Vacations Blog

National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, NY, NY

There are many touching memorials to honor those who died on this day besides the new memorial being built in New York at the World Trade Center. The attack on 9/11 did not tear us apart as intended, instead it brought diverse cultures together to honor those who died:

Russia donated a memorial to a small town in New Jersey, a town in Connecticut came together to build a glass tribute, Ducks Unlimited and a park commission collaborated to create a space for reflection, Staten Island created an uplifting sculpture for their hard hit community. An airport in Boston just dedicated it’s beautiful shrine and the U.S. Department of Defense dedicates their memorial on 9/11–those experts in sadness created an eloquent monument for  those we lost.  All  honor those who sacrificed for us. All are built from the ground up. All are beautiful.

National Memorial in Bayonne, New Jersey, courtesy of sister72.

“Standing more than 100 feet tall, “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” honors victims of 9/11 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and serves a symbol of solidarity in the fight against world terrorism. Created by Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, the memorial was a gift from the Russian people.”–Bayonne Redevelopment Authority.

National Memorial in honor of September 11, 2001 in the Meadowlands, New Jersey, photo courtesy of tonythemisfit

“The memorial site is directly across the  Hudson River from where the World Trade Centers once stood. A permanent memorial consisting of a curved deck with two projecting piers that face the Manhattan skyline was constructed along a marsh cove in the park. The piers are patterned after the World  Trade   Center   Towers  and surfaced with 110 boards representing the 110 floors of the towers. Where the piers meet the main deck, a porcelain enamel plaque dedicates the site in memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11.”–New Jersey Meadowlands Commission in partnership with Ducks Unlimited.

The Danbury September 11 Memorial in Danbury, Connecticut courtesy of carbonnyc

“The Danbury Memorial was constructed by taking huge sheets of e glass and cutting out the center parts of 28 inch squares and using a hammer and chisel to chisel out the inner space, forming a 21 inch square by 144 inch interior space – representing the absence of the World Trade Towers to their proportional dimensions. The interior empty space is the same proportional dimensions as the physical presence of both Towers. The inner polished glass panel has engraved, on the backside, the names of all the Connecticut victims. Danbury residents’ names are highlighted at eye-level.”– City of Danbury, Connecticut

Pentagon Memorial, Dedication is on September 11, 2008

The Pentagon Memorial “honors 184 people whose lives were lost at the Pentagon and  American Airline Flight 77, their families and all those who sacrifice that we may live in freedom.”– U.S. Department of Defense

9/11 Memorial Monmouth Park, New Jersey

“Monmouth County’s 9/11 Memorial has three symbolic components: a timeline walkway to recollect the day’s events; a stone base carved with the names, ages and hometowns of the county residents who lost their lives; and an eagle sculpture with a beam from one of the fallen towers. There were 147 people from Monmouth County who perished in the terrorists attacks of September 11th, 2001… For days and weeks afterward, people visited Mount Mitchill to reflect and remember.” –Monmouth County Parks

Staten Island photo also by acnatta

“Staten Island was one of the hardest hit communities on 9/11, losing nearly 270 loved ones in the terrorist attacks on New York City that day. As a result, Staten Island needed its own memorial, a place for the loved ones of the victims to mourn and reflect, and a place for all visitors to remember those who lost their lives on that tragic day.

A Memorial Advisory Committee was formed, which included members of victims’ families and community representatives. The committee selected Masayuki Sono’s postcards from nearly 200 submissions. The solemn, yet uplifting design features two thin structures resembling postcards, perhaps sent to lost loved ones. From afar,they appear to be outstretched wings or a flower about to blossom.In order to honor the individual lives lost, part of Mr. Sono’s design provides that each Staten Island victim be honored with a 9”x11” granite plaque that will bear their name, birth date and place of work on September 11, 2001 as well as their profile in silhouette.–Staten Island Memorial

The Logan Airport 9/11 Memorial

The Logan Airport Memorial shining cube in Boston “honors the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which departed Logan Airport that morning for Los Angeles. The Memorial also commemorates the dedication to duty of the Logan Airport community in restoring the aviation system to full operation and the contributions its members made toward comforting the families of the passengers and crew who were aboard those flights.”–Massport

 I realize there are many more types of memorials created by thousands of from quilts to tattoos. These spoke to me.

May you go in peace.

According to a recent AAA survey, New York City is the 2nd most costly destination for travelers, averaging $606 per night for meals and lodging for two adults. Another survey of popular free attractions across the U.S. shows Central Park as the only place in New York which makes the list. That got me thinking about all the summer fun things to do in New York, which can be done without having to flash a card. I mean, it kinda takes the fun out of a fun holiday if you have to pay for it. So unless you have a rich uncle who enjoys underwriting your holidays, you might be needing this list of upcoming attractions and summer holiday themed events in and around New York.

Museum Mile Festival, 5th Avenue: On June 3rd 2008, from 6-9 pm, Fifth Ave transforms into New York’s biggest block party for the 30th annual Museum Mile Festival. This festival is unique because nine of NYC’s best museums throw open their doors to the public and allow full and free access. Photo credit -Project for Public Spaces

The entire mile between the nine museums, 23 blocks on Fifth Ave between 82nd and 105th, is traffic free and filled with street performers, music shows and informal street art exhibitions. The museums taking part include the MET and the Guggenheim Museum. You can see the full list of participating museums and performances here.

Staten Island Ferry: It’s free, and takes you on a cruise between Battery Park and Staten Island, with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and New York Harbor. More details here.

Free Walking Tours: Some of you may not consider walking to be a fun thing to do in summer, but how about if the walking tour takes you through the delights of Central Park or the magnificient Grand Central or the quaint food shops and heritage buildings in Greenwich Village, or a Times Square ‘expose’ (Fridays at noon. Meetup at Times Square Visitor Information Center: 7th Ave between 46th and 47th).

Gold Vault Tour of Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Now this is one tour that offers money for value. Or, to be precise, gold bars – Over 750,000 gold bars valued at more than $100 billion – More gold than you ever saw or will hope to see in one place. Photo credit – Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

A 10 ft passageway carved out of a 90 ton solid steel cylinder guards the entrance to the NY Fed’s gold vault, 5 floors and 80 feet below ground. The 60 minute tours are free, Mon-Fri. Reservations need to be made at least a month in advance. More details and contact info here.

Personally speaking, I prefer all this, and things like the 5th annual Loving Day celebrations at Solar One on June 8th 2008, which commemorates Loving vs. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage in the United States. Free BBQ, free beer, free ice cream, games and prizes, with DJ Spooky to keep things happening. Photo credit – Loving Day

But if you prefer a complete ‘getaway vacation’, per se, and you want it free, then what you want to do is head for the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George with camping gear. There’s 6 million acres of park and forest area waiting for you with RV parks, white water rafting and kayaking, lake side BBQ’s and bonfires, log cabins and tent sites, nature trails, fishing and get togethers. More details here.

If you have no idea how to go about setting up a tent, you might want to consider the not-so-free, but still cheap Camping Village which takes care of all the messy stuff like cooking and bath-rooms and beds, leaving you free to play the intrepid nature explorer.