New York City

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It was a sunny Sunday in New York City and lots of people were out seeing the sights, including me! My first goal was to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (see picture). I have frequently movie characters walk on the bridge, but I found the real-life version to be less thrilling than I expected. The pedestrian passageway is narrow and crowded with people and bicycles. And the views were not as spectacular as I thought they would be, but I am still glad to have crossed it and pleased to have seen it in person. My next goal was to take the Staten Island Ferry across New York Harbor. It is free and gives one great views of the skyline (see picture) and the Statue of Liberty (see picture). The ferries are huge (see picture) because they accommodate large numbers of commuters on weekdays, but today there was plenty of room and I was able to roam about the deck taking pictures of the scenery. I had lunch today at Fraunces Tavern (see picture), a building famous in Revolutionary War days as a favorite hangout of General Washington and, among other things, he gave his farewell dinner to his officers in this tavern. My final expedition of the day was to go to Roosevelt Island because I have always wanted to see the tram that connects the island to Manhattan (see picture). There is a bridge and a subway, so I don't know why they have the tram, too, but it is certainly the most scenic way to go to or from the island (see picture). Tomorrow will be my last day of travel. I should have one more blog entry and I'll see how much sightseeing I can get in before my flight leaves!

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