Day 11 - To the Crown Princess

After a $40 cab ride we arrived at the warf and by 3:30 we were on the ship.

This is a view from our stateroom while we were at the dock in Manhattan.

Here is Barb making friends with here new home away from home - room A234 on deck 12 - the Aloha deck.

Here is a fleeting view of our room with the balcony behind the curtains.

We set sail about 7 PM so we left NYC in the dark. Here is a view of the Manhattan skyline. The Empire State Building is the pointed one at the left.

I really tried to get a good shot of the Statue of Liberty but just never could get the good setting. Bye-bye New York. Tomorrow Rhode Island

Day 11 - Last Day in New York

You know what you do when you are on a long vacation? You wash clothes. We spent most of the morning - until almost 11:20 getting our clothes washed, dried, and packed ready for the ship. We could board any time after 1 PM but didn't want to be too prompt or we would just be in long lines.

So with time short we hopped on a subway and went up Manhattan to near St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is quite a site tucked in between highrise buildings. In fact all the churches in NYC are overwhelmed by the tall structures around them.

While we were in the building they were actually holding Mass. I guess they are used to visitors taking pictures during their services as they didn't seem to even notice us back at the rear of the hall.

I love the doors on old churches. This one is very nice but later in the trip we will see doors that over shadow these by far.

A stroll down 5th Avenue can't be done without a little window shopping. Barbara wanted a picture of a de Beer diamond but I thought this neckless from Cartier was better.

You ask just about anyone in NY where you must eat and they will to a person say the Carnegie Deli. The Carnegie music hall was closed for repairs but the Deli was doing a bangup business. What to eat? A sandwich of course - a sandwich built for two. As you can see below it is quite a sandwich.

Day 10 - Phantom of the Opera

That night we had a treat and went to see the Phantom of the Opera on 42nd Street at the Magestic Theater. It was easily within walking distance from our hotel so we didn't even need a taxi for this little trip.

Was it worth it? You bet. The acting was great, costumes were unbelieveable, and the special effects were super. Were in the second row a little left of center. If we stood up we could look right down into the orchestra pit. The chandelier? Well lets say Barbara was so close she wanted to duck.

Great play.

Day 10 - Empire State Building

The day was getting late by the time we got back to Manhattan. I think it was about 3 PM or so and we had the play to go to this night. Bless the subway - we got up to the area of the Empire State building in less than a half hour. The lines at the Empire State Building can be enormous in the summer but bless the fall season. We had very little wait. Also the day before the overcast had been so bad you couldn't see the top of the building from the ground. This day was great weather. We had overcast but that is all. This is the ESB from the ground looking up.You know sometimes you just have to take a picture. This guy was in line just before us and it wasn't a kid but an older guy no less. We were eating breakfast today with a guy that only had one sock since he had packed all his others and the luggage had been taken away. We suggested he just switch it from foot to foot every hour or so to make things even.

This is the very top of the building from the 86th floor lookout. They wanted another $20 to go up to the 101st floor but we opted out of that one. We never saw King Kong either - darn.

We took tons of puctures but this one has significance. The pointed building in the center is the Chrysler Building. It was the second tallest building in the world once upon a time. What is significant is that it tower bisects a dark piece of land that is a peninsula of Long Island. By my reconing that is where Sands Point, Long Island is located. My Sands ancestors owned land on that point back in the late 1600's.

Not the greatest picture as we were looking into the sun. This is looking south on Manhatten. Ground Zero is actually about where the furthest right tall buildings are located. You can see the Statue of Liberty out in the river and the island just to the right is Ellis Island.

And you ask where we were staying. We were on 40th Street just off 8th Avenue. This picture has 3 hotels in one. The black one is the Four Points, The red is the Marriot and the gray colored one is ours - Staybridge Suites at Times Square. Like I showed earlier it was an excellent hotel, even though a couple of doors past the Marriot was the New York Parole Board offices.

Day 10 - Ellis Island

The next stop on the ferry was Ellis Island - where so many immigrants passed through on their way to a new life in America. Barbara's own ancesors on both the Blessing and Yates families came through here on the way to Rhode Island and Chicago. It is interesting how close this island is to the island that the Statue of Liberty is located.

This is the grand hall at Ellis Island. It is the big room that all immigres would have had to be processed. If they were ill or didn't have a sponsor (or way to support themselves) they would be turned away. For Barbara this room was significant as she had ancestors who had to walk this very room.

Seeing the display of luggage also made us think about how much did her ancestors bring? I suspect we have more than they had just for this trip. I can't imagine leaving everything - family, friends, worldly possessions to start over in a new country. We actually didn't do the genealogy thing here as they charge for internet time and charge a huge fee for anything you want copied.

Day 10 - Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island

This was our one day to do New York on our own. We planned out the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, Phantom of the Opera in the Evening, and everything else we could cram in there. Well everything else ended up being getting our ticket situation straightened out.
We started our day about 8 AM purchasing tickets (we thought) from our hotel but the printer didn't work so they sent us over to Madam Truseau's to print the tickets. (No sweat we thought.) Well we ended up in at least a 30+ minute line with others trying to get tickets printed. We got the stuff printed so lets skip a head in the story to the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We try to get into the line and they turn us away because all we have is a voucher for tickets. The guy sends us a couple of blocks away to find the guys in the yellow jackets who actually issue tickets for this company. By the time we find them and get the voucher changed to a ticket it was 11:30! Lesson? There are ticket venders running around all over the city in Blue and Yellow jackets that can sell you tickets to the nearby attractions. The prices are the same so if I had to do it again I would just buy the tickets nearby from a vender.

As we left our hotel we passed the most interesting parking lot we have seen in the city. High rise parking - that is a unique use of space. The guy that owned it wanted to be in the picture so of course I let him pose.

Going back to our narrative, today we got to do my favorite mode of transportation in New York - the subway. You can't beat it for getting around the city fast. We bought one day - unlimited passes for $8.25. That allowed us to get on and off as much as we wanted as opposed to $2.25 per ride. So we walked a couple of street over to the subway and rode the length of Manhattan underground to the Staten Island Ferry and a short walk over to the Statue of Liberty through Battery Park. This park was the site of one of the three forts guarding the entrance to the Hudson River and Manhattan itself.

The picture below is a statue that was recovered from the site of the World Trade Center and will be moved back there when the park at that site is ready. It was part of a fountain there, and though damaged, survived.

How many pictures can you take of the Statue of Liberty? Apparently quite a few. This one is my favorite taken as we were coming in close to the island to land. The base that it sits on is in the shape of a star. Of course the green color is from the fact that it is a steel frame covered in sheets of copper.

Here is a picture of Barb standing at the base of the statue. After several days of rain or showers this was a gorgeous day with patchy clouds and no precipitation.

In the gardens were statues to several of the people responsible for the building of the statue, which by the way, was constructed in France and shipped here and put back together. The statue below is of Andre Eiffel who designed the steel frame of the statue. Yes, the same guy who build a little tower in Paris.

Our trip to the Statue wouldn't have been complete without finding the plaque with the famous Emma Lazarus poem. We never did find the actual plaque but we found this display with a copy of her original poem. I want to put the whole thing here:

Not like the brazen gient of creek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land,

Here at our sea-washed sunset gates

Shall stand a mighty woman with a torch,

Whose flame is the imprisioned lightning,

And her name Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome;

Her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor

That twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient land, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired , your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe fre.

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.

I lift my lamp besied the golden door!"

Day 9 - The 9 - 11 Site

The last major stop on our tour was the World Trade Center site of the 9/11 terrorist attack. This is a picture of the new Tower 1 being rebuilt. I think they said it would be finished in 2013 or so. The foundation and first few floors of the new Tower 2 will be built but that is all for now. They have the same financial problems that the Empire State Building and others had when they were built. You can build a building but then you need tennents. So until more financing and tennants appear there will be just one Tower fully built.

We were taking these pictures across the street from the Twin Towers site. The building we were in is absolutely beautiful and only had its windows blown out that day. It is interesting how buildings so close to this disaster were only slightly damaged. Memorials to the dead are being built at the actual site of each tower. In the middle of this picture of the site you can see some trees. That is the rear of St. Paul's Chapel. The church was undamaged that day but one tree in the cemetery was blown over.

This sculpture is actually a rendition of the root system of the tree that was blown over and is placed at Trinity Church due to a lack of space at St. Paul's. The metaphore is that as trees need roots to be anchored, we need to have roots to hold us firmly in our family and nation.

I don't know the name of this building but it is one half as wide as one of the original Twin Towers and one half as tall making it just a quarter the size of one of the original Towers. They were huge. That is the beginnings of the second tower in the foreground. Our guide was a witness to this disaster from two miles away in Brooklyn where he was working. He said they actually saw the second plane crash into the tower and after they came down didn't know what to do so they left work. He went to his wife's school in Queens to pick her up and he said he was covered with ashes from the buildings even though he had been so far away. He could hardly talk about it and was quite emotional. You feel a hallowed feeling here like I have felt at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, etc.

All good days must end and ours did too as we walked through Times Square to our hotel. This is where the ball is dropped each New Years Day.

Day 9 - Wall Street

Wall Street was our next stop. The Trinity Church is right at the beginning of the street. In the Colonial Days it Wall Street was actually a wall to keep the Indians out. During the Revolutionary War it was less than successful at keeping the British out though. There is a cemetery around the church and Alexander Hamilton and other famous Americans are buried there.

This is the front door of the NY Stock Exchange - just a block down Wall Street from Trinity Church. The security around here is extremely tight. No one gets next to the building without going through security.

Across the street is the Merchants Hall with a statue of George Washington in front. This was the spot that washington took the oath of office as our first President. His right hand is out as if he is placing it on the Bible he swore the oath of office. That Bible and an original of the Declaration of Independence are on display within the building.

This is a shot up Wall Street from the last location showing all the security barriers and how close Trinity Church is to this spot. After his inauguration, Washington walked to Trinity Church and prayed for the country.

Day 9 - Out on the Hudson River

We took a boat arond both sides of the tip of Manhattan and out to the Statue of Liberty. Below is a picture of the Manhattan skyline from out on the Hudson heading to the Statue of Liberty.

This is Ellis Island where all the immigrants entering the United States through New York City were sent to be processed. It was the first stop of immigrants in the later part of the 1800's and the early 1900's.

I think we all know who this is. Built my Mr. Eiffel - the builder of the Eiffel Tower.

This is Wall Street seen from the Hudson with Trinity Church at the end of the street. More on this in the next installment.

Day 8 - Meals

OK - we couldn't resist doing a little "Grandma Betty" blog. For of the day whenever my parents were on the road. I won't do that to you but must mention two.

In Albany we ate dinner at Delmonico's. Absolutely outstanding food buthose who never knew my mother - when she traveled we would have to get a meal by meal review t the waitress didn't warn us about one thing - the portions! We ordered lasagna and after ordering we were reading the walls where charactures of famous people are drawn with captions. One said something to the effect of "We don't compromise for size in our portions." Well they meant it - our lasagna pieces were big enough to feed three people each. It measured at least 9 inches by 4 inches and at least 2 1/2 inches high. We are used to Olive Garden portions and this is at least 3 of them or more.

Below is our first NYC meal at 5 Napkin Hamburger - yes an upscale hamburger joint. Jamie, our bellman at the hotel, knew what he was talking about. - Never had a $20 hamburger before but what a burger. Called a "Hamburger for Two" - it could have fed more. Look closely at the plate - we have only eaten half of the burger. It looked like a small mountain when it came. Flavor? It was outstanding and the company at the nearby table was enjoyable too. We had to walk 5 blocks to get there (35th street) but it wasn't really very far. We must have passed 20 places to eat in that short stroll down 8th Avenue.

Day 8 - Staybridge Suites Hotel

We chose to stay in NYC at the Staybridge Suites Times Square during our visit to the Big Apple. It is one 40th Street between 8th and 9th. That mean we are just a 10 min. walk from Times Square. The hotel is very new and not like a typical big city hotel - there is actually space in our room. Here is the entertainment center with a 35 in flat screen TV with every kind of connection you can imagine.

King sized bed which is really comfortable. View? Well across the way is another hotel and over the tops of the surrounding buildings you can see the upper part of several places.

This is actually an extended stay hotel. It comes with a full refrigerator, stove, dishes, microwave. A regular full kitchen.

The bathroom is even well designed and filled with very plush towels. Just love this place.

Trip Day 2 - To Hyde Park, NY

OK today was better - the sun was hidden by clouds but it was daylight and I much prefer to drive in the daylight. Got out of NY alive. Drove right past the World's Fair site (I remember being there in 1964. Saw the old Shea Stadium and the hugh Citi Park that the Mets play in. Our goal was to drive up the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie so Barbara could do some genealogy at the Dutchess Co. Genealogical Society. She wanted to find out about the parents of her ancestor Festus Cronk. We weren't successful but found out that he was probably a descendant of the original Dutch Cronkites or however they spelled in in Dutch.
From there we did some sightseeing. Our first stop was the Vanderbuilt mansion on the bluffs above the Hudson River in Hyde park. Built right around the turn of the 20th century. When Mr. Vanderbuilt died in the 1930's tey tried to sell it and couldn't even get $300,000 for so they gave it to the government for a dollar! I didn't even get to bid. Darn.
Lastly we went to the FDR Presidential Library. It was the first presidental library and you can tell as it is so modest in comparison to the later ones. So far we have see the Kennedy, Hoover, FDR, Nixon and Regan libraries/museums. It was very interesting. We so dozens of Orthodox Jewish families - young families - everyone wearing black, heavy stocking, men in locks, ladies in hats. Thought is was somewhat strange until I saw the Jewish tributes to Roosevelt in the museum.
All and all a fun day with only light showers and near 100% humidity. Pictures after dinner. More to come.

Trip - Day 1 - or How long does it take to get to NYC?

This was one long day. Wake up call was 3:30 AM so we could be out the door at 4:15. The day started good with Fresno-Yosemite Airport was a breeze. The flight to LA was uneventful - took off at 5:45 to the minute and arrived about 6:30. Great day -right? Well it was downhill from there. We first were told due to low clouds, rain and heavy traffic our flight was delayed from 8:30 to 9:30. OK no problem - we wished. At 9:30 it became 10:30 due to the same problems. The plane actually boarded about 10:30 but then as we taxied down the tarmac towards the runway we were pulled over and made to sit there for some 45 more minutes. We finally took off at 11:40 which caused us to get in to JFK airport at 8 PM instead of 5 PM. Then we had to wait for luggage and rent a car. Now it is 9:00 PM plus and we need help to get to the hotel just 5 min from the airport. That was 5 min by the way the crow flies. I wish we could fly like a crow! I drive like a lost Californian. After going in circles we finally got to the Comfort Suites at a quarter to 10 or so. Luckily there was a NY Pizza place a block away that wasn't quite closed and we were able to get a couple of slices of NY pizza - first real meal of the day. I hope this isn't a portent for things to come. We will assume that things will only get better. After all, all's well that ends well. Until tomorrow.
What is this - 11 PM - 71 degrees and 96% humidity!!!! This must be the East Coast.