We got up at eight a.m. to go to see the Statue of Liberty today. The trains were crazy on the way down, so we didn’t wind up arriving until nearly 10:30.

I’d been there before, back in college when they still let you climb up to the crown. We opted not to do the monument pass and just walked around on the island. It’s hard to get a sense of scale until you get there. I mean, sure, you know it’s a big statue, but standing at the base is a whole different thing. You know the pedestal she stands on? It’s equivalent to a ten-story building.

And the star? I always thought that was part of the base, but it’s not. It’s a fort that was built for the War of 1812. I had no idea.

The weather was gooooorgeous today and the island was so pretty that I almost think it might be worth the twelve dollar ferry ride on it’s own. If there just weren’t so many darned tourists.