On to New York Harbor... Bridge at The Narrows... we're getting closer...
Then we see the Statue of Liberty (the statue and base are under repair) as we pass by.
New York Skyline - which buildings do we photograph? There are so many!
(Empire State Building in the background.)
New York Harbor- so many boats! Watch your move...
Ellis Island - what a story of the immigration event!
We had a slip at Liberty Landing for several days. From our boat we could see both the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline. The ferry to the financial district left from our marina .
The first place we went after crossing the Hudson River by ferry from our marina (Liberty Landing, New Jersey) on our day of sightseeing was the 9/11 Memorial, which was a very somber visit with hundreds of people of all ages, from all countries. In the background is the construction of the new World Trade Center building to replace the twin towers that were destroyed. It is over half way up to the 72 floors it will be, when completed. Construction workers everywhere! And security!
There are 2 pools with 30 foot waterfalls on the footprints of the original Twin Towers, with tributes to all the people who lost their lives on that memorable day.
Touring the memorial made 9/11 much more personal for those of us who watched it on TV from a thousand miles away. It's a very moving experience.
Then after lunch at a typical NYC Deli, Don got a hold on the bull, Wall Street in the financial district.
I thought the Wall Street bull was my friend, but he let us down in May. I talked to him about that but he must not have heard me as the 1st of June wasn't any better.
Took the subway (can be a challenge to Midwesterners until you figure out the system) to Times Square - Talk about overload - lots to see, hear, and do! Even the McDonalds has a flashy marquis!
And, again, people everywhere!
From Times Square we walked to the Rockefeller Center and the NBC
Studios. I wanted to get there early in the morning and watch the Today Show but it just didn't work in our schedule.
New York City never sleeps, we're told.
We decided to stay on one more day and go to Ellis Island.
Inside the Ellis Island Memorial Building - this is where Don believes possibly 3 of his grandparents came through when they immigrated to the US from Holland.
(Theresa's grandparents were born in the USA.)
So, we were ready to depart on June 2nd, when the staff at our marina says we should stick around a bit - many famous people will be taking the ferry from New York to our marina for a shuttle to this famous International Polo match in the Liberty Landing Park, next to us. So we went over to check out how the rich and famous spend a Saturday afternoon, after we had watched many of them walk by our boat on the dock. (Really couldn't identify anyone, specifically.)
We were told that Madonna would be there and possibly she would come by boat to our marina. I doubt I would recognize her if she had all her clothes on, so we left. The site was surrounded by a double chain link fence but we heard later that for $50 we probably could have crashed the party. There were no stands to sit in. Everyone sat on blankets around the field and drank wine.
Goodbye, NYC - it's been quite an experience! Something happening all the time, foreign languages spoken everywhere, many policemen and unexpected events popping up at any time
or any place! Like the guy dressed as a pirate, serenading us all on the crowded subway ride back to the ferry boat or the 3 weddings we observed (just walking around town) or the marathon race we encountered while walking the waterfront at Battery Park.
George Washington Bridge - officially out of New York City, but still seeing lots of buildings and commercial development.
We're heading up the Hudson River on north to Troy, NY, where we will get on the Erie Canal, so we'll still be in New York State for awhile.
All I can say is a GREAT BIG WOW!!!
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