Summer 2012 - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, 9-11

We stayed last night in Trenton, NJ.  Today we took a harbor cruise and went to
Ellis Island and toured the place where so many immigrants first arrived in this country many years ago.  We then went to Liberty Island and walked around the Statue of Liberty.  From there we took the ferry cruise to New York City where we had pretty bad hot dogs from a street vendor.  Virgil asked for a sausage dog.  the vendor responded that he was out, but he gave Virgil two wieners on his hot dog and offered him sauerkraut.
I have to comment on how kind everyone was to Virgil today.  As we got on the harbor ferry, the people were very concerned that he got on the ship safely.  When we disembarked at Ellis Island, one of the attendants on the boat put his arm out and said _just wait.  These people will never let you off.  The crowd was horrendous and pushing and we were having a hard time staying together.  He Webern in front of the crowd and yelled for everyone to stop.  He then told us to go.  A woman and her daughter tried to walk down the ramp and he sent them back until we got to the bottom, then he allowed everyone else to disembark.  the worker told Virgil to not stand in line when we came back.  After our stay at the museum there, we found a bench to await our boat.  When it arrived, the young man yelled for every one get in line.  We started to go to the line, but he pointed and yelled "not you.  You just sit."  So we sat back down on the bench.  He got things ready to board the boat, then motioned for us to come.  He held the crowd back while we boarded.  Then when we got off at Liberty Island, the lady there told us not to get in line when we came back, but to come to the bench right beside the entrance.
Feelings:  How does one describe feelings of awe and wonder and amazement?  Those were the emotions I felt while touring Ellis Island and walking around the Statue of Liberty.
We then went to the 9-11 memorial.  After we left there, Nell said, "It must have been horrible for all those people here to watch the attack".  The tone of her voice was somber and reverent and conveyed more than her words even expressed.
We took a water taxi back to New Jersey and went to a hotel a little South of Trenton.  We were exhausted from the day's exertion as well as from the heat and humidity.