New York City

We started the day with a commute to the city on a New Jersey Transit train from Harriman to Hoboken then a short trip on the subway to WTC. The trip went smoothly from the automated ticket purchases to the transfer from train to subway. Linda had been to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in October so she decided to stay at the motorhome with the dogs.

Our excursion to the city centered around the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and the One World Observatory. A time to enter the observatory is assigned to the tickets at the time of purchase. We had a 2-hour wait so we walked over to the memorial pools then a bit farther to lunch. There was a short wait once we returned to the observatory. At 1776 feet, the building is the tallest in the western hemisphere. During the elevator ride to the 102nd floor there is a 47 second video depicting 500 years of the Manhattan skyline, at the end of the video the doors open to the magnificent view today. There is also a restaurant there and visitors have access to the two floors below for the panoramic views of the city.

Following the observatory we went to the National September 11 Museum, where again the time to enter is assigned to the tickets at the time of purchase. Our assigned time was just minutes away. It is amazing how the museum is built around the remains of the two towers. Most of the museum is below ground level. I wonder if visitors in fifty years will still feel the same somberness we did. The sadness was intensified when we entered the room where photographs are displayed of those who perished September 11, 2001. 3,000 is a large number and upon entering the room my breath was taken away by the sight of so many, but as I read each name and examined each face the sadness was so very real for each one of them and the loved ones they left behind.

Tuesday we all took the train from Harriman to Secaucus where we transferred to another train to New York Penn Station. At Secaucus we were at the track just about to board the train, when we heard the announcement that the train to Penn Station was leaving from a different track. Everyone aboard quickly ran off the train up the stairs to get over to the correct train. We turned and followed them and learned from one of women that was the second time the train had been switched. She told us that happens regularly and she has the hardest time getting to work on time.

The others have had enough of NYC, I could stay and take the train into the city again and again, but it was time to pull up the stakes and get rolling down the highway again.