The Great American Adventure part #1 - NY/NJ

I began my great American adventure in New York City on the 9th of September 2009! Flying over from London, England. I landed at JFK in the evening and was picked up by my great uncle who lives in New Jersey. Being able to meet with him was great, even though for just a couple of days. I got caught up on family history that I knew very little about, which was really neat for me personally. Apparently, my great grandfather was the original inventor of the 'jaws of life' used by rescuers in card accidents.

I spent a couple of days in Southern NJ and afterwards I headed a little closer to New York to meet up with a friend I had met through flicker, Antonio! Had a great time with him shooting pictures around town and spending time with his family for a few days.

I stayed at a youth hostel in New York City for three days, up on 103rd street and took the subway down every day to look around town. I tried to use my time and money wisely, as New York is quite an expensive city. So finding free attractions in New York became my tourist objective. What I was interested in mostly was finding some unique photographs of the city and the attractions that I visited. Click on images below to view them larger.

Looking over at Manhattan from New Jersey, 

the Empire State Building on the right on 42nd St.

Sailing on the Hudson River

Battery Park with Ellis Island in the Background

Busy Times Square

New York Public Library

The Staten Island Ferry

Statue of Liberty with the sun back-lighting the torch

After all the sight-seeing I met up with a pastor friend, Pr. Anton, who I was hooked up with through friends in Ireland. I spent some time with him and his family on the outskirts of the city in upper New York. I went to a church camp-meeting and later to the Bronx Botanical Gardens with them. Overall I spent some ten days on the East Coast and had a great time!

Small Flower in the Bronx Botanical Gardens

One thing I came across while on the East Coast was something I had never really experienced before in America and that is the after effects of 9/11 (other than tighter airport security). Walking through downtown Toms River, NJ I came across this poem written by an 8th grader on a monument. I think it catches the emotional impact the attacks had on the American people, especially those living close to New York City:

Our Brightest Day

"They want us to remember tons

of dust and twisted steel.

They think they can destroy us,

that we will never heal.

They want out world to crumble

and say that it's "God's plan".

But it's God's love that unites us,

each and every man.

Their evil has attacked us all

and filled our hearts with fear.

So now we must recover and

grow stronger with each tear.

We must pray to God for guidance,

to show us all the way.

Our faith will turn this time of

darkness into out brightest day!"

- Samantha L. Ruocco


All Images are Copyrighted © Friðrik Páll Friðriksson