The wife, thinking ahead as usual, made reservations on the first cruise out to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Like an airport you have to arrive 2 hours early to get through security. No knives (how naked can one get. I have four of them with me...) or nail clippers allowed. That means leaving the resort before the crack of dawn. At least traffic should be light getting to Manhattan.
And it was. It was nice that my iPass worked in the toll booth of the Holland Tunnel. I had stopped to give the attendant the fee ($6.00) and she said I had ExpressPass. Cool! Lower Manhattan streets are the pits. Torn up, one lane, cars, and garbage trucks everywhere. Took awhile to find a parking spot near the ferry to Liberty Island. Expensive too.
Picked up our tickets and got in line for the security check. Two USCG patrol boats cruised by. M60's mounted fore and aft.
This line only took 45 minutes. No knives allowed. Such nakedness. :-( I had my CRKT KISS folder in use as a money clip. Took off the blade in PA but the screeners still wigged out. Didn't say anything about the Surefire in my camera bag.
If you have never been to the Statue of Liberty - please go. Between it and Ellis Island- they are incredible experiences. Plan on spending the day ... just waiting in lines. Just kidding. If you want to tour the statue there is a different pass that you have toacquire. Do so ahead of time. Plan on another line for the screening procedure. Another metal detector and a sniffer for explosive residue... 45 minute line. Interesting to find out that there is a NYPD SWAT team there at all times. One can see them wandering around the island.
This is the family on the observation deck of the Statue.
Ellis Island - the history is amazing. My family started in this country through these halls.
Back to Battery Park and the WTC site
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