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| Manhattan from the Hudson River |
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| Our first view of the George Washington Bridge |
We finally arrived. Only 2 ½ weeks late but we are here. Crossing under the George Washington Bridge was incredible. Passing Manhattan was breathtaking. But approaching Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty left us speechless. We are at anchor now in Liberty Park just behind the Statue. This is a pretty interesting view. Unfortunately, it’s been raining non-stop since we arrived and we have also been in a fog bank so thick that the thought of trying to leave and transit under the Verrazano Bridge would be foolhardy. If we can’t see the ocean going ships, they sure as hell can’t see us. We’ll wait for a weather window and then proceed to Atlantic Highlands near Sandy Hook, NJ.
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| The Empire State Bldg and the ever- present Coast Guard |
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| Union City and Hoboken, NJ. Ancestral homes of my parents |
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| The New World Trade Center |
But I’m getting ahead of myself. On Wednesday, Marg and I and our friends Andre and Nathalie from Quebec, took the train from Croton-on-Hudson to NYC; an easy 45 minute commute to Grand Central Station. Andre and Nathalie had never been to NYC and couldn’t contain themselves. We went to Times Square, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Canal Street, Little Italy and Central Park. Talk about sensory overload. The city never disappoints. At one of the subway stations, we were treated to a concert by a woman playing a saw. If you have never heard original music played on a saw, consider yourself blessed. We had to wait about 5 minutes for our train and I don’t think I’ll ever get that sound out of my head.
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| Our friends Andre and Nathalie looking from the Empire State Bldg |
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| Marg and I on Times Square |
At Ground Zero we experienced the reverence you would expect in church. People of every nationality were there looking, praying and taking pictures. In the meantime, nearly 3000 construction workers toiled to finish the new Trade Tower and the new Tower 7 building. Canal Street was a hoot as usual except I didn’t see as many fakes as the last time we were there. The city must be cracking down. Our timing was perfect for Little Italy. It was the Feast of St. Gennaro and every street in Little Italy was closed to traffic and lined with food vendors. Sausage and Peppers to Zappole, what a treat. The last time I went to the Empire State Building, Janet was 6 and it cost $5 each to take the elevator to the observation deck on the 86th floor. Now it is $20 and if you want to go to the 102nd floor, it’s another $25. Plus, it took over 30 minutes on lines just to get to the elevator, plus you had to undergo airport-like screening. It’s a different world than it was 30 years ago.
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| Marg and I at Grand Central Station |
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| Lady Liberty. Wow! |
Our journey down the Hudson was so exciting. Not the least of which was the huge number of Coast Guard vessels and helicopters patrolling the area. We were even contacted by a Coast Guard cutter regarding our destination. I think part of the heightened security was due to the fact that the UN was in session and Mahmud Amanutjob (sp) was addressing the General Assembly. Otherwise, all went well until we got close to the Statue of Liberty. French President Sarkozy decided Thursday would be a great day to commemorate the 125th anniversary of his country’s gift to the US. I thought it was a cheesy way to avoid listening to Amanutjob and having to walk out with the other 30 nations. But, there were no less than 8 tour boats circling the Statue, kicking up a huge amount of turbulence. It was easily, the roughest water we had been in since Lake Erie.
Hopefully, the rain will let up and the fog will lift so we can be on our way. Now it gets more exciting with open ocean sailing down the coast of New Jersey. Can’t wait to get to the Chesapeake.
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