Summer Vacation–Day 4

This truly was the most exciting day of the trip for me and my mom. New York is big, busy, alive, and exciting, with Times Square, Central Park, Broadway, the Empire State Building…. this list could go on all day.  
Yet, the only thing I wanted to see was Ellis Island.
All of my Great Grandparents, and all of my mom’s Grandparents (obviously), came through this Immigration Station. Along with the other 12 million immigrants who were processed here, my ancestors were searching for a better way of life.

It really was a dream come true to walk across the grounds where they first stepped onto American soil, many even unsure whether they would be allowed to stay.  

The building was much larger than I had ever imagined, and actually very beautiful.


We took a Ranger tour and learned quite a bit we never knew.
Something I found interesting, and eerie…. there was a large set of stairs that everyone had to walk up. At the top of the staircase would be workers watching and scrutinizing each person. As you got to the top, they would mark your clothing with a letter, for example F for foot (if you’d been limping), B for back (if you are slouched over), or X for suspected mental disorder (if you happened to be singing out of pure happiness). Then they would check you over. If you didn’t meet the criteria, you were sent back. Many families were separated during this time.

Shawn was fascinated with these tools that were used to hook the eye lid and check for trachoma in each immigrant.

After ascending the stairs, families would sit in this Great Hall until their names were called


They would then be asked a series of questions. If they answered properly, they were free to go. If not, they were held until problems could be worked out, or deported.
This is a bad picture of a picture of some immigrants being asked questions.
 

This room would have been packed with people


One of my great-grandmother’s traveled alone with her 4 children, close in age to my children, along with all of their luggage.
She didn’t know a word of English, and the only person she knew was her husband, who was thousands of miles away.
And I thought I was brave moving to North Carolina. Ha! 
I admire all of my ancestors for doing whatever it would take for a better life.
Although I wouldn’t mind living in Italy right now. Part of me wishes they would have stayed.

These are the actual benches that the immigrants sat on, waiting for hours.
Oh, if only the grain on that wood could speak….
 
 

This staircase leading out towards the railroad and ferry has indentations from the millions of footsteps of those entering America.   

There weren’t many artifacts to see. Hurricane Sandy did a number on Ellis Island, so almost all the artifacts are being kept safe somewhere else. This was disappointing, but we still got a good feel for what happened here.

After saying goodbye, we loaded back onto the ferry and headed towards the Statue of Liberty.
This is a better view of Ellis Island from the ferry. All of those buildings were hospitals. It really was ginormous. 

Lady Liberty isn’t hard to miss.
She is also bigger than I every imagined.
I guess everything is bigger in real life.

Wow! 

You WILL take 5 million pictures in front of the Statue… and you WILL like it!

We could not take our eyes off of her… she’s mesmerizing

The kids were very disappointed that we didn’t have tickets for the crown. Why? I don’t understand why?, they kept asking. The tickets are reserved months in advance. We would have to settle for the pedestal.
So we climbed several flights of stairs until we reached her feet.
Honestly, even if we had tickets, I don’t think we could have walked all the stairs to her crown.

This was our view.
    

Whenever heights are involved, I somehow forget that I am deathly afraid of them.
So while my children are no where to be found, running around the base of this huge statue, I am clinging to the wall for dear life.
I did not love it on the pedestal.

Found ‘em!


I stifled my fear for 10 seconds… the length of time it took to stand at the edge and take this picture.
My heart was pounding and I was convinced Kennedy would fall over the edge.

Phew… back inside where it is safe
A look at the original torch.


A replica of her face.
I think this photo could be the cover of GQ.

 

Obviously we had seen enough of Lady Liberty by the time we boarded the ferry.
The kids were too busy staring at this ship to even notice the statue behind them.


Not even a single glance her way.
It had been a long day. 
And this has been a long post…