A Pause in the Tourist Life

I debated a lot about taking the girls to the 9/11 Memorial. We have shielded them from most of the horrors of our current world - the Orlando shooing, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino shootings. We don't watch the news and I work hard at sheltering them from the random acts of evil in the world. 

Eventually, they will learn of all this soon enough. However, with their backgrounds of hard reality, they just don't need anymore hard reality. Someday they will have to know, but for now, I want them to enjoy their childhoods free of the additional anxiety and worry about random evil. 

With that in mind, I had some reservations. However, the events of 9/11 are more than random acts of evil; it was an event that fundamentally changed the trajectory of our country. It is now a vital part of our country's history. It has personal significance to our family, and but for the grace of God, it could have made our family not ever be a family. 

So we went to the Memorial yesterday morning. I had last been to the site when it was still Ground Zero so I needed some closure as well. 

Because I knew what used to stand in those footprints and because I had been in the buildings that stood there on more than one occasion, it was odd and disconcerting to see the space. 

It was also peaceful and calming. 

We talked about the names inscribed on the walls surrounding both pools. How those names stood for families left forever changed by the acts of evil that happened that day. How the names represented children without a parent and parents without their child, and sisters without their brother and friends and neighbors longer friends or neighbors.  

The girls wondered about the names. We talked about the people on the planes, and about remains not found and still somewhere in the underground. We talked about the men who flew the planes and Islam and muslims - and how a small sect of people should not define all people. 

We talked about the bravery of the people of United flight 93 - who lived the verse "there is no greater love than one who lays down his life for another". 

I chose not to take them into the museum. There are many, many images there, some of them very disturbing. Cami and I were able to have a conversation about that (without Becky). The people that fell from the buildings that day. The families that posted notes begging for their missing family members to contact them. The first responders that went into the buildings that day as people were rushing out - and who never came out. 

I took no tourist photos of my children in front of the pools - it felt wrong to take a smiling selfie at the sight of a tomb for some. I did not want the significance of that place for my children to marred by the "its just another tourist site". This was not a tourist visit but a life moment for them and for me. 

The memorial stands as a touchpoint of history and loss and perseverance and fortitude and a country united. 

9/11/01

We will remember. 

A highlight day

Day 3 - we affectionately dubbed it "Museum Day" because that was what was on our agenda. We started at the American Museum of Natural History

There were some really cool things - but our favorite was the gem and mineral exhibits

We liked it - but to be honest, it didn't quite meet our expectations. We went to the planetarium show, where we got to listen to a thirty minute show about the validity of the big bang theory. At the end, Becky said to me "mom, all those people in there believed them when they said that we were created from nothing. That's so sad they might never know we were created by God." 

Yes. It's very sad.

We then headed out for a true New York culinary experience - the hot dog truck.   

 We  took our culinary treats over to THE park, found a bench and ate in true New Yorker style ....

then meandered through the park on our way to the East side. 

At the Rockettes show the night before, part of the show took place in Central Park at the Alice Statue. Out meandering brought us there by chance which was cool for the girls to see up close

Our meanderings finally brought us to our destination - The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cami had been waiting for this all trip! 

We only had time to choose a few things to see. The girls first choice was, of course, the Chinese collections.  The meditation room was an unexpected bonus!  

The Egyptian art collection was the other section we had time for. Cami studied ancient world history this year, and she was able to identify a lot of the items and tell the story behind them. 

On the way out, we got to walk through (quickly) the medieval collections - creepy but awesome! 

I am convinced that Cami could have spent three or four days in the Met - no problem. She said it was tied for first place with the Rockettes for the best thing on the trip so far! 

We were absolutely exhausted when we were done, so we headed back to Chinatown (where our hotel is) for dinner. However , one is never too exhausted to walk a few blocks for an after dinner treat! (they indulged in the gelato...but I knew better and got the Italian cookies and cannoli! 

Friday will be our last morning in the city then it is up to the Hudson River Valley for the main event of the trip! 

Big Apple - Day 2

We had a busy 2nd day in New York. The red eye flight an the time change caught up with us all and we slept in (well, some of us slept in!!) 

Once we got up and going, we hopped the subway and headed to Midtown and the Empire State Building. 

It's a chore to get up there, but the views are totally worth the effort. The girls were impressed - for about 10 minutes then were ready to move on! 

One of the things the girls spotted from the top of the was the world's largest department store....so we had to make a trip there. 

I was super impressed with their reaction to the 10 floors of stuff - they were actually unimpressed and walked away wondering "why all this stuff" and "who would like that and buy it all?" We had a great opportunity to talk about how not to get sucked into the consumerism of the world.

It was a lesson further enhanced by a SUPER cool store that featured minerals...

some really, really big minerals!

The girls loved it - until they learned that the above mineral formation was for sale for $35,000. Becky just couldn't wrap her heads around the fact they were selling these and they weren't in a museum

then we had a typical New York tourist moment....the teenager was pretty over the pictures at this point! 

A quick  "fly by" to visit Patience and Fortitude.....

 

Then bak to the hotel for Hong Kong style ice cream....

with Auntie D!!!!! This might be the highlight of the trip for all of us. 

 The eating fest continued.....

The owner of this place was a kick - he was pure italian right down to the "fuggetaboutit" 

we got Auntie D on the subway (reluctantly) 

to our big night out to see the Rockettes! 

We really only had the resources for one "show" and since the girls get Broadway quality opportunities at home (not that we take them - but they are there!!) and the Rockettes have a summer show, that's what we decided to do.

It was totally the right choice - the girls LOVED it!! 

We also go the chance to meet a Rockette afterwards - which was totally cool! She asked me what my favorite thing about the show was....and it was easy to answer. I loved the best getting to share the experience with my girls! 

More eating - can not possibly come to New York City with our having at least one slice of Ray's. 

A walk through Times Sqare afterwards - the girls pretty much hated it They were totally unimpressed and absolutely did not get what all the fuss is about. I am so proud of them for that, 

It was an awesome day!