General Grant National Memorial
Happy Veteran’s Day to all of my fellow veterans out there. Please enjoy my little trip to the final resting place of one of our nation’s greatest veterans, General Ulysses S. Grant.
Good morning! It’s 9am on embarkation day. I have the earliest check-in time of 10am. Instead of rushing to get on the ship first thing, I’m going to do a little sightseeing this morning. Checkout time is 11am. I have everything ready to go. I’m going to head out now and come back to check out before heading to the ship.
There isn’t a subway station right by Grant’s Tomb so I had to get off at 125th street and walk a little under a mile. I arrived at 9:30. The M5 bus stops out in front of the tomb.
Google told me it opened at 9am but that was the weekend time. It actually opens at 10am on Wednesday. It’s 9:30 right now. There’s another guy next to me also disappointed that it isn’t open. He’s just taking a picture of the outside and leaving. I’ve come this far so I’m going to find a way to kill 30 minutes.
What can I do no more than 15 minutes away? Tom’s Restaurant. This is the place that was used for the exterior shot of Monk’s Cafe in my all-time favorite sitcom, Seinfeld.
This is close to the shot they would show on TV and just crop out the Tom’s portion.
They have the names of the main characters on banners out front. I would think they’d have one for George but they don’t.
The restaurant is close to Columbia University.
Look at that timing!
The General Grant National Memorial, commonly known as “Grant’s Tomb,” is the final resting place of Civil War General, Secretary of War, and 18th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia. It is the largest mausoleum in North America.
Above the entrance are the words “Let Us Have Peace.” Those words came from Grant’s speech when he accepted the republican nomination for President of the United States. The figures on either side of those words represent victory and peace.
President Grant passed away in 1885. This structure was completed in 1897.
The carvings in the four corners below the the rotunda represent his birth, military life, civilian life, and his death.
A 35-star American flag from the Civil War is on display in inside.
The three murals were added in 1966 representing Grant’s greatest campaigns.
Grant on horseback in Vicksburg, Mississippi (November 1862-July 1863).
Grant to the right of General George H. Thomas on Missionary Ridge (November 25,1863).
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865).
On the ground level surrounding Lee are busts of his five best Lieutenants.
General James Birdseye McPerson
General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Major Edward Otho Cresap Ord
General George Henry Thomas
I found out later there was a visitor’s center 100 yards to the west of the mausoleum that contains information, a gift shop, and bathrooms. It opened at 9am so it’s possible that’s the time I found on Google.
Checkout is at 11am. I have 30 minutes to get back.
This is a screenshot from the CityMapper app while I’m on the subway. I have an ETA of 10:51.
New ETA of 10:53.
I spent $34 on a week of unlimited Metro. I have been here almost four days and I’ve used over $63 worth of metro.
This is the guy I’ve been buying my water from. I also got a chicken and rice bowl here last night.
I made it back with six minutes until checkout time.
