New York City... Almost

Just a few days ago we were sipping wine in a beautiful green area of New York State; an area where lakes were abundant and businesses were few. And then...

It looks like we are getting close.
After a few holdups - New Jersey marathon or some such thing - we get to Marin Street and this old building greets us. Once we looked a little closer, there were tent areas off to the side and it was connected with our campground.

Not being one to sit around (I was really really really excited), I took off on my bike immediately after we were parked only to find out that I could not get across the water to "that beautiful park". So Mike and I went for a walk and explored the area that would be our Jersey City home for three nights. Oh, I need to tell you that we were dry camping ( no water and no electricity) and we paid $55 a night... but we were right across from NYC.



I have always wanted to sit on "the stoop" of one of these brownstones, so I did.

Our campground (parking lot for commuters) was also a marina.

And this dog park was between us and the ferry - the skyline you see is Jersey City. After our walk, we decided it would be a good idea to take a drive over to that park we saw - it was Sunday and there was little traffic - so we disconnected the car and took off. Turns out that park was was Liberty State Park; a free and interesting place to spend a couple of hours.

When immigrants came to America and were processed through Ellis Island, only about 20% stayed in the New York area, others used this train station to head farther west. Our forefathers may have passed through this station.

The train tracks are no longer used but they sit just as they did 125 years ago. Then it was a hustling place filled with eager immigrants. Today, it is an overgrown patch of weeds; I found it a peaceful remembrance of all those who came before.

In addition to the train station, it had this impressive statue.
And the first of many memorials we would see to the victims of September 11,2001. This one was dedicated to all those victims from New Jersey and stands directly across the Hudson River from where the twin towers stood. It has the name of all those who died engraved on the inside of the pillars.

If you look carefully, you can see the New York City skyline in the background.

And Liberty State Park gave me my first view of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.