This restlessness and energy likely has something to do with us being currently in the lead for the race to AI. Ho hum… building God while still having the equivalent of the GDP of a small country to drop on Halloween trinkets.
I had planned to write about the Trump-BLS fight today. But considering that two of my co-bloggers have already written about this (Mike on Monday and Scott on Tuesday) and that I have written about supposedly “fake” jobs numbers before several times (see January 2024 and August 2024), I will hold off on that topic until all of the dust settles. But this is a very important topic, and I believe Trump is clearly in the wrong (as is Kevin Hassett, see my tweets from this week), so please do continue to follow this topic and sane voices on it (see a Tweet from Ernie Tedeschi and from me for a long-run perspective on data accuracy).
But now, on to something a little more light-hearted: is everyone traveling to Europe these days?
Judging by my Facebook feed, it seems that Yes, lots of people are traveling to Europe. But this could be a result of selection bias in at least two ways: the people I am friends with on Facebook, and what people choose to post about on Facebook.
So what does the hard data say? We actually have pretty good long-run data on this question. In short: yes, lots more Americans are traveling to Europe (and overseas generally). Though don’t worry: not everyone went to Europe this summer, despite what social media might have you believe.
For starters, here’s a chart showing three decades of US overseas travel:
I posted See New York City for Free in 2022 and See New York City for Cheap in 2024. In summer 2025, we spent 4 nights in Midtown. I will post general reflections about kids and New York here. Last week, l posted a short itinerary for our half-week in Manhattan with elementary-aged kids, as suggestions for other parents: NYC Family Summer Trip Itinerary
1. Assuming a middle-income family with 1-3 kids, when it comes to travel, I propose Do Less for Preschool. Save money by staying close to home when the kids are under the age of 6. I know people who do international trips with babies, usually because they are visiting family. I have not.
2. A mentor encouraged me to have kids early. One of my objections in 2014 was that I hadn’t traveled the world yet. Everyone I knew was posting selfies in Thailand. How could I have kids if I haven’t even posted from Thailand yet? He told me that you can travel with your kids when they are older. Now it’s 2025. Did that time go by fast? It’s a blur at this point. I remember the time when I read in a book that your kids will potty train themselves if you let them walk around with no diaper. When I tried that, my folks just went on the floor. That’s the stage of life when you might want to put unnecessary travel on hold.
3. Someone had told us that the NYC Subway is not safe and we should not take our kids on it. We used the Subway every day and it was fine. I saw one young man jump the turnstile. The elevator smelled bad. One night when I was checking routes, I noticed a warning on the map reading, “trains are delayed while we request NYPD for someone being disruptive on train…” So, people who rely on the Subway at all times might still have some complaints.
We enjoyed peace and safety in touristy areas between the hours of 8am and 9pm. Were we the beneficiaries of the crime decrease? I saw a bus ad celebrating the decrease in murders in NYC. Before I left Birmingham, Mayor Woodfin announce a big decrease in murders. The trend seems to be real.
Last year was the largest one-year percentage point decline in murder ever recorded. This year is on track to do so again. In fact, nearly every category of crime is down sharply, with many at multi-decade lows or even the lowest per-capita rates ever recorded. pic.twitter.com/5ZLsNVwyhO
4. The Observation Deck of the Empire State Building trip is almost more meta than the MOMA. You are inside the building looking at pictures of the outside of the building. You are posting pictures of yourself next to 50-year-old pictures of the outside of the building. People appear to go to the real thing in order to poast.
You can just do things, as they say, or at least you could in 1930.
Both kids voted that the Empire State Building was more “wow” than the MOMA. Maybe they like constructing more than deconstructing.
5. I vote the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) as more “wow” because the permanent installations include many famous pieces including Starry Night by Van Gogh.
I had booked a day at MOMA without knowing exactly what was inside. My kids got to see me going around saying things like, “Wow. They have a real Picasso!” Instead of acting as a docent through a world I’ve already explored, my kids get to discover a lot along with me. We discussed what counts as “art” and “how did that get on the wall of a museum?”
6. If you are going to Lower Manhattan to see the New York Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center, don’t miss a free tour of Trinity Church. (Hamilton’s tomb is in the churchyard.) It is an example of progress to see the cathedral dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers considering that: “With its 281-foot steeple, the third Trinity Church became the tallest building in the United States.”
Here at EWED, Jeremy has often pointed out that people are richer today than in the past. The maligned Boomers would have seen a shorter New York skyline as children. Many of the supertall glass structures you see today were built after 2001, meaning it’s Gen Z who gets to live with them. (I learned that on our harbor boat tour.)
7. The 7-year-old got Lion King and the M&M store in Times Square. The tour of the United Nations headquarters was for the older people. The 10yo and I learned a lot from an excellent tour guide.
The 7yo had to be carried. She did not understand why they were calling “an emergency meeting on Syria.” The next day I asked her what she remembered from touring the UN. She sincerely replied, “What United Nations?” If you are wondering if she remembers anything from the trip, the answer is yes. The Empire State Building and the Chrysler building, among many other things, are newly part of the family vocabulary.
After the UN tour, I took the family back across 1st Avenue to see the Isaiah Wall. Scaffolding blocked our view, which is not encouraging for the hope of peace. The idea is that: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Imagine a child named Johnny trying to form a model of the universe from the journey I set up for my kids this summer. In New York, Johnny embarked on a cultural safari that began at the MoMA, where he stood wide-eyed before melted clocks and soup cans, absorbing the idea that the world might be an absurd, fragmented collage. Then came The Lion King as a dazzling counterpoint, suggesting that the world is imbued with cosmic purpose. Every giraffe, ghost-dad, and blade of savannah grass existed in service of a divine, eternal monarchy. Finally, at the United Nations, he was led past flags and translation booths, where no one bowed to anyone and the world’s contradictions were negotiated over coffee. By the end of the day, Johnny wondered: is meaning a myth, a fact taught by the Spirit, or a matter of committee?
I noticed that they serve Starbucks coffee in the basement of the UN and in the Empire State Building. As long as we can get coffee before and dinner after, no one seems to care if the message is coherent.
This is a condensed list of what we did with elementary-aged kids for three fun days in Manhattan in July.
Like a camping trip, NYC with kids depends on the weather. In good walking weather you can occupy many hours exploring free outdoor attractions. In bad weather, you might feel the need to constantly buy admission tickets, retail, taxis and sit-down restaurant meals.
Our hotel was a 5-minute walk from Grand Central Station. We had a good view from our room on the 28th floor. We could even look down on an interesting active construction site. When traveling with kids, or any group larger than a couple, you’ll probably be stuck in the hotel sometimes, so paying extra for a good view might be worth it.
In the hotel lounge, adults could drink a free glass of wine and listen to a guy playing calm piano songs from memory like “My Heart Will Go On.” When my ten-year-old (10yo) asked for “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, the request was denied.
Tuesday
We walked to The Empire State Building. Passing the Public Library was a highlight although it was not open yet. I had booked entry tickets to the Empire State building online months ahead of time for a 9:30am time on a Tuesday. We spent no time waiting in line.
Next, we took the Subway to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). I had reserved tickets for the day. If your kids need a break from quietly appreciating art on the wall, there is a garden courtyard and kid’s craft area.
It was hot but we were lucky to not be in the middle of a genuine heat wave. We got to-go food from a shop and walked north to Central Park for a picnic on rocks in the shade. Playgrounds and fun statues provide points of interest for kids.
We walked up to the Chess pavilion where my kids dropped in on chess games with friendly strangers (a nice man provided the pieces). You could bring your own chess or checkers pieces if you want to guarantee a game.
Note: Even though many places claim to have bag polices online, you can almost always get a regular sized backpack and/or metal water bottle through security.
Wednesday
This might sound like a planned itinerary, but the only thing we locked in ahead of time for Wednesday was an afternoon Broadway show. By the time we got back to our hotel at night, my phone had counted over 14,000 steps for the day. Our first stop was Clinton Castle on the southern edge of the island. Benefits to children include bathrooms and a museum display of how Manhattan was expanded through land reclamation. I’m not including all the places we stopped to eat in this blog but we especially liked discovering Liberty Bagels.
We saw the bull statue and the New York Stock Exchange (from the outside). A great stop in Lower Manhattan is a free self-guided tour of Trinity Church. We walked to the 9/11 memorial and then back to the subway so we could rest in our hotel during the hottest part of the day.
Lion King on Broadway was fun (and expensive). Afterwards, we were in Time Square, and it was finally time to do what my kids had been talking about all year: return to the M&M store. Kids love the M&M store.
Then we walked to Hell’s Kitchen for dinner. We went back east to Rockefeller Center and bought books for the kids at McNally Jackson. From there, with a “we can make it” attitude, we walked back to the hotel in the dark. This is where the “safe streets” matter as much as the weather.
Thursday
This morning had not been planned ahead of time, so we spent some of our time figuring things out. We walked to the United Nations headquarters. I was able to get visitor passes and a guided tour. We had a great guide who explained the building and the aims of the UN for 45 minutes. I learned a lot and my 10yo was engaged.
Should you take your children on a tour of the UN? I had to carry my 7yo most of the time. The next day, I asked her what she remembered. She sincerely replied, “What United Nations?” If you don’t think your younger child will be outright disruptive, then you might take a younger kid along with an older kid who can appreciate it.
We had an appointment to enter the USS Intrepid Museum at 2:30. We didn’t make it until 3:30 and it closes at 5pm. The place deserves more than 90 minutes. It has a big kids’ activity area that is fully indoors.
Our last scheduled event was a Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise from 7pm to 9pm. In the summer, this is a sunset cruise of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Just at the end you see the city lights against the night sky. The tour guide was entertaining and smart! I learned interesting NYC facts and history. They have enclosed areas with windows for bad weather but that would not be as fun. Being able to sit up on the open-air top deck made the view amazing for everyone.
I recently spent a week in Norway with my family. Highly recommended overall. While we were mostly able to get around the country by train, we needed to rent a car to get to a small, remote village where my great grandfather came from, and where I still have relatives. Prior to the drilling of several massive car tunnels in the 1980s and 1990s, Fjaerland was only accessible by boat.
And if you are renting a car in Norway today, it’s highly likely you will be renting an electric car (unless you specifically ask for a gas-powered car, as the older German couple in front of me at the rental counter did). The vast majority of new cars sold in Norway (over 90%) are electric, and since most rentals are new cars, that’s what they have.
Norway has made the biggest push in the world through public policy to encourage EV adoption, both for buying cars and for building up a charging infrastructure. In this post I will primarily focus on the consumer experience of renting an EV, though the public policy surrounding it is worth a discussion too.
Thank you for the heritage of philosophical and scientific ideas, preserved through an international effort over thousands of years. Thank you for coming to study at American universities in this century, and for staying to teach.
Thank you all for buying into our heroes. What is Star Wars without a global audience? Your enthusiasm transforms our characters into shared legends. Thank you for cheering on Harrison Ford and Will Smith. Thank you for feeling the joys and heartbreaks of Taylor Swift, Luke Combs and Beyoncé. Thank you for sending us Lord of the Rings, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Squid Game.
Video games unite us all. Thanks for Elden Ring from Japan, and Minecraft, which started in Sweden before it was acquired by Microsoft. It helps us be more creative when the world buys U.S.-made games like Call of Duty and Fortnite.
Merci France, for helping us in our war of independence and giving us the Statue of Liberty. (And for printing my cartoon.)
Thank you to England, for the inheritance of a system of limited government, whose principles of common law, parliamentary tradition, and constitutional rights became the foundation upon which we built our republic.
Thank you, world, for listening to our national anthem at the Olympics. For training with us and competing against us in feats of endurance and collectively celebrating as humans have recently broken so many records of performance. Congrats to Eliud Kipchoge and Katie Ledecky.
Thank you for believing in the American Dream. The wealth enjoyed by average Americans today would not be possible without globalization.
Thank you for seeing good in us and trusting our soldiers and businesses.
Thank you for trading with us. Thanks for keeping the modern F-150 truck affordable. Quality is better today, because it’s more powerful with stronger engines and still gets better gas mileage while being safer. Part of what keeps the price down is getting so many component parts through imports from places like Mexico and Asia.
Thank you for sharing your genuine thoughts on our social media platforms. Thank you for making the World Wide Web worldwide, starting with http://info.cern.ch.
Thailand, thank you for welcoming my college friends who do not speak your language. You gave them a break from the monotony of their local landscapes. What would our Instagram be without you, and Iceland and Ecuador? The generosity with which you welcome travelers enriches not just our photo albums, but our perspectives.
Other than being the smallest state, of course. In other places I’ve lived, it was more obvious what made them stand out. Boston has the most high-quality universities, including the oldest one (though it is expensive and traffic-ridden). New Orleans has the best food, live music, and festivals (though terrible crime and roads). I’ve lived in Rhode Island since 2020 and I’ve enjoyed how it seems to have no big negatives the way many other places do- it’s been pretty nice all around. But it has been harder to see anything where Rhode Island really stands out.
What should a tourist see or do here that they couldn’t do elsewhere? The Italian food is great, but that’s true of several other cities. You can find Portuguese food here in a way you can’t in most of the US. Probably the Cliff Walk in Newport is our best entry: a 3-mile trail along cliffs where you can see the Atlantic on one side, and Gilded-age mansions on the other.
For those living here, what stands out is the compactness. This makes sense for the smallest state, but it is even more true than you would expect, because even within Rhode Island most people are clustered within the small portion of the state that is within 5 miles of Providence.
Because of this, I almost never feel the need to drive more than 10 miles or 20 minutes; this wasn’t so true any of the other ~dozen places I’ve lived. I can easily walk to the Bay, the Zoo, and my kids’ school; then its a 20 minute drive or less to work, several good hospitals and universities, sailing, several beaches, forest hikes, the state capital, the excellent airport, Amtrak, every good grocery store, leaving the state, et c. Most other places either lack some of those things entirely or involve longer drives to get to them, though probably there’s somewhere else like this I don’t know about.
Or perhaps the best thing about Rhode Island is our people:
What do you think I missed about Rhode Island? Or if you haven’t been here, what do you think is most special about where you live?
Two years ago, when we still had a preschooler, I wrote “See New York City for Free.” In the spirit of Do Less for Preschool, we did not actually go into the city. We looked at the Manhattan skyline from Liberty State Park in New Jersey (free parking). The park has points of interest. I do not believe my kids would have benefitted from an expensive trip into NYC, in 2022 (which isn’t to say that parents should rule it out if they are primarily going for themselves). Remember that a 4-year-old enjoys poking a bucket of rain water about as much as a trip to Disneyworld. Sticking to the nap schedule is probably better for everyone than doing a forced march through fancy landmarks in any weather, for preschool kids.
Now in 2024, we have graduated to actually going into the city (for now, assume the constraint of spending our nights in New Jersey, you guys). I’ll describe two low-budget day trips that will tire but not exhaust school-age kids.
On the first day, we used NJ Transit trains to get to New York Penn Station. Since my kids do mostly cars and suburbs, the train itself was fun. On weekends and holidays, kids ride free on NJ Transit. From there, we walked all the way to Central Park, which took us through Time Square. You call this “urban hiking” now (previously known as walking). We stopped into a few stores along the way. I’ve taught my kids to “window shop” in a store, meaning they are warned ahead of time that we are not buying anything. We spent money on food and drinks, but it would have been possible to pack in a lot more food if desired. Once we had walked all the way to the upper east side (about 3 miles), we took a taxi back to the train station.
On the second day, we avoided high parking fees once again by departing on the ferry from the New Jersey terminal to see the Statue of Liberty. There were plenty of families with preschool kids or babies, by the way. Strollers are allowed on the ferries, just not inside the pedestal or statue. The ferry ticket includes access to all of the indoor museums and audio tours. If you want to be allowed to walk up the stairs into the crown of the statue, be aware that you need to book those tickets many months in advance. If you just want to take the ferry to the island, then you don’t have to plan so far ahead.
These plans rely heavily on being outside, so rain would pose a problem. There are plenty of places to escape the rain, but it would not be nearly as fun/cheap.
If you are road tripping anywhere with kids, read Zach on long family car trips. I’ll add that you can fill up a large insulated thermos of ice from the hotel and bring it along to provision drinks from cans throughout the day.
Pictured: Central Park, view from Statue of the Statue, view from the Statue of the city
My family regularly takes long trips up and down the east coast of the US. It takes us about 6 hours just to travel through Florida. We have several kids between the ages of 1 & 7 and we’ve got it down to a pretty good science. Here’s some great advice for travelling with children. A lot of it is OK advice if you cherry pick, but together their benefits compound.
1) Depart Early
It doesn’t matter if it’s a 3 hour trip or a two day trip. To us, ‘early’ means that our target departure time is 5 AM, but ‘early’ may mean something different for you and yours. Benefits include:
Kids may remain or resume sleeping for the first portion of the travel. That’s time that they are occupied.
Earlier arrival at your destination gives kids time to burn off some energy and adults time to decompress. For multi-day trips, we like to stop at a hotel that has a pool.
2) Carry-on Backpacks
Just as you would have a small personal item on an airplane, such as a purse, give each child a backpack that contains car-ride content (make sure that they put away one thing before beginning the next). Maybe ensure that each kid has a different color. This puts their stimulation in their own hands. The idea is not to avoid interacting with your kids. The idea is to help them take care of themselves. Here’s what to include:
Economist Writing Every Day 