New York City (Day 3 of 6)

On the bus to Times Square again. Adam usually played his Nintendo DS and Derek his iPod Touch.

On the 1 train to Lower Manhattan (map)

The back side of Trinity Church

Lots of construction at the World Trade Center site

There's a tribute visitor center just across the street

When you stand amongst all the tall buildings it's hard to fathom the trade center towers crashing down in such tight space

In a plaza across the street from the new tower being built in the background

Adam and Derek stop for fruit smoothies

The awesome US Custom House - now home to the National Museum of the American Indian

In Battery Park headed for the Statue of Liberty. The Sphere sculpture was moved here from its original site at the World Trade Center where it was damaged on 9-11.

Castle Clinton where you get the tickets to the Statue of Liberty

Adam chased pigeons all over New York

Castle Clinton was originally a fort protecting the harbor

In line waiting to go through yet another security line (argh!!!) - this time to board the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

Adam was constantly playing with Helen's scarf

Everyone trying to get a picture of the Manhattan skyline as the ferry departs for Liberty Island

The lovely lady as the ferry swings around to dock on Liberty Island

The "Liberty Bike" built by Orange County Choppers



Helen and Adam get a closeup look

Gustave Eiffel, years before he designed the Eiffel Tower, designed the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty

Some of the various pedestal designs. The pedestal is often overlooked, but was a huge ordeal of its own.

View back towards the mainland from the pedestal observation deck. We didn't get to visit the crown. Those tickets were sold out through January.

Ellis Island which is next to Liberty Island

I liked this picture of Derek using the super duper hand dryer

Waiting for the ferry to take us to Ellis Island

Ellis Island

Adam shows us how much immigration numbers have grown over the years

How male and female immigration numbers have changed

Adam in the huge hall. You can close your eyes and just imagine how chaotic it must have been back when.

It's hard to stay awake when you've been running all over the place and then you sit down and they turn off the lights for a movie

Adam and Derek could have been the immigrants in this picture

Statue of Liberty as the sun sets on the ferry back to Battery Park

Many consider the Chrysler Building with its signature crown of lights the most beautiful in New York

We took the City Sights bus from Battery Park back uptown to the incredible Grand Central Station

We walked around town looking at all the wonderful store windows decorated for the holidays

I had to hold Adam up so he could see over all the people gazing at the dressed up windows

We went into St Patrick's Cathedral where there was a memorial going on

The signature Tiffany store on 5th avenue was closed but they gave Helen a Tiffany blue card and asked her to come back

The cool transparent entrance to the Apple store on 5th avenue

FAO Schwarz was closed but the guard was available for photos. They say New York never sleeps and that may be true for restaurants and entertainment, but many of the stores close around 7 or 8.

Back to the Apple store, which is next to FAO Schwarz. It was hopping.

More store windows at the Bergdorf's department store nearby

Radio City Music Hall - we had tickets to the Rockettes for Wednesday night

The NBC studios in Rockefeller Center (aka Radio City)

The popular Rockefeller Center ice skating rink

The big Lego store at Rockefeller Center - closed for the night

I like what Mr Rockefeller had to say

Top of the Rock observation deck

View of Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building from the top of Rockefeller Center

View of the Times Square area. You can see all the lights.

We were hungry and so tired. We talked about walking to try to find Carnegie Deli, but we happened upon a Dunkin Donuts in the subway station and opted for grilled flatbread sandwiches instead - very bland but easy.

Back on the subway to Times Square to catch the bus back to the hotel

Monday November 22, 2010

It was our second day into the city so we were pro's with the breakfast and catching the bus into Manhattan.

We were headed to the Statue of Liberty and took the 1 train to Lower Manhattan. We got off a little early and toured around the World Trade Center sight. It was very moving but loud with all the construction going on.

I had called a couple days before our trip about the different ticket options for the Statue of Liberty. Our NY Passes gave us free ferry access to Liberty Island but I wanted to go up into the crown. After calling I found out that you have to call well in advance for the crown access tour, but I was able to buy tickets to the pedestal museum and pedestal observation deck. I was bummed, but it was better than nothing. I was also irritated that I had to buy the ferry access at the same time even though I got free ferry access with the NY Pass. It turned out to be a good thing. The problem with the NY Pass is that although things are free with the pass you still often have to wait in long lines. When I bought the Statue of Liberty tickets they gave me a reserved time which saved us from having to wait in a 2 hour line. We still had to wait in a pretty long line to go through security and board the ferry. Everywhere you go in this city there are lots of people jamming up your plans.

It was a pretty day and we really enjoyed the ferry ride and the Statue of Liberty. When you're running from place to place it's easy to worry about the getting it done and to forget to take it all in. We talked to the kids about that and we all took some quiet time to just sit and take in the majesty of the Statue of Liberty and the moment.

We were hungry and opted for an overpriced lunch at the restaurant on Liberty Island. We ate quickly because there was only one more ferry to Ellis Island and we were worried it was going to get filled. We managed to make it onto the ferry, but not without being exposed to what was a fairly common occurrence in New York - people pushing their way through. I guess that's what some people in New York have become accustomed to, but it really really rubs against my hyperactive vigilante perception of right and wrong (Dirty Harry anyone?).

Ellis Island was cool. You could spend a days there reading and listening to all the stories. Derek studied immigration in depth last year in 5th grade including an Ellis Island day. Now Adam will have some background when he gets to 5th grade.

We didn't have any shows lined up for the night so we had some options. We decided to get off at Grand Central Station and take in all the sights. Then we walked around town looking at all the decorated store fronts. The holiday windows were incredible. Each window a true work of art.

We ended up at Rockefeller Center and took the Top of the Rock tour. It's a really well done tour with some movies and lots of interesting things to read. You end up on the observation deck with an incredible view of the city. I had intended to do the Top of the Rock and Empire State building observation decks at sunset to see the transition from day to night, but it just never worked out that way.

The kids wanted to ice skate at Rockefeller Center but we were all exhausted and you could tell that their voices were saying "yes", but their bodies were saying "no way". We kept getting thwarted on the ice skating and not ice skating ended up being one of the biggest regrets of the trip.

We talked about finding a good place to eat and thought Carnegie Deli was nearby. I was tempted and Helen said she could manage, but even I was done and ready to call it a day. We happened upon a Dunkin Donuts in the subway station and grabbed something quick. It wasn't very good, but got the job done. It was funny that we would find ourselves in that same subway station and ate at that same Dunkin Donuts several more times on the trip.