New York Again!

 

Hi First Graders,

I didn't get out at all during the week, but on Saturday I went to two famous places here in NYC. First we took a boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty.  It's on Liberty Island out in the harbor. It is important to go very early in the morning, because it is so popular that it gets more and more crowded as the day goes on. The lines get very long! We took the first boat, and so when we got there, we could go right up in the statue without a long wait. It was kind of dark inside, and full of metal steps to climb. When we got to the top (in the head) we looked out. You can see a long, long way.

I know that you have seen many pictures of the Statue of Liberty, but this is what it looks like up close. The Statue stands on a building. We were on top of that, right beside the statue, looking up. It gives a different view!

Later we went to Central Park. It is the
biggest one. There are playgrounds, fields,
gardens, fountains, and all of the things that
you always see in a park.

It also has a zoo, and a merry-go-round!
We looked at lots of animals.

The polar bear was napping in the sun.

The seals were swimming, even though to me it seemed WAY too cold to be in the water.

 

After that, it was time for a carousel ride. The merry-go-round is my favorite, because it is fun and never scary. I like the happy music. We went around and around until I was dizzy!

 

 

On the way back to the apartment, we passed the New York Public Library. There  are two huge lion statues outside on the steps. 

 

 

Their names are Patience and Fortitude. Do you know what those big words mean?

Patience means waiting politely, and Fortitude means bravery or courage. 

I'm not sure which one this is because the names are not on the statues. 

 

 

 

Another place we passed is the Empire State Building. It is one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city (and in the world!) It is 103 stories tall. Here is how it looks when you look up at it from the sidewalk.

 

 

 

This is my last picture. We took it at night, when we were out walking. It was the longest limo I have ever seen! (and the pinkest!) 

 

Tomorrow we will leave to go home. I'll be back at school soon to stay for awhile. I can't wait to come back to Richmond Drive!

 

Your friend,

Flat Stanley

 

 

New York, New York!

Hi First Graders,

This has been a very different trip so far. It is the first time that I ever traveled on a train. Brook and I rode the Amtrak train. We got on in Charlotte on Saturday morning, and got off in NYC at night. It is fun because I got to see all of the things along the way. In a plane you mostly get to see clouds, but on a train I could see the woods, the towns, some cities, people's backyards, kids playing, and everything else that we went past. I found out that lots of boys and girls wave at the train when it goes by. I thought that was very nice!

In a car or an airplane you have to stay in your seat, but on a train you can walk around. There is even a car that is like a little restaurant. You sit at little tables and can order food. It is called the dining car. We had lunch as we were rolling along.

 

When we got to New York, there was another train ride. We took the subway to our friend's apartment. It was pretty dark, both because it was nighttime, and because we were underground. The subway rides through tunnels under the streets. It is faster than driving in a car because there are no red lights and no traffic jams. The subway goes very fast, and makes a clickety-clack noise on the tracks.



 

On Sunday the weather was nice. We walked around and went a lot of places. You can see some pretty unusual things in the streets of New York! Can you read this sign? I think they REALLY mean no parking!

 

Cities seem to have a lot of statues. This is a statue of a famous man named Atlas. He was very strong.  In a story he had the job of holding up the whole world. Do you think his story is fact or fiction?

 

 

Just down the street, we saw another statue.  It looks so rich - it is covered with real gold! This one is another character from fiction. His name is Prometheus. In a story, he stole fire from the sun, brought it to the earth and gave it to people to help them. Do you think fire helps us? How can it help?

 

 

Look at this big bridge! It is called the Brooklyn Bridge. It crosses the East River to connect two parts of the city.The cool thing is that you can walk across it. There is a sidewalk for walkers and bike riders, safe from all the car traffic. We went over and back. It was very windy up there high above the water. It is a good thing that Brook held on to me tightly, or I could have blown away!

 

 

After that long walk, it was getting late. We went to meet friends at a restaurant for dinner. This part of the city is Times Square. Its full of restaurants and theaters. There are always  lots of visitors here. People come to see plays, movies, and to eat fine food. Look at the buildings. They are covered with pictures from top to bottom. The pictures show so many things to buy, and things to see.

 

                                               

 

When we came out of the restaurant, it was dark. We went to this famous concert hall to hear music.

It is called Lincoln Center. I think you know who it was named for!

 

 

That was the end of my fun time on Sunday as a tourist in New York. I will show you more things after I have had some more adventures.

 

Be good and have fun!

Your friend,

Flat Stanley