New York City: Day One

We gulped hard and then set out on foot to explore New York City yesterday morning. Our agenda for the day was the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and then to take the Staten Island Ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. A former colleague and native New Yorker recommended the Staten Island Ferry as the best way to see the Statue of Liberty, and we took his advice.

We walked a few blocks through a residential neighborhood in Jersey City on our way to the subway. These homes look just like the ones you see on your favorite night time cop show:

We probably walked a little farther than we needed to on our way to the PATH station. It didn't matter because there we found machines to purchase a Metro pass.

With our pass, we could ride both the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson subway system) from New Jersey into New York City and the New York Subway operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Along the way, we could see One World Trade Center off in the distance. The top was shrouded in fog in the morning, but the clouds burned off as the day wore on.

We managed to get around New York City on our first day with aplomb, even if we do say so ourselves. And we do. The most difficult parts of the journey were the parts we traveled on foot. In those sections, we sometimes headed in the wrong direction. Before I go on, however, we want to compliment the people of New York for their friendliness and their enthusiastic helpfulness. Anytime we furrowed our brow in confusion, someone with a smiling face asked us if they could assist. It was very impressive and uplifting in a city this size with a reputation for being less than friendly. New Yorkers, we salute you!

Also, we were using Google Maps, and that has proven to be a valuable traveling companion. There is a very informative blog post on the Wheeling It blog that goes into great detail about how to use Google Maps in the city. You can read it right here if you're interested. We appreciated the post so much that we donated to their "beer fund" as a thank you.

So let's just back up to the beginning, shall we? After purchasing our pass, we took a long escalator down into the bowels of the subway system.

The first train was the red train to the World Trade Center. We got on and rode one stop, coming up at an incredibly beautiful station on the New York side of the Hudson River. In addition to being a subway station, it was also a shopping mall. And it was vast.

Overhead was a huge skylight extending the full length of the building.

When we came up to ground level again, we took off on foot in the wrong direction, but soon realized our error and headed back to where we were supposed to be. Our first stop at the memorial was the reflecting pools. There is one in the place of each of the twin towers that fell on that terrible day.

The pools were both moving and sobering. So many names. Of course, it's always better to see moving water in a video, and so I've given you one. If you can't see the video, then click right here.

So many names. So many sons, daughters, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. So many people lost.

Some victims had pictures, flowers, flags, and short notes posted next to their name.

Also, some were listed according to the role they had in rescue efforts.

After visiting the reflecting pools, we went into the museum. For this, we'd purchased tickets ahead of time and were allowed to skip that long line at the museum. Inside, was a very moving tribute with many displays of fragments of the original towers. I'll post the ones I photographed along with the signs telling you about them. It was quiet inside, despite a huge crowd.

We spent a couple of hours exploring the museum, and then went back outside where the clouds had burned off to see the new tower known as One World Trade Center. It stands triumphant.

Th image above is going into my sketchbook. My one word for this One Word Wonder: "Phoenix."

From there, we headed toward the Staten Island Ferry. This part of the journey was completely on foot. Along the way, we passed the Wall Street charging bull. There were so many people crowded around it (why?) that we didn't venture any closer than this.

Near the ferry, we passed Battery Park. This is how it looks today.

Here's how it looked in 1851.

Battery Park has an interesting history, and you can read more about it right here.

Just around the corner from Battery Park is the Staten Island Ferry landing. It is free to ride the ferry, and it runs every half hour.

We waited about 15 minutes for the next one. It is for people only...no cars...and hundreds boarded along with us.

So, here we go...on our way to Staten Island.

But this is who we really came to see. For all that the 9/11 Memorial emotionally sobering, Lady Liberty was emotionally thrilling.

From the ferry, we could see a couple of lighthouses off in the distance.

This one is on a little rock of an island in the middle of the Hudson River.

The best views of the Statue of Liberty were on our way back from Staten Island.

The one above will go into my sketchbook. My one word for this One Word Wonder: "Beacon."

We were accompanied by these gentlemen of the Coast Guard. New York goes to great lengths to keep its assets safe these days. The guy on the front is manning a 50 caliber machine gun.

On the way back, I took this shot of the opposing sides of the river...New Jersey on the left, Manhattan on the right. You can see the World Trade Center there. It dominates the Manhattan skyline.

I took this image because the tallest building there on the right is the one just above the RV park where we are staying.

You can get a better look at the Manhattan skyline in the image below.

In this next image, you can see the Empire State Building right in the middle.

This one is an interesting juxtaposition of glass and steel over a lowly brick church. You can see the little church in the lower right-hand corner of the image below.

Also in the river...lots of boats. this one is a tour boat. We chuckled a little because there was no wind, but we watched as they raised the sail. These folks paid for a sail, and a sail they shall get.

After our journey to Staten Island, we were ready to go back to the trailer, and so we found our way using the New York Subway to take us back to the PATH, where we hopped on a train that took us back to Jersey City. Oh...there's our train now!

The trick to riding the subway is knowing which direction to walk when you come up to ground level again. We determined yesterday that if we walked in the direction of the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory, we were going in the right direction.

That's a landmark I can remember.

For those of you keeping up with the refrigerator magnet tally, you can rest easy knowing that I picked one up at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Usually, I'm put off by souvenirs that are sold in places that honor the dead. The museum store had its share of junky trinkets that seem disrespectful to me. Nevertheless, I liked this magnet, and so I purchased it.

And you know it's been a good day when I can also find a shot glass. This one was at the ferry landing on Staten Island.

Last night we went outside to see the Manhattan skyline at night. This image was taken at the marina near the RV park. You can see the World Trade Center close to the middle of the image and off to the right. It's the brightest thing in the sky. There are boats in the marina in the foreground.

This one was taken from the ferry landing across from the RV park.

That one is going into my sketchbook as well. My one word for this One Word Wonder: "Glittery."

The kitties did well for a long day alone yesterday. They always stretch when we return as if they've slept the day away...and they probably have. Despite his long day of napping, Smitty snuggled up on the Stars and Stripes quilt, falling asleep and snoring loudly, which caused Sadie no end of consternation. She had to get up on the chair to make sure he was okay.

And that was our first day in the Big Apple.

Today we'll head out for a longer subway ride (close to an hour) over to Central Park. The weather has been overcast, but quite warm. We dressed for cooler weather yesterday and quickly shed our jackets. Today, we'll dress more appropriately. After Central Park, we're considering making our way to see Grand Central Station. From there, we'll probably head back to the RV, but one never knows. It's an adventure, and we're feeling adventurous.