New York is many things, especially a freezing cold town in February. Updates here have been few and far between, but that is partially because there have been a lot of trips taken. Not sure how professionals do this, but I’ve been on the move this year. First up was New York City.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”, Emma Lazarus, Selection from Her Poetry and Prose (1944),

For some odd reason, we had a lot of points on Expedia.com and decided to take a weekend trip to New York. Our goal was to get to the top of the Statue of Liberty and anything else was gravy. Luckily, we were able to easily get tickets for the crown. Unfortunately, it was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit during our visit and really curtailed exploration.

Be prepared for waiting…

I had read that the security theater getting into the ferry boats was horrible, and it was. Be prepared to wait with a bunch of people who are either angry, amused, or confused. While this is par for the course of an iconic site, especially one in New York, a lot of people were unprepared for it.

Unfortunately, we had to take off all scarves, hats, jackets, and bulky jackets to go through the metal detector. I was very grateful for the heating in the building. We finally got going though and, after a quick stop at Ellis Island, landed at Liberty Island. There is even more security here, which was a bit odd…but there were also lockers where you could store your belongings for $2.00 which was great. Then, off to the steps!

Not for the faint of heart (or those with heart conditions) there were a ton of stairs. 377 from base to the top of the crown are in your way, with the last effort being a narrow spiral. There were a lot of places to stop and take a rest or take photos and people were very polite inside. At the top of the spiral were two Rangers who have to be up there for about 4 hours at a time to answer people’s questions and make sure everyone is safe. 

The view from the top is pretty small, but it is the experience of going to a place like that and seeing an incredible piece of the American Identity in person. 

So, if you have a chance to go visit her (maybe in April, May, or October would be better than February? haha) DO IT! We had a great time visiting and you will too.