We arrived in Bar Harbor Maine last Wednesday and spent the next day getting settled in and getting our bearings. We got up early last Friday and headed to the Bar Harbor, Maine downtown Village. It was a beautifl autumn day when we visited. Not down right cold, but definitely light coat weather. In addition, with the village being on the ocean and a light wind, it was really chilly when we arrived that morning. Brrrrrrrrrrrr! Fortunately, the winds died down a bit as the day moved on and with the sun out in full force, it turned out to be a gorgeous New England day.
We first headed straight to the Bar Harbor coast to check out the views. The ocean beaches are so different than anything we know of in Texas, or Florida--where there are actual sandy beaches. The New England coasts are rocky, with slick moss on rocks precluding the possibility of attempting to walk close to the water. A couple of other oddities we discovered about the New England coast is 1) the drastic change in tide. When the tide is low, the ocean is 100's and 100's of yards low, leaving unsightly areas for a majority of every day. If you had one of those million dollar homes with oceanfront, the majority of the day, your views are of...well, just mud. 2) There are no waves hitting the shores. Isn't that strange? It was a windy day when we were in Bar Harbor and there were none of the normal waves crashing into the shore as you see in Galveston, or some beach in Florida. Anyway, we thought it a little odd...(I'm sure there's a really good scientific explanation if we'd bother to check).
The Bar Harbor village we spent the day checking out was so quaint, for lack of a better word. Whereas Route 66 in Santa Fe had lot's of shops and unique shops, they were modern...not particularly historic. But this little Bar Harbor village was just a warm little village. There was also a very distinctly different people touring about. Whereas Route 66 had lot's of 20 & 30 somethings, Bar Harbor had lot's of older folks. As a matter of fact, Mark and I would probably be considered 'whiper-snappers'--not quite 'dry behind the ears'! Seriously, the crowded streets were pretty much a sea of white heads.
We really enjoyed our day in the Bar Harbor Village, but plan on venturing out tomorrow to drive up the coast of Maine and check out lot's of the local villages along the coast. This time we're taking our 'babies' Clyde and Duffy with us this time. Though Clyde is still just hobbling along on 3 legs right now, we want to let them walk around on the beach--assuming we can find any beaches with actual sand in Maine. There's so much to see up here and obviously not enough time to check too much out. We'd have to stay in one location a month or more to really check it out.
But of course, time is passing by quickly. It's hard to believe we've been gone this time since right after the July 4th holiday. It's also getting Very cold very quickly up here. But I just Love this weather. I don't mean I'd enjoy 6 feet of snow and -30 temps...but I absolutely love New England in the Fall for sure. It's dropping into the 40's at night now and temps during the day are in the upper 50's/low 60's. But the Campground we're in is right on the ocean. We can see the ocean from our bedroom window. And the winds blowing off the ocean make it much colder. It's definitely sweatshirt weather around here.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, most of the Campgrounds in the Northeast shut down in mid-October, so we've only got a few weeks to reach the south. We leave Bar Harbor this Wednesday and are heading to the Cape Cod area for a few days. As I've said many times, we're having a wonderful journey and are very blessed to have an opportunity to do this. Well, that's about the latest for now...I'll update again after our next journey up the Maine coast.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Beautiful Vermont Countryside
We planned on spending the day checking out the Vermont countryside and some of the scenic tours suggested from some of our travel information. We got a later start, but what a wonderful day it turned out to be. We didn't have an exact itenary, just heading south in the direction of some beautiful scenery and came across some unexpected surprises:
Calvin Coolidge - I knew his birthplace was some where in central Vermont, but not long after leaving we came across President Calvin Coolidege's birthplace, the home he lived in with his wife and children and the "Western Whitehouse". What a nice surprise! Though his father had been a state representative for Vermont and a well known farmer, he was brought up in what would now be considered meager beginnings. There's a tour of the small home of his birth and childhood. Furniture was sparse with wooden plank floors. The actual barn, tools and carriage-sled were there.
Coolidge built a home on this land when he married and moved into it in the late 1890's. The home was not 'fancy' by any standards, but was nice. Linoleum floors throughout. The kitchen was so small and the oven so tiny it's hard to believe you could actually cook family meals in it. In addition to both his childhood and adult homes and barn, the 'Western Whitehouse' is there, though it's difficult to imagine something as plain and simple as that as a home office, much less a western whitehouse! His office was simply a room built over his childhood home--that's it. It's the room he was in when he found out Harding had died and he had just become President of the United States. It was just a wonderful, quaint, simple town...but just serene with beautiful mountains in the background.
We then moved on to several small Vermont towns that are quintessential Vermont. The foilage throughout the entire New England area is just now beginning to change color and it's so pretty. Though just now beginning to change colors, the greens are no longer intense, but are fading. Some foilage is beginning to turn a beautiful golden/light brown. And then we began to see a few limbs that have turned this gorgeous Reddish/Orange color. Breathtaking. I can only imagine what it looks like when the entire area turns that beautiful Red/Orange/Golden color. Wow. In addition, the towns we went through were small and quaint. Many with homes 100+ years old. We took pictures of some of the areas to give you an idea of what the Vermont countryside looks like right now.
Lastly, we drove up to the mountains and ski slopes and drove around. Apparently Vermont must be a huge draw for snow skiers. We saw lot's of signs for 'Snowmobile Tours' too. Imagine going on a snowmobile tour. Of course, in the ski resort areas some of the homes and townhouses were just gorgeous...and probably cost millions too. All in all, Vermont is just a beautiful place. I can't imagine living or working in Vermont, but I can't think of a better place to just come and relax. I'd definitely come back to Vermont again. We had a wonderful few days here, but it's time to move on.
We're quickly discovering the temperature is just dropping rapidly. The average temperature at night is already down into the 40's and today with the high in the low 60's, I definitely missed having a light jacket with me. If we forget to turn on the heater at bedtime, we wake up to temperatures in the 50's inside the trailer. But, I must say I just absolutely Love this weather. I'd live in this climate year round if I could. Mark's convinced I'd hate the dead of winter and maybe so...but I'd sure give it a try and see!
We leave tomorrow morning for Bar Harbor, Maine. Based on the average temperatures in the Northeast, we're going to have to kick it in gear.
Calvin Coolidge - I knew his birthplace was some where in central Vermont, but not long after leaving we came across President Calvin Coolidege's birthplace, the home he lived in with his wife and children and the "Western Whitehouse". What a nice surprise! Though his father had been a state representative for Vermont and a well known farmer, he was brought up in what would now be considered meager beginnings. There's a tour of the small home of his birth and childhood. Furniture was sparse with wooden plank floors. The actual barn, tools and carriage-sled were there.
Coolidge built a home on this land when he married and moved into it in the late 1890's. The home was not 'fancy' by any standards, but was nice. Linoleum floors throughout. The kitchen was so small and the oven so tiny it's hard to believe you could actually cook family meals in it. In addition to both his childhood and adult homes and barn, the 'Western Whitehouse' is there, though it's difficult to imagine something as plain and simple as that as a home office, much less a western whitehouse! His office was simply a room built over his childhood home--that's it. It's the room he was in when he found out Harding had died and he had just become President of the United States. It was just a wonderful, quaint, simple town...but just serene with beautiful mountains in the background.
We then moved on to several small Vermont towns that are quintessential Vermont. The foilage throughout the entire New England area is just now beginning to change color and it's so pretty. Though just now beginning to change colors, the greens are no longer intense, but are fading. Some foilage is beginning to turn a beautiful golden/light brown. And then we began to see a few limbs that have turned this gorgeous Reddish/Orange color. Breathtaking. I can only imagine what it looks like when the entire area turns that beautiful Red/Orange/Golden color. Wow. In addition, the towns we went through were small and quaint. Many with homes 100+ years old. We took pictures of some of the areas to give you an idea of what the Vermont countryside looks like right now.
Lastly, we drove up to the mountains and ski slopes and drove around. Apparently Vermont must be a huge draw for snow skiers. We saw lot's of signs for 'Snowmobile Tours' too. Imagine going on a snowmobile tour. Of course, in the ski resort areas some of the homes and townhouses were just gorgeous...and probably cost millions too. All in all, Vermont is just a beautiful place. I can't imagine living or working in Vermont, but I can't think of a better place to just come and relax. I'd definitely come back to Vermont again. We had a wonderful few days here, but it's time to move on.
We're quickly discovering the temperature is just dropping rapidly. The average temperature at night is already down into the 40's and today with the high in the low 60's, I definitely missed having a light jacket with me. If we forget to turn on the heater at bedtime, we wake up to temperatures in the 50's inside the trailer. But, I must say I just absolutely Love this weather. I'd live in this climate year round if I could. Mark's convinced I'd hate the dead of winter and maybe so...but I'd sure give it a try and see!
We leave tomorrow morning for Bar Harbor, Maine. Based on the average temperatures in the Northeast, we're going to have to kick it in gear.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I'm Back Online!! / Niagara Falls
During our week in Niagara Falls, New York, I didn't have internet access. We were unable to get a satellite signal because of trees in the area and the WiFi internet at the RV Park did not work. So, I've been unable to make any updates for over a week. We're currently in White River Junction, Vermont. But more about that later. First, our week in Niagara Falls:
Though the actual Falls are absolutely breathtaking...like, one of the 8 wonders of the world. I told Mark, anyone's "bucket list", must include Niagara Falls. BUT, Niagara Falls the city, is without a doubt, one of the dirtiest, ugliest cities we've ever seen. It literally looked like the 'ghetto'...or at least, as the ghetto is portrayed on TV. The 10 mile drive from our location to the Niagara Falls area, was just block and block and mile after mile of filth...I know that sounds terrible, but it was. Almost like pictures of areas in overseas. House after house, neighborhood after neighborhood were just falling apart in disrepair. What's so ironic, is that such a short distance away, were these magnificent Falls and associated parks.
We spent an entire day at the various locations of Niagara Falls. In addition to Goat Island and several of the beautiful bridges and locations, was "Cave of the Winds". Mark just flipped over this tour. I loved it too...but you get just soaked! Here's how it worked: You get in line and ride down this elevator 5 stories and come out at the bottom of Niagara Falls. They give you a thin plastic poncho to put over your close that has a hood attached. (I should have guessed then what was coming). They give you these velcro slip on beach shoes and give you a bag to place you shoes and socks in to keep them from getting wet. You walk around the corner and you can see the massive/roaring Niagara Falls right in front of you.
They've built several sections of stairs...each one getting closer to the Falls. The top section literally right on top of the Falls, is called the Hurricane Deck. The force of the falls on that section is so intense, that you cannot stand up straight. It's like trying to walk towards three 747 engines...the force is so great, it just blows you back. Only in addition to the wind, water is coming at you like a hurricane, hence the name. The deck below that was actually built literally right next to where the Falls hit Lake Erie and you can reach your hand out and touch the rapid falls. It's difficult to describle...but it was exciting and awesome! The force of the water is overwhelming on the lower deck--I sure wasn't going to try the Hurricane level! But of course, my lovely husband never wants to miss in all the excitement. He not only managed to get on the hurricane deck...but stood there for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, he was totally soaked. Heck, I was soaked just going through the first 3 level of stairs. But it was awesome! We had a terrific time on Cave of the Winds.
Then on to the Maid of the Mist. It's the large boat that goes right up to the Falls. It's the boat you see on most Post Cards of Niagara Falls. They also give you another little measley paper thin plastic poncho for this too. Mark had the bright idea to hurry up to the bow of the boat. So we were right at the front of the bow, with 200 of our closest friends cramped right up behind us. Then the boat slowly moves up towards the falls until it's directly in front of them. At least, that's what I'm told it did. The force of winds and water was sooooooooooo intense I spent the entire 15+ minues simply trying to hold on to the bow so I wouldn't fall. I couldn't even open my eyes it was blowing so intensley! What wasn't already wet from the Cave of the Wind, was now wet. My hair right down to my feet were soaked. Strange as it sounds...it was exhilirating! We were literally 15 - 20 feet from the bottom of the Niagara Falls. Wow. It was awesome...we had a ball. Overall, Niagara Falls should definitely be on everyone's Bucket List! (Just stay on the Canadian side--it was really nice).
The following day we did something we hardly ever do--we spent an afternoon at the Casino near Niagara Falls. We had a good time. I've discovered that I'm just not comfortable in a casino, as I inevitably win something within the first few minutes...sometimes just a little and sometimes a lot. Well, that was the case this day. While playing on the quater slots, within 5 - 10 minutes I won $50.00. Minus my $20.00 invested, I was up $30.00 and just couldn't bring myself to 'waste' any of it, by just giving it all back in the slots. So I cashed in and quit for the day. Unfortunately, Mark of course wanted to continue playing. So he played a couple more hours while I watched and walked around. Bottom Line, with Mark's losses and my gains, we were able to eat and still netted a +$15.00. Not bad for a half-day of entertainment and food! That'll probably be our casino fix for at least another year.
We left Niagara Falls Saturday, heading to Vermont. We spent our first night in Brattleboro, Vermont. Unfortunately, there are so many trees in Vermont, we were unable to locate a campground where we could get a signal for TV or Internet. So we got up early yesterday and headed further north into Vermont and found our current campground. We're planning on getting up early tomorrow and checking out some of the sites in Vermont. We only have one day left in Vermont, before we head to Bar Harbor, Maine. From there, we'll begin our journey south towards home. Well, that's about it for the latest on what we've been up to. I've got lot's of pictures of Niagara Falls that I still need to upload. I'll get them uploaded as soon as I can. Hopefully, I'll be able to make updates more frequently and won't lose internet access again. Well, that's a wrap for now...stay tuned~
Though the actual Falls are absolutely breathtaking...like, one of the 8 wonders of the world. I told Mark, anyone's "bucket list", must include Niagara Falls. BUT, Niagara Falls the city, is without a doubt, one of the dirtiest, ugliest cities we've ever seen. It literally looked like the 'ghetto'...or at least, as the ghetto is portrayed on TV. The 10 mile drive from our location to the Niagara Falls area, was just block and block and mile after mile of filth...I know that sounds terrible, but it was. Almost like pictures of areas in overseas. House after house, neighborhood after neighborhood were just falling apart in disrepair. What's so ironic, is that such a short distance away, were these magnificent Falls and associated parks.
We spent an entire day at the various locations of Niagara Falls. In addition to Goat Island and several of the beautiful bridges and locations, was "Cave of the Winds". Mark just flipped over this tour. I loved it too...but you get just soaked! Here's how it worked: You get in line and ride down this elevator 5 stories and come out at the bottom of Niagara Falls. They give you a thin plastic poncho to put over your close that has a hood attached. (I should have guessed then what was coming). They give you these velcro slip on beach shoes and give you a bag to place you shoes and socks in to keep them from getting wet. You walk around the corner and you can see the massive/roaring Niagara Falls right in front of you.
They've built several sections of stairs...each one getting closer to the Falls. The top section literally right on top of the Falls, is called the Hurricane Deck. The force of the falls on that section is so intense, that you cannot stand up straight. It's like trying to walk towards three 747 engines...the force is so great, it just blows you back. Only in addition to the wind, water is coming at you like a hurricane, hence the name. The deck below that was actually built literally right next to where the Falls hit Lake Erie and you can reach your hand out and touch the rapid falls. It's difficult to describle...but it was exciting and awesome! The force of the water is overwhelming on the lower deck--I sure wasn't going to try the Hurricane level! But of course, my lovely husband never wants to miss in all the excitement. He not only managed to get on the hurricane deck...but stood there for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, he was totally soaked. Heck, I was soaked just going through the first 3 level of stairs. But it was awesome! We had a terrific time on Cave of the Winds.
Then on to the Maid of the Mist. It's the large boat that goes right up to the Falls. It's the boat you see on most Post Cards of Niagara Falls. They also give you another little measley paper thin plastic poncho for this too. Mark had the bright idea to hurry up to the bow of the boat. So we were right at the front of the bow, with 200 of our closest friends cramped right up behind us. Then the boat slowly moves up towards the falls until it's directly in front of them. At least, that's what I'm told it did. The force of winds and water was sooooooooooo intense I spent the entire 15+ minues simply trying to hold on to the bow so I wouldn't fall. I couldn't even open my eyes it was blowing so intensley! What wasn't already wet from the Cave of the Wind, was now wet. My hair right down to my feet were soaked. Strange as it sounds...it was exhilirating! We were literally 15 - 20 feet from the bottom of the Niagara Falls. Wow. It was awesome...we had a ball. Overall, Niagara Falls should definitely be on everyone's Bucket List! (Just stay on the Canadian side--it was really nice).
The following day we did something we hardly ever do--we spent an afternoon at the Casino near Niagara Falls. We had a good time. I've discovered that I'm just not comfortable in a casino, as I inevitably win something within the first few minutes...sometimes just a little and sometimes a lot. Well, that was the case this day. While playing on the quater slots, within 5 - 10 minutes I won $50.00. Minus my $20.00 invested, I was up $30.00 and just couldn't bring myself to 'waste' any of it, by just giving it all back in the slots. So I cashed in and quit for the day. Unfortunately, Mark of course wanted to continue playing. So he played a couple more hours while I watched and walked around. Bottom Line, with Mark's losses and my gains, we were able to eat and still netted a +$15.00. Not bad for a half-day of entertainment and food! That'll probably be our casino fix for at least another year.
We left Niagara Falls Saturday, heading to Vermont. We spent our first night in Brattleboro, Vermont. Unfortunately, there are so many trees in Vermont, we were unable to locate a campground where we could get a signal for TV or Internet. So we got up early yesterday and headed further north into Vermont and found our current campground. We're planning on getting up early tomorrow and checking out some of the sites in Vermont. We only have one day left in Vermont, before we head to Bar Harbor, Maine. From there, we'll begin our journey south towards home. Well, that's about it for the latest on what we've been up to. I've got lot's of pictures of Niagara Falls that I still need to upload. I'll get them uploaded as soon as I can. Hopefully, I'll be able to make updates more frequently and won't lose internet access again. Well, that's a wrap for now...stay tuned~
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
What a Day in New York!
We got a very early start yesterday morning. With our campground being 90 minutes away from New York City, and the cost to drive and park in New York, we decided to take a tour from our campground here in Florida, New York and let them 'do the driving' for us so to speak. We were picked up for the tour a little after 7:00 this morning...with a total of 2 1/2 hours driving to and from, the earlier the start the more you can actually see. Wow, what a day!
Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island - If I had a "bucket list", these two sites would definitely have been on my top 10 list--I've always wanted to see them. Our tour guide took us to the New Jersey side to catch the ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (and upon return, we found out why...more about that later). We were ushered on to the ferry headed to Ellis Island. I got goosebumps once we entered Ellis Island, knowing that I had great-great-great grandparents from Ireland that walked right through those same doors I was now standing when they came to America. We were surprised to learn that the majority of buildings on Ellis Island were various hospitals. One for men and another for women, who arrived in America and were sick with disentary, scarlet fever and various other illnesses. But we were really surprised that one of the largest buildings on the small island was a Psychiatric hospital. Not only did folks looking for a new life and opportunity come to America, but foreign countries also would send their "undesirables" to America, i.e., like those mentally ill and those in jail or prison.
The Statue of Liberty - When the ferry pulled around the corner and we got our first glance at the Statue of Liberty, it gave me chill bumps. It made me feel proud that I'm an american when I saw it. We took a tour around the outside and Mark took lot's of pictures. In order to get a tour of the inside, you have to obtain tickets months ahead of time for an assigned date/time, sheesh, we're not organized enough to even know where we'll be week to week! After touring, we stopped by the only place to grab a bite to eat on the island and had a burger and fries. We then needed to head to the ferry for our return trip...Then we understood why our tour guide took us to the New Jersey ferry! The line to return to the New York side was literally 100's and 100's deep, literally wrapping around the Statue of Liberty! The Jersey side? We walked up 15 minutes before our ferry time, and were the only ones in line! (See, sometimes it pays to just let the tour guide do the thinking!) Seeing the Statue of Liberty should be mandatory for all americans...it's part of our heritage...I'm soooooo glad we got to see the Statue of Liberty.
New York City - After returning from Ellis Island & the Statue of Liberty, we headed to Manhattan...downtown New York city so to speak. Our first surprise was the sheer size, from the financial district, to SoHo to NoHo, one end to the other. When seeing Manhattan from across the bay at the Statue of Liberty, it's just breathtaking how Big it is. Not only the sheer size of the buildings, but the 2 1/2 - 3 miles in length. We found out that a one bedroom 600 square foot apartment in Manhattan would run $10M to $25M, depending on where it was located...whereas the same apartment on the Jersey side would 'only' cost $3M...(they just give 'em away don't they?)
911 - The first stop in Manhattan and where we spent a great deal of time, were multiple locations associated with the 911 terrorists attacks. We were first shown where 911 occurred. A single building of 108 stories, same length as the originals, is being built now. The other section is being reserved as a rememberance of those lost, including the 1800 people that were never recovered. Our tour guide had many stories about 911 including gruesome detail of a 30 story building he pointed out, which was next to one of the burning towers, and that many body parts that were found of those attemping to jump and missed...(sorry, told you it was gruesome). We were taken to St Paul church, where many volunteers found sleep on a cot and food while taking a break. We went to the fire station next to the twin towers, that were all lost as first responders. We were also taken to the temporary location of the only remaining steel from the twin towers...which was a two pieces of steel in the shape of a cross and will be placed into the 911 museum when it's finished. Just lot's and lot's of information on 911. Sobering, but glad we got to see it.
The Real New York - We spent the remainder of the afternoon checking out everything from Broadway to Fifth Avenue and the Theatre District and everything in between. It's exactly as we envisioned it would be. We were shown the building in which John Lennon was gunned down, to the penthouse that Leona Helmsley left her cats and many many other sites. We got a small break towards the end of the day...directly across the street from one of my favorite foods in the whole world...Juniors Cheesecake! Needless to say I went straight across the street for a big old piece of Cherry Cheesecake...Yum! Mark grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and we walked up and down the Theatre district where all the Broadway shows are located. There were as many people crammed into this small area as we imagined there would be...and it was an awesome place to visit but we'd never want to live there--even if we were given a $25M penthouse!
Whew! As you can tell, it was an action packed day. We were both totally exhausted by the time we got back home. It was a long, exhausting day but we had a wonderful time. With the Labor Day Holiday just around the corner and lack of local campgrounds on the East coast, we decided to extend our stay here in Florida, New York for a week and will be here until next Wednesday. We've decided to move inland next, to Buffalo, New York to spend a few days in Niagra Falls. From there we'll head towards Maine and begin working our way southward down the Eastern seaboard. The majority of campgrounds in the Eastern United States close in mid-October...so we only have a few weeks to complete our Eastern seaboard journey.
Well, that just about wraps up our time in New York...we're planning on taking a tour of West Point Military Academy this week and I'll update once we've checked it out. Until later...~
Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island - If I had a "bucket list", these two sites would definitely have been on my top 10 list--I've always wanted to see them. Our tour guide took us to the New Jersey side to catch the ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (and upon return, we found out why...more about that later). We were ushered on to the ferry headed to Ellis Island. I got goosebumps once we entered Ellis Island, knowing that I had great-great-great grandparents from Ireland that walked right through those same doors I was now standing when they came to America. We were surprised to learn that the majority of buildings on Ellis Island were various hospitals. One for men and another for women, who arrived in America and were sick with disentary, scarlet fever and various other illnesses. But we were really surprised that one of the largest buildings on the small island was a Psychiatric hospital. Not only did folks looking for a new life and opportunity come to America, but foreign countries also would send their "undesirables" to America, i.e., like those mentally ill and those in jail or prison.
The Statue of Liberty - When the ferry pulled around the corner and we got our first glance at the Statue of Liberty, it gave me chill bumps. It made me feel proud that I'm an american when I saw it. We took a tour around the outside and Mark took lot's of pictures. In order to get a tour of the inside, you have to obtain tickets months ahead of time for an assigned date/time, sheesh, we're not organized enough to even know where we'll be week to week! After touring, we stopped by the only place to grab a bite to eat on the island and had a burger and fries. We then needed to head to the ferry for our return trip...Then we understood why our tour guide took us to the New Jersey ferry! The line to return to the New York side was literally 100's and 100's deep, literally wrapping around the Statue of Liberty! The Jersey side? We walked up 15 minutes before our ferry time, and were the only ones in line! (See, sometimes it pays to just let the tour guide do the thinking!) Seeing the Statue of Liberty should be mandatory for all americans...it's part of our heritage...I'm soooooo glad we got to see the Statue of Liberty.
New York City - After returning from Ellis Island & the Statue of Liberty, we headed to Manhattan...downtown New York city so to speak. Our first surprise was the sheer size, from the financial district, to SoHo to NoHo, one end to the other. When seeing Manhattan from across the bay at the Statue of Liberty, it's just breathtaking how Big it is. Not only the sheer size of the buildings, but the 2 1/2 - 3 miles in length. We found out that a one bedroom 600 square foot apartment in Manhattan would run $10M to $25M, depending on where it was located...whereas the same apartment on the Jersey side would 'only' cost $3M...(they just give 'em away don't they?)
911 - The first stop in Manhattan and where we spent a great deal of time, were multiple locations associated with the 911 terrorists attacks. We were first shown where 911 occurred. A single building of 108 stories, same length as the originals, is being built now. The other section is being reserved as a rememberance of those lost, including the 1800 people that were never recovered. Our tour guide had many stories about 911 including gruesome detail of a 30 story building he pointed out, which was next to one of the burning towers, and that many body parts that were found of those attemping to jump and missed...(sorry, told you it was gruesome). We were taken to St Paul church, where many volunteers found sleep on a cot and food while taking a break. We went to the fire station next to the twin towers, that were all lost as first responders. We were also taken to the temporary location of the only remaining steel from the twin towers...which was a two pieces of steel in the shape of a cross and will be placed into the 911 museum when it's finished. Just lot's and lot's of information on 911. Sobering, but glad we got to see it.
The Real New York - We spent the remainder of the afternoon checking out everything from Broadway to Fifth Avenue and the Theatre District and everything in between. It's exactly as we envisioned it would be. We were shown the building in which John Lennon was gunned down, to the penthouse that Leona Helmsley left her cats and many many other sites. We got a small break towards the end of the day...directly across the street from one of my favorite foods in the whole world...Juniors Cheesecake! Needless to say I went straight across the street for a big old piece of Cherry Cheesecake...Yum! Mark grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and we walked up and down the Theatre district where all the Broadway shows are located. There were as many people crammed into this small area as we imagined there would be...and it was an awesome place to visit but we'd never want to live there--even if we were given a $25M penthouse!
Whew! As you can tell, it was an action packed day. We were both totally exhausted by the time we got back home. It was a long, exhausting day but we had a wonderful time. With the Labor Day Holiday just around the corner and lack of local campgrounds on the East coast, we decided to extend our stay here in Florida, New York for a week and will be here until next Wednesday. We've decided to move inland next, to Buffalo, New York to spend a few days in Niagra Falls. From there we'll head towards Maine and begin working our way southward down the Eastern seaboard. The majority of campgrounds in the Eastern United States close in mid-October...so we only have a few weeks to complete our Eastern seaboard journey.
Well, that just about wraps up our time in New York...we're planning on taking a tour of West Point Military Academy this week and I'll update once we've checked it out. Until later...~
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