Statue of Liberty: The Staten Island Ferry does NOT take you there!
Written: Sep 11 '00 (Updated Dec 16 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A magnificent sight, even from afar. She is a symbol of American pride and freedom.
Cons: Be sure to get on the right boat!
The Bottom Line: No matter how you get there, or from what vantage point you view her, the Statue of Liberty is a very awe-inspiring sight. What a magnificent symbol of our country!
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| diverpam's Full Review: Statue of Liberty |
My first visit to New York City was in March during my junior year of college. My biggest disappointment was in never actually getting to touch the Statue of Liberty.
What transpired in my attempt to get there was something right out of an "I Love Lucy" episode.
My friend and I were in New York to attend an advertising seminar. We ducked out one afternoon to be tourists. We had tickets to see Grease on Broadway (during its original run, I might add). We had plenty of time planned to sightsee, visit the Statue of Liberty, then come back to the hotel and get dressed up to go to the show.
We saw a line going to a large ferry. We saw the Statue of Liberty. We asked someone, "Does this go to the island?"
"Yeah," was the curt reply.
We paid our fare and hopped on the ferry. We felt a great wave of anticipation. We saw the statue drawing closer, we felt the New York soot in our eyes, we leaned on the rail, and we were amazed by the majestic sight.
Then we realized that our ferry was not going to Liberty Island, it was going to Staten Island.
We watched the Statue grow smaller. We watched the afternoon grow longer. Then we arrived at Staten Island and watched everyone disembark.
"Oh, well," we said. "We can still make it back in time for Grease."
We waited patiently for everyone to get off. We waited longer for people to start getting on for the return trip. And we waited. And waited.
Then the cleaning crew came in and asked us what we were doing.
How were we, the consummate country bumpkins, supposed to know we had to get off, change ferries and pay again in order to get back to "The City." (We once made the mistake of saying we were going "To Town." Imagine how well that was received.)
Truly A Magnificent Sight, Even From Afar
The Statue of Liberty is a magnificent sight and tribute to the heritage of our country. Although we didn't get to actually walk inside the statue, we still had a very good view from the Staten Island Ferry.
I felt my throat tighten as we drew near, imagining what thousands before me must have felt when they first gazed upon her splendor.
I hope you have better luck than I in actually getting to walk inside.
Moral of the story:
Make sure you're on the right boat.
Epilogue To Our Lucy and Ethel Adventure:
* We got to see the Statue of Liberty twice (from a slight distance, but a good view)
* We got to pretend we were Lucy and Fred on the Staten Island Ferry
* We got to see Grease in our jeans, with slightly soot-coated faces
* Those cleaning ladies are probably still laughing about us
Awe-Inspiring
I have since had the privilege of spending an entire week watching the Statue of Liberty from one of the top floors of the World Trade Center. I attended a class there in a room with solid glass walls. I can think of few more magnificent sights than gazing down a hundred plus stories to see the beautiful Statue of Liberty standing proudly in the harbor. In fact, in was very hard to pay attention to the class at times it was such an incredible sight.
I never fail to marvel at what the Statue of Liberty represents. It has been a symbol of freedom and hope to millions of people over several decades. It's a sight not to be missed!
Somber Addendum, Post-September 11:
When I wrote the words above I would never have dreamed that terrorists could crumble the magnificent Towers that provided me such an awesome view of Lady Liberty.
When I saw the horrible news of the September 11 tragedy, I kept remembering the magnificent sight of the Statue of Liberty from the vantage point of the 103rd floor.
Don't be afraid to travel. Go visit New York City and the Statue of Liberty. She is ever more precious to us now.
God Bless America!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 350 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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