Statue of Liberty – A Journey to Remember
Honestly, the whole cruise felt like it was all about one thing — getting a good look at the Statue of Liberty. As the boat slowly floated closer, they even turned off the engine so we could really take it all in. You could clearly hear the gentle splash of waves hitting the sides of the boat — it felt peaceful, almost magical.
The statue was a gift from France to the United States, celebrating 100 years of American independence. It was designed by architect Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and the internal iron framework was created by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel — yes, the same man who later built the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Fun fact: he also designed Vietnam’s Long Biên Bridge in Hanoi and Trường Tiền Bridge in Huế.
Although construction started in 1876, due to budget issues and other delays, the Statue of Liberty wasn’t officially completed and dedicated until 1886.
The statue itself was inspired by the Roman goddess Libertas, the symbol of freedom. She’s depicted wearing a robe, a crown with seven spikes (representing the seven continents and seven seas), standing with broken chains at her feet — a symbol of liberation. In one hand, she holds a torch, and in the other, a stone tablet with the date of America’s independence: July 4, 1776.
From the base to the tip of the torch, the statue is 93 meters tall (that’s about the height of a 30-story building) and weighs over 200 tons. She stands like a giant watching over the harbor. Originally, the copper statue had a reddish-brown color, but over the years, exposure to air and seawater turned it into the soft green we see today.
As we sailed further, New York’s skyline came into view — the kind you usually only see in movies. The star of the show? The Empire State Building with its 102 floors and height of 381 meters. It looked like a giant needle piercing the sky. Closer to the river were residential buildings — not as tall, around 10 stories high — designed to handle strong coastal winds and the salty sea air, with solid foundations and tough materials.
The Empire State Building was built back in 1929, and if you’re into movies, you’ll definitely remember the iconic scene of King Kong climbing to the top, with chaos breaking out in the Wall Street area below — a symbol of both American ambition and imagination.
Tour guides say the best time for a river cruise is around 6 p.m. — when the sun is starting to set, and golden light spreads across the water and sky. But honestly, no matter the time, looking at New York from the Hudson River is something unforgettable. The city feels alive, shimmering and vast, from any angle.
While waiting for boarding, here’s a little history: According to Wikipedia, the first European to discover the mouth of the Hudson River was Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. Later in 1609, Dutch captain Henry Hudson, working for the Dutch East India Company, explored further upstream. The river had earlier been called “Shatemuc” by the locals, but Hudson renamed it “The Great River of the Mountains.” His crew called it the Mauritius River, in honor of a prince. Over time, it was known as the North River, to set it apart from the “South River” (now known as the Delaware River). Today, of course, we call it the Hudson River, named after the explorer who made history sailing its waters.
This short cruise, with the breeze, the views, and Lady Liberty towering over the harbor, is more than just a tourist attraction — it’s a front-row seat to the stories that shaped America.
