Day 185 - Lower Manhattan

The morning was wasted in bed, sorting a couple of things out and chatting to friends and family online before we actually set about going anywhere. As yesterday’s attempt to make it down to the Statue of Liberty didn’t quite work out as we were distracted several times we thought we’d give it a go today instead. The weather was slightly overcast today so we were keeping our fingers crossed that we’d avoid any downpours.

Corrie making the most of the lie-in.

Off we went, on foot due to our money saving mind sets, and within an hour and a half we'd reached Ground Zero where construction of the new One World Trade Centre is well underway. At the time of both of our last visits we both only saw a huge hole in the ground and the whole area was basically a construction site. Today, though the construction site is still here, there have been dramatic changes to the skyline as new buildings here shoot up. The new tower is well over halfway built and looks on schedule for its 2013 completion date. When it is finished it will be the 3^rd tallest building in the world.

From here we passed by St Pauls Chapel and on to Wall Street. After a quick look here at more buildings we went to Battery Park, passing by the famous charging bull statue along the way.

This damaged sculpture was once shiny and new on display in one of the  WTC's lobby.

We then purchased our ferry tickets and got straight on board the ferry which took us over to Liberty Island. On this little trip we took photos of the classic Manhattan skyline from the rear of the boat, making note that this would be a great photo opportunity at night and so contemplating a return trip.

We took some pictures of the Statue of Liberty before swiftly moving on to the next island – Ellis Island.

Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. We had a look around the Immigration Museum before getting back on board the ferry to the city. It’s quite easy to see how this could be a very emotional visit for someone who’s ancestors passed through this very place when they first came to America years ago.

Back on land we then stubbornly made the choice to walk all the way back up to the hotel completing a total walking distance of approximately 10 miles today. Needless to say we both crashed onto the bed in huge sighs of relief when we finally made it back there!