The Trip

My teacher trip to New York and San Francisco was great! Lots of pictures and captions to explain things. I still must say I still love New York the best even though Cali was beautiful! I left my good camera at home. I was sad I did because there were lots of photo ops. They are of course all out of order. And one day is missing. In New York we spent a day walking through Little Italy, Chinatown and the Lower East Side on an immigration walking tour and seeing the tenement house museum. It was a great day despite being soaking wet. But I didn't get out my camera not even at our amazing dinner in Little Italy where we were treated to a five course Italian meal. Yum. 

This Wanda. She was my roomate (also my roomate the past three  summers for  the grant's summer workshops. ) She is  our department chair and an amazing friend and teacher. This is us at the Far East Cafe in Chinatown San Francisco. They kept bring food plate after food plate to be shared at our tables. I was a little nervous about some of the dishes but my favorite was a lemon chicken that was to die for. 

We went to Sutter Mill where gold was discovered during the Gold Rush. It was very neat to me since I teach this in class. 

Replica of what the mill would have looked like. 

Nice backdrop. 

Learning to pan for gold. I learned I couldn't have had the patience or the back to be a miner. 

This is Old Sacramento. The city actually raised  the city buildings to help with flooding and it created a cool underground city. Interesting. 

Inside of a mail train. Did you know the postal service used trains to deliver mail  until 1977?  And that they didn't stop at most towns just threw out the mail in a bag and then scooped up mail with a giant hook. 

Golden Gate Bridge at night. This is when I was wishing for my big camera. Breathtaking in person. Not so much in this picture. 

San Fran from my hotel window. 

New York from my hotel window. We were in the Garment District three block from Times Square. Surrounded by cool fabric and trimmings shops.

This is High Line Park, created from an abandoned high line railway track  along the western side of Manhattan. A very pretty spot about four stories up. Near Chelsea.

More park. 

Times Square. 

This made me miss Noah. Two of his most favorite things. Race cars and the ice cream truck! 

Ellis Island

Lady Liberty! 

Inside Ellis Island Immigration Station. Much different from Angel Island on the West Coast. 

We got a special behind the scences of Ellis Island Educational Tour. We had to  wear hard hats :) 

Path to the hospital and dorm wings. 

View of Manhattan from the ferry. 

Company that used to pay my mortgage. 

In Battery Park, this statue used to be between the World Trade Towers. 

Stock Exchange. 

Progress on the new towers. 

Part of the 9/11 memorial. Pictures do not do this justice! It is amazing and so beautiful.  It was hard to speak for a few moments. This is one of the huge fountains in the footprints of the two towers. The edges have all the names on them. It is breathtaking. 

Shopping on 5th Avenue. Didn't buy a thing. 

Alcatraz. 

Sea Lions on Pier 39. 

This is Angel Island the immigration station on the West Coast where mostly Asian immigrants came through.  A little different message being given here than Ellis. 

At Ellis Island it was rare to be detained. If you were you were most likely being rehabilitated in a state of the art (for the time ) hospital. However on Angel Island most people were retained because laws were much stricter for Asian immigrants. Many wrote poems like this one on the walls of the dormitory. 

My favorite picture. Chinatown in San Fran. Complete with trolley. 

We saw acrobats practicing a dragon routine. It was pretty cool. 

Fisherman's Wharf at night. 

The trip was amazing. I am so thankful for the seven years I was a part of this grant and so sad to see it come to an end. Not only have the materials it has provided me with in my classroom been a Godsend but the friends and collaborative relationships across the city and county systems will be forever!  Loved this trip it will give so much insight when describing these places and events to my kids!