Gypsy & The Navigator

National Air And Space Museum

Our friends, Ginger and Frosty, have arrived and are staying at a hotel in Chantilly, VA.  Do you know what it is like listening to Walt sing Chantilly Lace on our way to their hotel each morning?  The Big Bopper he is not. 

Our first outing was to the National Air and Space Museum right there in Chantilly.

All the Smithsonian Museums are free.  Our taxes do go for good here.

This has been a bucket list item for Frosty.  He is a long time aviation junky.  From his time in the Navy, learning to fly, having his own plane and being in a horrific almost life ending crash he has loved all things in the air.

Walt really enjoyed it too.  Brought back Navy memories and working for LSI after he got out.

Ginger and I really appreciated it too.  We both kept commenting that we had no idea there were so many different aircraft built.  

We took a tour with this delightful lady who really knew her aircraft. 

There was SO much to see.  Some made me think  "You have got to be kidding.....this really could fly?"

Goodyear C-49 airship control car manufactured in the 1930's and actually was in service in one way or another until 1975.

The Goodyear Airship Pilgrim was built in the 1920's and was the first to fly with helium. 

Who would be crazy enough to put on this spacesuit, dangle 25 miles above the earth beneath a helium balloon and cut himself loose to plummet toward the earth?  Alan Eustace, a Google Vice President, falling faster than the speed of sound and breaking the world altitude record did it in October 2014.  

It was fun to hear about the antics of the stunt pilot Bob Hoover and to hear about him from Frosty as well since he knew him.

They have an Air France Concorde on display.  This sleek, delta-winged Concorde cruised at more than twice the speed of sound at around 1,350 mph, and at an altitude of up to 60,000 feet. A trip on the Concorde was about twice as fast as on conventional aircraft. Concorde flights ended in 2003 due to fewer passengers since the 2000 crash (killing all 100 passengers and 9 crew members) and reduced air travel after the September 11 attacks. 

 

There are planes everywhere, on the floor and hanging from the rafters.  Ginger and I decided it had to be a clever designer to do the plan to fit them all in.

The Sikorsky X2 is an experimental high-speed compound helicopter. From what I understand that means it can go straight up and then fly forward like an airplane to make it the world's fastest helicopter.

Ginger and I loved this one.  We both loved the TV show Pan Am but there must not have been enough of us because it only lasted one season. This plane was flown by Pan American as the Clipper Flying Cloud.

This is the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that in 1945 was used to drop the first  atomic  weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan.  It was loaded with "Little Boy", the atomic bomb that we learned so much about on our visit to Los Alamos where the Manhattan Project took place.

This menacing looking plane is the SR-71 Blackbird.  It is the sleek, stealthy Air Force spy plane that cruised at more than three times the speed of sound. That translates to better than 2,000 miles per hour—at altitudes between 75,000 and 85,000 feet, too high and too fast to be shot down by an enemy fighter or a surface-to-air missile. Too expensive to maintain and fly it has now been retired.  The Blackbirds were stationed out of Beale Air Force Base in Northern California and I have actually seen them fly over.  Amazing, unreal experience. 


This is the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery.  How exciting to be close to this hardworking space craft.

This is a National Treasure.  It has flown into space 39 times from 1984 through 2011 — more missions than any of its sister ships — spending altogether 365 days in space.

It was so interesting to hear our tour guide tell us about the tiles that cover the exterior of the shuttle.  Each one is individually numbered to make it easier to replace when one has been damaged.  The nice smooth black ones have never been in space, the others show the effects of having been there. They are the thermal protection system that protects the exterior during the searing 3000 degree heat on reentry.  It also protects from the heat and cold of space while it is in orbit.  

So many missions.....manned by both astronauts and others during its service. 

This is the Mobile Quarantine Facility,  a converted Airstream trailer used by NASA to quarantine astronauts  returning from Apollo lunar missions.  Its purpose was to prevent the spread of any contagions from the moon.  It was eliminated following Apollo 14 once it was proven that the moon was void of life.

I have just touched the surface of all we saw.  What an amazing place.  The visit was made especially great by being there with friends. 

Our visit was completed by a visit to the Observation tower for a 360 degree view of the area.  The trees were showing off their colors. 

There was still time in the day for a quick run into Washington DC so Ginger and I could check out the White House.

A beautiful neoclassical home and residence for the President of the United States. 

To say that I was sad at my visit to the White House behind double security fences, armed guards, crazy people and littered grounds is too true.  Pennsylvania Avenue closed, sidewalks blocked off.......all this in a city that has 34 different law enforcement agencies. 

They have put up high chain link fences but allow difficult to understand agendas to play out.  I know, I know.  Freedom of speech.  It has left me speechless.

The lovely grounds have now been torn up and littered.

Protestors disbursed among the tourists.

One of the security guards was asked about the protestors and he said he had been assigned this duty since May and that many of the same ones were there day after day.  Which led to me and Ginger discussing how they can do it.  Some had their children with them.  How do they afford to live?  Does someone pay them to be here?  Let's move on to better places.  Like dinner.

A glimpse of the Pentagon as the lights came on as we were on our way for that dinner.  Good friends and good food completed our day. 

 

 

 

 

On To See Washington, DC

Waking up to a very foggy morning we hooked up and left Quakertown, PA heading to Lorton, VA for our visit to the Washington, DC area.

Today our route wasn't on a quiet, winding back road.  We were on roads filled with trucks.

The fog started to lift as we rolled down the road.  

Soon it was gone and it was another one of those days that we comment on how fortunate we have been in having good weather for our travels.

Dappled sunlight in our wooded spot at Pohick Bay Regional Park.  We are happy campers.

So pretty and only about 20 miles to Washington, DC

 

We had friends flying in to tour Washington DC with us the next day but we couldn't resist a drive by tour.

These empty roads lulled us into a false sense of security.

Oh my!  There it is.  The Washington Monument. How many times have I seen this on TV, in movies or in books?  And here I am getting to see it in person.

Oh wow, it's the Jefferson Memorial.

By now we are in bumper to bumper traffic with streets lined in food trucks.

Traffic doesn't matter.  It is the United States Capitol.   Not just vehicle traffic does Walt have to maneuver around.  Tourists are everywhere and they just walk out in the street with no regard for cars. 

 

Stunning statues everywhere.

Lots of churches.  This one is the National City Christian Church.

Our very own building! 

 

Glorious row houses. 

Nice neighborly thoughts.

A fun drive by but clearly we are intimidated by Washington DC.  We can't figure out how the streets go, we can't see anywhere to park, we can't see the pavement because it is all covered by either cars or people.  I am confident that the reason that our elected officials go crazy once they get to Washington DC is not that they get puffed up with power.  No, it is powerlessness in the traffic unless they are important enough to have a driver. That leads to them needing to assert themselves in politics because they lose at traffic.  At least they have an assigned place to park once they get to the Capitol. 

Amazingly Washington DC is not the worst for traffic.  Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami ranked higher than Washington DC.  We are going to have to figure this out! 

Washington Crossing The Deleware

While we haven't really liked our campground there is no denying the beauty of the surrounding country.  Buck's County is famous for it's scenery.

The area is home to historic stone homes.

It is dotted with farms, both old and new.

Many of the farm houses are built of rock.

There is rock and brick work everywhere.

Rock barns are frequent too.

There is a lot of colonial history here.

The destination I had in mind was the Washington Crossing Historic Park.

The statue of General George Washington marks the spot where in December 1776 General George Washington and his ragged army crossed the Delaware River to embark on yet another battle in the American Revolutionary War.

The army had been experiencing only defeat and despair.  The War for Independence was going badly, with failure following failure.

The soldiers were dealing with a lack of both food and warm clothing and Washington was watching his army shrink due to desertions and expiring enlistments. Now, more than ever, a victory was desperately needed.

General Washington plotted a daring plan to cross the Delaware River under the cover of darkness, march to Trenton, New Jersey and attack the Hessian ( Hessians were the 18th century German auxiliaries contracted for military service by the British government. Another history lesson for me.) outposts in and around Trenton.  

 Washington assembled his troops near McConkey’s Ferry in preparation for the crossing. By 6 pm, 2,400 troops had begun crossing the ice-choked river. The operation was slow and difficult due to the condition of the river. There was an abrupt change in the weather forcing the men to fight their way through sleet and a blinding snowstorm.  Against the odds, Washington and his men successfully completed the crossing and marched into Trenton on the morning of December 26, achieving a resounding victory over the Hessians.  Only three Americans were killed and six wounded, while 22 Hessians were killed with 98 wounded. This victory had a marked effect on the troops' morale. Soldiers celebrated the victory, Washington's role as a leader was secured, and Congress gained renewed enthusiasm for the war.

This is McConkey's Ferry Inn. General George Washington and his aides ate dinner and made plans here prior to the crossing.

 

At that time this was the only building at the site.  We were curious what the round structure was and found out it was their ice house. 

Since then a village has grown up called Washington Crossing, PA.  One thing about Washington Crossing that is special to the town is that every Christmas Day the town performs a re-enactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware River.

On this beautiful fall day it was hard to feel what it must have been like on that snowy, cold December day.  Again how fortunate we are to learn more about the history of this great country. 

Independence Hall.........Where It All Began

Another trip into Philadelphia was on our schedule.

This trip was to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

The Liberty Bell bears a timeless message: "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof."

The bell rang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House. Today, we call that building Independence Hall.  Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly Isaac Norris first ordered a bell for the bell tower in 1751 from the Whitechapel Foundry in London. That bell cracked on the first test ring. Local metalworkers John Pass and John Stow melted down that bell and cast a new one there in Philadelphia. It's this bell that would ring to call lawmakers to their meetings and the townspeople together to hear the reading of the news. Benjamin Franklin wrote to Catherine Ray in 1755, "Adieu, the Bell rings, and I must go among the Grave ones and talk Politicks."   No one recorded when or why the Liberty Bell first cracked, but the most likely explanation is that a narrow split developed in the early 1840's after nearly 90 years of hard use. In 1846, when the city decided to repair the bell prior to George Washington's birthday holiday metal workers widened the thin crack to prevent its farther spread and restore the tone of the bell using a technique called "stop drilling". The wide "crack" in the Liberty Bell is actually the repair job!  But, the repair was not successful. The Public Ledger newspaper reported that the repair failed when another fissure developed. This second crack, running from the abbreviation for "Philadelphia" up through the word "Liberty", silenced the bell forever. But, after all this there is no evidence to show that the bell rang on July 4, 1776.

Our visit to Independence Hall was very humbling to me.  I couldn't stop thinking that I was in the very same place that the founders of the United States met and discussed and wrote both The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  The building was completed in 1753 as the colonial legislature (later Pennsylvania State House) for the Province of Pennsylvania and was used in that capacity until the state capital moved to Lancaster in 1799. It became the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787.

 

When it was originally designed and built, Independence Hall had no tower or steeple. These were added around 1750. The wooden steeple had rotted by 1773 and was removed in 1781. In 1828, the city hired architect William Strickland to restore the original steeple. Strickland deviated from the original design, incorporating a clock and additional ornamentation.

Tickets are needed to go inside the building.  They are free and you are given a time for your tour.  Our tour guide was absolutely wonderful and really kept things interesting.  And I will always remember his really bad toupee.  

I loved how beautiful it was as we entered. 

The building is Georgian Architecture and every attempt has been made to restore it to it's original glory.

This was where the Pennsylvania Supreme Court met during the 1700s (The US Supreme Court met in another room in the complex).

This is the US Supreme Court.  We had popped in their briefly before our tour started.

 This is the Assembly Room.

It was here that the Declaration of Independence was debated and ratified in the summer of 1776.  It was hot that summer and fearing that spies would be trying to see what was going on the windows were closed.  And remember what those gentlemen wore in those days.  

The room has been set up as it would have been during that fateful summer.  

Only one chair is the original.  George Washington used this chair for nearly three months of the Federal Convention's continuous sessions. James Madison reported Benjamin Franklin saying, "I have often looked at that behind the president without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I... know that it is a rising...sun."

I just couldn't believe that I was in the room where it all began.  It didn't come easy.  They argued, some actually fought, they debated but in the end.........compromise and it was the beginning of the United States of America.  I still can't believe I am in same room where George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and many others worked so hard to make this a reality.  

From the Assembly Hall we went up the well worn stairs to the second floor.

 The U.S. Senate met in this room on the second floor of Congress Hall.  It has been beautifully restored.

Much of the furniture in this room is original.

As I recall the guide said the rug was a recreation of the original.  It has the seals of the original 13 colonies locked together.

The House of Representatives met on the first floor.  It is rather simple and features mahogany desks and leather chairs. The glare was bad in the room so I never did get a decent photo. 

Larger-than-life portraits of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were gifts from France who backed the United States in the Revolutionary War. 

They were given to the U.S. in 1785 a few years before the King and Queen were guillotined in 1793.  

I got a powerful feeling here.  I seemed to be overcome by thoughts of the men who designed our country and the very documents which still guide us to this day.  If only we will follow.

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall is the largest city building in the United States.

It is a grand work of architecture.  It was completed in 1901.  William Penn actually laid out the building's spot 200 years before it was built.  

It stands 548 feet tall and has 14.5 acres of floor space.

There are more than 700 rooms in the building.

It took 30 years to build at a cost of nearly $25 million. It is constructed of brick, granite and marble.  There is no steel or iron framing.  The walls at the first floor are up to 22ft thick to support all the weight from the floors above.

The building was designed by Scottish-born architect John McArthur, Jr., in the Second Empire style.  

Alexander Milne Calder sculpted the William Penn statue on top.  He and his son also sculpted more than 250 figures on and in the building. 

Rooms are organized around a central courtyard, which can be reached via the large archways on each of the four sides.

Marble columns and more of the sculptures branch off the large archways leading to the courtyard.

 There are sculptures of people and animals of the world, educators, artists and engineers out of stone that the sculptor said were created “to express American ideals and develop American genius.”   Hmmm...babies holding up the building watched over by an elephant.  

The interior courtyard feels like a French Palace.  The large turrets emphasize this to me.

 The central courtyard has nice landscaping and would be a great place to sit and enjoy but it is very busy.  City business is ongoing as well as tourists visiting. 

City Hall is topped by a 37-foot-high bronze statue of William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia. 

Views outside the archways lead right into the city.  We spent some time walking down those busy, narrow streets.

This elegant 1865 building is home to the Union League of Philadelphia. The Union League of Philadelphia, founded in 1862 as a Patriotic Society to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln, is today a private members-only club.  

We found that Philadelphia does not seem like your normal touristy city.  No T-Shirt gift shops, souvenir shops,  or restaurant after restaurant.  It took many blocks of walking to find a real Philly Cheesesteak.  But, when we did they were darn tasty.  

A passing glimpse of Philadelphia's massive Museum of Art brought this day in Philadelphia to a close.  

 

 

Goodbye New York......On To Pennsylvania

We enjoyed our stay at Black Bear Campground in Florida, NY.  Florida is in a farming area known for the vast onion fields in its  black dirt area.  

Florida NY was the home of William H. Seward.  You remember him......the man who served as Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln. William H. Seward agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. ... At the time, critics thought Seward was crazy and called the deal "Seward's folly."  There are some today who contend that the financial return from the purchase has still not been a success but speaking as someone who has seen a bit of that beautiful state I am glad it is part of the U.S.  This is the house he was raised in and they are in the process of restoring it.  

Florida was settled by many Polish immigrants and a large portion of the population (2,900) today is Polish.  This Polish Restaurant is owned by a beautiful young Polish woman named Barbara.  The food is delicious and reminded me of food my Mother made since she was Czechoslovakian and it is similar.  We had stuffed cabbage, peirogi, pan fried sauerkraut, kielbasa, and for dessert Sernik which is their version of cheesecake.  The cheesecake is made with fresh cheese and is creamier than the version we are used to.   DEEElicious.  We met several interesting people.  Some local and others that travel for miles to partake of the unique food.  One that stood out was an older than us gentleman that when he found out we were from Arizona told us that his father was one of the original Buffalo Soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca.  “Buffalo Soldier” is the collective nickname given to the first African-American members of the U.S. Armed Forces.  A memorable lunch.

I am so impressed by how old buildings are restored, configured to new uses, and live on in the east.  The use of local materials were the original "green buildings." 

Leaving New York headed to Pennsylvania again took us on winding, rural back roads.

Uh oh!  That winding back road has a bridge with a weight limit and we are are over the limit.  I have been worried about height limits on underpasses and we did have one issue with that but never thought about bridge weight limits.  The guard on the gate said we weren't the only ones this happened to.  He stopped traffic for Walt to turn around and directed us to the toll road that would get us on our way.  He said the toll would be $28 but when we pulled up to the booth the lady charged us $3 and wished us a good day.

You can't win 'em all.  Our 5 day stay in Quakerwoods Campground in Quakertown, PA wasn't the prettiest or the most comfortable but it was close to Philadelphia and in Bucks County so that is what counted. 

There were pretty woods around showing off their fall colors.

Headed into Philadelphia the first day we were surprised to find such a scenic route.

It seems that going the back roads it is really rural until all of a sudden you are in the city.

Philadelphia is the 6th largest city in the U.S. and was founded in 1682.  1682.........that is a long time ago.  William Penn, an English Quaker, founded the city to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony.  Narrow streets accommodated those horses and buggies but today they are barely wide enough for the Navigator.

Normal garbage trucks don't fit down these narrow streets.  The garbage pick up is done manually and no garbage cans are provided so most garbage is put out in boxes and bags. Why am I focusing on this?  I am not sure.  Just being thankful for the clean suburbs I have always been able to live in I guess. 

If you lived in this apartment building it wouldn't be hard to give directions to your house.

The spired tower is One Liberty Place.  The non spired tower is Two Liberty Place.  They broke the "gentleman's agreement" to not build any buildings taller than the William Penn statue on top of Philadelphia City Hall.  They stood as Philadelphia's tallest buildings until the 58 story Comcast Center was completed in 2008.  

There is a majestic Latter Day Saint temple right in the city center that was completed in 2016.

The tall building on the left is the Comcast Center.  Philadelphia's tallest. 

I don't remember what church this is but I love the stunning door surround.  

This is the former Philadelphia Inquirer building that I understand the police department has now moved into. 

Interesting street art.   There is so much to see in Philadelphia.  We have just begun.

 

West Point Is Impressive

We spent a day at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

West Point's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River where the Military Academy now sits.

Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in 1778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779.

Several soldiers and legislators, including Washington, Knox, Hamilton and John Adams, wanting to eliminate America's wartime reliance on foreign engineers and artillerists, urged the creation of an institution devoted to the arts and sciences of warfare.

 

President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy in 1802.

The only way you can visit the Academy is on their tour.  Your ID is checked, security done and you hop on a bus with a tour guide leading the way.  Our first stop was the West Point Cadet Chapel.

  It is Gothic Revival Architecture and was completed in 1910.  

It hosts the largest chapel pipe organ in the world, which consists of 23,511 individual pipes.

Attendance is not compulsory but if  you choose to participate in something such as choir you have to fit it in because you are not given extra time in your schedule.

Attention to detail is in everything.  Notice the perfection of the line up of the hymnals and the Bible.  Our guide told us that if the cadet assigned to take care of the books does not do it perfectly not just the one not correct has to be fixed but the entire process has to be started over.  If a small order is not followed then a more important one not followed can cause the loss of a battle or life.

This is the chapel that is frequently seen where military weddings take place.  Quite a long wait to get on the schedule......and you can't marry until you have graduated so you can't even get on the schedule until then. Those ceremonies end in a beautiful Saber Arch Post Ceremony after their vows.

All cadets participate in a sport.  If you don't participate in one of the NCAA athletic teams then you play in intramural sports. And if you don't choose one one will be chosen for you. 

To apply for admission to the Academy the requirements below must be met as well as obtaining a nomination, normally from a United States Congressman or a Senator.

• U.S. citizens
• unmarried with no legal obligation to support dependents
• under 23 years of age prior to July 1 of the year entering USMA 
• a high school graduate or have a GED
• of high moral character

Life at the United States Military Academy is busy! Our guide said cadets are the busiest college students in the country. Classes and study, physical education or athletics, military duties and recreation fill the hours of the day.

 

The academy is located approximately 50 miles north of New York City on the western bank of the Hudson River.  

The views from the beautiful campus are amazing.  There is so much history here.  

The Hudson River forms an S curve here that played a big part in the Revolutionary War. The "S" caused sailing ships to slow to maneuver and the bluffs cut off much of the wind down on the river, causing them to slow still more.  Both the Americans and British knew that passage on the Hudson River was strategically important to the war effort. Americans worked to devise plans to slow or block ship passage on the river.

 These are links from the chain that the Americans constructed to place across the Hudson to obstruct any British passage. American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British, in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the word “traitor.”   The British never attempted to run the chain even though Benedict Arnold claimed in correspondence with the British that "a well-loaded ship could break the chain.  

Cadets come from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands.  It was so impressive to understand what a commitment they make and how difficult the requirements are to enter the Academy.  Cadets attend the United States Military Academy free of charge, with all tuition and board paid for by the Army in return for a service commitment of five years of active duty and three years of reserve status upon graduation.

Many familiar names are graduates of West Point.  Buzz Aldrin, George Armstrong Custer, Omar Bradley, Jefferson Davis, Dwight Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Mike Krzyzewski, Douglas Mac,Arthur, and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. to name a few.

This is Battle Monument honoring Union soldiers.  It is a polished granite column 46 feet tall topped by a female representing "fame." Lady Fame takes a victorious pose showing that the soldiers died fighting a worthwhile cause.  Inscribed on bronze straps belting the eight monumental "cannon balls" circling the column are the names of 2,230 Regular Army officers and soldiers who died for the Union during the Civil War.

 

If you feel your patriotism waning a visit to this campus will renew it.  You will be impressed with the grounds, buildings, and history of this magnificent military university.

 

 

Liberty Enlightening The World

Our tour continues on to Liberty State Park in New Jersey.  This is the "Empty Sky" memorial that honors the state's victims of the 9-11 attacks. The memorial includes twin walls, transecting a "gently sloped mound anchored by a granite path that is directed toward Ground Zero. Two 30-foot-high rectangular towers stretch 208 feet, 10 inches long — the exact width of the World Trade Center towers, the proportion of the walls a symbolic representation of the buildings as if they were lying on their sides.  The name of each of the 746 victims is etched in stainless steel in 4-inch-high letters. A granite passage is oriented to face the site of the twin towers.  In front is some of the actual remains of the towers. 

Our trip to Ellis Island and Liberty Island originates at Liberty State Park.  Wonderful view across the water to Manhattan. 

My excitement to see the Statue of Liberty was a bit dampened when our guide told us that in this huge terminal, where we got our ferry tickets, after 9-11 the bodies that were found were transferred here, identified, cleaned and awaited their families.  More huge structures outside were used as well.

The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal is no longer used as a railroad station but has been restored and used as the point for the Ellis Island and Liberty Island ferry.  For you Monopoly fans it was once a terminal for the Reading Railroad.

Security everywhere.  Poor Walt.   Those fake knees always get him special treatment. 

Manhattan reaches for the sky.......how high can they go?

On the ferry...... just two of four million that go each year.

A stop on Ellis Island gives history about the 12 million immigrants who passed through these now quiet halls from 1892 to 1954.  Walt and I don't think our ancestors came through Ellis Island because it seems they were in the U.S. prior to 1892. 

The immigrants came from all over the world and once here they came face to face with inspectors, interpreters, nurses, doctors, social workers, and many others.  Of the 12 million people who passed through its doors between 1892 and 1954, only around 2 percent were deemed unfit to become citizens of the United States.

 On a clear day Lady Liberty can be seen 60 miles away.

The statue’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.

It was a gift from France.  Given to America in 1886.   She is one majestic lady. The Statue is 151 feet and one inch tall from base to torch. Including the Statue's base, she is 305 feet and one inch tall.

The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.

She holds a tablet upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).

There are 25 windows in the crown.

The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, indicating the universal concept of liberty.

The statue’s original torch was replaced in 1984 by a new copper torch covered in 24k gold leaf.

Then there is the fact that I learned on Jeopardy a few nights ago.  Although you cannot see Lady Liberty’s feet clearly she is in fact standing among a broken shackle and chains, with her right foot raised, depicting her moving forward away from oppression and slavery.

What if this magnificent lady could tell us what she has seen as she has stood here for the last 131 years?  She could tell of the hopes and dreams the immigrants had, she could tell of the dreadful storms, including hurricanes, that she has withstood,  she could tell about watching the skyscrapers being erected always higher and higher, she could tell about that horrid September morning when those two planes hit the towers as her worst day ever, and she could tell about the resilience of the American people who rebuilt and continue to rebuild today.  

Heading back to Liberty State Park my mind is whirling thinking about all I had seen and all I had felt on this amazing day. 

A day of sadness yet uplifting happiness at we saw.  Very glad we chose to do the tour instead of trying to do the City on our own. Our guide gave a great insight on the places we saw.

I tried to savor my last few looks at that gorgeous Manhattan skyline. 

Truly a sight to behold.  An unforgettable memory. 

I'll end with the poem that was written by Emma Lazarus as a donation to an auction of art and literary works to raise money for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal's construction.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

One World Trade Center And More

Seeing One World Trade Center is both awe inspiring and full of sadness. It is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.  It is also known as the Freedom Tower.  

It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere,  and the sixth tallest in the world.  The building, including its spire, reaches a total height of 1,776 feet.  Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.

Our tour guide told us that on September 11, 2001 he was on a train into the city and lunch with his son was planned.  His son worked on the 20th floor of the South Tower.  The train was stopped and passengers were told there was an incident in the city.  Thankfully his son made it out but has never been back in the city.  His good friend who was on a higher floor was one of the ones that jumped and he has just not been able to return. 

The cubic base has a footprint identical to the original Twin Towers.  The surface of the base is clad in more than 2,000 pieces of shimmering prismatic glass.  But there’s a new tallest tower coming to town: the Nordstrom Tower being built on West 57th Street, which will rise to a height of 1,795 feet and a title of the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building.

Two reflecting pools stand within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood.  The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools.

White roses are placed on the name when it is their birthday.  Yellow roses are placed to denote an anniversary.  Still thinking about that beautiful place brings tears to my eyes.  

This callery pear tree was recovered from the rubble at the World Trade Center site in October 2001.  It was badly burned and had only one living branch.  In November 2001, the tree was moved by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to the Bronx for care.  

The tree was not expected to survive, but it showed signs of new growth the following spring.  In December 2010, the tree, then 30 feet  tall, was returned to the World Trade Center site.  It has become known as the "Survivor Tree".  It has been described as "a reminder of the thousands of survivors who persevered after the attacks".

From the memorial we headed to see the new train station that replaced the one destroyed on 9-11. 

This controversial station took 12 years to build and detractors say it is a symbol of both governmental waste and architectural excess.

It's centerpiece is the Oculus.

Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava it is a mind-boggling glass-and-steel structure.

It serves 250,000 Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) daily commuters and millions of annual visitors from around the world.

I found it to be an architectural gem of these times.  I wonder what it will be thought of in 100 years.  

Amazing ceiling for the most expensive train station ever.   I loved it!

The tour continued.  There was so much to see and hear about but true to my history I step outside the box.  I spotted this Jenga game looking structure, took a photo, did some research and found out it is a 60 story building with apartments that sell for millions of dollars.  It was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron — which also built Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium.

There was time for a stop by St Paul's Chapel.  It is a chapel of the Parish of Trinity Church.  Built in 1766, it is the oldest surviving church building in Manhattan.

Inside, the chapel's simple elegant hall has pale colors, a flat ceiling and cut glass chandeliers.  The chapel survived the Great New York City fire of 1776.  

The pulpit is exquisite. 

George Washington worshipped at St Paul's.  He had his pew in the north aisle and an oil painting of the Great Seal of the United States hangs over his pew.

The churchyard has long been a pastoral oasis in busy lower Manhattan despite it being wedged in by skyscrapers. 

The Chapel was turned into a makeshift memorial shrine following the September 11 attacks.  Whew! Our tour is about 2/3 done. What a whirlwind.

This  Statue is called ‘9/11 Cross, A Symbol of Hope’. The statue is located near St. Paul’s Chapel of Trinity Church near the 9/11 memorial. The statue represents the original perfectly proportioned cross formed from the wreckage of the twin towers in the rubble of 9/11 that was later erected on this site. The original cross was moved to the 9/11 Museum. This cross was sculpted by Jon Krawczyk.  It's inscription is below. 

The cross is a symbol of hope.  It speaks of life’s journey
And to life’s limitless potential.
For the innocent, whose lives were taken from them, this cross stands as a memorial.
For the courageous, who faced death so others
might live,
This cross stands as a tribute.
For all of us, walking the streets today,
This cross reflects who we are
And who we may choose to become. 

NEW YORK NEW YORK

We wanted to go to New York City but Walt didn't think he wanted to drive.  I wonder why?  

Black Bear Campground where we are staying is about 60 miles from Times Square and one of the amenities they offer is a bus tour into the city.

That sounded perfect to us.  A nice comfortable bus and a tour guide named Kauffman.  A born and bred New Yorker of German ancestry that is a fierce patriot with no patience for U.S. Citizens that know less of our history than people from Canada and Europe do. There were 16 couples.......all over 65 except for one and all from the U.S.  We were instructed to "Follow the blue hat."  He was a wealth of information and kept us on a closely scheduled time table. 

In the 1800's and early 1900's immigrants coming into New York City usually lived in buildings like this called tenements usually with others from their same home country.  This is the last of those buildings and as soon as the last residents move out or die off it will be torn down.

Our bus driver was amazing.  He was an artist in getting where he wanted in a smooth and efficient way.  The traffic hardly ever looked like this.

It looked like this. 

First stop.  Broadway & 52nd Street for a little stroll around Times Square and the Theater District.

Overwhelming to say the least.  So amazed to be at a place I see often on TV and trying to imagine a million people jammed into this area to watch the ball drop on New Years Eve.

 

This is people watching paradise.

Aaah, the lights of Broadway.

There are more than 40 theaters in the Theater District and most of the shows are musicals.

Before the day was over there was a definite crick in my neck from looking up.  Love the contrast with the historical and the modern.

This is the Hotel Paramount that was completed in 1928.  So pretty but notice those window air conditioners.  When so many of the buildings in the east were built there was no air conditioning so window air conditioners are put in.  They have ruined many beautiful photo ops.  Comfort over beauty.

There are wooden water towers all over New York.  It roused my curiosity.  Were they relics from the past that hadn't been removed?  No, many of them are new.  Most buildings in the city taller than six stories need some sort of water tower and pumping system to provide water pressure to tenants.  

Still marveling at the crowds and tall buildings. 

On to see Trinity Church.

This is he third and current Trinity Church.  The first was destroyed in the Great New York City Fire of 1776.  The second was torn down after being weakened by severe snows during the winter of 1838–39.

The third and current Trinity Church began construction in 1839 and was finished in 1846.   Trinity Church was once the tallest structure in New York City. As skyscrapers became more common and ever more ambitious, however, the once-towering church now finds itself in the shadow of buildings and towers twice its size.

On September 11, 2001 people took refuge inside the church from the massive debris cloud as the first World Trade Center collapsed.  Trinity Church was largely undamaged. 

The cemetery outside the church is very interesting as the graves are extremely old and there are several famous people buried here (including Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton and Albert Gallatin). Alexander Hamilton is probably the most famous as he was George Washington’s first Secretary of the Treasury and was killed in a famous duel with ex-Vice President Aaron Burr.

The interior of Trinity Church is beautiful, with its dark wood, sparkling stained glass windows, and high, arched ceilings.

The stained glass is some of the oldest in the United States.

This impressive church is regal inside and out.

The church stands at the head of Wall Street. 

On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York,  took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.  The building behind the Washington statue is where Federal Hall stood but is not Federal Hall.  It was demolished in 1812.

Wall Street was named because an actual wall stood there.  There are still spots in the street that show where the posts were. 

The New  York Stock Exchange Building is at 11 Wall Street.  It is the world's largest stock exchange.  

This Burger King at 106 Liberty Street served as the New York Police Department Headquarters for a time after 9-11. 


 

We stopped for a slice of pizza at Steve's for lunch.  

As we finished our pizza a truck from Firehouse 10 pulled out.  As the firehouse located at Ground Zero they were the first to respond on 9-11 and lost 6 men.  

The Memorial Wall, dedicated to the 343 members of the NYC  Fire Department, as well as volunteer firefighter Glenn J. Winuk, a partner at Holland & Knight who died on that tragic day, is located at FDNY Engine 10 Ladder 10, directly across from the World Trade Center site.  The Memorial Wall was donated by the law firm of Holland & Knight.  

We are only about a third way through our tour and I am hit in turn by joy at the sights and the sadness of 9-11. More to come.

For those of you curious about my lack of posting recently it is due to cramming in so many places to visit and weak cell and internet services where we are staying.  I am very far behind but will continue to play catch up. 

On To New York And Thoughts On Driving An RV In The East

We left White Pines Campsites in Barkhamsted, CT on a hazy sunshiny morning.  We loved Hartford but didn't feel the same about this park.  The most expensive we have stayed in with the least desirable ambiance.  Not friendly at check in and amenities stated on their website were non existent.  Might not be fair because we have had some really great ones to compare it to.

Walt has done a wonderful job of driving in the RV challenged east.  He has been able to maneuver Gypsy II through so many situations.  Between his paper maps and Google Maps and Maps online we have managed to find secondary routes that avoid tolls and much of the whizzing traffic.  In the eastern states the roads change names and change numbers without warning.  Sometimes the route number we were trying to follow would just disappear but Maps on the phone would keep us on the route.  Most roads are two lane and in the east you don't climb mountains.......you just ride a roller coaster of dips and ascents. So, many times we are the leader of a long parade of vehicles because there is no break of the yellow no passing line.  When he can Walt pulls over to let them pass but sometimes there is nowhere to pull over.   Usually people are nice.....every now and then you get someone who is rude but that is the exception. Gas stations are few that you can fit in with an RV and good luck if you are hungry or need to go to the bathroom. 

Quite honestly the roads themselves were in better shape than we were expecting.  Some places the snow plows had chewed them up a lot but you can tell great effort is made to keep them smooth.  Luckily we didn't find too many RV eating potholes. We did hit hard at a low spot upon pulling out of a gas station and hearing a loud bang. (I think that was the same gas station that a woman chastised us for taking up so much room.)  Kept going and when we pulled into the next RV Park our steps would not come out because they were what hit hard.  Trusty Walt and his large hammer remedied that.

If anyone ever asked us to recreate our routes it would be absolutely impossible.  We were at the mercy of sometimes paper maps and alternately online maps directing us here and then there.  We think it has been perfect.  We have seen places we never expected, sights that were sublime and much holding our breath worrying that we might be taken somewhere we can't get out of. There have been some challenges but oh so worth the effort.  Patience and a sense of adventure are much needed traversing the roads of the east in an RV.   

Fall is in the air in the east.  It is a wonderful feeling.  Even with some very warm days there is still that fall feeling.

I think there was a sigh of relief as we checked into Black Bear Campground in Florida, New York.  Nice experience on check in, generous in giving information about the area and places to see.  Interesting set up.  You climb a steep hill to the flat crest where the spots are.  You can choose back in in the shade (glad we chose that...it has been hot) or pull throughs in the open center. Facilities are nice and clean.  

Many of the small towns have snow plow blades for their town signs.  Signs of things to come. Hoping we are well on our way before that happens.

First plan of action is a back country drive.

A stop at a dairy garnered Walt some ice cream.  I tried some.......still don't like ice cream.  

The Hudson Valley is a beautiful sight.  No wonder people who are employed in New York City move out here and are willing to do that long commute into work.

Oh the sights you can see out in the country. 

One day we took a drive to Woodbury to the Outlets.  To say that this is high high end wouldn't be exaggerating.   Armani, Carolina Herrera, Dior,  Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo and on and on for hundreds of stores.  Nothing in my budget but the stores cash registers were ringing to a happy tune.

Tour buses bring in European and Asian visitors by the hundreds.  They all come with empty roller suitcases that they roll along with them as they shop.  They don't buy just one pair of Jimmy Choo's or one Coach bag.  At least a half dozen of everything they buy.  Then they come out into the walkways and unload their purchases from the bags into their suitcases.  Shoes out of boxes and any packaging removed to have more room.  There are suitcase kiosks where they can buy another suitcase if their shopping is not done when the first one is filled.  They are definitely boosting New York's economy.  

What we see and what we learn on this travel adventure is priceless.