New England Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Downtown NYC

Warning: Avoid this post if you do not like pictures of the Statue of Liberty.

We got up early to catch the ferry over to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.  Me had booked our tickets well in advance so we were on the list of folks that could head up to the crown (only 400 people per day can visit the crown).

Lady Liberty standing in the harbor.

On the ferry over.

Looking back at Manhattan.

Silly kids

Getting closer!

We passed by Ellis Island on the way to the statue.

A front view of Ms. Liberty.

Remember the warning?

U and the younger kids as we approach the island.

Front shot.  We had a nice clear day for pictures.

Coming around for docking.

Me holding the torch.

Megan holding the torch.

Matthew holding the torch.

Backside of the statue from below.

In the museum they have the original torch which was replaced in 1984 with a replica.

She is one tall lady! This is from the balcony on the pedestal.

From the other side.

View of the city from the pedestal.  You can see Ellis Island a little to the left.

Looking at the superstructure inside as we head up to the crown.

Whose eye is that?

Ms. Liberty, what a big mouth you have.

Her whole face from the inside.

Looking down her left arm towards the tablet she carries.

Lady Liberty has naturally wavy hair.  The rangers thanked us for helping comb it. 
The humidity makes it very unmanageable. 

Seeing the city from the crown.

All of us in the crown.  Much smaller than it is pictured in the movies.

Looking down on her tablet, there is a very familiar date.

Matthew at one of the platforms inside.

The gate to her right arm and the torch.  It includes a picture from the ladder up to the torch.

Looking through the gate, you can see the ladder.  Only one person goes up to the torch and that is the person who changes the light bulbs.  Since she now runs with all LED lamps, the trips are few and far between. The torch is hit a lot by lightning.

Looking up the stairwell at Me and Matthew.  The stairs were very steep and a double helix so you didn't run into traffic going the other way.

Another view of the Ellis Island complex.

Walking down through the pedestal, we encountered these large bolts.  There are 16 of them that hold her on the pedestal.

From the bottom of the pedestal.

Nice shot of the pedestal with the statue.

Classic shot of a classy lady.

Matthew, of course, had to be taller than her.

Contemplating the sea or refusing to be in the pictures?  You decide.

We had a lot of fun visiting the island and seeing the sights.

Sarah practicing her gymnastics.

Indigenous wildlife was plentiful.  This seagull was breaking open his breakfast.

The caterpillar was probably just hoping to not be seen by a seagull.

Full size replica of the statue's face.

Matthew and Megan were the perfect height to fit in her nose.

It would take a lot of nail polish to give her a pedicure.

Layout of the statue showing points of interest.

Remember the giant bolts?  This is how they turned them.

The famous poem that used to be on the pedestal.  We found out it wasn't original and was used as a fundraiser for the statue.

Matthew and Megan swearing in as Liberty Island Junior Rangers.

One more shot as we take the ferry to Ellis Island.

Three M's standing with some luggage from Ellis Island.

The main hall for processing immigrants.

Above the hall on the dormitory level. Matthew insisted on doing the free audio tour and we are glad we did as it added a lot to the experience.

The museum had lots of artifacts of things from the island or things people brought through the island.

Lots of pretty lace.

Pictures that were brought with them.

More possessions.

Swearing in as Ellis Island Junior Rangers.

After getting back to the shore, we walked along the park and explored New York some more.

Me and Megan on the Seaglass carousel.

Matthew riding in his fish.

Me looking very happy.

The fish would light up with different colors as they spun around.

You can get NY gifts everywhere.

The US Customs house.

Everyone wanted a picture with Wall Street's bull.

Me and the younger kids with George Washington outside Federal Hall. This is where Washington was sworn in as the First President of the United States.

The Bible on which George Washington took his oath.

A piece of the railing from the balustrade that George Washington stood on when he was sworn in as President.

The stone of the balcony that George Washington stood on for his inauguration. 

Working on the Junior Ranger program.

Matthew really liked that there was a hidden message in the Junior Ranger guide.

The rotunda was very neat.

The clock in Federal Hall.

The New York Stock Exchange.

Trinity Church (which does not have hidden treasure buried under it).

Ground Zero Memorial.

Megan and Matthew are getting tired.

The One World Trade Center building.

Me and Matthew headed towards the Survivor Tree. Megan and Matthew learned about it in school and wanted to find it.

We headed across the bridge to Brooklyn to get some delicious pizza at Julianna's. 
Well worth the visit, it was delicious.

No one tried to sell us the Brooklyn Bridge.

Manhattan at sunset.

Panoramic of the bridge.

The city at night over the water.

Lady Liberty keeping vigil in the harbor.
(You thought we were done with her pictures, didn't you?)

The Empire State Building was pink for breast cancer awareness.