Team Robison: Vacation Part 5: Statue of Liberty

While we were in Princeton, we took advantage of our proximity to New York City. We spent one day visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We took the ferry from the New Jersey side, which ended being really nice because not as many people visit from New Jersey. Our ferry was no where near as packed as the New York ferries. We got mixed up trying to find the departure point - we accidentally mixed up locations and followed the signs for a different ferry dock. We had already purchased our ferry tickets which specified that they were only valid for that specific ferry. So when we finally arrived at the right place, we ran to make sure we didn't miss the ferry. Afterwards, we realized that running was very unnecessary. The lady who scanned our tickets barely glanced at them. The 10 am ferry didn't end up departing until 10:40. The New Jersey ferry takes off from an old train station. The terminal was built with the ferry docks on one side and all the trains coming out the other side. The terminal is still used to sell tickets and for security. But the loading platforms for all the trains is fenced and is completely overgrown. It was like being in the movie "I Am Legend."

Our ferry first landed at Ellis Island. I'm so glad they restored the building there. It is gorgeous. The museum was interesting. You can get free audiotours, but I didn't feel like it. It was really interesting to learn about the history of immigration in the United States. I was particularly interested in our discrimination of Chinese immigrants and the evolution of our immigration laws. I don't have any ancestors who came through Ellis Island. My most recent immigrant ancestors were Anton Meissner and his wife Barbara Donhauser. The did come from Germany to New York, but in 1888, a few years before Ellis Island was created. Next we went to Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty was closed for renovations, so we couldn't go inside. But it was fun just walking around it. And we took some good pictures with the Manhattan skyline in the distance. You can see the new World Trade Center building in the background - it's the tallest one and is still under consruction.