NYC - World Trade Center Site

When we woke up on our final day in New York our legs and feet told us that they had done just about as much walking as they were going to do. I don't think I have ever had such aching legs. We wanted to try the subway anyway so we found the nearest station and in a matter of minutes we were in Lower Manhattan. Our first stop was at Ground Zero. There isn't a lot to see there as they are beginning the construction of new buildings on the site. We headed across the street to St. Paul's chapel which was used as a rest station for the rescue workers in the days and weeks following the attacks. The church received absolutely no damage, not even a broken window during the terrorist attacks. That is amazing when you remember that not only the World Trade Center buidlings were destroyed, but many other buildings in the area were also destroyed or severely damaged.



In the days following the attack, relatives and friends of those unaccounted for distributed flyers with their loved ones pictures on the streets around hospitals and rescue centers. Volunteers at the church began collecting them and posting them on a small altar at the church. In the weeks and months after the tragedy funeral notices and mass cards were added to the altar. The altar was eventually returned to service at the church, but this replica was built to hold the momentos honoring the victims. Looking at the pictures and reading the notices was extremely sad.

The site of the WTC taken from the church grounds.

St. Paul's Chapel is an Episcopalian church built in 1766 and is the church where George Washington worshipped. It is the oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan.

The only thing that was destroyed was this old sycamore tree that stood in the corner of the church lot. A sculptor worked with tree experts to preserve this stump as a monument. Notice the piece of pipe imbedded in the trunk.

One of the most moving displays for me was this flag with the names of those killed on Sept. 11. Click on the picture to see the names written on each stripe.

"Healing Hearts and Minds" is what the name of this tribute. Fire and police departments from across the country sent their uniform patches in tribute to the rescue workers.

We had a busy day and I will post the rest of our day tomorrow. I thought this posting about Ground Zero should be separate.

New York - Day 1

We were scheduled to leave the ship at 10:30 on Sunday morning, the last group to disembark. Because we only had 2 days here we decided to carry our own luggage and be off the ship by 8 a.m. It was a hassle with our four suitcases, but we did it. We had our luggage stored at the hotel and were on our way to Central Park before 9 a.m.




The park really is an oasis within the city. It was a beautiful fall day and the park was full of joggers, walkers, tourists and bicycles. Within an hour it became very crowded in the more popular areas, but there were still places where you felt like you were the only people around. It was just beautiful.

There were musicians and artists all along the area called "The Mall".

Being a child of the sixties I had to make the pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields and see the tribute to John Lennon. The apartment building where he was shot is across the street from this area.

Occasional views like this are the only reminder that you are still in the nations largest city.

This is Cartier's, the famous Jewelry store and no we didn't go in.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, where Jackie Onassis's funeral was held.

I loved all the old churches we saw on this trip. Nothing being built now compares to the architecture and craftsmanship you see on these old buildings.

After leaving Central Park we walked down Fifth Avenue where we saw huge crowds of people forming along the sidewalk. There were cops everywhere and barricades set up, I asked what was going on and was told that the Columbus Day Parade was starting soon. We thought how cool, we'd watch for awhile. While waiting we saw people holding Mexican flags and other flags from Latin American countries which I thought was strange. Where were all the Italians? Come to find out about 1/2 hour into the parade that they were celebrating Hispanic Culture. Time to move on and see more of the city.

While in New York I thought we should try some of the food you associate with NYC, like bagels, deli sandwiches, cheesecake, NY style pizza, etc. Carnegie Deli was across the street from our hotel and I had heard of the place so we decided to give it a try. I about turned around and left when I saw these sandwiches sitting on the counter. There was a disgusting pile of meat between very thin slices of bread, now my idea of a sandwich is a small amount of meat and lots of veggies between two thick crusty slices of bread. Ken wasn't about to leave when he saw the size of the sandwiches so we stayed. Click on the picture to enlarge and see how really big these sandwiches were.

We ordered this open faced Rueben sandwich to share, it was huge! It cost $23 and another $3 to share. I am glad we stayed to eat here though, it was a true NY experience.

After a much needed nap at our hotel we decided to walk to the Empire State Building to see the view at night. I had bought tickets online in hopes of avoiding long lines, which worked somewhat but we were still in line for over an hour. It was really crowded when we got to the top and our camera didn't take the greatest pictures. It was a beautiful clear night and we really could see for miles.

We had walked through Times Square earlier in the day, but I was in awe when I saw it at night. It was crowded, noisy and exciting. I loved seeing all the theaters and wish we would have had time for a show. Maybe next time.

Lukas J

Our newest grandchild was born on October 27 and weighed in at a whopping 9 lb. 1 oz. and was 21 inches long.
His name is Lukas J, but will be called Luke.

Big sister thought he was pretty nice too. I stayed for a couple of days to help, but had to get back to work because we were short-handed at the office. Work sure gets in the way of what I really want to be doing, makes me even more anxious for retirement. Mom and baby are doing great.

New York on hold

I'm sure all my loyal readers are waiting with baited breath for my final vacation posting. All that remains is New York City and I do have some great pictures. However, grandchild #12 is going to be born tomorrow, so I am off to stay with Caelen and help Colette with the new baby for a few days. Stay tuned for pictures of the new little guy. The picture was taken in Central Park, the entire park was so pretty and huge!

Newport

Newport would have been my favorite stop except for the hordes of people there. Not only were there two large ships in port, Octoberfest was going on and the town was packed. We (I) love to visit old homes and mansions when we travel and I was hoping to see 2 or 3 here, but because of the number of people we only saw the Breakers. The view above is of the sea from the upper Loggia of the Breakers.

This is the Trinity Church which was modeled after the old North Church in Boston. It was almost identical except for the stained glass windows.


Saint Mary's church is where JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy were married. It was an absolutely beautiful church and so well kept. The wood was polished to a high sheen and everything was immaculate. It was quite dark in there so my pictures don't show its true beauty.

T


I'm standing on the Cliff Walk which runs between the ocean and the mansions for about 3 1/2 miles. We only walked part way because we were running out of time but what a gorgeous walkway.

This is the Breakers, the summer home to the Cornelius Vanderbilt II family. It was built in 1893 at a cost of 8 million dollars and they only lived here for 2 months of the year.

This is the upper loggia of the home. Can you imagine sitting here and having your morning cup of coffee?What a view. (the view is kind of washed out in this picture) but believe me it was fantastic.

Formal dining room. All of the public rooms were very ornate. It was interesting to me that the family's bedrooms were quite plain in comparison.

Cheers

I forgot to include my Cheers pictures. Thanks Empress Bee for mentioning it. We didn't get to the one downtown, but this was at Quincy Market and shows the Indian outside the door. The bar inside looked just like the bar on the show and had the restaurant in the basement. The bloody mary's were pretty good too, but the spinach and artichoke dip was delicioso.

BOSTON

Boston was our shortest day in port and the most jam-packed as far as sight-seeing goes. We walked the 2 1/2 mile Freedom Trail, taking in all the historical markers along the way, and then we walked back the same trail to Quincy Market. I don't think we got real good pictures in Boston. The buildings were so close together and the old was mixed in with the new, didn't make for good photo ops.

This is the old North Church where the lanterns were hung signaling to Paul Revere that the British had landed.

Some of the most famous figures of the Revolutionary War are buried here, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and the first victims of the Boston Massacre.

We crossed the Charlestown River to see the U.S.S. Constitution and had a great view of the newest bridge in Boston. I can't remember the name but it is really beautiful.

Paul Revere's home. We didn't have time to take a tour. The house was built in 1680 and is the oldest building in downtown Boston.

The U.S.S. Constitution. The navy offers free tours of the battle ship. It was really interesting to see Old Ironsides, as she is commonly known.

Inside the ship, this picture is dark but it shows some of the cannons and a barrel similar to what would have been used to store their drinking water.

The Freedom Trail ended at the Bunker Hill Monument. This is where Ken tried to kill me. We climbed to the top of the monument ALL 296 STEPS! I was ready to quit after 75, but the circular stairway was so narrow and there other people climbing up so I couldn't turn around. When we reached the top there were four little windows to look out at the city, but seriously, I was so winded I didn't even look.

This day was exhausting, but so interesting. I would love to go back there and spend more time. Boston was pretty, friendly, and full of fun places to see.