Here is, as promised, the NYC/New Jersey part of my trip. First, we spent three pointless hours crusing the streets of Jersey City. First, there are all these one way streets with no way to turn around. Seriously. We went at least four miles in the wrong way before finding a way to turn around! The hotels are all hidden where no one can find them. And the people- well, the drivers are just BEYOND courteous! NOT. We saw a minimum of four middle fingers and heard at least, I dunno, thirteen honked horns. Granted basically all the middle fingers came from the same idiot, as well as at least four of the honked horns. Anyway, we spent 3 and a half hours combing (ish) the city for a Super 8 motel. There is one in Manhatten, but who in the world wants to pay 250 bucks a night (even if it's only for a night)? In our wanderings, we found ourselves at the waterfront, at a dead end, with an enormous monument before us. What suprised us, is what the monument honored.
Katyń- the slaughter of 20-something thousand Polish officers and intellectuals by Russians. Sure, back then they were Soviets- same thing. We had no idea a monument to Katyń stood in Jersey City. It is amazing that this monument to the thousands of lives brutally lost in the Russian wildnerness, actually stands- that it is allowed to stand.
It is a beautiful, true monument. Anyways, back to Jersey City. After hours of searching, wrong turns and middle fingers, we decided to stay at a Days Inn we saw in our wanderings instead of the Super 8 we couldn't seem to find. Our room was on the 8th floor.... and from the window, guess just what we could see in plain view. Yep, the Super 8 Motel. Turns out it was just up the hill from us, out of view from the main street. We made do without free breakfast, though. The Days Inn offered a trolley to Manhattan. Of course we signed up, but by the time we found the hotel and knew about the trolley the next time available was going to leave us wandering NYC in the dark. Fine with me- Times Square is amazing. Seriously. The library has such long hours! Like until 11pm- my neighborhood library closes at 8 at the latest. Bryant Park has the coolest trash cans in existence, plus an awesome 'sunlight' from a nearby building. Bike buggies (or whatever the name is) are everywhere, as are honking taxis. And people. Including half-naked girls wearing only a cowboy skirt and hat and tiny decals you-know-where. And sporting a guitar. Also including bucket drummers and people with pit bulls with insanely awesome ears. We even saw a cockroach scrurrying across the sidewalk (don't worry, not in Times Square but nearby). And.....
This insanely awesome live camera thing above the Forever 21 store in Times Square! Can you find me? Here's a hint: look above the yellow word 't-shirt' at the bottom on the picture (near the right end of the word). I'm in a colorful striped shirt holding a black camera up to my face. My dad, mom and brother are standing around me. Still can't see me? Look at the bottom of the big blond girl's yellow camera, then go straight left. Can you see me yet? This is basically the only worthwhile picture of NYC there is to share. The D3000 isn't good on low light, even with flash. I must admit, Chicago has NOTHING on NYC at night. New York never sleeps. Chicago does.
Anyway, we came home on the 11pm trolley, though it left 15 minutes later because *someone* (no clue who, s/he didn't show up) didn't come to the trolley. Yeah, the driver had a list. The trolley was packed on the way back the the hotel. On the way to NYC, we were the only ones (plus the driver).
When we got back to the hotel, I went to get something from the car. Then I saw these cats to the end of the parking lot. I went closer.... and there was a kitten! I have been having a recent obsession with cats, and this kitten was adorable. Gray and white. The adult cats ran off real quick to hide from me, but the curious kitten stayed, watching the oddball carrying a pillow (in other words- me). My dad made me go inside, though. Sigh. However, I had a perfect view of the area where the kitten had been, from the window. Too bad it was too far away to see much. I did see what must have been a cat moving down there- maybe it was the kitten. That was the last I saw of the kitten.
The next morning, we went to Liberty State Park. Ever since I wrote an article about the Black Tom Explosion of 1916, I have been dying to go see the site, which is in Liberty State Park. Grrs, but I didn't get to go. I did, however, see Ellis Island and Lady Liberty. Here's a tip: if you ever go to Ellis Island, don't buy their vanilla ice cream- it has no flavor at all. Too watery. Bleah.
I rode on this ferry to get to/from Ellis Island, to and from the Statue and to and from the mainland. Not this one specifically- there were at least 3 ships like this, named things like Miss New Jersey, I think- at least it was something like that. 
This amazing flag of faces was in the Ellis Island museum. When you looked at it from one way- you saw the American flag. Another- hundreds of faces. 
A tree of words listing American words and the country or people they originated from.
A view of the building on Ellis Island as we departed on the ferry.
I called this picture Enlightening Lady Liberty.
This one... Under Liberty. (I took the picture from on her pedestal :)
This last picture is far from my favorite. But I love the title I bestowed upon it- In Liberty's Shadow. So simple, yet can be taken two ways. The literal one- being in the space upon which the shadow of Lady Liberty- Liberty Enlightening the World- is falling. The more meaningful one, of being behind liberty. Without liberty. In the shadow of those with liberty, yet unable to reach it- the fate of too many people, both in America and out of it.
