Tags
America, Ellis Island, Freedom, Liberty, Manhattan, National Park, new york city, NYC, photo, travel
Our time in New York City could not commence until we fought our way thru hectic traffic. Our plan was to set up base camp at the ultra expensive, underserviced Liberty Harbour RV Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. We could see the World Trade Tower and the Statue of Liberty from our RV site, so even though we are in Jersey, we are super close.
We settled into our very tight RV space with inches to spare. The first night welcome Fireworks were a nice treat.
We took off on foot to explore our new neighbourhood.
Manhattan viewed from the Boardwalk in Jersey City, NJ
The next morning we were up early to visit Ellis Island and the Immigration Museum and then the Statue of Liberty.
New Jersey on the Left, Manhattan on the Right
Ellis Island was Immigration Central between 1892-1954 . Immigrants from overseas would spend weeks or longer on ships to arrive in New York City with nothing more than the clothing on their backs and maybe a few dollars. They needed to be processed which included a medical exam. Ellis Island processed more than 12 Million people, most were in and out in a few hours, but some stayed for a few days.
Anything put on by the National Park Service is usually worthy of a stop.
Ellis Island is located in upper New York Bay, very close to the Statue of Liberty, so it was fitting that new Immigrants would sail past the Statue. Most people has escaped their native country in search of democracy and freedom.
New York City is home to an extremely diverse population. One thing we learned in this museum is most residents of New York City can trace their family history back thru this port of entry. This is where the so called American Dream began for many people. It seems funny saying that being Canadian, but the attraction of living in a democracy is not something to be taken for granted.
We re boarded the boat and steamed over to Liberty Island, still in Upper New York Bay.
There are three ways to see the Statue. If you plan far enough in advance, about 4 months, you can book a ticket to walk up into the Crown. Tickets were sold out when we booked, but we were able to secure tickets to the half way point- the Pedestal. Once both of those tickets are gone, you can just view the statue from the ground level, which is overcrowded and does not include admission into the onsite Museum.
9/11 Memorial up next.