The Zeck Travels: New York and beyond 2012

Off we go again.....into the Eastern yonder. We had quite a journey through several states with several stops I will try to highlight the trip but there was so much I'm sure I'll not do it justice. Buckle up.....here we go.....

Our bus we spent 8 days riding in.....

SMILE.......day one......hopefully we see that smile on day 8.....

Our first stop was in Shanksville, PA where we spent time reflecting back to 9/11 and Flight 93. The memorial they have created and are still working on was very moving. Hearing the story told from the ranger was tear jerking and caused anger to stir in all of us....again.

The walk way out to the site ....

A boulder in the exact place the plane went down.....it was told to us that it came in at 563 MPH, upside down, and when it struck it created a crater that went into the earth 40'. The area is cordoned off at the families request so that no one can go out there because it was impossible to say if all body parts were gathered. Once a year the families gather at the site.

A marble slab with each passenger name creates a wall.....

You'll all remember his "Let's Roll"......what bravery.....

Philadelphia.....Independence Hall

The site of Benjamin Franklin and his wife's grave...

The "nations church" where George Washington, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin worshiped...

outside with dear Bev.....we've been from one coast to the next with her and Steve this year.....what stories we can tell.....

We kinda split up for dinner in Philly and this group went to a restaurant and had Philly Steak sandwiches (I, of course, had chicken!!)......very good....I do believe there were a couple of beers served too!!

Our hotel in Philly....

The Rocky statue......

the Rocky steps......several of us made the trek up.......

You all recognize this guy don't you.....

AND you recognize this lady......I don't quite look like Rocky but I made it up the stairs.....

The Liberty Bell......I was surprised at the size....I was expecting it to be much bigger....

New York City.....Central Park.....

This is our group....minus one.....Donna had a sore foot and didn't make the trip into the park....

The wall of dreams.....you write a wish on a sticky paper....post it on the wall and every year they are taken down and become part of the confetti on New Year's Eve at the count down....then they start all over.....NO we never posted a wish......

We rode the ferry over to Ellis Island ......several hundred people were brought here daily and processed in order to enter the US......I questioned if people now a days would have the fortitude to go through what people did back then. I'm not sure I would have.....

They were housed in these buildings with wall to wall beds.....

Empire State Building.....

Called the flat iron building....was suppose to resemble a ship but people thought it looked like an iron and so the "flat iron building" stuck.....

And what is New York City without the lights......

Old China town......we went into Old Italy and had lunch...couldn't quite make myself eat at any of the Chinatown restaurants......humm

Bob and Donna on the ferry ride to Ellis Island....

Lady Liberty......still takes my breath to see her standing there.....BUT we have never got to go up in her due to some kind of renovation each time we've been there.....

The Lederhosen.....a German restaurant that our group had dinner at.....a FEW more beers were served along with some Apple Schnapps......

We celebrated our 44th anniversary with a great group of friends and a little German food.....and YES they had CHICKEN.....schnitzel......it was delicious......and NO that isn't my beer....good ole water for me!!

Grand Central Station....

The whispering wall.....you stand in the corner and someone stands in the corner diagonal to you and you whisper into the wall and the person across can hear you.....we all tried it and believe it or not it worked. We don't understand how or why but it did......even Pastor tried....

9/11 Memorial......the North and South pools are done.....they are on the exact "footprints" where the north and south towers stood. The 30' waterfalls cascade down into a void....names are inscribed all around the outer walls.....once the new World Trade Center memorial area is done it will have 4 towers surrounding the pools along with a museum. It will be quite a beautiful area in remembrance of that awful day.

One of the towers that is nearing completion...

This tree in the front is called the survivor tree. It was the only surviving tree after the collapse of the towers. It was moved to a city park and nursed back to health. Then a storm uprooted it and they decided to move it back to the memorial plaza area where it has taken root and is being surrounded by other trees being planted.

Plaque dedicated to the fireman....

Cape Cod......beautiful area....would love to go back and look around some....we had lunch on the water in a restaurant called the Hemisphere.....very good....

Most had salmon or haddock.....but I had.........NO turkey.....ha...it was good but way too much...

On to Plymouth ........another area that I'd like to visit again a little longer....

The rock...where the Pilgrims landed all those years ago.....

The rock use to be 3 - 4 times the size it is now, but people chipped pieces off of it so they had to encase it in this enclosure to protect it.....what a shame....

Mayflower II.....an exact replica of the original Mayflower. It brought 122 people over and took 66 days to get here. The people below deck were not allowed to come up to the top very often because there were so many who were sea sick and they didn't want them on deck. That would have been me!!