Summer Travels

Monday in New York - so many firsts

Today was our history day in the form of immigration. We began at 8:15 AM walking down to the subway (first first). We got on but I became confused and thought we were going the wrong way so we got off while I straightened myself out. We were not going the wrong way that time. We arrived at Battery Park about 9:15 picked up our ferry tickets (I'm so glad I did that from home, missed our first line...if we had wanted to go into Lady Liberty we were already to late to get tickets for today but we had decided the impresiveness of the statue is fully appreciated from the harbor so we didn't even get off the ferry. We have seen tv shows about her restoration etc. We were able to get seats on the upper deck of the ferry since we were so early and had a fine ride. It threatened rain but never did any all day...of course we carried our umbrellas all day.

I did get the audio tour for Ellis Island, again in advance and that was fine. We arrived at the island about 11am and I gave the girls till 12:30 to explore on their own. I enjoyed it immensely but I think the girls were less impressed. It isn't that I learned much new but the actual space enriched my imagination. It must have been terrifying. We met up at 12:30 and arrived back at Battery Park a little after 1. I had planned to take to subway to SOHO and the Tenement museum but we needed lunch and to get there by 2 so we took a taxi. Had lunch near the museum and went to see how immigrants lived in the city. Agian the visual addition to intellectual knowledge was intense. Saying there were 10 people in 3 rooms is shocking seeing those rooms and realizing that there was a business there too is astonishing.

Our third task for the day was to see if we could pick up our tickets for the show Friday; We couldn't but at least we know where we're going and how to get there. On our walk we stopped at several boutiques. Katt and Victoria found cool dresses that they will need to tell about. Suddenly the trip was worth sore feet.

We tromped down to the subway at Broadway and Prince and went down the wrong stairs to the wrong platform in a station you have to exit to get going the other way!! (A subway newbie needs to be easy going) Once we were on the right platform it wasn't long before the subway came and we were on our way back to 57th and 7th. with no more excitement. There was a smile at least from some of us as a, totally illegal I'm sure , gospel duet sang their way through the car. Good voices though.

Now it's time to go to a deli for dinner.

posted by Traveler @ 6:24 PM