9/11 Museum

Once we found parking we headed straight to the 9/11 museum and had to show proof of vaccination before going inside. It's hard to describe how I was feeling when we entered: a little excited to finally be there, solemn because of where we were and nervous about the kind of things we were about to see.

Sometimes Sharaya and Ally would catch up to where I was or I'd catch up to them and I'd always hear her teaching, explaining. She's such a good mom.

Many of the things were hard to believe, were we really seeing what we were seeing?

As we walked around we kept seeing this area that was blocked off, it was like a path...

I was shocked when I realized it was the original foundation of one of the twin towers! When you look at these aerial views, the center building is where you enter the museum, but then you go down a flight of stairs, (right next to The Survivors Stairs) and you're actually under the fountains. The main part of the museum is under ground, but you never know it when you're there.

 (Thank you again Google.)

 

We spent about an hour and a half and still didn't see everything. The picture of the original foundation? You can see like a little bridge or ramp, crossing the foundation? That takes you to a door where the main part of the museum is. You aren't allowed to take pictures in there but there is so much more. There's a window pane, still in the framing that didn't break! The window is still intact!

There are eye glasses, shoes, letterhead, briefcases - because people were at work... sometimes I just stood there crying. Sometimes I'd forget to breathe. It was... indescribable. 

After a while we made our way outside to the memorials ~

Then it was back into the car and we began the drive back to Philadelphia. Even now, I'm not even sure how to end this post. I'm still processing some of the things I saw, trying to imagine what people were thinking and feeling as they saw those towers go down...

Hanging Out, That Close, and I Didn't Know That, Did You??

We woke up on the 24th and got ready about a half hour early. I told Chuck I didn't want to wait around in our hotel room when we were just a block from Times Square! So we headed down and just hung out in Times Square! Do people do that?! I mean, we literally just hung around Times Square in New York! It's crazy! (Isn't it?)

And as I'm walking around snapping pictures I see something...

 What IS that??

 Wait a second! Is that the New Years Eve ball??

I didn't know it stayed there all year!! At the bottom of the pole?! When the ball drops on New Years it just stays there, all lit up, the entire year?!? I had no idea!

I took this picture ~

 Then turned to my left and took this ~

 

It's a little hard to see but our hotel is under that blue sign on the left side of the street. See that black, empty space thing in the center of the picture? And part of the American Flag to the left of it? That was our hotel. 💖

When Sharaya and Ally came down we did a little souvenir shopping, then went back to get our luggage and checked out of the hotel.

 

We climbed into our rental car, (the one with the trunk open) drove by the Shoenfeld Theater and headed to Lower Manhattan and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Thank you Google for these pictures.

 

Did you know the New Years Eve ball stays there all year?

Rain, Wind and Lights

The ceremony in Boston was on Wednesday, September 22. On Thursday, Chuck, Beth, Sharaya, Ally and I drove down to New York. We dropped the three of them off at the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Chuck and I headed on to the hotel.

After a little while Beth sent me the photo below and then texted, "What hotel are you and Dad are in now mothera" I could tell she was a little nervous. She was having fun with her sister and niece and she knew she was safe but she was in an unfamiliar place and didn't know where we were... I told her the name of the hotel and then, "You, Sharaya and Ally are on your way here now. We'll see you in a few minutes!" Her response, "Okay!"

We were on the 47th floor of the Millennium Hotel on 44th Street, just one block from Times Square! I don't know if you've had a chance to visit New York and see Times Square  but it really is electric. The place is just alive with excitement and lights and movement!

For our Anniversary this year, the girls had made reservations for us at Wolfgang's Steak House, and bought tickets for us to see a Broadway show! Something I've always wanted to do! We saw Come From Away, a play about September 11 when all flights were grounded and 38 planes landed in Gander, Newfoundland. The town of 9,000 people took in 7,000 stranded passengers from around the world. The story is truly phenomenal. And the play is about loving those who are different than you. I highly recommend you check it out, there are clips on YouTube, articles about the people of Gander... it's very inspirational!

This was the view from our hotel ~

 

 

When we left for the theater, it was in the mid to high 70s so we didn't think to bring coats or anything and it was only a couple blocks away so we walked. As we stepped outside the hotel we realized it was pouring rain. Pouring! By the time we got to the theater we were absolutely soaked! But we just laughed it off and enjoyed the evening. (Kinda felt bad for the people sitting next to us though!) 

 

The play was phenomenal. The personal stories, the funny situations, the way the town embraced so many people from all over the world... makes me want to visit Gander one day.

 

We spent one more day in New York before heading back to Philadelphia, but I'll write about that in my next post. Did you ever get caught in the rain? Have you ever been to New York?