Lady Liberty

As I’ve become more comfortable in NYC, I decided to introduce Evan to some historic landmarks that would be both educational and entertaining.

I found a speedboat tour on the Hudson River that takes you to the Statue of Liberty. We flew across the river at 60 miles an hour, and I screamed in delight, watching Evan shout “Woo hoo!” into the breeze.

About 10 minutes later, we arrived at the Statue of Liberty. The boat stopped and we got an awesome close-up look at Lady Liberty. Evan always takes me by surprise, and this time was no different. He took the tour guide’s mic and shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Statue of Liberty, given to you by the people of France.”

I was so relieved he didn’t say “Italy.” For as much as I pull this kid out of school, I was grateful he knew the basics.

As we floated quietly, staring at this amazing monument, he started asking me questions that I was disappointed I couldn’t answer. Like, “Is the Statue of Liberty made after a real person or a guardian angel?”

He also asked, “Are NYC people mad at Las Vegas people for stealing their statue and making a mini version of it?”

Both fair questions. I looked online to find the origins of the Statue of Liberty. Turns out she is a robed version of Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.

As far as NYC’s Statue of Liberty vs. Vegas’ Statue of Liberty, I told Evan that many people can’t afford to come all the way across the country, so it’s nice to be able to see mini-versions of monuments from around the world and get to experience their beauty.

In typical Evan fashion, he replied, “Well, maybe if they stopped blowing their money in Vegas, they could save up to see the real thing someday.”

“True, Evan,” I replied. “When you turn 21, you might eat those words, but nonetheless true.”

Even though many of you might not get a chance to see Lady Liberty up close, I would highly recommend skipping a Mickey Mouse trip one year to visit some real monuments with your kids. You’d be surprised by how much you’d learn, and also by how much fun it actually is.

Tune into “The View” this week to watch Evan and me on this Statue of Liberty tour!