The Statue of Liberty

For some reason Asher has always been interested in the Statue of Liberty. He's seen it in Red Robin Restaurants, he's seen one made out of chocolate, out of Twizzlers, out of M&Ms, he's pointed it out on movies and print, and was super excited to see MGM's big statue on the Las Vegas Strip, but now he's seen the REAL one!

We didn't tell the kids what we were doing, just that we had a very special surprise. We somehow managed to purchase tickets, and wait among a crowd of people to load onto a ferry boat. The statue was visible from the dock, though a bit distant, so we kept the kids facing the opposite direction. As soon as the boat left the dock, I began recording and then told them to turn around to see where we were headed. Asher's reaction was priceless! 

Our first stop was Ellis Island where we walked the same halls my distant relatives first walked upon their arrival to the United States. Ellis Island was the busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. It's estimated that nearly 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry back to those immigrants coming thru Ellis Island!

Immigrants had to answer 29 questions which were recorded by an immigration agent on the form below. It's such a tiny space it's difficult to read clearly. They had to have enough money to support themselves and pass a physical. If they were found to have a chronic contagious disease, mental illness or a criminal history, they would be sent back to their home country. This amounted to about 2% of the people coming thru.

This place also holds a very interesting collection of items that immigrants brought with them to America. They normally had very little room to bring personal items with them, so these would either be special sentimental items or something they hoped to make money with in America.

A camera- looks a bit different then ours!

The kids earned their Jr Ranger badges here. While waiting for the ferry, they found this giant leaf!

Finally it was time to take the ferry to Liberty Island!

A small model of Liberty Island that can be used by visually impaired to understand how Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty are designed.

The original torch, replaced in 1984, now sits inside the lobby for guests to see upon arrival.

If you plan ahead, it's possible to get tickets to go up to the crown, but they sell out months in advance. If you're impulsive like us, you may be lucky enough to get same-day tickets to the pedestal. Be ready to climb! The pedestal is 10 stories high, so be ready to climb all 192 steps to arrive at the viewing area (the stone part that sticks out just under her feet). It's 354 steps to the crown, so be sure you're up for that before booking!

A nice view from the pedestal.

Ferry boats bringing more people to Liberty Island.

The statue reaches 305 ft into the air. I always assumed she was painted green, she's not. She is made of copper. Add 30 years of rainy weather and she turned this blue-green color from patination.

See you later Lady Liberty!

Back at the ferry dock in New Jersey, we noticed this 9/11 memorial. 

The towers are built to line up to their original place among the Manhattan skyline.

Gillette Castle {Connecticut}

Gillette Castle State Park was one of the places I had been wanting to visit. Unfortunately I didn't realize that once school starts, the tours end. Bummer. It was still fun checking it out from the outside. 

This home was designed by the owner, William Gillette, an actor best known for his on-stage portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. He lived here from 1919-1937. 

Gillette was apparently quite eccentric. He included 47 unique doors with locks- some require solving a puzzle to open, a series of mirrors so he could spy on guests from his bedroom, secret passageways and rooms. At one point he shared his home with 17 cats. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Gillette passed away without heirs, and his will excluded any "blithering sap-head who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded. So in 1943 the 183 acre property was acquired by the State of Connecticut and renamed Gillette Castle State Park. Now many people can come visit and appreciate this incredible building and land. Just try to come on a weekend during the summer,  when you can tour the inside. 

Sleeping in Driveways of Strangers {Rhode Island}

We've been living in the RV for almost four years, but here comes a new "first"- sleeping in strangers' driveways! Yes, I'm serious. But it's not quite as weird as it sounds. We are members of a website called Boondockers Welcome which is a matchmaking site of sorts. It's matches people who have RV parking at their home with those who need a place to park their RV for the night. You must be fully self-contained (have a toilet and water, etc) so you don't need to bother the home owners. Some hosts offer amenities like power, water, wifi, even a rare dump station, while others simply a safe place to park. We've had this membership for years, but haven't actually used it until now.

Upon our arrival, the homeowner directed us into our spot for the night and plugged us in. Asher and Journey got out to meet the owners' children. A couple minutes later, the four of them were laughing while giving the trampoline a workout! My kids didn't want to leave, but now that we had arrived in Rhode Island we were anxious to check out Newport's magnificent Cliff Walk before dark.

The Cliff Walk, designated a National Recreation Trail, is a 3.5 mile walkway with mansions on one side and cliffs overlooking the ocean on the other. We chose to begin our walk from Forty Steps.

Salve Regina University's McAuley Hall sits along the cliff walk. Such a fabulous piece of architecture! 

Thru these gates were mansions so regal, they have their own names. The Breakers is just one of the homes along this trail owned by the Vanderbuilts.  The paved trail turns rocks at the Rosecliff mansion (featured in the Great Gatsby movie). This is where we stopped and turned back.

By the time we reached Forty Steps again, the fog was so thick, we couldn't see the water. We headed back to our spot for the night. The family invited us in to chat for a bit. They had recently taken an extended trip out west to some of our favorite places, so we enjoyed looking at photos and sharing stories while the kids played ping pong and LEGO. Our first experience with Boondockers Welcome was a smashing success! Good thing, because our second experience would be with a new host the very next night! But first we drove back to Newport to take a tour of Fort Adams. After arriving early, we ventured out onto the docks in the dense fog. It was eerie to spot only the top sail of a boat in the water not far from us, and fortunately the fog did burn off before we reached the top of the fort.

This Army base opened in 1799 but the fort was rebuilt three times. What you see here wasn't finished until nearly 50 years later. The third and final build was designed by Brigadier General Simon Bernard, a Frenchman who served under Napoleon. He knew all the ways the fort could come under attack and as a result built the most defensible fort in the western hemisphere. In service from 1841 to 1950, thru five major wars, it's amazing that its soldiers never fired a shot in anger. Our tour guide called it the most expensive insurance policy ever!

At 871,200 sqft, the fort is so large, you could fit Fort McHenry, Fort Sumter, AND Fort Ticonderoga inside with plenty of space left over.

This bunk room is reservable to groups like Boy Scouts. 

View of the Newport Bridge from the top of the Fort.

The fort was armed with 468 cannons, 32 and 24 pounder seacoast guns, as well as 24 pounder flank howitzers!

Here we enter the dark, narrow listening tunnels where soldiers would be able to detect the sound of the enemy digging under the perimeter walls. If they did, they could easily pack that particular tunnel with explosives to solve that problem.

Rhode Island is definitely a state I would like to spend more time exploring!