Today Stephen and I headed off to visit Lady Liberty, Ellis Island
and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We even tackled the trains and successfully
made our way from Midtown to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan
Island. The cruise out to Liberty Island was fabulous with stunning views of
the Manhattan skyline and of the Statue. Our guide Ashleigh was very
informative and passionate about the history of the Statue. The tour actually
took quite a bit longer than Stephen and I had expected. The queues for the
ferries on both Liberty Island and Ellis Island were also very long. With this
in mind we decided to skip the Ellis Island section of the tour and head back
to Manhattan for the short walk north to the 9/11 memorial.
We had a short stop for a cold drink at the famous O'Hara's Irish Pub, which is just across the road from 9/11 and during the tragedy was used as a haven for the first responders. The walls are covered with badges and patches of emergency services from all over the world.
After regrouping in the cool pub we walked across the road to look at the reflection pools and fountains that now mark the foundations of the twin tours. It is a very solemn but beautiful space. Our next stop was the museum. We entered just before 3.00pm and didn't emerge until 6.00pm. It was a very moving and enlightening experience and certainly one that both Stephen and I would highly recommend to anyone visiting this vibrant city.
Dinner was a quick burger in our hotel restaurant which, has the most amazing views of Times Square. Now it is off to bed early, as our bodies are still struggling to catch up with the time difference and lack of sleep.
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