Wait. What? Do you mean Cost Plus had a contest and you won a trip to Paris? I wish that were the case. Instead, one trip to Cost Plus with my toddler son led to years of an Eiffel Tower obsession that you would not imagine.
I remember walking into Cost Plus and heading to the picture section to look for something for our living room. There the photo of the Eiffel Tower sat. It was a narrow picture and only consisted of the Eiffel Tower in the image. But for some reason, Tyler was drawn to it. He asked me what it was, and I told him it was a photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. That boy was obsessed with it. He would not stop talking about the Eiffel Tower.
Fast-forward a few months.
I had just picked him up from pre-school, and we stopped in quickly at a local discount furniture and décor store. For some reason, it seemed there was an overwhelming amount of Parisian décor items throughout the store. As I walked around with Tyler, all four years old, he immediately set eyes on a 3-foot Eiffel Tower statue. Oh, that child wanted that statue so bad. He even had a tantrum when I walked away from it. Rather than have to leave the store with a crying kid, I figured if I put it in our cart as we walked around, maybe he would eventually forget about it, and I could leave it at the cashier stand when we checked out.
Not exactly. This child did not forget about it, and tears streamed down his cheeks in complete sadness when I told him we couldn’t take it home.
Now, like any good parent would do, they would leave the store and not give in to their four-year-old’s tantrums and wishes. What did I do? The exact opposite. I was so embarrassed about his crying I just bought it and figured he would forget about it when he got home and then I could return it eventually.
After those two experiences, all my son could talk about was Paris. I don’t know what overcame him, but he was in awe of that city, especially of the Eiffel Tower.
How We Ended up in Paris
A few years later, my husband had a work trip to London. This was our chance to finally take our kids to Paris as we could easily take a side-trip to Paris from London. So we decided to join him on his work trip and make a vacation out of it afterward.
We took the Chunnel from London to Paris and then took the metro to our stop in the neighborhood we would be staying. We were only a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower, but you couldn’t see it when we emerged from the metro station. As we rounded the corner to where our flat was, there the Eiffel Tower stood. So glorious in its massiveness.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the First Time
I wish I could have captured the look on Tyler’s face when he saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. It was a look of such pure joy and awe. Though I may not have a photo of that precise moment, that memory will forever be ingrained in my mind.
From the photo in the store at age four to now seven years old and standing in front of such greatness, it was one of those “I’m so happy I gave my kid this experience” moment.
Did I let my son have a tantrum over a tangible item and then years later reward him by going to see it across the world? Yes, I did. And while many may consider this a bad-parenting moment, I try to look at it differently. Tyler saw something beautiful and unique in that photo that grabbed him. He held on to that feeling. We had an opportunity to travel to the place we had always wanted to show Tyler, and we went for it. When he saw the Eiffel Tower, the look in his eyes made the tantrum and the trip and everything in between worthwhile.
Hope Is a Powerful Tool
I learned a fundamental lesson from that experience. That hope is a powerful tool. Even at the young age of four, Tyler held on to the dream of seeing the Eiffel Tower. Even if we hadn’t had that opportunity to travel there, I think that hope would have stayed with him, and he would have made that dream a reality himself someday. Never give up on hope, and your travel dreams may come true.
How to Visit the Eiffel Tower
We spent a weekend in Paris and we must have visited the Eiffel Towerl at least twice per day (it helped that we were staying nearby). We took the lift to the top observation deck one day, but the but the other times we spent picnicking on the grass and enjoying the view from below. And every evening, we would return for the nightly light show. Here are some ideas of how best to spend your time when wanting to see the Eiffel Tower.
Visit the Eiffel Tower During the Day and Ride the Lift to the Top
Due to Covid-19, the Eiffel Tower is currently closed but check back regularly for updates on when it might reopen. When it does reopen, I recommend reserving tickets in advance. There are four types of ticket options:
- Access to the Second Floor (Lift included)
- Access to the Top Floor (Lift Included)
- Access to the Second Floor (Stair access only)
- Access to the Second Floor (Stair access only) and Top Floor (Lift included)
I would recommend purchasing the Access to the Top Floor with Lift Included. It’s the priciest of the options, yet when traveling with kids, in my opinion, it is the most practical. There are discounted rates for youth ages 12-24, children ages 4-11, and children under 4 are free.
It’s fun to stop at each level to explore from each vantage point. The top-level has two floors (one an outdoor observation deck and the other indoors). There is also a Champagne Room if you would like to enjoy a glass of champagne. There are telescopes available to view Paris up close. The 2nd floor has multiple stores and restaurants – even a macaroon shop to treat the kids.
Don’t forget to walk down to the first floor as there is a new interactive free tour for the kids to help them learn about the Eiffel Tower in a fun way.
There is even a glass walkway which is exhilarating for the kids to walk atop.
Enjoy the Eiffel Tower from Below
No trip to Paris is complete unless you enjoy a freshly baked baguette from a local boulangerie. And even better is enjoying it with a picnic on the grass area below the Eiffel Tower. We stopped at a local market nearby to grab our picnic supplies and even picked up a soccer ball to keep the kids entertained. That was the best purchase of the day! While we enjoyed our picnic, the kids met a young college soccer player who kicked the ball around with them.
Make sure you take the time to look up and marvel at this architectural feat. At 300 meters high, 18,000 metal pieces were connected to create this masterpiece.
Visit at Night to Witness the Light Show
Every night the Eiffel Tower is lit up from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., and at every hour, there is a sparkling light display that lasts for 5 minutes (however, the final light display at 1 a.m. lasts for 10 minutes). It’s such a different perspective of the Eiffel Tower, and kids love the twinkling lights.
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