Boat Ride to Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

Fifteen years ago we took a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and enjoyed the memorable site of Lower Manhattan receding into the distance.  So we wanted to repeat the trip this time and also pop over to Ellis Island, too.  However, as the ferry pulled away from Battery Park, the physical loss became more and more apparent.  The World Trade Centre twin towers were gone.  The landscape that had been ingrained into our memories was gone for good.

However, this was New York.  Not only was it the city that never sleeps (and so good they named it twice), but it was full of tourists, school kids and, so it seemed, couples like we had been a decade and a half ago, capturing moments that in years to come they may look back fondly and say, "Do you remember this?"

The day we arrived in New York City was the 125th anniversary of Lady Liberty's dedication.   I am sure she has had many touch ups since then. But she looked as proud and welcoming that day as am I sure she did that October day in 1886.   Sadly we weren't able to visit to crown like we had 15 years before as the interior had been closed for the start of eleven months' renovation work. 

After a wander around the Statue and visit to the gift shop, where we bought loads of souvenirs, we boarded the ferry again for the short ride to Ellis Island.  Neither of us had visited the small island that had been the first port of call for millions of Europeans arriving in the US and was the nation's busiest immigration station between 1892 and 1954 went it was closed.  Incredibly, 450,000 passed through its doors before the short journey to Manhattan in that first year.  And that was at a time before transatlantic jets.

The ferry ride back to Manhattan gave us a prime view of One World Trade Centre with a few of the old World Trade Centre buildings visible in the foreground with their distinctive green-domed tops.  I don't know how long it will be before we make a trip back.  I just can't wait until we can take this same ferry ride for a third time together and see the majestic building creating a new skyline that will be loved by generations to come.

If you want to see more photos from our trip click on the link below.

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