Sunday, March 1, 2009

Lovely Lady Liberty with her book of recipes...






So here it is, my first visit to the place where lots of people have visited...and I haven't. Jeremy's uncle and cousin came down to the city for a visit from Western Mass. I love playing tour guide especially to places I haven't visited, kind of a good excuse to go to those places I normally wouldn't go by myself or with Jeremy. So we investigated online about going to see the Lovely Lady and found they only allow about 2000 visitors a day up the monument, so we reserved. the other thing is the actual statue is free, its getting there that is the price. So for 12 bucks we boarded the ferry to the statue and set sail...well not sail, but whatever. We boarded the ship around 12:30 after going through security checkpoints like we were going through the airport...step one. The ferry went through New York Harbor to the statue and we landed on Liberty Island, pretty cool, step 2. Next we went to find the next part of the journey which was going to the statue, step 3...more security. This time it took a little longer, and we got checked for explosives. While in line something occurred, and I must say it was kind of humorous. You know when you are in line waiting and there are signs that say you must have your tickets out blah blah blah. Well at the statue as I said they only allow a certain number of people up the statue and it usually fills up fast. So all these people are waiting to go up and the security guards are like "LOOK AT YOUR TICKET....IF IT SAYS...NO MONUMENT ACCESS...THAT MEANS...NO MONUMENT ACCESS, PLEASE LEAVE THE LINE." Then it happened a disgruntled Asian tourist said the famous words, "What do you mean??" and the conversation went something like this:
Guard: G
Asian Tourist: A
Other Tourist: O

G: If your ticket says no monument access, you can't go up.
A: What do you mean?
O: If we can't go up then why sell the tickets?
A: What do you mean?
G: There are only 2000 people allowed up to the statue a day.
A: So I can't go up?
G: Does your ticket say "no monument access?"
A: Why don't you tell people this?
O: Why don't they tell people this when they buy the tickets?
G: Go to the website and reserve your tickets next time.
A: I came from around the world for this
G: Go online and come back another day

Eventually people looked at their tickets, and the rejected "no monument access" ticket holders got out of line holding their heads in shame. It just reminded me of that old Phone commercial...You should have called first. Oh well, we got in. So we waited in the line until we got into the tent...more waiting. We waited in line like the good citizens of America, apparently though there is an express line so people like Charlie Crist, his family and his gun toting security guard could jump line and go in front of everyone, I am sure they had to get tickets JUST like everyone else...RIIIGHT. So we went through the cattle pen until finally we went into the next room. Oh whats this? More security, like the security coming onto the boat wasn't enough. This time we went through those machines that detect explosives, they blow puffs of air all over your body...kinda weird, and I am SURE the metal detectors would have done there jobs the first time and detected...okay enough security, we got to the statue. It was neat,

there were lots of cool things, like a scale model of her face and foot made of copper in the same fashion as she was, then this picture was one of the torches, maybe the one right before the current one? I forget. So we climbed the stairs to the bottom of the actual statue. You can't go the statue anymore, which would have been neat but oh well, maybe soon, I heard they want to reopen the upper part.
So we left the lovely lady and returned to waiting in line for the next ferry. I have been getting a kick out of lines, and people who don't understand that when someone says keep walking forward...big steps, go faster, you're holding the line up, etc...that's what it means. There was a guy standing in front of me getting on the ferry and everyone around me and myself were following the instructions that I previously said, but this one guy? NO he needed to turn around and talk to the person a few people behind me...and the guy with the bullhorn? He did not like this and was shouting at him, I started pushing him, and he didn't like that, but I think it got the point across, although I did hear someone say "he didn't understand you," I think pushing and shoving is pretty universal.



Top of the Rock


I believe I had posted about our trip to the Empire State Building. So we went to the Top of the Rock, again at night. I must say night time is a good time to go. No lines, and I love lines...har har. SO night time, top of the rock, awesome views, it was great. The coolest thing about the top of the rock was this room that was



this interactive room. The cameras watched you and mapped your movements, pretty trippy. The lights moved it was cool. Worth the ten dollar firefighter admission Jeremy's Uncle paid for us. THANKS UNCLE MATT! It was a fun time overall. Lots of NYC, lots of touristy stuff!

2 comments:

AngelaM-S said...

Andy...being a NYer...born and raised..I never checked out Lady Liberty or the Empire State Building. The only site sad to say I did visit and go up was the Twin Towers.

I liked the perspective through your eyes...

Cool blog...and nicely done

Matt said...

I've always wondered if when you visit the statue of liberty, where exactly do you "enter" her? Is the entrance you know where? Or is it someplace not as fun like in her toes.