Vacation Trip Part 4-NYC Sight Seeing

I have no problem looking the part of the tourist.  When we would first go on trips I was almost embarrassed to look the part of the tourist, but wanted to blend in.  Not any more.  I only have a few days to explore so I pack up my camera, camcorder, and maps, and off we go.  I have been listing costs and tips in this series because I am always full of questions and like the small details.  I hope anyone traveling this way might have questions,will finds it helpful.

We started the day with the Big Bus, hop on hop off ride.  We have used them before in other cities and it is just nice to ride on the top level, with a tour guide, relax and get a feel of the city and the sites we want to see.  The problem with the bus is the traffic.  They do a wonderful job maneuvering through the busy streets but it is very slow and go, yet still worth it.  It was cheeper to reserve our tickets on line. I printed them off at home, along with all my flight information and our trip schedule.  Well, in all our excitement to drop off the rental car, apparently, we left my paperwork in the car.  Thankfully, I had saved the pass for the bus to my phone also, and they accepted that.  So, we hopped on, went to the top of the bus and settled in for a day of exploring.

The pass we got was the Freedom Pass.  It is a two day pass that includes a ferry trip to the Statue of Liberty.  So that is where we started.  We hopped on the bus and road to the dock.  The driver told us to go to the building and get our pass, he was wrong.  You have to find a man with the Big Bus shirt on that is exchanging your little paper ticket for a real ferry ticket.  Finally we were headed to the ferry.  I was so excited, I just had to smile.  As soon as I got on the ferry I got a little panicked when I realized it was going to be a little rocky, and I was not wearing my motion sickness wristbands.  The ride was short and I made it just fine.

I felt a sense of awe as we approached the Statue of Liberty.  For so many immigrants it was their first sign of freedom and hope for their future in this new land.   Once on the island we walked around the outside then headed to go to the platform.  I had checked on line and saw that you had to have a pass to go inside the Statue of liberty but I didn't understand you couldn't even go on the lower level of the platform.  I was a bit saddened when the security guard informed us of this, with quite a bit of annoyance in his voice.  It was still a wonderful sight to behold.

our ferry

looking toward Ellis Island

 Next we headed to Ellis Island on the Ferry.  Here we saw where the third class passengers entered the United States.  Apparently the first and second class got let off on Manhattan Island because if they could afford those tickets then they could probably support themselves in the US.  I found it very interesting that this was a question asked of those entering the US, "How are you going to support yourself and your family?"

The outside of the main building

This is how Ellis Island started, as a small island with a fort

eventually it ended up as this, after adding just a bit of land fill.  :)

Here is where they dropped off all their belongings before heading upstairs  to
get admitted.  They averaged 5,000 people a day and only about 2 percent
were rejected.

 Next, it was lunch time and I got to enjoy a hot dog, french fries and water from a street vendor for the bargain price of $12, he he he.  I thought is was worth it.  From there we walked to the 911 Memorial.  Such a somber, tragic place.  They are working on building 7 World Trade Centers to replace the two fallen ones.

As a firefighter passed this sign, he removed his hat in honor, and
after passing put it back on.  

this is building one it is huge, there are more buildings completed

one of the memorials, the name of those lost in that building are etched
in plagues are it.

This was in interesting shaped building so we went inside

It is an underground massive shopping center.  

We then took the Big Bus back to the stop closest to our hotel and got ready for dinner.  What a dinner it was.  We went to a little Italian Restaurant just down the street called Azaela's.  The food was amazing.  We started off with a wonderful cheese soufflé, I had never had a souffle before but the waitress highly recommended it.  I am so glad she did.  Our main course was salmon pasta, followed by a chocolate mousse dessert.  The night couldn't get much better.  We decided to take the night tour and view some of New York's lights and splendor.  It was great.  I didn't realize that their are five Boroughs that make up New York City, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. There is your trivia for today.  It was a wonderful day.

Ready for our lovely meal

Ahhh, the cheese suffle 

The start of our night tour

Crossing a bridge into Brooklyn