Liberty

Corny as it may sound, I have always felt my trip around-the-world should start here.

Heading off with a fresh image in my mind of America’s most enduring icon of freedom and hope should help me keep things in perspective as I’m circling the globe. After all, during the past 239+ years, millions of people have sacrificed everything to be here in the United States.

They still do.

I can’t lose sight of the fact I’m an exceptionally fortunate guy. And I have a responsibility to be a good ambassador of my country. Humble. Respectful. Polite.

This was not the first time I’ve stood at the feet of Lady of Liberty. I was here with Patricia and my attorney, back when he was still in grade school.

Mid-90s. Pre-9/11.

Nice memories.

So, John and I boarded the ferry at Battery Park yesterday morning after a hearty breakfast at one of my favorite NYC eateries, the Metro Diner, at W. 100th & Broadway. The combination of scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and well-jellied rye toast managed to soak up any remaining alcohol still lingering at the bottom of my stomach.

The sky was filled with an uninterrupted layer of clouds – ideal for photography – but in terms of early September Manhattan heat and humidity, it was like spending the day under a wool blanket. My all-day antiperspirant was shot by 10:30…which, for a guy from Florida, is saying a lot.

Neither of us was so moved by the experience of being on Liberty Island that we felt the urge to ascend to pedestal height or climb up into the crown. The required physical exertion aside, those activities would have require some advance planning. The walk-up ferry ride ticket was $18 a head. If you want access to the pedestal or if you want to go over her head, you’ll pay a little more. But be prepared to book your tickets well before you arrive in Manhattan.

After slowly making our way around the base and madly banging off a few hundred shots with my camera like a tourist from Tokyo, John finally had enough and said he’d like to head over the Ellis Island.

I’d never done the Ellis Island experience before.

When you consider the millions of immigrants that began their lives as Americans after passing through Ellis Island, it’s hard not to be awed by the place. And you quickly discover that the immigration issues we’re arguing about today are not all that different from the ones we were wrestling with 150 years ago.

It takes an hour or more to tour Ellis Island. But once you’re done, you walk away amazed by the courage of those who arrived here, many with only the shirts on their backs and a few bucks in their pockets.

(Click on any image to open up a nice image viewer.)