September 11, 2013: Tribute In Lights from the Brooklyn Bridge

Date: September 11, 2013
Event: Tribute In Lights from the Brooklyn Bridge
Location: New York City, lower Manhattan
Summary: Remembering

I wasn’t in New York on 9/11; I was still living in Seattle at the time. But since I moved here I make a point of memorializing this day in this city that I now call home. A trip to lower Manhattan to see the Tribute In Lights, a stop at Ground Zero to reflect upon the past and feel the push towards the future as the new tower stands at its full height and the rest of the buildings at Ground Zero continue to be built.

I wasn’t in New York last year so I wasn’t able to make my way south. But I did this year. I decided to view the Tribute In Lights (the twin lights that shine straight up from near Ground Zero) from the Brooklyn Bridge, something I hadn’t done before.

It was a hot and humid night but the breeze out near the center of the bridge was nice. And there were a lot of people out taking pictures and seeing the lights.

Overall it was a beautiful night to be out. More pictures on the “Read More” link below.

July 19, 2013: Walking Across the Golden Gate Bridge

Date: July 19, 2013
Event: Walking Across the Golden Gate Bridge
Location:  San Francisco, California
Cost: FREE
Summary: It was overcast, foggy, windy, and cold.  And I loved it.

Work took me back to the west coast again for a week in the San Francisco Bay area.  When I spend a week there, I usually try to get a very early morning flight on Friday back to New York.  But this trip I ended up booked on a 4:00 pm flight Friday.  I was very grumpy about that.  Until I came up with a plan:  use the extra time in SanFran on Friday to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

This plan made me less grumpy.

The weather, however, didn't exactly cooperate.  It was overcast.  It was foggy.  And I was there early (6:45 am) before any of the fog and clouds were burned off.  But you know what?  That's okay.  It made everything very moody but I still loved the walk and I loved the pictures.

A couple impressions of Golden Gate -- it's loud.  You're walking right next to the road deck where cars and trucks are whizzing by at 45 to 50 miles an hour.  Also, it's windy and cold.  Take a jacket.  It's might be a bit scary for those who don't deal well with heights, but not too bad.  The railing along the majority of the bridge is not super high but you certainly couldn't accidentally fall off or anything, and the bridge does move a bit (shakes and rumbles) as bigger vehicles go by.  But, as someone who does have issue with heights, I was able to make the walk without any problems.

But it is worth the effort.  The bridge itself is spectacularly beautiful, of course and an engineering marvel.  The walk is really pretty easy -- 3.5 miles round trip to go all away across and back.  And it's just wonderful to get outside and do something different!

And best yet -- I was able to get standby on the 11:20 am flight.  So I got to walk across the bridge AND get back to NYC at a not completely unreasonable time.  Win-win!

Okay, some mysterious and moody pictures...