New York 2015 Pictures Day 5

Once on Liberty Island we stowed our bags in a locker by the gift shop. Then we joined another security queue before climbing up many flights of steps to the pedestal. The views up there were great. I took a panorama and many other pictures from the pedestal. Despite some very light rain the visibility was excellent with commanding views of Lower Manhattan, ellis island and surrounding areas. Once done we backtracked down to the platforms below on the site of an old star shaped fort. Then after more photo opportunities we continued down to the museum before exiting to the gift shop. We finished and collected our bags at 12:25PM. We queued and got on the ferry quite quickly and departed for Ellis Island at 12:40PM. By now the weather had thankfully dried out.

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Approaching the Statue of Liberty from behind.		A sample section of the torch platform.	From this angle the crown looks more like a spike through the head...	Inside the pedestal is displayed the old torch that was replaced in 1984 with the present day torch.

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360 degree panorama from the pedestal, just below the statue's feet.	Lower Manhattan and Ellis Island from the pedestal.		Looking down at the gift shop to the Northwestern side of the statue.

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Pamela, Renée and Mike on the pedestal with Lower Manhattan in the background.		Looking up the 'skirt' of the Statue of Liberty.	Panorama of Ellis Island, Manhattan and the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.

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Renée and Pamela, and Mike, under the Statue of Liberty.		Renée, Pamela and Mike on the old fort with Lower Manhattan in the background.		Another Lower Manhattan shot with Renée and Pamela looking up at the statue to my left.	Descending through the remains of the old fort to the museum.

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Another view of the old pre-1984 torch from the gallery.	Bronze casts of the head and foot of the Statue of Liberty.		These are the original iron bars that re-inforced the statue's copper plates. They were corroded and replaced with modern stainless steel bars in the 1980's.	A model of the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty shows the spiral staircase that takes visitors to the crown. Alas we were unable to acquire tickets to go all the way up there.	How cool! A Statue of Liberty Chanukiah.	Queuing for the ferry to take us to Ellis Island.

I found Ellis Island rather boring admittedly. We looked around all the museum exhibits and walked through the main hall where the immigrants queued to be processed. It was a nice airy hall full of natural light which I found surprisingly pleasant. We were rather hungry and tired by the end of the tour. We just missed the 2:15PM ferry. However we got ice creams from the café while we waited for the 2:40PM ferry and ate them outside. I also took more pictures of the sublime view. Then we joined the queue and left on the 2:40PM ferry, disembarking back at Battery Park at 2:55PM.

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Arriving at Ellis Island.		The entrance to the main building.	Looking back at the ferry as others disembark behind us.	Looking up at the window artwork.

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Looking up at the window artwork.	Inside the main hall.	A window with a view from the gallery level.		Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island.	The main hall from the gallery.

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Ice cream break panorama while we wait for the ferry, from Lower Manhattan to Liberty Island.	360 degree panorama from a platform to the Southeast of the main building.

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Views of the Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building from Ellis Island.		The ferry arriving to take us back to Battery Park.

We decided to go to Chinatown for food. The Number 15 Bus went from the Staten Island terminal. After some confusion over the system for this bus we got ride tickets from a machine and were moving at 3:15PM. We missed the ideal stop but it was a nice walk into Chinatown along Canal Street from the Grant Street stop. We found the Amazing 66 restaurant at 3:45PM. I ordered vegetable spring rolls (which we all shared), braised bean curd with mushrooms and snow peas, and mixed vegetable lo mein. Pamela had Buddhist Delight vegetables and Renée had Chicken Yei Fun (flat noodles). It was a very nice meal. We decided we would check out the Freedom Tower tomorrow as it was getting late and we needed a rest.

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My best view yet of the Freedom Tower.	The Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at the Eastern end of Battery Park.	The triumphal arch and colonnade at the Manhattan entrance to the Manhattan Bridge.	A curious dome that is part of the HSBC bank at the edge of Chinatown.

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Yep we're in Chinatown now!	Looking Southwards into Mott Street from Canal Street. The restaurant is in there.	Amazing 66 restaurant.

To top it off, Pamela's boss was in the area and offered to give us a lift back. We left the restaurant at 4:55PM. I bought a Chinese hand fan and a nice hat while waiting for pickup at 5:05PM. He was driving a cosy leather interiored black Volvo S80. After a nice drive along the FDR highway we were back to the hotel at 5:40PM.

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Driving under the Brooklyn Bridge.	Brooklyn Bridge.	Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.	Passing the Manhattan Bridge.	Driving along the FDR. Of course there was a big traffic jam just round the corner...	The United Nations Headquarters building at the end of 42nd/43rd Streets .

After a rest I headed out at 7:15PM round the corner to get 2 pretzels from the Kosher hot dog cart on the junction of 5th Avenue and East 47th Street. Alas one of them turned out to be stale and hard but the other was nice.

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This hot dog cart on the corner of 47th Street and 5th Avenue sold me stale pretzels! :(

We then relaxed until we retired for the night by 9:30PM.