Thursday in New York City

Today was a busy day that started early and was filled with fun.  We got up at 6:15 so we could have breakfast at the hotel and catch an early subway train to the south of Manhattan.  We prepurchased tickets to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and that was the way to go!  We were on the first boat out of the harbor and the crowds were much lighter in the morning.  You can't really see her, but the Statue of Liberty is just to the left of Eileen's shoulder. 

Here's a shot from the boat closer to the island.

It was a beautiful day.  In fact, the weather has been perfect our entire time in NYC.  The Statue of Liberty is a beautiful icon.  We talked quite a bit about her symbolism and meaning for the US and the world.  Unfortunately, renovations are being done to the pedastal and the statue and they are both currently closed to visitors.  It just means another trip to NYC one day.  Here are a few more pictures.

Next stop was Ellis Island.  It is very moving to see the pictures, read and hear the stories of the immigrants who left everything to come to this country, many of them with nothing but hope for a brighter future.  Some were escaping religious persecution, some were seeking greater opportunities, some were just dreaming of a better life with a fresh start.  They all have unique stories.  I don't think we have any relatives that came through Ellis Island.  Even still, it is a touching place to visit.

Since we were on the south side of Manhattan, we decided we should see the things there are to see on that end of town.  So, we walked to Wall Street to take a gander at the bull.

We then took a walk to the site of the World Trade Center.  It is under construction as the new towers are being built.  They will be marvelous.  Apparently, there will also be a memorial museum.  The area was very crowded, advance tickets for the display were required and we were pretty thirsty by this point.  We took some pictures of the new buildings and decided to forego the wait for the display.



Next on our agenda was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.  We found what we thought was the right subway to take us to the bridge.  Turns out, it did take us to the bridge, just in Brooklyn.  No problem, we just walked back.  :o) 



By this time, we were hot and thirsty, so we headed back to the hotel for some cold water and a little rest.  It didn't take long to recover and we decided to head right up the street to Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock tour. 

Here's the Empire State Building from the 70th floor of Rockfeller Center

Here's Central Park from Rockefeller Center

Here we are with the Empire State Building between our shoulders. 

We stopped at St. Peter's Cathedral.  It is also getting a facelift.  It is a beautiful cathedral nestled right in the middle of skyscrapers. 

To finish off the walk, here's a picture of Radio City Music Hall.  Cirque de Soleil is playing but we didn't get tickets.  I guess we have to leave something to do on the next trip.