After breakfast, we left the ship with a fun couple we had met the day before in the Norfolk parking garage. John & Barbara Hendrickson of the Washington, DC area were on their second RSSC cruise and enjoyed the luxury cruise line as much as we do. When they suggested at dinner our first night that we use our day in New York to visit Ellis Island and the WTC ground zero area from 9/11/01, we jumped at the opportunity to see these two sites. Much like other cities around the world, one day in New York is not nearly enough! We were glad our new friends had a good suggestion to see two places we had not visited before.
The four of us grabbed a New York City taxi cab and rode to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry at Battery Park. We bought our tickets and enjoyed the ride (along with a few hundred other tourists) to the Statue of Liberty, followed by Ellis Island. Seeing the place where many immigrants first entered the United States was interesting, and would be really special for anyone whose relatives passed through this entry point. Ellis Island has been recently restored, and the main building was impressive. We quietly walked around the large space where thousands had waited their turn to find a new life in the United States, wondering about all of the stories that the building held.
We caught another ferry for the ride back to Battery Park and walked the short distance to the site of the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Many buildings still show the damage from the disaster, and the atmosphere and sense of loss will stay with me forever. It is one of those places that you want to see, but don't want to see. I'm glad we went, but have to admit I didn't like the feelings it aroused in me--hate, loss, sadness, and the confirmation that nothing will ever be the same as it was for us before 9/11/01.
We ate lunch at the famous Odeon Restaurant with some of John's colleagues, and then rode a taxi back to the Seven Seas Navigator. It was nice to be back at the ship, and we noticed that we had a few hundred new cruise companions on board!
As we left New York City in the late afternoon, another thunderstorm pushed us out to sea. This typical summer weather was getting to be a bad habit, but we didn't care. We were off for Bermuda!
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