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| The Green Goddess |
I was so down for a little bus trip to my favorite city on the planet. I decided to take my daughter along on the bus trip since she loved the city as much as I did. My friend and co-worker Stacy really wanted to go as well but was feeling anxious about going into the city. She had never been. I reassured her I would be there for her. I was pretty comfortable navigating around the city and I could help her get to the places she wanted to visit.
On Saturday, May 17, 2008 some of my fellow co-workers, their families, my daughter and myself boarded the Network Solutions bus and headed to NYC for the day. None other than Mr. David Kriner was sitting in the back of the bus with two other Netsol badasses cracking us all up. In between naps and laughter, Becky, Stacy and another friend and co-worker of ours, Gerry, were discussing what all our plans were once we arrived in the Big Apple.
Stacy had mentioned really wanting to see the Statue of Liberty. I had really wanted to see it too. However, I had heard from people that have visited Liberty Island that going to see the statue was an all day event. The lines were incredibly long just to get into the statue and the crowds could sometimes be overwhelming. It was a Saturday so I could only imagine the wait to get in would be atrocious. Neither Stacy nor myself had the patience for that.
To be completely honest, neither one of us really wanted to go to Liberty Island. We just wanted to see her. We wanted to glimpse the Green Goddess, Miss Lady Liberty. She was the Lady of the Harbor whom proudly guided countless sailing vessels filled with dreamers through the New York harbor. She was a beacon of hope to those yearning for a better life in this great country of ours. In 1906 she was there to welcome my great grandfather and his family to America as they completed their voyage from Foggia, Italy to the United States. She embraced many of our ancestors. She was family. She was a mother to all. She was the end and she was the beginning for so very many.
Here Are 10 Fun Statue of Liberty Facts
- She was given to us by the French in 1886. That makes her 131 years old this year.
- She was modeled after the Roman Goddess of freedom, Libertas.
- A broken chain and shackles lay at the feet of the statue.
- The statue functioned as a lighthouse from 1886 until 1902.
- The Statue's formal and official name is Liberty Enlightening The World.
- The 7 spikes on her crown represent the 7 oceans and 7 continents of the world.
- The statue is 305 feet from ground to torch.
- There are 354 steps to climb to get to her crown.
- The statue is made of copper but oxidation turned the exterior green.
- The man who designed the Eiffel Tower also designed the spine of the Statue of Liberty
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| The big orange boat. Staten Island Ferry. |
Bonus, the ferry ride was completely free. Free and NYC don't usually go hand in hand so I may have asked him to repeat what he said several times just to be sure. Gerry also informed us that one of the most famous views of Manhattan, a view that has been used in countless movies, is the view of lower Manhattan. We would see all of lower Manhattan and Jersey City from the Staten Island Ferry. He said the view was beautiful, although not quite as beautiful as it had once been. It was missing two key parts of it's majestic scenery. It was missing Tower 1 and Tower 2. We will never forget.
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| We will never forget. |
As soon as we arrived in Midtown, we exited the bus and headed to the subway. We rode the #1 train to the Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan. We wanted to do the ferry ride early, just in case there was any delays. We did not want to miss the bus back home. There was a very large crowd waiting to board the ferry. I was worried we would have to wait a long time to board a boat. As we watched the big orange ferry pull into the dock, we prayed we would be able to board it this trip.
Let's just say those boats can fit a lot of people on them because we had no problem boarding that ferry. There was also plenty of room to walk around and take in the view. The ride was 25 minutes from Manhattan to Staten Island's St. George's Terminal. Once we arrived in Staten Island, we would have to exit the boat and get in line to board the next boat. You cannot stay on the boat round trip. The boats ran on the hour and half hour. Seemed fair. I mean it was free and the view was going to be priceless.
As the boat departed Manhattan, we found some nice spots to stand on the deck near the back of the boat. The cool breeze from the boat was actually a pleasant feeling after sitting on a bus all morning. I looked to the sky. It was all clouds. A mixture of grey and blue swirled above our heads. Occasionally the sun would peek out from behind the fluff, letting us know she was still there. Her head was totally in the clouds on this early afternoon. I understood completely. My head was usually in the clouds too, just not this moment.
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| Leaving Manhattan |
I bowed my head, allowing the water churn the ferry was stirring about to calm my mind. My head snapped up when I heard excited exclamations of " There she is!!" "It's the Statue of Liberty." Stacy, my daughter and myself walked to the right side of the boat. I just gasped. She was a little in the distance but my god she was stunning. She looked exactly like all the pictures I had seen of her. In fact, to this day, she is still one of the most beautiful works of art I have ever seen.
I turned and watched my daughter gazing at the statue. It was one of those precious stolen moments. I was so glad she was here to see it with me. This monument was one of the most iconic and most historic symbols of the United States. Millions upon millions of people have gazed upon this statue over the last 131 years just as we were now. They may not have worn the same clothing as us. They may not have spoken the same language as us. They may not have been raised the same way as us. We may have had absolutely nothing in common with them except the experience of this one very moment.
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| Lady Liberty |
We shared a precious moment with Lady Liberty. A moment that transcended time and linked millions of strangers together. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what the harbor must have looked like in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It must have been a very busy place. I opened my eyes and looked to the statue again. I kept my eye on her for the duration of the ride to Staten Island. Once we departed the ferry, I could not wait to get back onto the next ferry to see her again. I so much had a girl crush on the Lady of the Harbor. Withing 30 minutes we were back on the ferry heading towards Manhattan. Much to my absolute delight and viewing pleasure, this ferry sailed even closer to the statue.
All of us tourists were whipping out our cameras to take more pics of the Green Goddess. I could make out a line of people wrapped around Liberty Island waiting for the turn to enter the pedestal below the statue. God I was so glad we did not go to the island. We definitely would have spent the brunt of the day waiting in line. As far as I was concerned, this was the perfect way for me to see her. I loved boat rides and I loved beautiful scenery. I got both. It was the most perfect start to our day in NYC.
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| The view coming back to Manhattan. |
My son and I took the subway to Bowling Green. We walked to Battery Park. Once we hit the water, I searched the horizon for that beautiful green oxidized robe. There she was. I pointed her out to my son. We sat there for awhile, on a bench, enjoying the view of New York Harbor. I smiled again like I did with my daughter. I got to share this moment with both my kiddos. It was another precious stolen moment to add to my memory files.
In closing, if you are planning to take a trip to NYC and want to see the statue but do not want to visit Liberty Island, the Staten Island ferry is definitely the way to go. You can also see her from various parts of lower Manhattan, but she is definitely in the distance. And while visiting Liberty Island is not on my Bucket List, maybe one day I will venture there to check it out. I have heard wonderful things about the tours they give. It is definitely worth the wait. One day perhaps.......
Links To Statue of Liberty Information
Chrissy
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| Club 54 |
