Visit to New York City

Ellis Island taken from the Statue of Liberty

Location

Torch removed in 1984

 When a lake girl from Western Kentucky goes to New York City the sites are amazing.  I have had the pleasure of seeing much of the United States and many places outside of the States and I can tell you that New York City is a must see for everyone.  The city is alive 24/7 with people from all over the world.  Rich in history and culture of all kinds New York City is the most densely populated and the most populous city in the US.  Add nearly 60 million tourist a year and it is easy to understand why the sidewalks are swarming with pedestrians.   The city is diverse and rich with culture and surrounded by water (something this lake girl loves).  My travel companion showed me around the city.  We rode the subway (one of the most extensive in the world operating 24/7) to catch a ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty.

Lady Liberty

  The Statue of Liberty is a powerful symbol of freedom.  The statue was a gift of friendship from France in the 1880's to the United States to mark the American Centennial.  The overall height from the base of the pedestal foundation to the tip of the torch is 305 feet 6 inches.  The statue itself measures 111 feet 6 inches and her waistline is 35 feet. Weighing 450,000 pounds she is truly a site to behold.  The torch she is currently holding was installed in 1986 and is a copper flame covered in 24 K gold.  The original was removed in 1984 and is still on display inside the pedestal lobby.  After visiting the Statue of Liberty we walked a few blocks to Memorial Plaza which was a great place to view and photograph the new One World Trade Center (also known as Freedom Tower).

One World Trade Center

  At 1776 feet tall this is now the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the 6th tallest in the world.  In Memorial Plaza the Memorial fountains were the most beautiful fountains I have ever seen.  They were constructed where the base of the twin towers sat and the water flows into the foundation footprints and then down into another square seemingly to the center of the earth.  The twin reflecting pools are each almost an acre in size and feature the largest man made waterfalls in North America.

Memorial Park Reflecting Pool

 The names of every person who died in the attacks are inscribed into bronze panels that edge the Memorial pools.  A sad reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history.  The famous Survivor Tree also stands in Memorial Park after being relocated there in 2010.  In October of 2001 the tree was discovered at Ground Zero severely damaged with snapped roots, broken branches and a charred trunk.

Survivor Tree and Freedom Tower

 The Callery pear tree was nursed back to health by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and returned to the Memorial.  Today its trunk has a very visible demarcation mark from the damage sustained in the terror attacks of 911.  The Survivor 
Tree stands gloriously and so beautiful today in Memorial Park as a living reminder of resilience, survival, and rebirth.  By the grace of God this tree was spared.  May God continue to shed his grace on the United States of America.