The Chronicles of New York: The Lady, the Witch, and the Subway.

I've written about the subway and the bus, but today I want to tell you about the "Lady."  Lady Liberty.  If you ever have the chance to go to New York, visiting the Statue of Liberty should be high on your list of things to do.

Her full name is "Liberty Enlightening the World."  She was given to the US by the people of France.  Lady Liberty is modeled after the Roman goddess of Libertas.  She bears a torch, a tablet representing the Declaration of Independence, and a broken chain at her feet.

After 9/11, Liberty was closed for a while.  She reopened with trips to the island and the pedestal, and finally the crown.  There are no more trips to the torch.  They only sell a certain number of tickets per day, and fewer tickets to the pedestal, and even fewer tickets to the crown.  I purchased our tickets online a month ahead of time, and crown tickets were all sold out.  Tickets for the pedestal were sold out by 11AM the day we went.

Another result of 9/11 is stricter security.  Visitors go through airport-type security before boarding the ferry.  If you are going into the pedestal, there is another security checkpoint prior to admission.  Visitors aren't allowed to take purses, backpacks, and things like that, but you can take a camera.

Liberty Island is a beautiful place for a picnic.  I wish we'd thought of that then!  The views from both the ferry and the island are spectacular.

We even got to look up Lady Liberty's skirt!  Once you get in the pedestal, there are plexiglass ceiling tiles in 3 or 4 places so you can see inside the structure of the statue.  Very interesting.  There are beautiful views of the island from the pedestal.  There is also a museum of sorts that shows actual models and casts that were used in structuring the statue.  In the lobby of the pedestal, you can view the original torch (which has been replaced and undergone several renovations over the last 200 years).

Visiting the Statue of Liberty was one of the most memorable parts of my vacation in New York.  It made me feel so patriotic.  If you ever get the chance to go, don't hesitate!

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