I saw a South Dakota license plate on the wall of a burrito joint in Martha's Vineyard. Some may argue that it doesn't count since it is not on a car, but a license plate is a license plate (according to me). :) What do you think? I also saw KS, MT, and RI, and even one from Europe (though I don't know where in Europe). The only ones left to find now are: HI, ID, NM, ND, and WY. (Something tells me I may have to travel to HI to see that one...)
I would also like to point out that for the first time ever I bought lottery ticket for the $640 million jackpot. And guess what? I won!!!! Sadly, it was only $2.00. :(
Now back to NY... I said goodbye to Lisa and headed through Delaware and New Jersey early in the morning, stopping at Liberty State Park to take the early morning ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. On the ferry, I could see the Brooklyn Bridge and the new World Trade Center being built. It's already 76 floors!!
I also found a cute kid from WI on the ferry!! :)
There was also a great view of downtown from the ferry.
Ellis Island revolved around a 3 story immigration museum. Over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island on the way to America, each with different reasons for making the trip. Some came in search of freedom, wealth, and opportunity. Others were forced to come, such as African slaves. Some couldn't afford the passage and became indentured servants in exchange for the trip. Many of the ships were overcrowded and unsanitary, and a number of immigrants even died before ever making it to America. Some had a plan and destination once they arrived with relatives or acquaintances meeting them, while others met charitable organizations to help them obtain work and find a place to live. These immigrants (those that survived and made it through customs) helped to build a nation and struggled to define what it means to be an American in a rapidly changing world.
"That's all you heard. Gold on the streets of America...There's no North America and no South America, not United States, Just America. It was all good things. You could be anything you want here and make a lot of money, even it was a dollar a day." (a Polish immigrant)
The big open room with flags was called the Registry Room. This is where all the new arrivals waited to be inspected and registered. In the Registry Room, doctors checked all immigrants health, particularly the eyes, to ensure they didn't have any diseases like trachoma or malaria. Once they passed the medical inspection, they had to go through a legal inspection, where they were asked a series of questions. All immigrants 16 or older had to read a passage to show they were literate. They also did mental tests, such as puzzles and shape matching. If an immigrant seemed suspicious, he/she was either detained or denied entry.
"Papa had been notified...to come to NY. I have a vivid memory of seeing him holding us by the hands through an iron fence. He was not permitted in the room with us. With tears running down his cheeks, he asked me [at 7 years of age] to take care of the children as best I could."
I thought this sign was appropriate as 1/2 of our family came from Germany. :)
Ellis Island's immigration building was closed down by the government in 1954. People arriving after that date by boat would first be drawn to the Statue of Liberty, and then would see the abandoned island, referring it to a ghost town. Years later it needed to be restored and was then turned into the museum it is today.
Everyone who came to America signed into a registry. The initial immigration building burned down, so some of the records were permanently lost.
My dad LOVES researching family history, so I went to the immigration library and found a couple of Deprey's from Belgium that came through Ellis Island to America. I wonder if we are related! :)
The museum also had a section with artistic old versions of the Statue of Liberty.
After the museum, I looked at the circular Wall of Honor outside, listing names of immigrants. And in that area were the remains of Fort Gibson, which was built before the War of 1812. Fort Wood was also created on Liberty Island, and these 2 forts helped make it near impossible for enemy ships to pass into New York City.
On the other side of the island is the old immigration building and the hospitals. They were under construction, so I wasn't able to walk over there.
After Ellis Island, I boarded the ferry again and headed to the Statue of Liberty. The pedestal that the statue is on is in the middle of Fort Woods (mentioned above), which was built with Fort Gibson prior to the War of 1812. Also on Liberty Island were statues erected of famous people from NY, such as Joseph Pulizer (Pulizer Prize).
There was construction going on, so I was not able to climb up any part of the Statue of Liberty, but here are a few more shots from the bottom. When the ferry took us back to the station, I took a look around the 9/11 memorial.
Once I got off the ferry for the last time, I had to get across the Hudson River into Manhattan. My "directions" didn't quite get me to the Holland Tunnel, so I ended up in a not-so-great part of downtown New Jersey before having to ask for directions. After finally finding it and paying a hefty toll I went under the Hudson River via the tunnel. The tunnel was long and while in it I was thinking about how many tons of water were pressing against the tunnel walls and what would happen if the tunnel cracked and water started to pour in. Obviously that didn't happen, but it was still fascinating to think that I was traveling under instead of over the river!! I definitely recommend that route! :)
On the other side of the tunnel, traffic picked up and was at a standstill.
Despite what I've been told, when I hit the city, it was MUCH more fun to drive. Weaving in and out as if there were no lanes, vying for positions with all the cabbies... Parking was another story. After a bit of searching for something under $50 for the day, I found a lot near the empire state building and went to different places walking or jogging just about everywhere, taking a cab a couple of times. People were dressed in all types of clothes, from men in business suits (looking like groups of penguins) to younger guys wearing artsy colorful outfits to women in fancy/upscale attire (Gucci jackets, Prada purses, Manolo Blahnik heels) to fellow tourists looking as out of place as me!
The Empire State building was the first place I went in the city as it's the tallest building. While waiting in line, there was a museum-like section on the 80th floor with history on the building. From there, we went up to the 86th floor, which is the 360 degree view. Although it wasn't Valentine's Day (think "An Affair to Remember" and "Sleepless in Seattle"), I still scoped out the place for my soulmate. Not there. Oh well. :( One section was very crowded. As I walked around, I soon figured out why. It was the only section not very windy. The rest were so cold and windy that I was afraid to take a picture as I wasn't sure I could keep the camera from blowing out of my frozen hand!! There were some lovely views, particularly over the water. We could also wait in line again to go up to the 102nd floor, but the line was about 45 minutes long and I had more to see in NY, so I opted to go down and continue my journey...
From one tall building to another, I went over to the Rockefeller Center. They have a beautiful ice skating rink, lots of fancy shops on the ground floor, and art throughout the building. They also have a "Top of the Rock" observation deck, which supposedly is almost as high as the last building, but with a better view (you can see the Empire State Building and Central Park). I went up! On the way, we had about 10 minutes to wait in the "video room", where we were staged. During this time, we watched a short show about the history of the annual Christmas tree, which makes history with it's brilliant light display, as well as information about the building. When we made it to the elevator, the lights went out and you could see the blue lights leading upward. The glass ceiling also turned into a screen advertising what we were about to witness...
When I got back to the ground level, I walked around on the bottom floor back and forth trying unsuccessfully to follow the signs for the women's bathroom. On the bottom floor there were long halls littered with food vendors and enough stores to replace the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace in Vegas!
I then stopped to get a hotdog from a street corner vendor, and walked over to the Museum of Modern Art (which was 6 stories high). There were a few areas you could not take photographs, and people who looked like secret service agents guarded each area, so I can only share from a few of the rooms I was able to take photos. There was a very eclectic variety of "art", and I tried to capture a little of everything...
After the Art Museum, I walked to Central Park. There were large crowds walking down the streets in both directions, similar to Washington DC - I do NOT like crowds! Some people moved quickly; others not so fast...
When I think about Central Park, I think about horse-drawn carriage rides. Of course in these thoughts I have a man traveling with me who would snuggle up next to me on the carriage, but none-the-less, I decided to try it out. They had a blanket, which was almost as good since it was a cold day. The carriage ride was slow, relaxing, and fun. I recommend it to anyone traveling through Manhattan. :)
You guys will probably recognize this building. It was used in "Ghostbusters". (No ghosts or unusual animals were spotted though...)
There was an ice skating rink in Central Park as well as the Rockefeller Center.
Parallel parking in NY is even worse than in Baltimore! Luckily I put my car in the hands of "professionals" at the lot...
After Central Park, I walked about 15 blocks to Grand Central Station. Even being on the same block, it took me asking 2 people and walking around for a few minutes before I found a way in. :) Grand Central Station is in a building by the bridge and partially underground by the trains. The main station was a wide open space with a clock in the center, ticket booths, stairs up to restaurants (note that I have a burger named after me), and tall glass windows.
Then I took famous 5th Avenue (where Saks on 5th Ave got its name) and walked/jogged toward Time Square. 5th Ave was a combination of Rodeo Drive and Chicago, and far too fashionable and upscale for me. :) All the fancy stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci were there. Then I turned down 47th Street and the next few blocks were nothing but jewelry and pawn shops.
I didn't know what to expect at Time Square, but knew it when I saw it. It was full of lights and energy, and the sort of thing I'd expect to see in Japan or Las Vegas. Light up billboards and large screens with commercial advertisements covered the buildings surrounding the square. This is the place famous for watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve. There was a place to walk up and sit down to take it all in. Fascinating in person - not so exciting in still photography shots...
