Uh oh..... So she has never been flying. EVER! I plan on taking her up on a calm evening, taking her over her house(class e) and then flying to the next city over(class c) where she goes to college to view the city lights. What is the best way to coordinate this with ATC? Should I call them ahead of time to let them know my intentions, or just tell them on initial contact? I'd like this to go without a hitch...

Calm evening air is a good idea, and the lights will be pretty at night.

ATC will be confused if you call in advance. Just radio 20 miles out and you they should be able to let you in the class C without delay (you just need radio contact, not explicit permission to enter.

What I would like to do is fly around campus which is fairly close to downtown. I'm worried I won't be able to get close, but I can certainly understand why they would say no.

If everything goes well, the date should turn out something like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gOhgCFX65xo

Just don't do this (viewer discretion is advised) ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gT32DPJ7ug4

Thats so gross...

beat you to it!

nanana, why don't you come with me little girl, on a magic carpet ride =)
Good luck on your trip!

Contact ATC about 25 miles out and tell them you want to do some sightseeing and do a tour of the city and the campus. They'll tell you if they need you to remain clear of a certain area for arrivals/departures, etc. Also be sure to verify with them any time you want to change altitude.
I did some of those over LEX a few years ago.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks guys. I'll try not to make her puke.