OK, SO THE "LAST TRIP" TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE LAST TRIP...

I figure if Cher can have more than one farewell tour, I can have more than one last trip...

On October 4, we took a trip to the 9/11 Memorial Site and Museum in NYC.  I had mixed emotions about doing the trip.  On one hand, I feel it's important that we not forget what happened to this country on that day; on the other hand, I wasn't sure I was comfortable with how the site has turned into another tourist destination.  So I visited the site in advance of our trip to get a better idea of what to expect when our group went.  Very glad I did.

The museum is large and the exhibits are spread out over several levels.  I found some of the areas to be set up a bit awkwardly which caused bottlenecks as people tried to work their way around those areas.  The museum does provide a nice map to help guide you and there are docents located at various areas who provide interesting facts and details about some of the exhibits.  

If you plan to visit the museum, I recommend that you check out the website in advance in order to become familiar with the layout and the exhibits.  Everyone has different viewing preferences, but a guide for time to spend there would be at least 2.5 to 3 hours.  

Keep in mind that the area is basically a business district (meaning not a lot of interesting touristy sites) and it's undergoing a lot of construction (meaning it can get confusing meandering through the streets). Other than the Century 21 department store (I have yet to find any major bargains there), there isn't much else in the area for tourists.  I like Brookfield Place as a place to hit for dining and/or relaxing, but there are plenty of other options including fast food, pizza, and pubs.  

It rained on the day of our trip, so the photos contained in this post are a combination of my first visit and the October 4 trip.  For those who couldn't make the October 4 trip, shoot me an e-mail to ddavis@davisdaytrips.com and let me know if you are interested in joining us on a trip in 2015.