Do you recognize this face? No doubt you've seen photos of this face thousands of times, yet perhaps from a different perspective. It's my personal visit with the Lady.

This is the face of freedom, the face of liberty, the face of hope as millions of bright-eyed immigrants sailed into the harbor.

This is of course the face of Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty. This life size model is on display in the Statue's Museum on Liberty Island.

Early this a.m. the local morning showed the Statue of Liberty is opening today the crown for visitors for the first time since 9/11.

I took these photos last December on a cold blustery day while visiting New York City and of course a visit to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island.   

We were in the "Big Apple? for a visit with family and friends including fellow Rainer Marlene Bridges to help celebrate my daughter's birthday. And of course the Statue of Liberty was high on our list for a visit. Yet for me this visit was from a different perspective, it was a very up close look at Lady Liberty.

Top left is the original 1886 torch which after many years of weathering was removed and preserved inside the island's museum.

Middle, is one of my favor photos that I shot from inside the processing center on Ellis Island. I can only imagine the thoughts of hope shared by millions arriving from across the seas. My own grandparents traveling with a 2-year old child in 1913 from Amsterdam Holland were among those looking for a better life in America, the land of opportunity.  The Ellis Island website maintains a history of passenger records of those processed through the center. It's an amazing look back in time.

Right the full scale foot of Lady Liberty.

Without exception our visit was an experience of a lifetime for this proud immigrant's granddaughter. them if you like.

God Bless America the land that I love ~ Happy 4th and happy birthday birthday USA!

~ All photos are my own from December 2008, feel free to use them if you like.