New York City - Statue of Liberty

My first time visiting New York City was in 2006, and while we were there a massive blizzard dropped over two feet of snow on the city. It was a cool way to experience the city, even if it made walking around a bit more difficult (at least colder and wetter). But we did manage to catch Times Square with hardly any people and no traffic.



One of the places we visited on that trip was the Statue of Liberty. Since it was 2006, there was tightened security everywhere. The access to the statue's crown was closed (at the time we were told it was to be closed "indefinitely"). But luckily in the two decades since, things have opened back up. You can now visit the crown again, as long as you book tickets in advance since they quickly sell out. We got our tickets, and were eager to visit. Luckily this time it wasn't freezing cold and the grounds weren't covered in deep snow. Just for a comparison, this was during that visit in 2006:



So we took the subway south to Battery Park, where we walked over to Castle Clinton National Monument (past the line of people trying to sell fake statue tour tickets). Castle Clinton is an old fort that was built in 1812, but it is now where you can go to pick up your official tickets for visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and get your NPS passport stamped. We then walked back through Battery Park to reach the spot where the ferry departs for Liberty Island. I had to stop a few times to get pictures of the trees in the old park, which had some nice fall colors.



We made it to the ferry, and managed to get seats on the top deck. As the boat left Lower Manhattan, most of us tourists stood up and tried to get pictures.





Now I don't want to get all sentimental here, but it is really cool to see the Statue of Liberty in person. The statue is such an iconic emblem, it's like seeing a celebrity.





Since we had crown tickets, we had to go through another security screening. You can't carry a lot of things with you when you visit the crown - you're only allowed to bring a water bottle, a phone, a camera and medicine. Items like tripods, car keys, umbrellas and bags are strictly prohibited. So I reluctantly put my camera bag in a nearby locker, and we made our way up to the pedestal first. The pedestal is the granite base that the statue sits upon, and it provides some good views looking up at the statue.



And also some nice views of Ellis Island and New Jersey:



And also a nice view of New York City:



And to compare, here's what that same view looked like in 2006:



And then we started our ascent up 162 stairs to the top of the crown. Which doesn't really seem all that bad, but it's on a very narrow and steep spiral staircase. You can see why the NPS limits what people can bring, because there really is just barely enough room for a person to walk.





There is a small viewing area at the top, which is limited to only ten people at a time (along with two park rangers). Since the statue isn't looking towards New York (she's actually looking east, towards Europe), most of the crown windows have a view of the harbor. You can get a few views of the skyline from some of the smaller windows on the side, where you can also see the top of the tablet that the statue is holding.



Even if the view isn't as great as what you can see from the pedestal, it was still an amazing experience to be at the top. From here you can see the inside of the statue itself, the steel frame that supports it and the rivets that hold it together. You can reach out and touch the thin copper, and see the artistry that went into all of the intricate details.





When our ten minutes was up we headed back down the stairs, which were much harder to descend. It felt like gravity really wanted to make me fall down and tumble down the stairs like in a cartoon. Luckily I stayed upright and made it safely to the pedestal.

Inside the statue you can find a plaque that is engraved with the poem "The New Colossus," by Emma Lazarus. It reads: 

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name 

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand 

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she 

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

It's a powerful poem, and a reminder that immigrants are the ones who built this country. It's a shame that the sentiments of this poem, and the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty, are being ignored, degraded and insulted by our current government.



After that we got our belongings from the locker and then went to check out the museum on the island. Here you can see the statue's original torch, which was replaced in 1985.



From the museum, you also have this view of the back of the statue:



Unfortunately, you can't coat the statue in pink slime and bring it to life and use it to ride back to Manhattan (like in Ghostbusters 2). Instead you have to wait for the ferry to take you. But it does also make a bonus trip to Ellis Island, so we rode over and had a look around.



Ellis Island was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the country. When it was open, almost 12 million people were processed here. It's estimated that 2/5 of all Americans have ancestors who walked through these buildings.



The main building at Ellis Island was under renovation and covered with scaffolding, and several areas of the interior were closed. But the Registry Room was open, which was where new immigrants would wait to be inspected and registered by government workers.



After looking at some of the exhibits, we went out to see the view looking back towards Manhattan:





Even the seagulls seemed to enjoy the view as well.



And then we took the ferry back. I found a spot at the front of the boat so that I could get a few pictures as we made our way back to the towering skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan: