We left in 2 cars and drove 1 1/2 hours to Staten Island to take the Staten Island Ferry over to NYC. It cost only 5.50/car to park and the ferry was free - great deal! The ferry passed by The Statue of Liberty providing some great photos! Once on land, we wondered around Battery Park. There was a monument there that had been in the lobby of one of the World Trade Towers on the day of 9/11. Although in one piece, it had evidence of the terrorism.
We walked a few blocks to the subway and bought all day passes and started out to view ground zero. I personally had wanted to see it since I had not yet been to the site since 9/11. It was a hard place to visit knowing the destruction and it sent memories flooding back to that day - where I was and what I was doing. Unfortunately, there were many on the streets just trying to capitalize and exploit this horrific day. We weren't able to see much as there were tons of high solid fences around - a bit disappointing but understandable.
From Ground Zero, back to the subway for our next stop as hunger was setting in. We stopped at a small sandwich shop called The Peanut Butter Company. Everything on the menu was made from peanut butter. Only a few of us actually bought something there but tastes were had by all! The sandwiches of the day were "the cookie dough" which was peanut butter, cream cheese, and chocolate chips on white bread and "the elvis" which was peanut butter, bananas, and bacon on white bread. From there we spotted a flea market to explore. Found some great bargains and even got a bit of Christmas shopping done! From the flea market we went back to the subway to find some landmark stores of interest. First stop, The Stand Bookstore - known for having 18 miles of books! From there we hit a few others in the area and then found a fun Farmers Market to roam with all kinds of beautiful fruits and veggies!
Again, back to the subway, this time towards the Brooklyn Bridge for what we thought were going to be just a few photos but turned out to be quite the adventure. Before long, we found ourselves walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. The more we thought about our situation, the more we freaked ourselves out! The walkway was over the roadway and was a boardwalk in which we could see (and feel) the passing cars below! We walked only about 1/3 of the way way to the first observation deck. Although a little scary, I was glad that I did it! While on the observation deck, I called Eric to tell him where I was, after all, how often can I call my husband and tell him I'm standing in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge!
After the Brooklyn Bridge, we were on the home stretch and all feeling a bit tired! We walked to South Street Seaport for dinner. We had just enough time to explore some shops along the pier before dinner and work up our appetite. We had a good Mexican dinner at restaurant called Red. Good food and lots of laughs with great friends!
A quick look at the Brooklyn Bridge lit up in lights, and a quick cab ride and we were back at the ferry terminal for our trip home! Despite tired bodies and feet, the ferry ride home was anything but solemn or boring! Lots of laughs and memories!
Since most of the girls who went on the trip read this... Thank you to all of you for your friendship and a great day! It always good to take time for you guys! Looking forward to our next girl's event!
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