We got up at 3:30 a.m. again today as it was supposed to be one of the better days this week. This is beginning to sound like déjà vu of our old workdays (getting up so early), but we have to allow McKenzie time to get a couple of walks and eat if we are going to leave her alone for 12-14 hours. Anyway, we caught the 6 a.m. train down to the city as we wanted to catch the first ferry over to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty 
and then on to Ellis Island to see the American Family Immigration History Center. There are no fees to enter the Statue of Liberty but if you want to go inside, you have to get a free timed pass and there are limited numbers of them. Of course, you have to pay the ferry fee of $11.50 per person and that gives you a ride over to the statue and then on to Ellis Island. It was awesome the closer we came to the statue, a symbol of New York City and the United States to people throughout the world! Again, security is very tight. Nothing can be taken inside the statue such as food, water, or drinks. Anything larger than a fanny pouch must be checked into lockers and each person is scanned with air to ensure that they don’t have any explosives on their person.
Once we got into the lobby, we saw the original 1886 torch,
and visited the museum to learn more about the statue’s history and centennial restoration. We saw architectural drawings and models of Lady Liberty and also learned some fun facts such as why she’s green (the statue’s shell is copper, which oxidizes when exposed to the elements), what the 7 points of her crown represent (the seven seas and the seven continents) and that at 151 feet, the Statue of Liberty is the tallest statue of modern times. The exhibit also traces the history and symbolism of the Statue through museum objects, photographs, prints, videos, and oral histories. The exhibit opened in July, 1986. In addition to historical artifacts and descriptive text, full scale replicas of the Statue’s face 
and foot are also on display. The statue is made of copper 3/32 inch thick, the same as two pennies put together, it is 305 ft. tall from the ground to the tip of the flame, her nose is 4 feet 6 inches long, and the face of Lady Liberty is said to be modeled after the sculptor’s own mother. The copper skin weighs 62,000 lbs.
Transporting the giant figure from France to the United States was a difficult task. Each individual piece had to be numbered for reassembly, then carefully packed. A special 70-car train carried it from Paris to the port where it took 17 days for the crew of the French naval vessel Isere to stow the 214 crates safely on board. Finally came an unusually rough four-week voyage, during which the steamship ran out of coal and had to rely on sails. She sailed into the New York Harbor on June 19, 1885 and was met with tremendous fanfare and a naval parade. Then her pieces were stored in sheds for nearly a year until the pedestal was completed. At last, in 1886, the construction crews were ready to begin the most difficult and dangerous work of all – reassembling the Statue without scaffolding on Bedloe’s Island, which would be renamed Liberty Island in 1956.
We walked the 156 steps to the top of the pedestal which is the farthest point you can now enter since 9/11. It was quite warm, but we made it and were rewarded with panoramic views of New York Harbor, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey. You can also look through a glass ceiling at the base and see the inner part of the statue as well as the stairs that used to lead to the crown. The Statue faces Southeast and was strategically placed inside Fort Wood which was a perfect base for the Statue. The Statue’s position was also perfect for ships entering the harbor, to see her as a welcoming symbol. The torch is a symbol of enlightenment. The current replacement torch, added in 1986, is a copper flame covered in 24K gold. It is reflective of the sun’s rays in daytime and lighted by 16 floodlights at night. The original torch was removed in 1984 and is currently inside the lobby of the monument.
The second part of our journey took us to Ellis Island to the immigration museum which was the country’s main point of entry for immigrants between 1892 and 1924. Over 12 million third class and steerage immigrant steamship passengers were processed here. The first and second class passengers were processed aboard the ships.
The museum describes the patterns of immigration and a multitude of interesting facts about the millions of people who passed through the processing station here. Most people came to America because of political persecution or because they wanted a better life for themselves and their families. They were loaded on to ships for a 14 day voyage. Their first stop once they arrived at Ellis Island was the Registry Room 
where they were inspected and registered by Immigration officers. On many days, over 5,000 people would file through the space. They were given a 6 second physical. Doctors watched as immigrants entered the building and climbed the steps: a limp, labored breathing, or other suspected troubles warranted further medical exams. If they did not pass the physical, there were fifteen buildings set up across the river for caring for people with illness and disease. If they were found to have a non-curable disease, they were returned to the ships to be sent back to their home countries. 
We boarded the ferry, rode back to Manhattan and walked to the Empire State Building. We were told that it could take hours of waiting in line to get to the top so we were prepared. Though it was somewhat hazy from the rain yesterday, the visibility range was still 10-20 miles so we decided we’d better get this site done while we could as they were predicting rain for tomorrow and the rest of the week.
The Empire State Building is the granddaddy of all skyscrapers and now a National Historic Landmark. It was completed in 1931 and its famous Art Deco spire, visible throughout much of New York is immortalized in countless movies.
The building’s colorful history includes a 1945 crash by a B-25 bomber, which killed 14 people but did little structural damage, even at the point of contact on the 79th floor. For a time there were thoughts of turning the skyscraper into a dirigible “airport”. Although the plan for mooring blimps to the top was eventually abandoned, evidence of this scheme lives on in the observatory of the 86th floor (which was to hold the customer lounges, ticket agencies and baggage rooms) and the observation deck on the 102nd story (which was to be the mooring site). There was only one elevator working at the 80th floor, so once again, we trudged up six flights of stairs to get to the 86th observation floor. Once outside, we saw a spectacular site of New York City, over 30,000 buildings are visible, including the Chrysler Building and the UN.
By the time we were back on the ground, we had spent two hours in the building, most of it waiting in line, but it was definitely worth the wait to see the view. As with most other buildings in NYC, this one is also being renovated and upgraded.
As you can imagine, we were two tired puppies again, so we headed back to the park. We decided we needed a day of rest and because the weather was supposed to be rainy, we decided to stay home on Wednesday. Someone was watching over us. Wednesday morning brought a heavy rain which flooded the tunnels for the trains and subways. Passengers were left without a way to work and were caught in the subway stations waiting on subway trains that could not get there to pick them up. It was hot and muggy and tempers were flaring. A tornado struck Brooklyn, further adding to the problems. And, here we were 35 miles away, sleeping cozily, not even realizing what was going on until we got up and listened to the news!
Thursday looked like it was going to be the best day for the next few days, so we decided to do our last day in the city and walk Central Park. Amid all the chaos in Manhattan lies 840 acres of tranquility and escape. Although the park declined during the 70’s, the Central Park Conservancy, founded in 1979, changed all that. The park is once again a thriving oasis.
We started at one end and walked around the complete 840 acres. It took us five hours but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our legs will probably never be the same, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we didn’t want to miss it. There are joggers, walkers, bicyclists, skaters, dog walkers, and horseback riders who all use the streets and trails. We walked the jogging track around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis Reservoir,
then stopped by the Boat House and had coffee and a scone. Here all the dogs and their owners congregate before taking their morning walks. Both dogs and owners get fed here. We enjoyed watching all of them integrate with each other. I must say the dogs were very well behaved and were able to be off leash in the park.
We watched the men race their model yachts at the Conservatory Water, and took pictures at the Bethesda Fountain, probably the most popular movie site around.
We stopped by Strawberry Fields where 2 ½ acres were planted with 125,000 strawberry plants to pay tribute to John Lennon, and where an artist recreates a sidewalk image called “imagine” every day.
There is an amusement park, a children’s zoo, ice skating rink, swimming pool, and baseball diamonds.
There is also a cultural area which is home to the Delacourte Theatre which holds free Shakespeare in the Park performances, the Great Lawn is home to concerts in the park, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, and the Metropolitan Museum is nearby. A children's section holds statues of Alice in Wonderland.
Belvedere castle was another unusual site to see in the park. It is now a weather station but was originally built to view the park.
One of our favorite parts was the Conservatory Garden.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s apartment was just across the street. It is just inside the park off 105th street and is a breathtakingly beautiful spot filled with carefully planted flowers and trees, maintained by volunteers and the Parks Department. While sitting in the midst of this, we felt like we had unlocked the gate to The Secret Garden. 
We were so impressed with the park that it is hard to describe our feelings. We had debated about walking this entire area but once we got started, we just didn’t want to stop.
On our way back to Grand Central Station, we stopped at St. Patrick’s Cathedral which is the largest Catholic church in the United States.
Its seating capacity is 2,500, the pipe organ has more than 7,300 pipes, the rose stained glass window is 26 feet across and it has two spires, both 330 feet high. Thousands of people visit here each day and we have to say that it is truly one of the most beautiful cathedrals we have ever seen.
By 4:30, we were back in Croton and though worn out, we weren’t too tired for an ice cream. The lady who had checked us in at the park suggested that we not miss the Blue Pig for ice cream, so we headed over there. I didn’t have a cone but did have something they called grape ice which was like a sorbet and it was very good. George had a butter pecan cone which he said was excellent.
That about does it for our tour of New York City. There’s still more to do and see but we are worn out, so we will have to leave the rest for another visit. We’re hoping to go to the Black Cow tomorrow and post this blog since they are a coffee shop that offers WiFi. On Monday, we will be heading across New York state to Niagra Falls. We won’t have WiFi for a few weeks but if I can find a coffee shop, we’ll update when we can. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait til we get to our son’s home in Illinois. We hope you’ve enjoyed traveling with us thru NYC and that you’ve seen or read some things that were new to you.
and then on to Ellis Island to see the American Family Immigration History Center. There are no fees to enter the Statue of Liberty but if you want to go inside, you have to get a free timed pass and there are limited numbers of them. Of course, you have to pay the ferry fee of $11.50 per person and that gives you a ride over to the statue and then on to Ellis Island. It was awesome the closer we came to the statue, a symbol of New York City and the United States to people throughout the world! Again, security is very tight. Nothing can be taken inside the statue such as food, water, or drinks. Anything larger than a fanny pouch must be checked into lockers and each person is scanned with air to ensure that they don’t have any explosives on their person.Once we got into the lobby, we saw the original 1886 torch,
and visited the museum to learn more about the statue’s history and centennial restoration. We saw architectural drawings and models of Lady Liberty and also learned some fun facts such as why she’s green (the statue’s shell is copper, which oxidizes when exposed to the elements), what the 7 points of her crown represent (the seven seas and the seven continents) and that at 151 feet, the Statue of Liberty is the tallest statue of modern times. The exhibit also traces the history and symbolism of the Statue through museum objects, photographs, prints, videos, and oral histories. The exhibit opened in July, 1986. In addition to historical artifacts and descriptive text, full scale replicas of the Statue’s face and foot are also on display. The statue is made of copper 3/32 inch thick, the same as two pennies put together, it is 305 ft. tall from the ground to the tip of the flame, her nose is 4 feet 6 inches long, and the face of Lady Liberty is said to be modeled after the sculptor’s own mother. The copper skin weighs 62,000 lbs.Transporting the giant figure from France to the United States was a difficult task. Each individual piece had to be numbered for reassembly, then carefully packed. A special 70-car train carried it from Paris to the port where it took 17 days for the crew of the French naval vessel Isere to stow the 214 crates safely on board. Finally came an unusually rough four-week voyage, during which the steamship ran out of coal and had to rely on sails. She sailed into the New York Harbor on June 19, 1885 and was met with tremendous fanfare and a naval parade. Then her pieces were stored in sheds for nearly a year until the pedestal was completed. At last, in 1886, the construction crews were ready to begin the most difficult and dangerous work of all – reassembling the Statue without scaffolding on Bedloe’s Island, which would be renamed Liberty Island in 1956.
We walked the 156 steps to the top of the pedestal which is the farthest point you can now enter since 9/11. It was quite warm, but we made it and were rewarded with panoramic views of New York Harbor, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey. You can also look through a glass ceiling at the base and see the inner part of the statue as well as the stairs that used to lead to the crown. The Statue faces Southeast and was strategically placed inside Fort Wood which was a perfect base for the Statue. The Statue’s position was also perfect for ships entering the harbor, to see her as a welcoming symbol. The torch is a symbol of enlightenment. The current replacement torch, added in 1986, is a copper flame covered in 24K gold. It is reflective of the sun’s rays in daytime and lighted by 16 floodlights at night. The original torch was removed in 1984 and is currently inside the lobby of the monument.
The second part of our journey took us to Ellis Island to the immigration museum which was the country’s main point of entry for immigrants between 1892 and 1924. Over 12 million third class and steerage immigrant steamship passengers were processed here. The first and second class passengers were processed aboard the ships.
The museum describes the patterns of immigration and a multitude of interesting facts about the millions of people who passed through the processing station here. Most people came to America because of political persecution or because they wanted a better life for themselves and their families. They were loaded on to ships for a 14 day voyage. Their first stop once they arrived at Ellis Island was the Registry Room where they were inspected and registered by Immigration officers. On many days, over 5,000 people would file through the space. They were given a 6 second physical. Doctors watched as immigrants entered the building and climbed the steps: a limp, labored breathing, or other suspected troubles warranted further medical exams. If they did not pass the physical, there were fifteen buildings set up across the river for caring for people with illness and disease. If they were found to have a non-curable disease, they were returned to the ships to be sent back to their home countries. We boarded the ferry, rode back to Manhattan and walked to the Empire State Building. We were told that it could take hours of waiting in line to get to the top so we were prepared. Though it was somewhat hazy from the rain yesterday, the visibility range was still 10-20 miles so we decided we’d better get this site done while we could as they were predicting rain for tomorrow and the rest of the week.
The Empire State Building is the granddaddy of all skyscrapers and now a National Historic Landmark. It was completed in 1931 and its famous Art Deco spire, visible throughout much of New York is immortalized in countless movies.The building’s colorful history includes a 1945 crash by a B-25 bomber, which killed 14 people but did little structural damage, even at the point of contact on the 79th floor. For a time there were thoughts of turning the skyscraper into a dirigible “airport”. Although the plan for mooring blimps to the top was eventually abandoned, evidence of this scheme lives on in the observatory of the 86th floor (which was to hold the customer lounges, ticket agencies and baggage rooms) and the observation deck on the 102nd story (which was to be the mooring site). There was only one elevator working at the 80th floor, so once again, we trudged up six flights of stairs to get to the 86th observation floor. Once outside, we saw a spectacular site of New York City, over 30,000 buildings are visible, including the Chrysler Building and the UN.
By the time we were back on the ground, we had spent two hours in the building, most of it waiting in line, but it was definitely worth the wait to see the view. As with most other buildings in NYC, this one is also being renovated and upgraded.As you can imagine, we were two tired puppies again, so we headed back to the park. We decided we needed a day of rest and because the weather was supposed to be rainy, we decided to stay home on Wednesday. Someone was watching over us. Wednesday morning brought a heavy rain which flooded the tunnels for the trains and subways. Passengers were left without a way to work and were caught in the subway stations waiting on subway trains that could not get there to pick them up. It was hot and muggy and tempers were flaring. A tornado struck Brooklyn, further adding to the problems. And, here we were 35 miles away, sleeping cozily, not even realizing what was going on until we got up and listened to the news!
Thursday looked like it was going to be the best day for the next few days, so we decided to do our last day in the city and walk Central Park. Amid all the chaos in Manhattan lies 840 acres of tranquility and escape. Although the park declined during the 70’s, the Central Park Conservancy, founded in 1979, changed all that. The park is once again a thriving oasis.
We started at one end and walked around the complete 840 acres. It took us five hours but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our legs will probably never be the same, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we didn’t want to miss it. There are joggers, walkers, bicyclists, skaters, dog walkers, and horseback riders who all use the streets and trails. We walked the jogging track around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis Reservoir, then stopped by the Boat House and had coffee and a scone. Here all the dogs and their owners congregate before taking their morning walks. Both dogs and owners get fed here. We enjoyed watching all of them integrate with each other. I must say the dogs were very well behaved and were able to be off leash in the park. We watched the men race their model yachts at the Conservatory Water, and took pictures at the Bethesda Fountain, probably the most popular movie site around. We stopped by Strawberry Fields where 2 ½ acres were planted with 125,000 strawberry plants to pay tribute to John Lennon, and where an artist recreates a sidewalk image called “imagine” every day. There is an amusement park, a children’s zoo, ice skating rink, swimming pool, and baseball diamonds. There is also a cultural area which is home to the Delacourte Theatre which holds free Shakespeare in the Park performances, the Great Lawn is home to concerts in the park, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, and the Metropolitan Museum is nearby. A children's section holds statues of Alice in Wonderland. Belvedere castle was another unusual site to see in the park. It is now a weather station but was originally built to view the park.One of our favorite parts was the Conservatory Garden.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s apartment was just across the street. It is just inside the park off 105th street and is a breathtakingly beautiful spot filled with carefully planted flowers and trees, maintained by volunteers and the Parks Department. While sitting in the midst of this, we felt like we had unlocked the gate to The Secret Garden. We were so impressed with the park that it is hard to describe our feelings. We had debated about walking this entire area but once we got started, we just didn’t want to stop.On our way back to Grand Central Station, we stopped at St. Patrick’s Cathedral which is the largest Catholic church in the United States.
Its seating capacity is 2,500, the pipe organ has more than 7,300 pipes, the rose stained glass window is 26 feet across and it has two spires, both 330 feet high. Thousands of people visit here each day and we have to say that it is truly one of the most beautiful cathedrals we have ever seen.By 4:30, we were back in Croton and though worn out, we weren’t too tired for an ice cream. The lady who had checked us in at the park suggested that we not miss the Blue Pig for ice cream, so we headed over there. I didn’t have a cone but did have something they called grape ice which was like a sorbet and it was very good. George had a butter pecan cone which he said was excellent.
That about does it for our tour of New York City. There’s still more to do and see but we are worn out, so we will have to leave the rest for another visit. We’re hoping to go to the Black Cow tomorrow and post this blog since they are a coffee shop that offers WiFi. On Monday, we will be heading across New York state to Niagra Falls. We won’t have WiFi for a few weeks but if I can find a coffee shop, we’ll update when we can. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait til we get to our son’s home in Illinois. We hope you’ve enjoyed traveling with us thru NYC and that you’ve seen or read some things that were new to you.
Thanks to Michael at the Black Cow Coffee Company for allowing us to use his WiFi to update this blog so we can share it with all of you. If you're ever in the area be sure to stop by his coffee shop.
Until we meet again, we’ll just leave you with this thought from John Lennon: “Imagine all the people living life in peace”!
Until we meet again, we’ll just leave you with this thought from John Lennon: “Imagine all the people living life in peace”!
1 comment:
The pictures and your comments have just floored me! I had no idea that NYC was so pretty! And so much to see!!! I'm glad to hear that the natives were friendly, that the transportation was usable and clean, and that you had a wonderful time seeing a show and all the sights. I do believe I'll take that off my "fugetaboutit" list and add it to the "must see" list. And the Divine Miss M getting her tootsies wet????? It sounds like a good time was had by all! Forget my mantra of "five more years"....it's more like "five more months"... Lots of love and hugs from the Texas Contingency!
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