National September 11 Memorial, New York City

I didn't want to go.   In discussion about it this summer I emphatically said "NO!"   Somehow my mom convinced me that we HAD to go.  To not go would only make us feel worse.  So reluctantly I agreed.  

It is free to get in but you must make a reservation well in advance.   I booked our tickets for October 21st way back in August.   By the time of the anniversary celebrations and grand opening of the memorial on September 11th they were saying that they were booked up until December so I guess it was a good thing that I booked the tickets when I did.

Our visit started with a long queue.    That was when I realized I'd forgotten our printed reservation back in the hotel.   duh.   Guess I'm not the only one to do that since they had a booth where you could show ID and get them reprinted.   

The line up to get in was really long and winded back and forth across a big city square  6 or 7 times.    From there you were herded down alongside a construction site and inside a security building.     All bags, coats, belts and watches had to go through an x-ray machine and then you had to walk through a metal detector.   Security was pretty tight, but nobody complained. Once through security there was a narrow  fenced in area about a block long to walk until you got to the memorial and there were with multiple security checks (tickets and ID) along the way.  

   

In the line I wasn't sure how I felt about being there.  How was I was going to feel inside the memorial?  Would I be upset?  Would I feel a connection to the horrible event that took place here and the thousands who perished?  What if I didn't?  Would that make me a bad person???   I really wasn't sure what to expect from myself and from the experience.  

In the end, I'm not sure how to describe how I felt there other than to say I was moved to tears and beyond.   We stayed in the memorial for over an hour.  We didn't talk much.  We walked around the footprints of both of the WTC buildings.   We read the names of all the people who died.  We cried. We hugged.   This is pretty much what everybody else was doing too.    

Views from the Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is a cheap-o way for tourists to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline.   It is FREE!!!!!  

We took the subway to the South Ferry Station and then boarded the big orange ferry.  They leave the terminal about every 30 minutes, more often during rush hour.   I was advised to go in the morning because in the afternoon the sun is behind the Statue of Liberty and it can make pictures difficult.  

As I was boarding I kept thinking about the documentary I saw about 9/11 and how the ferries and other private boats were used to evacuate people fleeing Manhattan that terrible day.   People were so terrified and panicked that they were jumping off these very piers.   O.k. enough sadness...

It was a beautiful but cool day.  The ferry was so filled with tourists that I was afraid that it might list to one side, but I guess they are used to that!  We all wanted to be on the right hand side in order to see the "green lady."  And here she is  ========>

It also gave us a great view of both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.  

The new World Trade Centre Building is still under construction.  It is the tallest building you can see on the right hand side.  The top 1/3 of the building does not yet have windows, that is why it appears so dark at the top.  

Once we arrived at the Staten Island terminal we had to disembark the ferry.  We didn't want to do anything in Staten Island so we quickly ran through the terminal (with all the other tourists too) and back to the departure lounge to re-board the same boat for the return trip. 

It was kind of fun to do!