little switch you can activate that’ll give you a slight motorized boost. It won’t work unless you’re also pedaling though. This switch is only by the seat that also controls the hand break. For our quad railbike, it was the seat in the back right.

Both kids wound up loving this experience, especially Theodore - our little aficionado of all things on wheels. I mean look at that face!

Phoenicia’s Main Street is nearby. You can find a gas station, small market, and an ice cream spot. If you check out the Phoenicia Diner, the bourbon bacon burger was delicious.