Statue of Liberty, Shopping, & Broadway

Today was another good and full day of sight seeing. Highlight for me was the historical stuff, like the Statue of Liberty.  

Corey got the CityPass for each of us, and the three attractions we chose were the Museum, which we did yesterday, the Statue of Liberty this morning, and tomorrow the 9/11 Museum and Memorial. So we got up early and took the subway downtown.

We had a 10:00 ferry to catch - "Statue City Cruises by Hornblower." We got there in time. It probably would have been ok if we were late. A ferry left every 20 minutes. On the ride over to Liberty Island. 

Yesterday the weather was great. Today it was cloudy and a little drizzly. Corey was grateful that Lily shared her hat with him. We took a picture by the statue (at top) and then the New York City skyline.

I really loved the Statue of Liberty Museum. It was so interesting to see the models that Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi made. I agree with Corey - "He chose the right one." 

They had a whole display of how they made the statue, which also showed footage of how they redid one of the feet in the 1980s, making it the same way it was made in the 1800s. It was cool reading about how the French citizens worked together to fun raise and pay for the statue, and also in the US, how people here rallied and contributed to pay for the pedestal. "Unless the statue goes tot he bottom of the ocean, it is safe to predict that it will eventually stand upon an American pedestal, and then be referred to for a very long time with more sentiment than we can now dream of." - a quote in "The World" Aug 6, 1884. We took a photo by the original torch.

"Viewed by millions as a symbol both of the nation and of the Statue itself, the torch was altered many times after it's 1886 dedication. Damaged beyond repair, the torch exhibited here was removed from the Statue in 1984. The flame the Statue now holds is a gilded, closed copper shell lit from the outside, true to sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi's original design." - so cool! 

And these words from the display "The Torch and Flame" - 

 "1876 Bartholdi originally designed teh flame as a closed copper shell tha the intended to be gilded and lit only by reflected light. The torch was displayed in Philadelphia and New York's Madison Square until 1882 for fundraising efforts. Sometime between 1882 and 1884, two flame tips were adjusted in Paris, altering the shape for the first time. 

 1886 - The statue initially doubled as a lighthouse. One month before the dedication, the US Lighthouse Board altered the flame in an attempt to increase visibility.  At the Statue's inauguration, however, the flame emitted only a faint glow. Afterward, engineers attempted to improve the electrical system and added portholes to release more light. 

 1892 - In another effort to improve the lighting, engineers installed an 18-imch glass belt and a red, white, and yellow stained glass skylight in the flame. Short-lived experiments were also made with red, white and blue lighting, emanating this time from the statue's crown. Bartholdi visited in 1893, expressing his dissatisfaction and suggested gilding the Statue. 

 1916 - Six hundred stained=glass panels replace the copper surface of the flame. American Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, creator of Mount Rushmore, redesigned the flame with amber stained glass panels and flickering interior lights. This "Chinese lanterns" effect allowed rain and debris to enter the statue over the years. 

 1986 - Restoration of Barhtoldi's original design. Severe corrosion prompted a complete replacement of the torch in the 1980s by the National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. French metalworkers from the shop Les Métalliers Champenois reproduced the flame's copper shell based on Bartholdi's original design and his repousse technique. The flame was covered with gold leaf, creating the dazzling glow that Bartholdi had always intended. 

I thought it was funny that they tried to have it double as a light house. That would have disappointed me too - "No no no! That's not what I wanted! I think it's great how they've made it now. 

We went to Ellis Island after that. I teared up several times as I read the stories of the immigrants. "That's all you heard. Gold on the streets of America.... There's no North America and no South America, not United States, just America. It was all good things. You could be anything you want here and made a lot of money, even it it was a dollar a day." - Louise Nagy, a Polish immigrant in 1913, interviewed in 1985.

Corey's favorite part was seeing the Sister missionaries at the family history center. Go to www.libertyellisfoundation.org or Family Search to look for ancestors came through Ellis Island. I think I found Ambrose, Sarah, and baby Nellie, who came though Ellis Island on 22 April 1880! 

After Liberty and Ellis Islands, we walked toward Wall Street (after buying fresh mango slices and pineapple from street sellers, the pineapple tasted great.) I would have just wandered around all day and find little bits of history, like the Bowling Green Fence!

"Landmarks of New York - Bowling Green Fence: Erected by the common council in 1771, this fence surrounds New York's earliest Park. The Park was leased in 1733 for use as a bowling green at a rental of one peppercorn a year. Patriots, who in 1776 destroyed an equestrian statue of George III which stood here, are said to have removed the crowns which capped the fence posts but the fence itself remains." WOW!!! This fence has been here since 1771!!! Corey and the girls were waiting for me but I waved to them "Come here! You gotta see this!" I was glad to take a minute and walk through the park and stand where many patriots probably stood. The Bowling Green Park was the first public park to be established in New York, 12 Mar 1733. Inside the park was this plaque - 

"Resolved that this Corporation will Lease a Piece of Land lying at the lower End of Broadway fronting to the Fort to some of the Inhabitants of the Said Broadway in Order to be Inclosed to make a bowling Green thereof with Walks therein, for the Beauty and Ornament of the Said Street as well as for the Recreation & Delight of the Inhabitants of This City" - from the minutes of the Common Council, Reconstructed 1938. So cool. Then we walked past the Wall Street Bull... there was a line for that at both ends of the bull. Pretty dumb, I hope those people also walked through the park. We walked past them, through the Evacuation Day Plaza - 25 Nov 1783, so cool. 

Ok, ok, I'll be done. We headed to the subway - Corey and Lily headed back to the room so Corey could work and Lily was just going to take a break. Abi wanted to go shopping, so I went with her to Time Square. She said she wanted to buy a NY sweatshirt or hoodie, and we walked into a few shops with lots of those, but then she walked out. I was following her lead and did not nag or complain. Eventually we went into Forever 21. She was walking around somewhat aimlessly and I could not find a bench anywhere, until she went to the dressing room. Then I found a bench and was happy to take a little nap sitting up as she tried stuff on. Finally she made her purchase decision. I did think it was silly that she spent all her souvenir $ on a pair of pants at Forever 21. "I'm pretty sure you could buy pants like those in Utah..." And maybe she could have, but now they will remind her of shopping in New York.  

All right, well since she's outta cash now, I guess we can go! 

After we take a few more pictures - 

I got held by the hand by a Buddist priest and was semi forced to donate to his temple building as he put bracelets on our wrists. I was just glad that I found a $10 in my pocket and he didn't notice the $20s and $50s and that I didn't have to venmo him. We wandered through the MnM store. 

We thought maybe for Halloween, we could all be different color of MnMs! 6 different colors. But we didn't want to spend $25 bucks each shirt. But we thought of it, aren't we so thoughtful.

I bought a few hats and souvenirs for the kids, then we walked back to the room. Shopping was probably the highlight of Abi's trip.

We walked a little out of our way to go to a Chipotle first, which I thought was the one Corey and I walked by last night on our date, so I thought we were close to the hotel, but then we had to walk and walk and when we were almost at the hotel, we passed another Chipotle, so too bad we went out of our way to go to that one. I could have saved us 15 minutes of walking. Oh well. I delivered some yummy dinner, then Corey finished some work:

There was something stupid on tv. After a while I turned it off and read the Liahona to them. 

So we just rested a bit, then we left around 7 to catch the subway

...and headed toward the Gershwin Theater for our 8:00 showing of Wicked.

Abi and Lily in the bottom right corner of this pic - I wanted to get them and the stage.

At first I thought our Elphaba was Lindsay Heather Pearce, but then I saw the program insert - ours was Jennifer DiNoia. 

We were a little far away from the stage, so we could see the big presentation of everything going on on the stage, but not the details of their face. A picture of them bowing from Lindsay Pearce's instagram.

It was easy enough to find a picture on Instagram. I obeyed the rules and I didn't take any pictures in the theater, cause you're not supposed to according to NY law, but the lady in front of us kept turning on her phone and taking pictures, which was a little distracting and kinda annoying. I didn't turn her in though. It was over around 10:30, and now we're back and it was fun. We have church in the morning and then the 9/11 Memorial at 2, then we head home around 6:30 pm tomorrow. It's been a good trip, I'm glad we came.