Upon arriving at Ground Zero, you are greeted by Oculus, the transportation hub for the area. It is an incredible building in regards to design. The designer said that they hoped to create a visual image that might possibly take everyone's mind off of the hate that happened here if even for a short while. It does just that. You just stare at it tirelessly.
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| Oculus |
We proceeded onward and came upon the South Reflecting Pool. The experience of being there is difficult to explain. For me, it felt like a heavy weight was placed upon my shoulders, and heart. Sorrow and grief just filled me. So much hate and then there are signs of hope. It's a lot to take in.
We went into the museum to get through security and be on time for our guided tour of the museum. Once inside we had a few minutes to kill so we went into the museum shop. Dean had developed a blister on his heel so I went in hoping to purchase band aids. The clerk told me that she didn't have any to sell but that if I went to the welcome desk and ask for someone to bring me to EEC and they could help. So, I walked out and Dean hobbled along with me to the welcome desk. I ask the lady there to point me in the direction of EEC- she looked up at me somewhat surprised and said I'd have to ask a security guard for that. A band-aid? I'm so confused. There are two officers standing at a distance talking so I approach. I have my museum tour ticket in my hand. I wait for them to get to a point in the conversation that I can pose my request. I saw, excuse me- the female officer looks at me and says you can sign in for your tour at that desk 30 minutes before your scheduled time. (Yep, I know that. It's why I'm here 45 minutes before my scheduled tour time...) Of course that was me being sassy in my head- that didn't actually get verbalized; she had a gun, I know my limits. I thank her for that information and say can you show me where EEC is? The male officer somewhat ga-faws at me and questions, "EEC?" "Yes sir, EEC." "Why do you need EEC; I'm curious, who told you to go to EEC; that is top security clearance!" What the heck? I stutter to get out the store clerk told me because we need a band-aid. The female officer says, "Oh, I have that" and pulls two out of her fanny pack. The male officer was still dumbfounded that I knew about the EEC- very uncomfortable moment. I walked away feeling like I had been placed on a watch list due to band-aid-gate....
We had a great tour guide who took us through key exhibits in the museum. It was a 60 minute tour that was so very informative and well done. The museum has been done very well and is something that everyone should see. There are numerous relics that we all saw/heard about at that time that are connected to the site and events that day and since then.
Following are some pictures of the exhibits in the museum.
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| Notice the date and time- one of the last shots of what our world looked like before 9/11 |
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| This is a firetruck that was parked outside one of the towers |
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| Impact steel |
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| The last piece to be removed from the site that had been tagged by fire, police, clean up workers etc |
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| Each square represents one person that lost their life that day and the bombing that took place years before there. The colors represent what everyone remembers the color of the sky to be that fateful morning. This wall overwhelmed me. |
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| A slurry wall holding back the river from the site |
Upon exiting the museum we were near the North Reflecting Pool and took some time to just take it in. It is common on a birthday for family members to leave a flag or momentoe on their loved ones name.
The walk back to the hotel has us traveling next to the Brooklyn Bridge. We could see that the pedestrian walkway on the bridge was filled with people. They appeared to have signs (that were not legible to us). So Becky casually asks, "I wonder what they are protesting?" and out of no where a tall slender woman appears amongst us and loudly states "Immigration!" Oh.....ok. Good luck with that. Honestly, I'm not sure how effective of a protestor she will be- her sign was scribbled on a manilla folder. It's great that we live in a country that allows everyone to have their own opinion and express it freely! God Bless America!
We arrived back at the hotel around noon and got packed up to head to Boston. Steven requested that we drive through China Town and Little Italy on our exit trip so we obliged. Lines on the road, traffic lights, common courtesy- all optional in the Big Apple. It took us an hour or so to get through the two neighborhoods but the trip definitely proved to provide very interesting sights. While on this 'excursion' a man who was walking the streets crossed in front of the truck, made eye contact with Dean and then pointed to one of the front tires of the truck and motioned with both of his hands that the tire was 'low or near flat'. He continued to do this as he could see Dean and I talking through the motions he was making. Each tire on the truck has its own sensor and when the pressure falls even just a few pounds below where it should be, the driver is alerted on the dash. There had been no such alerts so after we talked through it we decided that for whatever reason, he was doing this just to do this. As we watched him walk in the distance, we could see him doing this to every vehicle he passed on the street..... New Yorker's, interesting people.
We made reservations to stay outside of Boston in a city named Waltham. Once we got out of the bumper to bumper of NYC and hit somewhat open roads, Dean tagged Steven in and he drove us into Massachusetts. Lucy and Ethel were in the back seat going through the snack bag. An interesting note about Waltham, Massachusetts- they have geese. They have lots of geese. And that whole Make Way for Ducklings took place in Boston and the geese of Waltham one hundred percent expect you to make way for them. Every time we got on the road, there were groups...pods, cackles, gander? what is the term for a group of geese?- there were lots of geese crossing or simply strolling the streets. Not nice geese I might add. They all had attitudes- maybe they were New York geese visiting Mass....
Our Hampton Inn was just a few months old and was clean, shiny and new. It still smelled of fresh paint. The lobby had a bar so we asked for the best local pizzeria, had supper delivered and ate in the lobby with cold beer. It was so good. Typically, I have pictures of the food we eat but the second the pizza box opened, we were on it and it was gone in a short amount of time. Sorry about that. If ever in Waltham, grab a pie from Pini's Pizzeria- you won't be sorry.
It was an emotional day that reminded us how fortunate we are to live in a country that allows us to express our views freely without fear of prosecution. It also reminded us that love wins over hate every time.
Now it's time for you to express your opinion...it's the daily poll time!!!! You guys have been rocking responding to the polls which we are loving!
Results from yesterdays poll:
White is the favorite amongst our family and friends! Honestly, I don't discriminate...it's the idea this country was built upon!
In order of our delicious dinner, tell us how you feel about pizza:
Our plan for Sunday is to spend some time in Boston then head to Portland, Maine to catch our 2:30 ferry to Nova Scotia. Wish us luck!
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