Crown of Statue of Liberty opens: Take the virtual tour

Posted on The White House Blog by Katelyn Sabochik – July 3, 2009

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will officially reopen the crown of the Statue of Liberty to the public on July 4, 2009.

July 4th marks the first time visitors can tour the crown since it was closed following the 9/11 attacks.

About 20 lucky visitors will be among the first to climb the 354 steps to the crown on Saturday morning, but thanks to the power of technology, everyone can join in the celebration.

The public can view photos of the day’s events on Flickr and follow Lady Liberty on Twitter.

About 240 visitors per day will be able to tour the crown, but you can visit the Statue of Liberty anytime, from home, by taking the new Statue of Liberty National Monument virtual tour at http://www.nps.gov/stli/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm

[Editor's note: I climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty in 1996 - and spent some time in the crown, watching a helicopter buzz by. It took me - and about 100 other people - more than 2 hours to make it to the top in a single-file staircase. It was the most claustrophobic experience of my life, and I spent maybe one minute gazing from the portals in the crown - but it was worth it. You can get a sense of what this was like when you visit the virtual tour - and view the page with a video clip of looking out through the crown. - Brenda ]

Posted July 3, 2009

Pick up some fresh food for your Fourth of July

Whether it’s burgers or bulgur salad you’re serving at your Independence Day celebration, there are plenty of fresh and tasty ingredients to add to the mix at the Storrs Farmers Market – which will be open for business on Saturday, July 4 from 3 to 6 pm in the parking lot of Mansfield’s Town Hall (next to E.O. Smith High School.) Rain or shine!

Stop by the market for all-natural beef burgers and nitrate-free hotdogs for your backyard celebrations.  And the fixings for great sides: eggs for your favorite egg salad recipe, carrots for the dip, salad greens, onions and more.

For dessert, there are fresh strawberries and a variety of pies, cookies and brownies.

And here’s the icing on your carrot cake – by adding just a few local ingredients to your Fourth of July celebration, you are supporting local farms – and local farm families.

Bulgur wheat salad with chickpeas (garbanzos) from Smitten Kitchen.

Ten dollars spent at a farmers market means ten dollars that stay in your community.

And everything at the market is Connecticut Grown, so the offerings change with the seasons.

For a sneak peak at what’s coming to the market, sign up for weekly emails by contacting

StorrsFarmersMarket@gmail.com

Or visit the Web site at www.storrsfarmers.org

Storrs Farmers Market is open from 3 to 6 p.m. every Saturday from now through November 21, rain or shine. Located within walking distance of the Mansfield Community Center, UConn and a WRTD bus stop, Storrs Farmers Market is a convenient source of fresh, healthy, local foods.

Posted July 3, 2009

Editor’s Related Links:

Chicken and bulgur salad:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-and-bulgur-salad-with-avocado

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas and Red Peppers: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/03/goodbye-little-white-containers/

Olive & Mustard egg salad: http://www.eggsaladgourmet.com/olive_mustard_egg_salad.html

Perfect Lemonade: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000479perfect_lemonade.php

Carrot Cake: http://www.joyofbaking.com/CarrotCake.html

Strawberry recipes: http://www.strawberry-recipes.com/