Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

September 9, 2017 – We are in a holding pattern on the Hudson River in Albany NY. We don’t want to get too close to the coastline without knowing where Hurricane Irma is heading. Our plan is to make a few more stops down the Hudson then a stop on Staten Island before jumping out into the Atlantic for a three day transit (with overnight stops) off the Jersey coast. Waiting for seas two feet or less…might be awhile.

So….we rented a car and headed south to visit friends Jimmy in Tuxedo and Bob in Jersey! Steve and I had never been to Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty and it had been years since Bob had been so off we went to Liberty State Park. What an awesome day!

Ellis Island, also known as the ‘Island of Hope and Tears’, was the largest gateway for millions of immigrants looking for a new beginning and a new life for their families in America. Ellis Island was once America’s busiest immigration station that operated for over 62 years (1892 until 1954) and saw millions of people from around the world.

Today, Millions of visitors travel to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to explore this great historical site. The museum exhibits tell the moving tales of the 12 million immigrants who entered America through Ellis Island. It has been estimated that close to 40% of all current US citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island.

The Statue of Liberty (named “Liberty Enlightening the World”) is a universal symbol of freedom given to the United States on October 28, 1886 as a gift from the people of France. The statue was designed by Frederic Bartholdi, a French sculptor, and framed by Gustave Eiffel, the same gentleman who designed the Eiffel Tower. Today, the statue is visited by millions of people each year and continues to remain an icon for freedom as well as a welcoming symbol to immigrants arriving to America.