New York Day 4

We started off the day by visiting the Statue of Liberty. The wait to get on the Ferry took a long time. The security was very extensive too. This picture is us pulling up to Lady Liberty. It's really quite a site. It represents freedom and really makes you appreciate our country and the freedoms we enjoy every day. It's something I have seen in pictures my whole life, but in person it brings on a whole new meaning.

After visiting the island with the Statue of Liberty, we hopped on the ferry again and visited Ellis Island. I loved the history here. This grand hall I am standing in was the great room all immigrants passed through before they were excepted to live in America. This place was busy, crowded, and a place of nervousness and hope for new comers.
The picture below is not much to look at, but it's Ground Zero. It's in the heart of the Financial District on the south part of the island. They are in the middle of construction to rebuild this part of Manhattan. It's actually huge and will have 8 or something huge buildings and skyscrappers in the near future.

This is a 911 museum. I am reading the time line of what happened that morning. It really takes you back. You ask anyone my age or older and they can tell you where they were when the events were happening and the feeling that day. I was at Utah State living with my Aunt Sallie and Uncle Mike. After I got out of the shower, my Uncle knocked on the bathroom door and said "Come look at this". It was after the first plane hit. I remember his face. It was somber. I was in such shock, not really understanding what was really happening. Then the second plane hit. What was going on? I still got ready and went to class. When I walked in the classroom, my teacher had the TV on and said that was all we'd be doing and we were free to leave. I stayed a while watching and talking with my classmates. I was supposed to meet Phillip, who I was dating at the time, at the Student Center after class and grab some breakfast. Because I didn't have a cell phone (most college students didn't at the time), I hoped he'd still meet me because all I wanted was to be with him. We, along with so many other students just sat in amazement and what was happing on the TV, looking for an explanation. Then there were rumors of a plane down in Pennsylvania, and did that have to do with it? Then there was a plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Again, what was happening???

As I was reading the timeline at the museum I relived the moments. It was the first time ever for a president to ground all planes, it took an hour. Although a horrific thing for our country to go through, it sure did make us a little bit more united for a time.

This is a piece of artwork made from many of the items honoring those on 911 that was hanging on the fence near ground zero.

After a very emotional day, we had tickets to go see "Spiderman"...the most expensive Broadway show ever created. We had the privilege of seeing it on opening night after a 40 day break to fix a bunch of technical problems they were having. We were greeted by the directors before the show started and sat just 5 rows from the front. The play was amazing, despite whatever the rumors are. The music is fabulous and the special effects were awesome. The characters fly over your head all around the audience. There is not a bad seat for the show.

For dessert we went to the South East corner of Central Park to the famous Serendipity 3. Famous people like Jackie O and Andy Warhol came often for the delicious eats. I of course had a famous Frozen Hot Chocolate. I loved the atmosphere, it's hard to describe. I think my friend Lisa said it best "It looks like a Polly Pocket house". This is the famous fireplace from the movie. What I appreciate about the movie now that I have been to New York is the "realness" of it. The locations the movie took place (Bloomingdales, Serendipity 3, Rockerfeller Plaza Ice Skating Rink, Waldorf Hotel, etc.) was all realistically close in proximity to each other.