My last day in NYC, Sunday, was gorgeous — temperatures in the 80s. After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, I took the train to the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The museum on Ellis was damaged during Hurricane Sandy but had recently reopened. I almost didn’t go when I saw the long line-up that circled Clinton Castle where they sold the tickets. This was not something I had put on my Go Pass and I was worried about standing in line a long time. I had done so much walking in NYC that my feet hurt. I decided I’d regret it if I didn’t go, so I got into the line. For most of the time, we were in the shade so that was good. ( I hadn’t taken suntan lotion with me and my skin is quite fair.) Once we had the tickets, there was a 2nd line that went through a security building. This was even more intense than at the 9/11 park or at the airports. Finally, we were on the boat.
Statue Cruises
As it was already early afternoon and the Statue crown and base were closed to the public at this point, I decided not to get off at Liberty Island but took some nice pictures and went directly on to Ellis Island. It was great being out on the island and lots of sailboats were out enjoying the day. The displays were nicely designed and very interesting; I learned things that surprised me. The name “Montgomery” is in the book listing all the last names of immigrants funnelling through this major immigration center beginning in January 1892. The first person through was an Irish girl 14 years old who had crossed the ocean with her two younger brothers. The first day, more than two thousand people were processed and shortly thereafter, the numbers rose to more than double that and 1907 saw over 1 million immigrants enter the U.S. through this portal. Now, 2 million people come to the museum (4th largest in New York) but as visitors. There was a gift shop with a wide variety of interesting books, videos, and souvenirs as well as a canteen with a wide patio view of Manhattan.
It was a day spent mostly on the water. I had time to enjoy the beautiful turn in the weather and then took the train back to the hotel. The Twilight City Cruise was a bit of a disappointment. They might have got away with calling it a sunset cruise but the advertising showed a city lit up with a darkening sky; it was full daylight still when the cruise was over. I did get more nice pictures of the city from a lot of different directions and it was a lovely way to finish my stay. Early day next morning; off to the airport, then home.
