« New York - Day 1 | Main | New York - Day 3 »
May 20, 2005
New York - Day 2 (0)
We slept in! Anyone with young children will realize that’s big. After a brisk walk, we found some coffee and hopped the yellow line down to Battery Park. For as many times as I’ve been to NYC the one touristy thing that I have not done is go to see the Statue of Liberty. After the hour wait just to get on the Circle Line ferry, I have an idea why. We were told by a security guy that the secret was to arrive before 10am. While in line we were able to spend time listening to a steel drum (the most repugnant musical instrument on the face of this earth), and see a yoga-contortionist who likes Michael Jackson and small, clear plastic boxes. (Sorry, no pictures)
After clearing security, we rode the ferry over to Liberty Island. It was cold, but coming up on Lady Liberty from the boat was inspiring. We went through another security station right outside the Statue. This is the most sophisticated security station I’ve seen. I won’t go into details, but before it was over, I expected to be transported across the room to another station. Inside the base of the statue is a museum that has the original torch along with some great information about how the statue was built. We then took an elevator to the top of the base. There was a glass ceiling and lights that illuminated the inside of the statue. The public has not been able to go up into the arm since 1916 for safety reasons (there’s nothing but a ladder that leads 42 feet up her arm) and the crown has been closed since Sept 11, 2001. I was told by one of the rangers that they had wanted to close the crown to the public for quite some time prior to 9/11.
We got back to Battery Park, grabbed a hot dog, and were evacuated from the area…I’m not sure why. We walked to the site of the World Trade Center. I won’t really go into that, but I remember the first time I came to NYC. I was going to be a sophomore in High School and was traveling with some friends and our debate coach from a camp in Toledo, Ohio. We spent the night in a sleazy New Jersey motel where the guy behind the counter was shocked, when we actually spent then night. We rode the PATH train to the city the next morning and arrived inside the base of the World Trade Center. We immediately went the top and looked with amazement at the city at our feet. As a kid from a town of 6500 people, this view of New York took my breath. After we got outside, I put my toes against the base of the building and slowly tilted my head back until I got to the top. The tower was so high, that it seemed to bend backwards into the sky.
Karen and I got back to the hotel and took a few minutes to walk the park and watch the small carousel go round and round…
Skyline From the Boat
Lady Liberty From the Boat
The Old Torch
From Underneath
From the Observation Deck
Posted by Rich at May 20, 2005 8:23 PM
