In March I finally had the chance to go to the
September 11th Memorial. Fortunately it was a nice day, but pretty windy, which can be a problem.
I arrived about 45 minutes before my ticketed time, even though they say not to arrive more then 30 minutes early and was let in. The line moved pretty quickly and security was efficient, a marked difference from when I went to the
Statue of Liberty last year.
You enter the memorial from the Southwest corner, straight ahead is the South Pool representing the South Tower or Tower 2. This pool holds the names of the first responders as well as some of the flights, South Tower, and Pentagon losses. Check out the 911Memorial
website for more on how the names are arranged.
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| A Police Officer I had the pleasure of meeting about a month before the attack |
When you enter, to your left is an open area with trees, beyond the trees is the North Pool. On windy days it seems the North end of the North Pool has a water issue, the falling water being blown. I was the only person I saw who walked along the North edge of the pool. Actually, I went at more of a run and still got quite wet. I did it to honor those who had died and whose names were on that wall. But on a cold day, I wouldn't suggest it.
I love the memorial, and I have seen some great memorials around the world. There is a serenity here with the pools, waterfalls, trees. The only problem is the tourists. With so many people there it breaks the serenity of the environment. No matter how hard people try to be courteous, a large number of people always seem to fail. For that reason I think going early in the morning would be best.
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| The saddest names |
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| The wind blowing the water |
After you leave the memorial you are directed to walk in a path that takes you to the shop associated with the memorial. They have a few items on display, they play some documentaries on TV's and they sell a wide variety of books, videos, clothing and other touristy types of items. It's worth a stop in the shop even if you're not looking to purchase anything. The museum is scheduled to open later this year.
