Not Enough Hours in the Day

We had a full day of sightseeing yesterday starting with a bus trip to Lower Manhattan.

Our first stop was the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Here’s the family outside in front of the plaza. From the left: Sean, me, Jamie, Tia, Jacey and Terry, Sean’s mom.

This is looking across the south reflecting pool to some of the new buildings beyond. The footprints of the twin towers are now pools.

The building that replaced them sits off to the side, One World Trade Center, 1776 stories. In front of that is the museum.

Also new is a transportation hub whose outline suggests a phoenix. The sculpture in front, that was at least 20 feet high, is not a permanent installation. We were amazed to learn that this huge sculpture is just one of a series of changing displays that have been here.

I found the museum very moving. It starts above ground, with some of the huge steel beams.

Most of it is under ground. That column is the last piece of framework taken down with the cleanup and is signed by some of the rescuers and workers.

You wouldn’t think viewing twisted metal could be such an emotional experience, but it was. These beams took the impact of one of the planes.

A docent explained what was learned from analyzing the twisted beams as to how the tragedy unfolded.

Seeing the recovered dedication plaque was sobering,

Ladder 3, New York Fire Department. As one of the millions who watched in horror as the second plane hit and the towers fell this exhibit brought back that day. It must be very difficult for those who lived and worked in Manhattan to even come here.

By the time we worked our way through the artifacts and information to what we realized was the main museum it was time to meet our tour back outside. We needed more time here.

We walked down past Trinity Church…

to Battery Park.

We went through security that was like a small airport…

and took one of the ferries to Liberty Island. On the way we got a great view of Lower Manhattan…

and Lady Liberty herself.

Once there we had time to grab a quick lunch, pose in front of the statue, and walk around the island.

We went in a building where they have some of the history of the statue and the original torch.

From a viewing area on top of that building I was able to capture Liberty Enlightening the World and the American Flag.

It was a beautiful day, there are lots of people in town for the parade and the lines to get back on a boat to take us to Ellis Island and back to Manhattan were the longest our guide had seen.

By the time we were able to board a boat our guide asked us not to even get off at Ellis Island, so this is all we saw. I would have very much liked to spend some time there.

We went to supper as a group (there are about 80 of us) and then those who wanted to walked the half mile down to Macy’s on 34th Street to watch the kids do a dress rehearsal for the cameras. I have some pictures of that but was asked not to post anything until after the parade. The group that went cheered the band on, but there was no opportunity to talk to them. Everything was strictly business.

We did find out that they were number 121 – wherever that puts them in the parade; not near the front, anyway. If you are watching look for Lake Hamilton Marching Band. The band is wearing maroon pants and maroon knit hats, the color guard has maroon velvet dresses with white ear muffs.

The five of us that walked down there (Sean, Jamie, David, Renee and I) then took a tour of Macy’s.

It’s at least three buildings long and nine stories high with a lower level.

The store has several sets of escalators and many of them are old wooden ones. Those are wooden treads on the moving stairs. What a fun place.

We then walked a bit over a half mile back to the hotel, but treated ourselves to dessert along the way at Junior’s,

It was a long day, but we needed more time at both the 9/11 Museum and Ellis Island. Oh, well, if I ever get back here again…