Quick Trip to New York City - Part 2

Keith and I traveled to New York City! Keith had in-person sessions to attend for his management training program at Olo headquarters. I decided to tag along and use this opportunity to explore since I’ve never been to NYC. This is Part 2, if you missed the previous post, check it out here.

Starting the Day Together

Keith would have a full day at the office and a team dinner after work, so we had coffee to start our days. We had a delicious latte and banana bread at Blue Bottle Coffee.

With a travel day and a full day walking around the city, I walked over 13 miles the day before, I knew I wouldn’t make it two more days at that pace. Although the recent Camino de Santiago did help prepare me for this! This day would be equally busy, but not as much walking. I planned to take the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and visit Ellis Island. From my research, this would probably take around 5 hours or more. Then I'd walk through the financial district and decide what to do with any time left in the day.

Battery Park

I enjoyed the fresh morning air, yes, even in NYC 😉 as I made the short walk to Battery Park from the hotel. Parts of the park were under construction and seemed to be much bigger than I expected. There were several large open areas for relaxation and play.

After purchasing my ticket, I walked to the building for the airport-grade security required to board the ferry. The basic entry ticket includes the round trip ferry service to Liberty Island, the grounds of the Statue of Liberty, including the Statue of Liberty Museum. Also included is the ferry to Ellis Island and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Both islands also have self-guided audio tours, which were excellent!

Ferry to the Statue of Liberty

As I boarded the ferry, the woman walking before me asked the staff where the best place was to sit. I'd recommend this as I read some tips online that ended up being wrong. We ended up having the best seats on the boat and it made for a great cruise. However, everyone who was elsewhere on the ferry ended up making their way over to get the best pictures.

After the approximately 25-minute ride, we landed on the grounds of the Statue of Liberty. Another tip I read was to use the restroom and check out the gift shop first. This worked for me as this was enough time for everyone on the boat to scatter about the sites. I didn't have to wait in line to access the audio handset and had several viewpoints with very few people sharing the space.

Facts about the Statue of Liberty

• The statue's official name is Liberty Enlightening the World.
• The statue is 151 feet (46 meters) tall, but with its concrete base, it stands 305 feet (93 meters) high.
• The statue is made of thin sheets of copper supported by an iron framework.
• The statue's green color comes from a protective layer called patina that forms on copper to prevent corrosion.
• The statue's torch represents liberty, and the tablet she holds displays the date of the American Declaration of Independence in Roman numerals. The crown's seven spikes symbolize the world's seven oceans and seven continents.
• French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi designed the statue. Gustave Eiffel built the framework for the statue.
• Though you can not see, at the feet of the statue broken shackles are symbolizing the country moving forward from oppression and slavery. She is also moving her right foot towards a new, free era.
• The statue's official shoe size is 879, based on the size of her 25-foot feet.
•  The statue represents hope and opportunity for immigrants and embodies the United States.

Ferry to Ellis Island

The ferry ride to Ellis Island is about a 20-minute ride. Once I arrived on the island, I decided to get a bite to eat before exploring the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. I had a list of recommended exhibits in the museum as it's quite large and there is a lot to read and see. Once again, there is a great self-guided audio tour available and I'd highly recommend it.

Facts about Ellis Island

• From its opening until 1954, when Ellis Island shut down operations, it processed about 12 million immigrants from steamer ships that came to New York City. It first opened and started welcoming people to the United States in 1892.
• Those wishing to enter the United States had to undergo an evaluation at Ellis Island. The evaluation generally consisted of a brief inspection to ensure they appeared healthy and able to enter the workforce. If someone showed any visible signs of declining physical or mental health, they were flagged and taken for further evaluation. Not many people were ultimately denied entry, though — only about 2%.
• You may not know Fiorella LaGuardia, but you probably heard of the NYC airport named after him. Fiorella LaGuardia worked at Ellis Island as a translator (fluent in Italian, Croatian, and Yiddish) before becoming mayor.
• In 1897 a fire destroyed the buildings and records, but the main building was rebuilt in 1900 in fireproof materials.
• During the world wars, the United States government detained those they viewed as a threat to the country. Because Ellis Island wasn’t being used as much for immigration anymore, the government used it to house suspected enemies and later Nazi sympathizers.
• The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration opened in 1990. Roughly 3 million people come to Ellis Island each year to visit.

Financial District

On my way back to the hotel, I walked through the financial district. First to Bowling Green Park. Designated in 1173, it's NYC's oldest park. Next, I snapped some pictures of the bronze statue, the Charging Bull. Lines formed to get pictures with the bull, but I just walked by taking a couple of photos. Then I stopped in at Gregory's Coffee for a late afternoon latte and sweet treat.

Next, I made my way to the New York Stock Exchange building and the Fearless Girl Statue. Before arriving in NYC, I knew that there were some fairly large protests the weekend prior. As I walked and searched for the Fearless Girl, there was a small group of political protestors outside the New York Stock Exchange building. As I hurried by, I missed the Fearless Girl. After reviewing a short video I took, I realized I walked right by her so I planned to revisit this area the next morning.

Last Day Plans

Keith and I hoped to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum together on the last day after he finished at the office. After some discussion with his colleagues, there wasn't going to be enough time between the end of his day and needing to leave for the airport. I didn't want to miss the opportunity, so I planned to go by myself.

I started the day by walking back to the financial district to see the Fearless Girl. On the way, I stopped for a stroll through the graveyard at Trinity Church. The grounds are simple, but well taken care of. I saw several men working on the landscaping and caring for the graveyard. It was a short, but peaceful walk to start the morning. Several historical figures are buried and/or memorialized here: Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Robert Fulton, John Watts, etc.

9/11 Museum

I had been looking forward to visiting this museum to learn about and remember the events of September 11, 2001. I also knew this would be extremely emotional because it is one of the most significant historical events that has taken place in my lifetime. I remember that day and the days following.

On September 11, 2001, I was a senior at Northern Kentucky University. I was commuting through Cincinnati that morning. As I drove across the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge into Kentucky, the radio was interrupted by the news. A plane had been flown into the World Trade Center, North Tower. Live on the radio, the broadcasters saw the second plane crash into the South Tower. I remember being so confused by what I was hearing and looking around at the other cars around me. I could tell they were listening too.

I arrived on campus and went to class. Our professor tried to begin the day as normally as possible and then as more information became available, we watched on tv what was happening. Soon after classes were canceled and I went home. There I sat in shock and horror as the day unfolded.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum does an excellent job of informing and paying respect to those who lost their lives on 9/11. The museum remembers the day with a timeline of the events, sharing as many stories and artifacts available, while teaching about the events that led to these attacks, the heroes who helped save and recover loved ones, and the spirit of NYC and the USA.

I did the self-guided audio tour and saw every exhibit in the museum. I didn't take many pictures since in some areas photos are prohibited. Honestly, as I moved through the museum, it just felt disrespectful to me to be photographing these personal artifacts. It also took away from the experience when I saw other people taking pictures when they weren't supposed to be or bumping into people to get their shots. I also just wanted to be in the moment to experience this.

One exhibit, In Memoriam, is extremely powerful. You enter a room displaying portraits of the 2,983 individuals killed as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The six killed in the bombing of the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993, are also memorialized here. What I read on 911memorial.org stuck a cord with me, "These four walls present a true cross-section of humanity, ages two and a half to 85, from more than 90 nations, spanning the spectrum of ethnicities, socioeconomic sectors, and faith traditions."

Within this gallery is an inner room. A bench surrounds the perimeter. As you sit, profiles of the victims are projected onto the walls and you hear recorded remembrances from family and friends. I sat for about 20-30 minutes here and truly wish I had had the time to listen and hear about every single victim.

9/11 Memorial Pools

Since we were staying right on the plaza, we walked by the pools several times a day. After visiting the museum, the pools helped bring even more meaning to the importance of paying respect to those affected by 9/11. You can learn more about the design here: About the Memorial.

I feel so thankful that I got to visit these memorials and the museum. It felt good to learn more about these tragic events that took place in my lifetime and that I remember happening 23 years ago.

Final Thoughts

I am so thankful that Keith and I got to visit New York City. Even though we were each doing our own thing, it was nice to be in the city together. I really appreciate the opportunity this gave me to explore a new city. I learned so much about the history and enjoyed the numerous landmarks. I hope we get to go back one day and see even more together!

Where were you on 9/11? What memories do have of that tragic day and the days after? Let us know in the comments section below.👇 💬