Gene and Jan's Long Trip Too

Day 3 in New York started with a boat tour.  This allowed us to see many of the iconic buildings from a different perspective. As our sightseeing boat departed Lower Manhattan, we had a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge with One World Trade Center as the backdrop. The Empire State Building peaks above the shoreline skyscrapers. (The pencil pointed building on the center right.) Historic Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor.  From 1892 until 1954 it processed the arrival of 12 million immigrants to our country.  Today it is a museum and archive of the immigration records of those who were processed there. Nearby on Liberty Island stands the Statue of Liberty.  The colossal 151 foot high copper sculpture was a gift from the people of France in 1886. The residents of NYC camp on Governor's Island during the summer.  Known as Glamping (glamorous camping) people rent a tent (already set up) for $250 per day.  ...

We began our 2nd day in New York visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum honoring the nearly 3,000 men, women and children who died during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  Arriving at the World Trade Center complex we visited the transportation hub known as the Oculus.  (It is supposed to resemble a dove in flight.)  Five rail lines from New Jersey connect to the hub via tunnels under the Hudson River where  passengers can then transfer to the NYC subway system. The spacious interior descends down 4 levels to the train platforms.  One level consists of a 365,000 square feet shopping mall.  Fifty-thousand passengers pass through the hub daily. One World Trade Center (aka Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.   This super-tall structure  has the same name as the North Tower  of the original World Trade Center,  which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Septembe...

Often called the greatest city in the world, New York City is both romantic and exhilarating!  We arrived mid-day to rain and wind, the story of most of our trip.   Thankfully the weather improved by 6:00 PM when we journeyed out for an  after-dark "City Lights" tour. Our ship was docked in lower Manhattan.  After a short coach ride to Brooklyn  (even short in NYC takes a long time) ,  we had a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline.  The tall building on the right is One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the western hemisphere  standing 1776 feet high.  The small finger of light above Jan's head is the Statue of Liberty. Spanning the East River are four bridges, two are seen here.  In the foreground is the Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883.  It is one of the oldest vehicle bridges in the USA.  Behind is the Manhattan Bridge completed in 1909.  Both connect the islands of Manhattan and Brooklyn...