This is a sponsored post. Xperience Days provided the tour I reviewed. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own.
Don’t know what to get your husband for your anniversary? Have a sister that is impossible to shop for? Rather than spend money on something that’s going to collect dust, what about giving the gift of an experience?
Being a lover of this type of gift myself, I was extremely excited when Xperience Days contacted me about “experiencing” and then reviewing one of the many gifts they offer. The company offers thousands of gift ideas from hang gliding and skydiving to art classes and food tours across the U.S.
I was given a budget of around $100. Did I want to indulge in a hour massage at a New York day spa? Or a three-hour photography workshop in Central Park? Or maybe take my husband on a whale and dolphin watching cruise in New York Harbor? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
And then I saw it, Sex and the City Hotspots Tour, for two. Sorry Joe, you’re getting dumped for mom.
OK. OK. I can hear what you’re thinking, Sex and the City and… mom?
Surely Kathy has been sniffing too much dishwasher detergent.
But my mother and I saw and loved both movies based on the cable TV series. We’re fans of the show and could both use a little frivolous fun. It seemed perfect.
We took the train into Penn Station and hopped a cab to the Plaza Hotel, where Big and Natasha had their engagement party. There we found groups of, big surprise, mostly women, waiting at the designated meeting spot in front of the Pulitzer Fountain.
The tour bus was air conditioned, clean, equipped with a restroom and very comfortable. It also came with four screens where Lindsey showed us relevant scenes from the show and movies to coincide with the sites we visited.
“So who has had sex today?” Lindsey asks from the front of the bus. “And sex with yourself does not count.”
This is when it dawns on me that the tour is “Sex and the City.” Up until this point I had only focused on the four girlfriends living in NYC and wearing great clothes.
Mmm, I forgot about all the sex they had in the city.
My mom and I exchange a little nervous laughter, but I’m cool (well, my mom is) and grown up. I can handle this.
Lindsey pointed out some of the relevant places we were passing, like Tiffany’s, where Charlotte got engaged with her first husband, Trey MacDougal, and The New York Public Library, where Carrie and Big were supposed to get married. ABC Carpet where Charlotte, Trey, and Trey’s mother, Bunny, buy their marital bed.
She was a great tour guide and very animated as she told us behind-the-scenes stories and some little known facts of the show, such as the character of Trey’s mom, Bunny, was only supposed to be a one-episode role. People hated the character so much the producers thought it was fun and kept expanding her part.
Then Lindsey started to get us ready for our first stop. We were going to visit The Pleasure Chest. This is the store where Miranda introduces the girls to her friend, the Rabbit.
Do you remember the Rabbit episode? This is the one where Charlotte becomes so enamored with the “toy” that the girls have to plan an intervention to get her to leave her apartment where she has stayed for the last two weeks enjoying her time alone with the Rabbit.
Yeah, I forgot that episode, too.
Lindsey explains that we will have about 20 minutes to shop and suggests a few things we could purchase. We even get a special tour discount.
I have now entered the third circle of hell.
And I have only myself to blame.
My mother and I exchange a look and just crack up.
“Well, I guess I should take pictures. My readers are going to want to see this.”
Dear readers, you can never say I didn’t do anything for you.
Feeling just like Woodward and Bernstein we get off the bus, with my iPhone at the ready to document my visit.
Many tour goers exercised this option. There was laughter and a really fun atmosphere as we were all taking our pictures. We were really lucky to have some extremely nice people in our group. There wasn’t a bad apple in the bunch.
Done with my picture taking, I turn around and… no mom.
Oh lord in heaven please tell me my mom did not go in that store. I didn’t realize I actually said those words out loud. But I did.
More laughter. I started to go in and then heard my name.
Thankfully mom was waiting and laughing with a group of women from the tour by the bus.
Once everyone was back on the bus, we were on our way to explore the rest of the city ala Carrie and the girls.
We shopped on Bleecker Street, toured Buddakan, the restaurant where Carrie and Big had their rehearsal dinner, and even ate cupcakes, courtesy of Lindsey, at a Greenwich Village park.
My mom and I had a ball.
Whether you are a native New Yorker familiar with the city like my mother and me, or a brand new visitor to the Big Apple, this tour is a perfect way to explore, experience and learn a lot about the city that Carrie and her friends love so much.
And many thanks to my mom, who proved yet again she is far cooler than I will ever be.
Kathy-
What a darling post! I can almost hear the giggling and laughing and I’m sure you made great memories today!
I always love your posts 😉
Kelly
http://mytwicebakedpotato.com
Thanks so much Kelly! It was fun, to say the least!! xo
Kathy, you never disappoint! I read this post with my husband and we both cracked up. You even made it sound like a fun thing to do when in NYC!
You should totally do it Nancy!! Thanks so much Nancy! xo
That is HILARIOUS!!! I love that you did that with your mom. I never watched the show, but I have watched both of the movies over and over and over again! Oh, and for the record? I never would’ve thought there would be a sex component to that tour either! Hysterical!!!
Thank you Dani!! When she started to talk about the vibrator scene I really wanted to die!! Lol! xo
This looks like so much fun! I want to go!!!
you look so much like your mom…
Thanks Hilary! It really was fun, I would totally recommend it!! xo
I loved this post, Kathy! A sex toy shop with your mom? Oh the horror! Glad you had so much fun!
Thanks Keesha! I guess I should have seen that one coming!! Yikes! It was a lot of fun!
Hilarious post! And how cool that your mom was such a great sport. Though I disagree with Lindsey on one point: Solo sex SHOULD count. After all, as Woody Allen said: It’s sex with someone you love! I loved looking at the pictures (I’m an expat NYC-er!). I remember the Pleasure Chest — 7th Ave in Chelsea, right? They have some big um … toys. 😉
And the Magnolia Bakery — best cupcakes. Evah! Looks like a great tour. I’d definitely go with a girlfriend … or MY mom!
I took exception to the sex by oneself not counting too, but heck, I was with my mom, how much could I really take without just bursting into flames!!! Lol! And you are right, The Pleasure Chest is in Chelsea. I told my husband it looked like Sharper Image with just more, shall we creative toys!! I had been to the Pink Pussy Cat years, and years before, but I digress and really this is just TMI!!!! Lol! We did not go to Magnolia Bakery though most of the people on the tour brought back bags and boxes from them. We went to Fresh, which supplied the make up for the show and I have to say they have a great lipstick. Good thing I bought a new shade because after I did my mother informed me that the one I chose for the day was way to dark and made me look like Morticia Adams!! Gotta love a day with mom!!! Honestly, it’s a great tour and I would highly recommend it and Xperience days to anyone!!! Thanks so much!!
PS: That comment was from Norine!
Okay, we can go with that!! Lol!
Now that’s a cool mom!!!
She is a good one, much cooler than I am!
I can just picture the look of horror on your face when you realized the tour wasn’t just about “and the city.”
They should rename it the hotspots and g-spots tour to give you a little warning. 😀
The g-spots tour, that is a great idea!!! Lol! The funny thing is my cousin and her mom have taken the tour twice so I really didn’t think too much about the sex part!! Lol! It really was fun and now my mom and I have a great cocktail story!!
I love this article and confess I just read it to my mom, because both my mom and I have watched all the shows and even saw both movies together. Like your mom, mine is also pretty cool and could honestly see her doing this tour with me someday and being even cooler about the sex aspect then myself, too. Thanks so much Kathy for sharing and sounded like a great time. Glad you got to go with your mom!! 🙂
Thanks so much Janine, and thanks for reading it to your mom! It really was a fun tour and I would so recommend it!! Thanks again! 🙂
I don’t watch Sex and the City, but still enjoyed your review! Plus it sounded like a really fun afternoon of bonding with mom!!!
Lisa I would have totally pegged you for a Sex and the City girl!! Glad you still liked the review! It was a fun tour!
This sounds super fun! I’m glad you got to go, and neither you nor your mom was too traumatized!
Thanks so much Kathy. It really was fun and I’m glad we were not too traumatized, although if I had to go in the store with my mom I think I would have burst into flames!! Lol! 🙂
How fun! What a hilarious tour to take with your mom!
Thanks Darcy! I think I can now file this under, things I will do for a blog post!! Lol! I really did not think about the whole sex part of Sex and the City!! Lol! I’m such a fool!! Lol! 🙂
Cracking up! The way you realized that she had gone in the store sent me over the edge! This company sounds AMAZING! And I totally doing that tour the next time I find myself in NYC! :)-Ashley
Thanks so much Ashley! I was so excited when Xperience contacted me, getting to pick among 50 experiences and get a blog post out of it, I felt like I was in blogger heaven! They handled everything and I am already thinking about which experience I can buy for my parents for their upcoming 50th anniversary!! And, I would totally recommend the tour the next time you are in NY!! So, so much fun!!! xo
What a super cool experience, Kathy! I must say you’re lucky to have a Mom who loves the show/movies and is cool with going on such a tour! My mom would find that too scandalous, LOL! Anyway, I’m a HUGE fan of the show so thanks for sharing this! This is truly a great idea for a girls’ day out!
Jou this really was so much fun and it would be perfect to do with a group of friends. I am a huge fan of the show and movies too and I have to say it was a fun way to see parts of the city that I had not seen in years. The shopping on Bleecker street was really nice too, I got a great lipstick at Fresh!! I would totally recommend the tour and totally recommend the company, Xperinece. I could not get over how many experiences they offer for all types of budgets! (Don’t mean to sound like a commercial but I was really impressed!)
I envisioned your mom holding a gift bag when you went back into the Pleasure Chest to meet her. Hey she isn’t dead, she’s just your mother! Great post. xo
Thanks Dani!! Lol! Hey what my mom does on her own time is her business, I just don’t need to know about it!! Lol! And now I’m going to burst into flames!! Lol xo
Kathy! OMG I would have died at the sex store. I KNOW my mother would have gone in and embarrassed the ____ out of me. I’m so glad you and your mom had such a fun tour! I love the Sex and the City movies and show. Your mom is awesome! (and so are you!)
Thanks so much Kristi!! I was ready to burst into flames!! It was so much fun. And thanks, I think my mom is pretty awesome too!! xo
Sounds like a great time! If I had been on it with my friends here, I guarantee they would have dragged me into that store to embarrass me!! What a cool experience!
Michelle it really was a fun time and if I was with my friends I would have most likely gone in the store, but of course only to tell you guys about it!! Lol! 🙂
Wow. Not so sure I’d feel comfortable even being within a 20-foot radius of a sex shop with my mom, so kudos to you for being brave! Sounds like a fun tour of the city though. How long was the tour?
Gina when she first mentioned where we were going I really thought I was going to die!!! It was a lot of fun though. It was a 3 hour tour, but from start to beginning it was more like an three and a half hours. I was so much fun.
Looks like a wonderful way to spend time with your mom. I hate to confess this, but I have never seen the show or the movies. I know, what! That’s can’t be. Everyone has seen it. Well, not me. One day… You should have gone into th store, most of them are full of interesting tidbits. I can’t see my mom going on this particular tour. She’d prefer visiting all the waterholes, and dive bars on the seedier side of town!