Weehawken, NJ has two superb sites, reachable by New York Waterway Ferry from West 38th Street, Manhattan. As tickets are for sale at the ferry terminal, simply step aboard the NY Waterway buses at any city bus stop. The company's red, white and blue buses make stops along 57th, 49th, 42nd, and 34th streets. The ferry departures are every 10-20 minutes and the crossing takes just 5 minutes. Phone 1-800-53-FERRY. Website: www.nywaterway.com.

Landing at Weehawken, turn right into the small park for a waterside location. For a top-of-the-Palisades location, walk inland five minutes and, if feeling fit, climb the stairway (222 steps) to Hamilton Park, or for an easier ascent continue past the steps and use Pershing Road up to Boulevard East then turn left and walk south to the park, a ten-minute detour. There are benches, popular with the locals. On some weekends, a wedding party may be having their big day recorded with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. Hamilton Park is where Aaron Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel and mortally wounded him on 11 July 1804.

Hamilton Park is also a wonderful after-dark location. For a few seconds, the ship will be dead in the water, having reversed into the stream, and is poised to head down river. With a fast film, the tens of thousands of lighted Manhattan office windows and the distinctive lighted tops of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings will create an unforgettable portrait of the ship. QE2 at sunset make a great shot. If she departs on a clear evening and on time, there will be an enhancing blue glow to the sky above the metropolis.