Friends of ours (Mathew and Pam) came into the city for the second day we were visiting, and as luck would have it, the weather was pretty decent, though there was still a bit of fog to deal with. Given traffic constraints they weren’t sure if they were going to make it in in time for us to catch the 10:15 Semi-Circle Cruise, but they arrived just under the wire. We headed to the back of the boat and took the 2 1/2 hour tour. Matt is a New York boy and he added “color” to the tour, as in “There’s the building they used for the headquarters in ‘Men in Black.’ ”  or “Yes, that’s the building from ‘Ghostbusters.’ ”  or “That’s where I reenlisted in the Coast Guard.” while pointing to a building with no windows.   You know, stuff like that.

Matt was also responsible for taking the one and only photo of Sweetie and me together (iPhone pics taken by me don’t count).

Now, for a few photos . . .

As you can see, not exactly the clearest sky, the lack of clouds notwithstanding.

Ellis Island.

Unfortunately, because of damaged sustained in Sandy, neither Ellis Island nor Liberty Island are open for visitors. Liberty Island is expected to reopen by the 4th of July, but Ellis Island is closed at least until the end of the year.

The Statue of Liberty. I’ll admit it, I got choked up. I’ve waited all my life to see Lady Liberty in real-life.

The mix of the old with the new is what I love about New York City.

This shot of Manhattan was shrouded in haze, but when I converted it to black and white, a lot of the haze “disappeared.” Still, it is grainier than I would have liked, and yet I actually like how it turned out.

There are a multitude of bridges spanning the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers.

The Brooklyn Bridge appeared to be undergoing maintenance, but those iconic arches were still amazing.

Manhattan Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. This would have been so much better on a clear day.

Williamsburg Bridge

The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge. Behind that: the Roosevelt Island Bridge. In the far background is the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge). (No, the Queensboro Bridge is not out of focus – it’s the way the structure lined up)

More to come later.  By the way, if you’d like to see more photos from our visit to Washington, D.C. and New York City the full gallery can be found at this link.  I still have more photos to share with you, but there is no way I’m going to post them all here.