We recently went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. A month ago, I was able to secure tickets for access to the statue’s pedestal. I was trying for tickets to the crown, but they were sold out until late October. This was a part of the trip that I was really looking forward to. I grew up in New Jersey but never found the time to visit.
We spent several hours touring the main building on Ellis Island intrigued by a variety of topics that I had never considered before. The processing room where immigrants were screened for entry including purpose interrogation, medical inspections and intellectual testing. All testing needed to be fast given the number of entries per year (i.e. 1903: >750K entries). Most visitors were granted access, 10 % were held in quarantine and about 2% were required to return (after spending 3+ weeks at sea to get here). The baggage handlers could tell by the shape of the bags and the way knots were tied where the passengers likely came from. One dollar could purchase a large crate of food while you waited. Medical exams were conducted by doctors in uniform which was often described as terrifying (depending on the military situation of their origin countries). There were examples of kind hearted translators and nurses. In the early, 1900s, unmarried women were required to have a husband or a US male sponsor. An uncle, brother or father was critical to help them navigate the entry process and required before they could be released to travel throughout the United States.
We missed one of the ferries over to the Statue of Liberty so we spent extra time touring additional “theaters” but I still do not think that we saw it all. We caught the next ferry and quickly proceeded to the 2nd security screening area at the base of the statue. Any backpacks, even mini drawstring bags, needed to be stored in 25 cent lockers. There are 195 steps from the base to the pedestal. Visitors can opt to take an elevator. Of course, we took the stairs which I started to reconsider at about the 8th floor. We walked the perimeter of the pedestal, took some family photos and looked briefly at the winding staircase to the crown. At midday, the rain and mist had finally stopped so we had a good view of the city and the Hudson River. (All blue sky and sunny pictures were taken the day after our statue visit.)
Touring these two sites should probably be a day in itself but we were also interested in taking the ferry to Manhattan to see NYC up close and personal. It was important that our daughter see how different cities can be. In our case, we’re comparing Boston to NYC. I should clarify, Boston is our state capital. We lived in a suburban farming community. The largest local structures in town are tall white pine trees. Earlier in the week, Jenna had been overwhelmed by the skyscrapers as we motored down the East river. “How are we going to find our way around?” She asked. “It’s HUGE!”
We took the “the return ferry” to the NYC side. From the southern tip of Manhattan, we marched up Broadway passing the Charging Bull bronze sculpture. We visited the 9/11 Memorial and took the subway uptown to Times Square. We initially found ourselves on the wrong subway platform but quickly found the walking pass to head to the right side of the tracks. We pointed out sites typically associated with Times Square: the bright electric signs, the corner where the New Years’ ball drops and the crazy showmen associated with this area.
We also tried to blend our touring sights with fun kid stops: M&M store, Lego Store and a delicious lunch of ramen at Ippudo on 46th street. As we had already taken a ride on the subway, we decided the next experience should be a traditional NYC Taxi ride down 5th Avenue (~40 minutes at the start of rush hour). Yes, I was happy to have my sea sickness bracelet available for the cab ride, not for the ferry! From the cab, we saw Rockefeller Plaza again, the Washington Arch and were back to catch the ferry boat with some time to spare. We were trying to experience a lot, but there was not enough time to see it all. Maybe Radio City Music Hall, the Empire State building, or FAO Schwartz next time?
At the end of the day, I looked at my watch. We had walked 18,500 steps and 23 flights. At 6:30 PM, we were all tired. Jenna had run around the evening before with her cousins. She ….was ……. done… and we later learned that her shoes may be one size too small. Whoops. I thought she was more amused with the giant cat sculpture in a clothing store window on Fifth Avenue “Catthew,” (no picture) a large kitty installation near Rockefeller Centre and the large Cain’s French fries at Times Square. I was surprised the next morning to hear her say that she wanted to go back into the city.
Unfortunately, boat repair work needed to be done (more on that another post) and then we needed to depart this very nice but expensive marina.
We moved to an anchorage between Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We struggled with our first two anchoring attempts, wind vs tide, and issues with the anchor alarm app turning off as Scott dropped his phone into his pocket. Frustration was setting in. Umm. We did not have a backup plan. Try again here, Cape May or Maryland? On the third try, the anchor finally set and we enjoyed lunch with a view. This anchorage is a bit rolly but we only planned to be here for one night as we waited for more wind for our trip south. After lunch, multiple blackhawk helicopters circled, slow and low, around the Statue of Liberty. The thumping vibrations of their rotor blades is incredible! Today is 9/11. I doubt their circling is part of a daily security sweep but I cannot say for sure.
Next stop: Maryland.