Liberty and Brooklyn...all in one day

This week's adventure in NYC made for one packed Saturday. 

We started our day off with a tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We boarded a ferry that took us to both islands and back again to Battery Park. It was a beautiful day, perfect for cruising around the Hudson. We did audio tours around both islands and we were fascinated the whole time. We absolutely got chills as we listened to some immigrants accounts of sailing from a foreign land and catching their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. It was a symbol of the life of freedom that awaited them. 

It was very humbling and made us reflect on all the liberties we enjoy here in America. 

Ellis Island was just as humbling. So many people came through there, our own ancestors no doubt, in search of a better life for themselves and their posterity. 

Ellis Island

Miss Liberty herself...

Dan and I with the NYC skyline !

I love the flag next to the new WTC

After our tour we headed off to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. That was quite the experience, it was PACKED and there were food vendors in the middle of the bridge, very New York. It was pretty cool though and offered some fab views of the city. We ate dinner at a famous pizza joint in Brooklyn called Grimaldi's. You have to stand in line and you should see this line. I can't believe I didn't get a picture. It's unreal. Dan had eaten there before and kept reassuring me it was worth it, but I must say I was having my doubts that any pizza in the world was worth the pain in my feet standing in that line. But...I was wrong. It was delish. I will never doubt my Dan again. 

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge...with the rest of NYC

After dinner we got some ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory at the pier. This couple loves us some ice cream. 

Then came time to go home so we headed off to the subway stop. After some wandering and wandering and directions and more wandering...we ended up walking back across the bridge to Manhattan. Haha, I wish I could say this was because we wanted the exercise but it wasn't. We may or may not have gotten lost. 

We are SO NOT tourists.