One of the best things about having a friend in town is that it gives you an excuse to act like a tourist in your own city. Thanks to the arrival of our friend from London, we decided to rent bikes (try Bike and Roll) from Battery Park and cycle all the way up to Central Park. If you stick to the path along the West Side highway, it's nice and flat and sans traffic - although we did encounter 700 fund-raising walkers who clogged up the path. We also stopped in at the Natural History Museum to check out the butterfly exhibit, where I snapped this picture. It was hot and humid (note to self- do this next time on a cold winter day, not an equally humid summer afternoon).The adults loved it even though it seemed that most kids think butterflies are creepy. The taxidermied elephants and monkeys were a bigger hit for our family though.

• Christina Valhouli's blog

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