New England 2018 Day 11

October 8

This is the last day of a full 11-day vacation. We have had a ball, but we are ready for our own bed, and to eat Mary Jean’s home cooking!

Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, Jersey City, New Jersey

Empty Sky September 11th Memorial
The names of everyone from New Jersey who perished in the World Trade Center on 9/11 are etched into these two walls. Each wall length is equal to the Trade Center height. The path points to where the World Trade Center stood. Manhattan is completely covered in fog in the background.
  
    
Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
We boarded our ferry to the Statue of Liberty here. This was once a bustling hub in the golden years of train travel, the early to mid 1900s. Quite a grand place in its day.
Interior of the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal.
Antique baggage cart and luggage.

Ellis Island

Ellis Island
Ellis Island.
This is where immigrants coming to America were processed from 1892 to 1954. For the grandkids, this building may be the place your great-great grandmother Eugenia Vande Voorde (Gramy) took her first steps in America in the 1890s when she arrived in the United States with her family, as a small child from Belgium. Imagine her awe as she saw the New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty! There is an interesting story about her arrival you should ask your grandma about.
Another building at Ellis Island.
Ellis Island from the Statue of Liberty, with Jersey City, New Jersey in the background.

The Statue of Liberty

View from the front of our ferry.
First view of the Statue of Liberty.
Rear view. You enter the museum below the pedestal from this direction.
The original torch
Actual size of Liberty’s face.
Actual size of Liberty’s feet.
The New Colossus plaque.
Written by Emma Lazarus, the more recognized words are:
“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!”
This poem is often mistakenly referred to as being in the Bible, but it is not.
I have an old picture like one of these!
The stairs up to the statue’s crown. I wasn’t able to get a ticket to climb to the top.
View from the top of the pedestal.
 
  
 
 
 
Cornerstone plaque.
Us, on the top of the pedestal, with Manhattan in the background.
Manhattan
Ships
Our ferry
  
  
  
My last picture of the Statue of Liberty.
The last picture of me taking a picture of the Statue of Liberty.
Manhattan north. The clouds lifted a little bit, but still no clear view of the tops of the buildings.
Manhattan south
Freedom Tower is just to the right of the building with the small dome at the top. The clouds cover more than half of it!

Passing through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia skyline covered in clouds.
This is the third major city in eleven days that the skyline is in the clouds.
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles.
Wells Fargo Center, home of the 76ers and Flyers.

4:30 PM Home at last!!

Home sweet home!