NYC Day 3: 9/11 Tribute Tour, Statue of Liberty
NYC Day 3, Wednesday, July 3rd: We began our morning with the 9/11 Tribute Museum & Walking Tour. (This wasn’t part of the National September 11 Museum, but we absolutely also did that before we left Saturday!) The 9/11 Tribute Museum is a separate entity, “a project of the September 11th Families’ Association which brings together those who want to learn about 9/11 with those who experienced it.”
“The Walking Tour includes admission to the 9/11 Tribute Museum, where visitors learn about the events, the personal experiences, the unprecedented rescue and recovery operations, and the tremendous spirit of support and generosity that arose after the attacks.” We walked through the museum before our Walking Tour - it was an excellent way for our kids to get an overview of what happened before walking out onto the real site, since it’s a topic we shielded them from when they were tiny & one that they haven’t had in-depth studies on, yet. Cursory surface knowledge, yes; but they didn’t live through it, or get obsessed with every detail of the coverage like I did.
“9/11 Tribute Museum Walking Tours are guided by 9/11 survivors, family members of lost loved ones, first responders, recovery workers, and people who live and work in lower Manhattan, offering unique personal experiences of survival, loss, and healing. The tour includes a brief history of the World Trade Center, the attacks on 9/11 and their aftermath, with stops at the Firefighter Memorial Wall and the September 11th Memorial Plaza, and ends in a discussion of the rebuilding of the new World Trade Center.” Our guide, Kimberly, had worked in the South Tower on the 84th floor - the impact zone was floors 75-85...but she’s alive today, because her company moved out of the WTC July 2001. She became a relief worker at Ground Zero and ended up being the point person in charge of getting whatever supplies the recovery workers needed. Her stories brought the entire area into vivid reality.
Will said the point she made that stood out most to him was that the hijackers intended originally to strike both towers at the exact same time, so the explosions would be bigger & there would be no warning time for anyone to evacuate - we hadn’t heard that before. Obviously, we knew that the hits were closely coordinated, but we hadn’t heard that their master plan actually failed.
Stopping in front of Fire House 10
In front of the South Pool
The Survivor Tree from Ground Zero
In front of the North Pool
We ate lunch at O'Hara's - one of the very few businesses right around Ground Zero that actually came back after the attacks. Love all the police & fire patches covering every surface in the whole place!
After lunch, we ventured out to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. I had never been to Ellis Island, but I went to the top of Liberty’s crown in high school in 1993 (scariest.ever.) when I was exactly Will’s age! :-D We were all very content to just circle the base of the statue. ;-)
Manhattan from the Statue of Liberty ferry
Statue of Liberty
Manhattan from Ellis Island
There literally is a “William Blake” listed on Ellis Island #notourrelative #stillcoolforhim
Official record our visit
We missed getting back to the National September 11 Museum by 15 minutes [my miscalculation :’(] so we decided to finish our trip with it on Saturday and enjoyed Eataly for dinner & Carlo’s Bakery for dessert. (The kids begged to! :-P The cake was *not* boss, but the chocolate hazelnut lobster tail pastry *was* worth it!)
Missed any of our amazing NYC trip?
Day 1: Pizza, Brooklyn Bridge, Vessel
Day 2: Hamilton, Baohaus, Mood, Puffs
Day 3: 9/11 Tribute Tour, Statue of Liberty
Day 4: Coney, Treats, Central Park, Fireworks
Day 5: Doughnuts, Spyscape, Empire, Mean Girls
Day 6: National 9/11 Museum & Bailey
“The Walking Tour includes admission to the 9/11 Tribute Museum, where visitors learn about the events, the personal experiences, the unprecedented rescue and recovery operations, and the tremendous spirit of support and generosity that arose after the attacks.” We walked through the museum before our Walking Tour - it was an excellent way for our kids to get an overview of what happened before walking out onto the real site, since it’s a topic we shielded them from when they were tiny & one that they haven’t had in-depth studies on, yet. Cursory surface knowledge, yes; but they didn’t live through it, or get obsessed with every detail of the coverage like I did.
“9/11 Tribute Museum Walking Tours are guided by 9/11 survivors, family members of lost loved ones, first responders, recovery workers, and people who live and work in lower Manhattan, offering unique personal experiences of survival, loss, and healing. The tour includes a brief history of the World Trade Center, the attacks on 9/11 and their aftermath, with stops at the Firefighter Memorial Wall and the September 11th Memorial Plaza, and ends in a discussion of the rebuilding of the new World Trade Center.” Our guide, Kimberly, had worked in the South Tower on the 84th floor - the impact zone was floors 75-85...but she’s alive today, because her company moved out of the WTC July 2001. She became a relief worker at Ground Zero and ended up being the point person in charge of getting whatever supplies the recovery workers needed. Her stories brought the entire area into vivid reality.
Will said the point she made that stood out most to him was that the hijackers intended originally to strike both towers at the exact same time, so the explosions would be bigger & there would be no warning time for anyone to evacuate - we hadn’t heard that before. Obviously, we knew that the hits were closely coordinated, but we hadn’t heard that their master plan actually failed.
Stopping in front of Fire House 10
We ate lunch at O'Hara's - one of the very few businesses right around Ground Zero that actually came back after the attacks. Love all the police & fire patches covering every surface in the whole place!
After lunch, we ventured out to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. I had never been to Ellis Island, but I went to the top of Liberty’s crown in high school in 1993 (scariest.ever.) when I was exactly Will’s age! :-D We were all very content to just circle the base of the statue. ;-)
Manhattan from the Statue of Liberty ferry
We missed getting back to the National September 11 Museum by 15 minutes [my miscalculation :’(] so we decided to finish our trip with it on Saturday and enjoyed Eataly for dinner & Carlo’s Bakery for dessert. (The kids begged to! :-P The cake was *not* boss, but the chocolate hazelnut lobster tail pastry *was* worth it!)
Missed any of our amazing NYC trip?
Day 1: Pizza, Brooklyn Bridge, Vessel
Day 2: Hamilton, Baohaus, Mood, Puffs
Day 3: 9/11 Tribute Tour, Statue of Liberty
Day 4: Coney, Treats, Central Park, Fireworks
Day 5: Doughnuts, Spyscape, Empire, Mean Girls
Day 6: National 9/11 Museum & Bailey
My dear, dear blog friend!!! I am so glad you are still here. You were truly one who was a lifeline at a time I was sinking!!!! Your family has grown so beautifully! #blessed!
ReplyDeleteSooo blessed to stay connected with you!!!!!
DeleteI would have LOVED that walking tour!! We did the National 9/11 Museum, but I'll save my commentary on that for when you post about it. (Spoiler alert ~ I was incredibly moved!!) I actually have a picture of our girls in front of the Survivor tree on our first trip to NYC and our last one. There's a six year difference, and it's so neat to see how much both they and the tree grew in that time!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which...Will is looking so grown up!!
I've been to visit the Statue of Liberty a couple of times, but never climbed to the top...and don't foresee it in my future ;)
I can't wait to hear your commentary Saturday!!! Has the tree grown, too, or just the girls? I hope we get back soon - I just love it.
Delete