new york part uno

Okay my friends, here's the first post about my vacation. 

I still haven't downloaded my pictures off my camera (I've been kinda preoccupied with car searching)...but these are from my momma's camera. 

So the first couple of days we headed down to New York to take in some of the tourist attractions and spend some time in the city. 

Here's a tiny view of the upper side of Manhattan from on top of the Empire State Building. 

I'm really glad we spent the moolah and went (virtually) to to the top. You can seriously see the whole city from the top of it. And we splurged for the nerdy little audio tour devices--which were so interesting. They described all the different views and things you were seeing from each point. It was fascinating.

Mikaela, me and Ben with Lady Liberty. 

We lined up super early (okay so it was like 10 am...but I was jet lagged still) to catch the ferry out to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. It's truly a spectacular sight. There are so many portions and pieces to the statue. And I love what it stands for. That people were so desperate to come and have a better life and when they saw this--they knew America was right there and they were being welcomed into the country. 

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Sen these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Mikaela, me, Dad and Mom on the ferry to Ellis Island. 

And dude it was 95+ degrees that day....I was DYIN. SO HOT.

After mom and I toured the facility and discovered all the things immigrants had to do, endure, and be to get into the US...we headed back downstairs because in the basement of Ellis Island they had a "Barbies of the World" exhibit -- and I HAD to participate.

Me at 30 Rock! 

This was one of the simplest yet most interesting points I saw. Rockefeller Plaza is pretty cool. It's where they put the big tree at Christmas, where NBC's studios are -- and I loved seeing where the Today show is filmed. Plus -- "I want to go to there."

and there's plenty more to come...