The 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Our trip to New York would not have been complete without a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. While I mentioned that visit and shared a couple of pictures (“We Did the New York Tourist Stops, Too,” July 6, 2014), it seems fitting and right to spend a little more time on the subject. I fear I will not do it justice; I was so busy taking pictures and being overwhelmed by the history and sadness surrounding me that I didn’t take notes or read all the descriptions as closely as I should have. And I certainly didn’t take pictures of all the displays. Most of that you can read about in other sites on the Internet, so perhaps I can at least give you some insight into what to expect if you have the opportunity to go there yourself.

The Memorial is open and easily accessible to the public. In the foundations of what used to be each of the  World Trade Center buildings are two-tiered fountains and waterfalls. The names of those who were lost that day are engraved in polished stone that define the edge of each of the fountains. A young woman was quietly polishing part of the wall when we were there. I asked her how often she cleaned and polished it; she smiled and said, “Every day.”

 

I purchased tickets online ahead of time for entrance into the museum, which is required. Then you have to be there at your appointed time to gain entry.

 

The museum is the building with the slanted roof.

The museum itself is built mostly underground at the original foundation level and is quite large. We toured most of it, but I know there were some parts we missed. And these pictures can’t convey the quiet, disbelief, and reflection felt when you are actually standing where it all took place.

As you go in, steel beams from one of the attacked buildings are standing by stairs that lead down into the foundation.

And in a second  location is another set of beams that were hit by one of the airplanes. I had the presence of mind to take picture of the plaque that identified this one.

This strange-looking wall is what they call a slurry wall, a feat of engineering to keep water from seeping into the buildings. This a part of the original wall and was left in the museum because it became a symbol of resilience in the months after 9/11. This wall held against the pressures of the attack and kept the water of the Hudson River from flooding lower Manhattan, the subway, and the PATH tunnels (Port Authority Trans Hudson-a mass transit railway). It was not built to withstand an attack but originally to allow the World Trade Centers to be built without seepage from the river interfering with construction. But its strength kept the water out and the havoc that would have made things even worse after the attack.

All sorts of pieces from the original site were on display, like this section of wall. I did not identify it, but you can see the memorials and messages left on it by the public.

 

We saw this small Statue of Liberty when we visited New York in 2010 with Colten. At that time the statue was on display in a small museum near the attack site. I thought surely she would be here, and as I turned the corner, there she was, quietly paying homage to those who sacrificed to save others.



Alas, I did not get a picture of the second half of the plaque. As I recall, someone was standing in front of it, and something distracted me before I moved over to the second half. But you get the idea.

There were other items deemed worthy of display that played a part in the aftermath of the attack, like a section of stairs called the Survivors’ Stairs that led people to safety after the attack, and this fire truck

And then there were many pieces sent to the city of New York as a way of expressing condolences and support, like this hand-fashioned tapestry.

 
So if a trip to New York is in your future, plan ahead, order museum tickets, and be prepared for an emotional visit.
 

 

 

For more information about the slurry wall, go to:

www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12myregion/looking-to-a-wall

The Lion King: Shock and Awe

Based on my favorite words of wisdom-Only put off until tomorrow that which you are willing to die having left undone-I made the executive decision to travel to New York to see the Broadway production of The Lion King before its run was over. I wanted to take the whole family, but for a variety of reasons it was AJ, Erin, Maya, and Ben who made the trip with me this go-round. We made all the tourist stops while in New York, but that’s another story. The Lion King was the main topic.

A night at the theatre deserves going to the trouble to shuck the shorts and T-shirts and dressing up for the occasion, which we did.

We had good seats and were anxious for the show to get started. Not the best picture of AJ, but hey, three out of four’s not bad.

The curtain was decorated with symbols that appeared in several scenes as the play progressed. Notice the alcoves on either side which contained drums and other instruments used for rhythm and special musical effects.

Of course, no photographs were allowed after the curtain rose, but this sign and ticket brochure below do show some of the costumes and animal props that were very effective. People with masks and appropriate costumes inhabit the bodies of the animals. Zazu, the bird who is Mafusa’s right-hand man, is actually a hand puppet held by the actor dressed in a dark blue-green body suit; the eye sees him but the brain ignores him and the bird is real. The mind over matter effect was amazing and the whole thing worked beautifully. No one cared that the people portraying the animals were not completely camouflaged; the animals came to life. If I had tried to take pictures of all this during the performance, I would have missed the performance! It was more important to live the moment and become engrossed in the action.

And what a performance. Just as in the original animated movie version, the opening number is the show-stopper. As Rafiki is singing The Circle of Life, animals are making their way to the stage by coming down both aisles. I watched Ben, who was sitting next to me, as he watched in fascination the animals to our right, but as I saw an almost full-size elephant in the aisle to our left, I motioned for him to look that direction. In disbelief, his eyes opened wide, his mouth dropped at the sight, and that eight year-old stood up and leaned over to get a better look. Shock and awe. Made the whole trip worth it. And just like in the movie, when the baby Simba is presented to the animal kingdom, a cliff magically rises from the center of the stage, and the final lyrics are sung, ---the circle of life---followed by that final note-BOOM!, it takes a few seconds for the audience to catch its breath, and then pandemonium breaks loose with resounding applause. Shock and awe.

I have always been a fan of the story and the music of The Lion King. I enjoyed the movie soundtrack so much that I also bought the Rhythm of the Pride Lands CD, and some of that music was added to the Broadway production. So it should be no surprise that I bought the musical’s soundtrack as my main souvenir. Well, that and a couple of T-shirts, a poster, and some tote bags…

There are certain scenes that hold special meaning for me. When Pumbaa, Timon, and the young Simba are singing Hakuna Matata and we see a representation of Simba growing up, that strikes a special memory with me as I think of my children growing up as I watched and wished they could stay young forever. The scene of Mafusa appearing in the sky to the lonesome adult Simba is special to me as well. The opening number when baby Simba is presented sets the tone of the whole play for me. I love it all.

But it’s the music that gathers all my emotions, puts them in my heart that swells to the point of bursting, and the only release is in the tears that flow uncontrollably as the music affects my whole being. The only other person I know for whom music has that effect is my mother, God love her. I am so glad she bequeathed that gift to me. Music is special. She would have loved The Lion King.

I listened to the CD nonstop as I drove from home from Austin after we came back to Texas. I haven’t been able to get the music out of my head. And that’s okay. If you have only chance to see a Broadway musical, this is the one you need to see.

But don’t wait too late. Some day it will indeed be gone. And what a shame that would be for you to miss it.

Shock and awe.

Yes, That Big Apple

If Washington , DC is light, spread out, and all about history, New York is dark, crowded, and all about money. We took a Grey Line bus tour of the city, which was the thing to do, and it seemed that every fact, of which there were many, the tour guide told us had to do with money-how much this building cost to build, how much this apartment cost to rent or buy, or what rich or famous person lived there or owned the building. We also took a Circle Line boat tour around the island of Manhattan, another good move. We went by the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, numerous famous buildings, Yankee Stadium, the United Nations, World Trade Center area, and under twenty bridges.

Again, I took more pictures than you care to see, so I will share a few of the ones I like best.

We stayed at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, which was right on Times Square, which turned out to be a good choice because we were centrally located. Colten saw lots of things on Times Square that we don't see in Muleshoe, like a singing cowboy with very little on but his boots and hat, wall to wall people from all walks of life, enormous video billboards, and you can imagine the rest. Well, no, I don't think you can unless you have been there. The on-going show of mankind was amazing.

I tried to take pictures of things we would not see at home, and I have yet to see a rooftop garden in Muleshoe.

I see pictures of Central Park with grass fields and skyscrapers in the background, so I thought this would give a different view of the park. This wide esplanade takes visitors out of Shakespeare Park, which has statues of Shakespeare and some of his characters, and plaques with lines from his plays.

After a couple of hours of lines, we finally made it to the top of the Empire State Building. To the right of the city stands the Statue of Liberty. People were lined up three deep at the rail to see the city and take pictures, so we had to wait even after getting in to enjoy the view.

Ground Zero now just looks like another construction site as they are rebuilding and beginning the 911 memorial. But they had a gift shop/museum that displayed pictures of the event as it unfolded and models of the memorial. They also had this small replica of the Statue of Liberty that mysteriously appeared at one of the firehouses close to the scene. Over time people added mementoes and memorials to the statue which now stands in this gift shop.

You won't see this in Muleshoe: garbage piled up right in front of the store waiting for pick-up the next day. We saw it all over town, in front of fancy stores and restaurants right along with the more average places. Perhaps some areas in New York have alleys, but downtown Manhattan isn't one of them.

This shot was also taken from the Empire State Building. I like the contrast of the buildings with all the cabs and other vehicles. This is pretty representative of the city.

Our bus tour took us to Harlem where we saw the Apollo Theater, where many of the black performers we enjoy got their break and went on to become icons in the music world.

You are seeing New York on your right; New Jersey on your left. This was one of the views we had from the tour boat.

Another view from the tour boat.

Ellis Island is one stop we felt like we didn't have time to make since our time was limited and it deserved more time than we could give it. If I ever get back up that way, it will be one of the first places I will visit.

To go up into the Statue of Liberty tickets have to be requested six months to a year ahead of time, and we didn't know to do that. But to me the beauty of the statue is not going in it but seeing it from the water, so we were just pleased to go by it.

This is a huge interactive billboard on Times Square advertising a brand of clothing called Forever 21. The girl you see takes pictures of the crowd, live, and then shows them and you try to find yourself in the crowd. Then she comes on and paints over the last picture she has shown, and the whole process starts over again. In this one Colten has on a pink shirt and I have on white. Can you find us?

We finished our trip by riding Amtrak back to Washington, DC, and flying Southwest Airlines home. It was a great trip. It as also great to be home.