Ice skating in Central Park - tick!

Always wanted to go iceskating in New York - finally did it at the Wollman Rink Central Park on Fifth Ave. We were walking through the park on the way home at the end of the day and saw that the rink was being prepared for the next session perfect timing.  Before the crowds went out a couple emerged on to the rink and a romantic proposal occurred a la 'Serendipity' the movie. Love ticking off my bucket list frivolous as it is!

Skating in Central Park NY

Cruising to the Statue of Liberty

Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 created a bit of havoc with our plans, after many years of being closed to the public the viewing platform in the crown had reopened which we were hoping to go up but visits to the iconic land sight had been stopped so the only option was to either get the free ferry round trip to Staten Island or do a cruise to the statue.  (Highly recommend getting a New York City Pass - gives you entry to a number of museums and art galleries including this cruise).   

The statue is so iconic not only for its presence in our popular culture but for its symbolism of independence and freedom.  It was a gift from France to the US in celebration of the 1876 US Centennial of Independence.  French sculptor Bartholdi designed and built it from a skin of copper assembled in Paris and then dismantled and shipped to New York in 214 crates.  It was situated on Liberty Island on a granite star shaped pedestal which houses the museum. The torch is gold leaf and is a symbol of enlightenment (the original is in the museum), the broken shackles at Liberty's feet symbolise freedom from oppression and servitude.  France obviously had some issues still with England!

Ellis Island served as New Yorks Immigration Station from 1892 to 1954 and is now a museum.

Lackawanna Clock Tower - Hoboken Rail and Ferry Terminal New Jersey

Freedom tower being constructed to the left

Brooklyn Bridge

Empire and Chrysler Buildings

The Enterprise Shuttle at the closed Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum - the enclosure blew off in the hurricane so we were still able to see it on the floating air force carrier based on the Hudson.

NY apartment

New York New York what a wonderful town!!!  

Our apartment 'The Beacon', was in upper west side on Broadway and a short walk to Central Park and the Natural History Museum via the brown stone terraced streets.  From here we explored NY and ticked off my extensive list of things to do and see in our week there.  The apartment was great it enabled us to do our washing and cook and live like New Yorkers for a bit anyway.  We couldn't believe the iconic views and liked being able to do our shopping at The Fairway grocery store across the road  - which has the reputation for having everything.

The view from our apartment of Broadway and 72nd street Upper West Side

The Ansonia Apartment 1899 - opposite ours was built by the eccentric W. Stokes he designed the first a/c apartment in NY with a farm on the roof housing chickens, ducks, goats, a bear and cattle.  He had the utopian vision of creating a self sufficient apartment allowing residents to enjoy fresh eggs daily however the Dept of Health shut down the farm in the sky in 1907.  It is a beautiful Beaux Arts style  building decorated with corner towers - very Parisian.

The kids inspired by the trip to the Met dressing up as Egyptian's.

The Mall and The White House

We thoroughly loved Washington and would like to go back as there was too much to see and do in the short time we had there.

Walking from Lincoln Memorial up The Mall towards Capitol Hill.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Eerie reflection on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial  - rain/dull sky's

Standing in the World War 2 Memorial

The Washington Monument - closed because of the earth quake in 2011. Geese in the foreground.

The White House - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Construction started in 1793 on the original House that was burnt by the English in 1814 and was rebuilt and completed in 1817 -  it has had many additions/alterations since.  

Barack Obama was in residence for the Inauguration so there was lots of security, surprising how visible the building is. Michelle Obama's famous veggie garden was just to the left of this lawn in full view also.

  

Walking up Pennsylvania Ave which was being prepared for the cavalcade - public stands and banners.

On the steps of Jefferson Memorial

Thomas Jefferson's Memorial

Thomas Jefferson Memorial 1743-1826 3rd President of US.  He wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776 (13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states and no longer a part of the British Empire).  In this document is one of the most famous statements made 'We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'.

Criticized by many modern day scholars over the issue of slavery (he had many), he remains rated as one of the greatest US Presidents - he was the 1st Secretary of State under George Washington, United States Minister to France, spoke 5  languages, was a great scholar and established the University of Virginia.

On our last night in Washington we headed out to the historic water front George Town on the Potomac River lots of pretty red brick buildings decorated in patriotic flags and real Christmas wreaths. The area was the hub of nice restaurants and shops. We had dinner at the atmospheric J Pauls Saloon and Bar  - crab cakes and apple fritters yum!

"I have a Dream!"

The image of Dr King emerging from granite reflects the steadfast resolve of an entire generation to achieve a fair and honest society - National Parks

Martin Luther King Jr (1929 - 1968)  
I find it hard not to tear up when I think about what he did and how he did it - 'I have a dream' is one of the most powerful speeches of our time.
The son of a clergy man and teacher he developed the skills to enable him to believe in justice and publicly seek it.  

He also was a clergy man based in Alabama and became engaged in social activism after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man in 1955 (at a time when there was segregation in the South).  The incident lead to a year long bus boycott until the US Supreme Court stepped in and declared that segregation was against the law.  It was only last month that a sculpture of Rosa Parks was unveiled in Capitol celebrating her resolve nearly 60 years ago (hers is the first black woman sculpture to be placed in the Capitol).

In 1957 Martin Luther King Jr became the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council focusing on realising civil rights for all.  He lead many peaceful protests against segregation and discrimination and was jailed for them but did not encourage retaliation against the violent responses to these protests.  In 1963 he had great success in Birmingham where blacks were segregated in stores, the shops finally agreed to treating American blacks equally.

In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in recognition  of his work in bringing the 'dream' of equality closer for all Americans.  Four years later in 1968 however he was assassinated (in his last public speech he stated that he might not get to the promised land with those before him which it seems almost prophesied his ending).

Every year America has a national holiday to honour him on the 3rd Monday in January, this year it was the very day that Obama was reinstated for his second term.

On Lincoln Memorial steps 28/8/63 Martin Luther King Jr spoke 'I have a dream' - the rally was marching for jobs and freedom. 

On 28/8/11 the anniversary of his march on Washington, the Memorial to Martin Luther King Jr was dedicated.

On the shores of Potomac River tidal basin is the Memorial facing Thomas Jefferson's Monument.

 Inspiring 'transcending' limits in 1967

Right is right.

Capitol by night!

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the US Congress and the legislature of the federal government it sits on Capitol Hill and is at the end of the National Mall.  Capitol is the seat and representation of democracy in America.  Its corner stone was laid in 1793 by President George Washington and was then completed in 1865. The tour of Capitol is great once you get through security and are allocated a tour group you go into a theatre to view a historical piece on Capitol's origins, then walk through all the halls and chambers.  While we were there they were setting up the lighting for the news coverage of Obama's inauguration, so it was interesting to see the Obama dinner in the echoey statue hall on the news a few days later where we stood and see the flight of steps he ascended into the house that was being set up when we walked through.

Our hotel was in walking distance to it so it came in handy when I stupidly took the family out on a freezing night to take night photos of The Mall with my new tripod - hoping to get the Lincoln memorial lit up in the Reflecting pool!  The expedition took a few hours it ending up turning into torrential rain with lots of mud,  the camera froze up as did my fingers and the rain was unrelenting.  We had walked so far that we couldn't return easily, in an area that is normally swarming with tourists during the day it had become deserted by night so to get a taxi was near impossible.   One finally did pick us up as we must have looked so desperate waving frantically with wet hair.

Just like Canberra its a political city and the politicians and campaign people were in the  full swing with the re instalment of Obama.  We went to a nice cafe our concierge  recommended Paul's French Bakery in Penn Quarter and saw Presidential power brokers discussing Obama's opinion polls at the next table it was just like the West Wing!

Outside Capitol

No wonder the English were offended it was pretty grand and makes a statement about Independence.

The Brumidi's 'Apotheosis of Washington' the fresco inside the dome of the Capitol building.

 'The Statue of Freedom' by Thomas Crawford, sits on top of the dome of the United States Capitol. The statue is a classical female figure, standing on a cast-iron globe encircled with the words in Latin for "Out of Many, One," 

Before the rain!

Washington DC and The Lincoln Memorial

Washington DC (District of Columbia) has a distinct European feel to it - lots of old stately public buildings and terraced houses.  We were there while the city was getting ready for the Inauguration of President Obama so most buildings had patriotic red, blue and white banners. 

The city is defined by 'The Mall' an avenue of monuments and grand buildings including the US Capitol, The White House, Washington Monument, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, The Reflecting Pool and many more all paying homage to America's founding forefathers.   

The Lincoln Memorial is awesome. A majestic building with a modest sculpture of the man who fought for Democracy and the abolition of slavery.   

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) was the 16th president of the US who lead the country through the Civil War (1861 - 1865) famously quoted in the Gettysburg Address 'that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth' he managed to rein in all the States to create a true democracy.  Lincoln however most importantly saw slavery as hypocritical for a nation founded on the principle that 'all men are created equal' so in 1863 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  So it was very apt that Martin Luther King Jnr stood on the steps of this monument to deliver his 'I have a Dream' in his fight for equality.  

It was cold when we got to Washington DC  there was talk of a cold front coming through and snow so we were getting acclimatised for what was to come in NY.  

Oren was cold and tired.

The step Martin Luther King Jnr stood on to make his speech at Lincoln Memorial.

The Reflection Pool that links the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial obelisk and Capitol in the background.