Battery Park and the Brooklyn Bridge

After visiting Ground Zero, we headed down to Battery Park. We had already decided not to visit the Statue of Liberty since we'd all seen it up close before. When we got to the park, the line for the ferry was huge! It must've been at least an hour or two long, just to get on the boat. That's especially amazing since we heard that the statue itself was closed that day! But we could see both the statue and Ellis Island from where we were.

After getting lunch in a shady "Beer Garden," we began the walk back up towards the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked through the South Street Seaport, which was nice, but I would've been more impressed if the stores had been local shops as opposed to national chain stores. We also stumbled across a free show of old police cars, which was interesting.

Sarah's one main request for the trip was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, since her great-grandfather (?) helped to build it. I would've enjoyed the walk much better if it weren't so hot out that day...no shade on the bridge. :) (This is a picture of Jarid and Sarah on the bridge.)

Once on the other side, our goal was to find an ice cream shop that Sarah's dad had told her about. Apparently, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is a popular place! The line was way out the door, but we were all able to get a scoop of ice cream. While we ate, we had great views of the city. This particular pier is apparently a popular location for the views, too, as I counted no fewer than 7 bridal parties stopping here for pictures!