Another amazing day today with Mary on our NYC adventure. We spent the day Walking and touring the sites of lower Manhattan and the city was buzzing today. There is an incredible amount of foot traffic this week which is annoying to some, but really adds something to the day for me. People are genuinely thrilled to be here and although tours and events are packed, everything works out for all. Here are my highlights of today:

1. The Statue of Liberty is cool but Ellis Island is better

We spent the afternoon on both islands after navigating the throngs of people at Battery Park. Lady Liberty really is a “have to see”when 

I thought it was good enough to see her from shore in past trips. Wrongo! The sheer size of the statue is enough reason to pay your respects but the views of lower Manhattan are even better. The hidden gem of the trip is the ferry stop at Ellis Island where every immigrant entered the US though that building for 50 years. The exhibits are chilling and moving, especially if your family came through those gates. See it.

2. The 5th Avenue window displays are mind blowing

I have been up and down 5th Ave several times in the summer and it’s a retailers dream. Beautiful stores and unbelievable traffic make this a wonder I of the world to me. The amount of time and money put into the Christmas windows are over the top and make you stop for long stretches wondering “how?”Macy’s is really cool and the shops of Rockerfeller are amazing but Saks 5th ave is eye popping.

3. The security around Trump Tower was startling

Mary and I stumbled across the tower on the way to the Nike store. I have never had to be patted down and metal dectectored to buy shoes before. There were less Uzi machine guns in Rambo than I saw in front of the building. Security is at an all time high this weekend anyway, but wow. It was the most entertaining moment of the day watching these dudes guard this clown.

Tomorrow is the big night. There will be an incredible energy on the streets all day tomorrow and we will soak it up. We got a preview of the ball drop today and the whole scene is hard to process. Hang onto your hats 2016.

Marco