Day 9 - World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building

Scott and I got up early and walked over to Chick-Fil-A to pick up breakfast. We ate in our room before heading out for the day.  We were heading to the south of Manhattan today and will spend the morning at the site of the World Trade Center.

First we spent some time at the 9/11 Memorial.  Each is almost an acre in size and sits on the foot print of  the original North and South Tower.  They are the largest manmade waterfall and are impressive in design.  Beyond that, the outer barrier is etched with the names of those who lost their lives.  Its one of the quietest places in NYC and today was no exception.

Next we went to the 9/11 Museum, dedicated to remembering the events of 2001.  We did two separate 40-minute audio tours.  This was a first for everyone in the family.  The museum really was incredible - and super emotional to hear first-hand accounts and better understand the experiences of those in NYC, DC, and on the planes that day.

 

Next we went up into One World Observatory.  This is the tallest building on Manhattan and the views are incredible.  After looking around a bit, we stopped for dinner and took in a bit more of the view.

Next we took the subway across the river just inside Brooklyn and then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was a fun experience and one I have wanted to do for some time.

We were all pretty warm at this point, so we headed back to the room to give our feet a break and enjoy the A/C.  After we got cleaned up and cooled down, we headed over by Rockefeller Center for dinner at Capital Grille.  We love Capital Grill but because there isn't one close to home, we make a point to visit any location we travel near.

It was an amazing steak dinner with their specialty cheesecake. Yum!

I intentionally didn't have much planned for this evening to fill in with anything Scott wanted to do before he heads home tomorrow.  He chose to visit Empire State Building.  We grabbed an Uber and enjoyed talking with the driver about the city (he's been here over 50 years and seen a lot of changes)

The Empire State Building begins with a fun museum of the history of the building.  We enjoyed learning about the construction and were super impressed that it was building under 9 months.  

Then we headed up to the 80th floor observatory and the 86th which is open-air and the reason we came.  Although no longer the tallest, it is a unique experience to be this high up and outdoors.  The city was beautiful!

The elevator line was long so we opted to take the steps a few floors and giggled for the "behind-the-scenes" tour.  Then grabbed a pic in the lobby by the mural.

It was a great night and we were only 11 blocks from the hotel so we decided walk back.  Our route took us past the Public Library which I was hoping to see.  The family indulged me with one more selfie!

We got back to our hotel around 10:45p.  It was a busy but perfect day in NYC.  So thankful for the memories we are making and for these kind folks I get to explore with.