Travel Tips

Drawn to Ground Zero

As a sign of the times, my New York friend admitted that he had actually applauded one of those red double-decker busses as it passed by. It was suddenly very “in” to be a tourist in the city, almost patriotic. The lack of tourists in the first couple of weeks after the terrorist attack made New York realize how financially dependant it was on visitors.
Among highlights of my New York visit were two excellent Broadway plays, “Cabaret” with Brook Shields in the lead role and “Rent”; visits to the Natural History Museum and the Modern Museum of Art; strolling with my daughter through Central Park on a beautiful spring day; meeting her work supervisor for a dinner of shepherd pie at an Irish pub in Times Square; and a number of very good dinners out at unique restaurants.
The signs of the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack were unavoidable. American flags were visible everywhere throughout the city and New Jersey, where many of the victims lived.
Street vendors were doing a hot business in flags, photographs and drawings of the World Trade Centers and all kinds of red-white-and-blue pins, buttons, ribbons, scarves and other merchandise.
Impromptu shrines to the firefighters who had lost their lives in the tragedy marked virtually every fire station throughout the city with flags, candles, flowers and posters of those who had lost their lives. Similar displays, had cropped up at such places as at the door that marked the Transit Police in the Port Authority building and at a magnificent sculpture of a crying fireman sitting in Times Square, originally destined for Kansas City, but donated to the city of New York The walls of the walk down to the subway were plastered with “thank you” banners and cards from communities and children throughout the country.
While my previous experience with New York City is somewhat limited, people in the city were much friendlier than their reputation. I got in a number of conversations with strangers, and the talk always turned to the trauma the city was still experiencing.
And, yes, I was drawn to Ground Zero, or as close to it as blocked off streets, police and National Guardsmen would allow. I was able to view just a little of the destruction from a long block away, along with many others who were also drawn to the site. “This is hallowed ground,” read one flyer on a business window still covered with the dust from the collapse of the twin towers.
I had left my tour bus at Spring St. and Broadway, and walked the 20 or so blocks to Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan. Only emergency vehicles were allowed in that part of the city, but the amount of activity was incredible. The sidewalks were full of people, many with picture identifications around their necks and a few hurrying down the street wearing a surgical or gas mask.
One of my original plans was to visit the Statue of Liberty while in New York. The excursion boats to the statue and Ellis Island, of course, were not running, but through a cyclone fence at the tip of Battery Park I was able to view Lady Liberty, still holding her torch in the distance.
The trip back home to Joseph, via flights to Salt Lake City and Boise, was uneventful though an enormous Delta line at Newark airport made me glad that I had arrived at 5 a.m. for my 7:10 departure. Security, as advertised, seemed very tight.
As always after venturing into the wider world – but especially this time – I was very happy to arrive back home to my isolated corner of Eastern Oregon.