Lily, A Dog's Life Aboard Moondance: June 2016

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

New York, My Kind of Town

Second day in NYC started with rain showers early, but they had stopped by the time that they all decided to leave for Ellis Island. Pam & Hersh bought the tickets the day before, so they were all able to just get on the ferry. M & D said it was just incredible! So much information!!!

Can’t believe that after 1954 they let the buildings fall into ruins until President Johnson’s administration when it was designated a National Park and government and private money was used to restore it. In the 1990’s it was reopened, but the storm Sandy closed it again…

Standing first in the downstairs baggage area, then proceeding to the 2nd floor Registration Area was amazing! The building was opened in the 1890’s and processed between 3,000-4,000 immigrants each day. The most they had in one day was in 1907 when 11,000 went through. If there was no problems, immigrants got through the process in approximately 4 minutes. It started with the Doctors watching the immigrants walk up the second floor step. In the minute it took for them to climb up, the doctors decided if there was any physical problems & marked their sleeves or chest with a chalk mark to indicate if they needed further assessment. If so, they went on to the hospital buildings in another wing. The legal inspector (who had 10 years experience before he could get this post). Could ask as many as 29 questions, but generally just a few was sufficient.

Examples: What is your name? What country are you coming from? Where are you going? What do you do for a living?Their answers would be compared to that particular ship’s cruise registry. Usually that process took a total of 2 minutes. Only 1 percent were turned down entry.

It turns out the cruise lines would physically test the immigrants prior to coming onboard. Their passage was round trip, so if they weren’t excepted they would be returned onboard the line they came on…
Families changed names after they came through Ellis Island, not during unless spelling was a problem. The immigrants who traveled steerage mostly brought memorabilia and the clothes on their back…their stories were heartbreaking & inspiring!!!

When our mechanic left at 3, they all took off to see the 9/11 Memorial. They came back so impressed and humbled by the experience…even little unborn children were loss…The site is so gorgeous and well thought out…so much of it has such incredible symbolism! If mom correctly remembers, all of it has been designed as green & energy efficient as possible! They found this incredible place in the financial district that was like a Whole Food on Steroids...They bought an early take away dinner and a some extra fruit & veggies to bring back…YUMMY! Hope I get some! Ended the evening watching the fog overtake our skyline view as they enjoyed their after dinner drinks…

Everyone got up early since the mechanic was returning at 7:30 to find the loose ground wire or fitting causing the high squeal…As soon as we are fixed, we will take off with Lone Star to progress to Half Moon Bay. It’s a work in progress…It’s Pam’s Birthday today so we will have to celebrate when we get to Half Moon Bay!!! Mom has a car booked for a week, a CIA tour and The CIA American Bounty Restaurant booked for Mike’s birthday tomorrow…We will celebrate big for both Pam & Mike’s birthday then!!! Whoppee!!! As always, I’m hoping for some leftovers!!!

We may be changing tomorrow's plans a bit since we need a new water level sensor...The mechanic is checking to see if we can get the part by early tomorrow, and if we can stay here??? Stay tuned...

Hersh relaxing after our terrific meal at Amelia Bistro

Hersh & Pam cuddling

In the restaurant

Not our best looks...we both look tired

Hersh enjoying his after dinner drink

Ellis Island Registration Hall

A gentleman solving a tanagram to show he is mentally OK to enter this country

So many famous immigrants including, Admiral Rickover, Fred Astaire, Bob Hope...

Einstein's journal...My German is long forgotten, all I could read was arriving

Beautiful WPA Art Deco Ferry Building on Ellis Island

A few trains remain at this old Train Station at Liberty Landing Park and Ferry Landing

Some of the debris left from Sandy

These sunglasses amused me

Loved this colorful tug built in the 1980's

Hersh and Pam's stateroom works well with all their stuff

Hers giving Lily some loving

Ellis Island Registration Hall

Ellis Hall Entry

You could see the Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island

These side wings held the Hospital and reminded me of Amsterdam

Mike working with the mechanic

Hersh reading after returning from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Pam working her puzzles

the Irish Hunger Memorial in the Financial District

The 9/11 Transportation Hub has yet to be completed, but love what they have finished!!!

So Humbling...

One World Trade Center

Seeing the names...some had white roses inserted into their names...

Some names were listed besides their friends or they listed unborn children with the pregnant women

So emotional

Exquisite in its simplicity

Monday, June 27, 2016

NYC during Pride Week

Liberty Landing Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ June 26-29, 2016

The best & worst part of the Great Loop is you never know what to expect! Today we are waiting to leave because our fellow looper, (who we are traveling with to NYC)... Lone Star is still sitting on the inlet bottom waiting for the tide to rise enough that we can leave…

Last night we had them, another couple from TX, Wayne and Lynn, & EJ & Charley from St. Simon’s Island, GA. onboard. We were enjoying our docktails and everyone’s appetizers when EJ offered to grill some hotdogs for everyone instead of waiting forever to get a table somewhere…We all agreed, so we enjoyed hotdogs, sauerkraut and a variety of other goodies for dinner. It was perfect! All of us were leaving in the morning…some were going on to Half Moon Bay, so we will catch up with them there over July 4th.

We got underway without too much difficulty, but then our port engine was being contrary. When we got it running, it has this high pitched alarm sound ongoing…Awful! So happy, I can’t hear so well or I would be howling along with the noise! The only way to get it to stop is to shutdown the engine and run on one which we don’t want to do!. According to our gauges, All systems are running normally. As usual, it’s seems to be always on a Sunday when we run into boat issues??? Mom's been searching online boat diesel forums to see if anyone has a clue…

Thankfully, it’s a much calmer day on the ocean, as we run off the NJ coast heading north to NYC. Our biggest navigational issue is trying to get through all these fishing boats, BIG and small who pay NO ATTENTION TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING AND TURN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! It’s like playing demolition derby in a boat! Not fun!

Since Mom and I were sitting on the salon floor coming into Brielle, NJ. We had no idea how much beach area they had along NJ! …Pretty incredible! Thanks to Sandy and numerous other storms, they have to keep dredging the sandy bottom and pumping that sand back onto the beaches to keep them there! After Tony (a USS John King shipmate) and Joan arrived and we had a Moondance tour, Tony drove us down one of the beach roads & told us it was piled up with over 8’ of sand after Sandy! Some of the houses are still being jacked up by these special jacks and rebuilt about 10’ or so off the ground…others are still lying there in ruin. It really reminds you how Mother Nature still rules!

We couldn’t believe how quickly we could see the NYC skyline…So amazing to watch it get bigger and bigger and closer and closer. Mom and I went out on the bow and took photos & to escape the God Awful Alarm Shrieking.UGH!

Again, getting close to the Statue of Liberty was a trick in itself…between the barges, ferries and a sailboat race…It was truly a feat!

Getting a photo of your boat in front of the Statue of Liberty is part of the Loop Adventure…so I took photos Lone Star, Kevin & Steve’s boat. Then, Kevin took photos of us…YEAH, we made it! Steve led us into Liberty Landing like a pro! What views!!! It’s expensive but worth it from the location & views!!! We got in with enough time to clean the boat inside & out…before Tarynn, Brian and Addison arrived for dinner. They brought dad’s gifts for Father’s day and his upcoming birthday! We also had shower photos from Katie and Mike which were great to see! Had a wonderful time with them as we ate on the flybridge, enjoyed the weather & views and caught up!!! Addy kept us all entertained!!! She would get especially tickled when mom fed me dinner scraps off their plates! It was sad to see them go, but Addy was wearing down…She really charmed dad when she indicated she want him to carry her to their car! I'm praying Mike and Katie get one this easy going!!!

Had a gorgeous sunset over NJ as M & D enjoyed another drink up on the flybridge. They talked to Katie & Mike and Bek & Milena. Had to make sure that Milena got her birthday gift & Mike and Katie had a wonderful baby moon in Palm Springs!!! Dad was able to snap a photo of the World Trade Center lit up for Pride Week...so beautiful!!!

Kevin came over first thing this morning to help edit her & mom’s photos and Airdrop them to each other… They got all choked up all over again when they saw their pics!!! She and Steve took off sightseeing while M & D straightened up the boat and waited for Pam & Hersh to arrive.

Dad & Mom are stuck here today waiting for a repairman to show…Pam & Hersh arrived & got settled in before lunch. After lunch onboard and a quick trip to buy stuff at the little marina store and tickets for Ellis Island/the Statue of Liberty…everyone, but mom joined me for a nap. They plan to leave me and use the small ferry to go into Jersey City for dinner tonight…Boo!