This is second in a series of entries from blogger Sally Doran on her summer road trip (find previous here).

     When we walked out of the movie theater on 42nd Street in Manhattan at about 12:45 a.m. this past Sunday, my son’s 15-year-old friend Kyle commented, “Man, it feels like it’s the middle of the day!” I guess the 360-degree neon lights blazing at nearly 1 a.m. while hordes of people surged down the sidewalks was a real-life encounter with “the city that never sleeps" for this Midwestern teen’s first-time visit to New York City.

Trying to cover Manhattan with two teenage guys (my son Jake, also 15, and Kyle) for two-and-a-half days requires either being “the mother that never sleeps”, or going in with a game plan and a agreement of choices on what sites you want to do and see. Since I’ve visited NYC several times myself, and since teenage guys play it cool about what they really want to do, I had to step up to tour guide role and lead the charge. I hoped to give Jake and Kyle at least a look, feel and taste of what life is like in what some same is the greatest city in the world.

While the museums are among the top choices for tourists visiting New York, we didn’t spend our few hours in town visiting any. I was looking to spend every second we could immersing ourselves in the hands-on activities- eating pizza by the slice in Little Italy, pressing up against the railing of the ferry to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, hopping the subway for a noisy, hot ride that they’ll always remember. (Speaking of Statue of Liberty, getting a chance to walk up to the crown is one of the toughest tickets in town….)

Somehow we lucked out with some of the most incredible summer weather the Big Apple may see all season long, so exploring Central Park was a perfect first activity for the weekend in the city. You can pretend you’re a New Yorker, hanging out in the park as you see the locals enjoying this phenomenal green space- biking, rollerblading, playing softball, picnicking, dog-walking and sunbathing. You have to really experience the park first-hand to appreciate what an incredible asset it is to this city. I was hoping we could time our visit with a free concert or play but we’ll hope to work that in next visit.

Another New York experience I would recommend for first visitors- especially kids and teens- is attending a performance on Broadway. We chose Rock Of Ages, featuring a live rock band playing some of the 1980’s great “hair music’ that’s woven into a loose plot about a girl and a guy who meet on LA’s Sunset Strip circa 1987. The atmosphere and attire in the audience is casual and singing along is encouraged. Each member of the audience even gets their own fake Bic lighter to fire up and sway with during the 80’s ballads from Journey and Foreigner.

I’m also a fan of the ubiquitous double-decker tour buses that roam the city’s streets. It seems kind of cheesy, but I’ve toured with them in NYC and other cities and it’s one of the best ways to get a look at all of the iconic tourist spots in the least time. We chose to “hop on and hop off” the Grayline tour because they offer a AAA discount off the 48-hour tour that provides transportation and many interesting facts about the city. For instance, this weekend I learned something new: the star that appears with Macy’s logo on shopping bags, etc. used by the retail giant headquartered on 34th Street was chosen by the store’s founder because he had a star tattoo on his arm! Who knew? That’s what I like about those city tour guides- the good ones are part conductor, part historian and part stand-up comedian.

We “hopped off” our tour bus in Soho to check out the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex on Mercer St. It’s a small slice of the treasure trove of artifacts and historical information about rock and roll music on display at the Rock Hall in Cleveland. The Annex currently features a special exhibit on John Lennon’s life in New York from 1971 until 1980. The place was packed even on a spectacularly sunny Saturday ,and the Lennon exhibit was well-done with music, film, and artifacts like song lyrics, clothing and even the blood-stained glasses he wore when he was shot and killed in front of The Dakota Building on Central Park West.

But one of the best exhibits in New York is simply people watching… and it‘s free! We did our share in Soho, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and Battery Park. Colorful characters, spontaneous free music and dance performances and a smorgasbord of street vendors provide another New York experience that the teens I’m traveling with won’t see back home.