My September 11th Story

“Circle of Terror” Motorcycle Road Trip
I went on a long motorcycle ride in 2001 that preceded September 11^th terrorist attacks by a few days and turned out to be an average of 7 miles from each place of terrorism.

Motorcycle Camping Adventure
On the spur of the moment I decided to take a road trip with my Kawasaki KLR 650 in late summer 2001. I was thinking what a great bike ride it would be to go to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and then from there stop at Thomas Jefferson's house, Monticello before going to Washington D.C. and then New York. I had ridden my motorcycle up north in Michigan a couple hundred miles and did some trail riding and camping which I really enjoyed. I bought some good saddlebags to carry things in and I was self-contained with a sleeping bag, tent, stove etc. So off I went on a journey like no other.

Shawnee State Park in Pennsylvania
My first stop was Shawnee State Park campground in Pennsylvania. It was a big and empty place. Nice enough and provided a good nights rest. This camping spot turned out to be about 14 miles from where flight 93 crashed.

Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive
From there I rode to the north entrance of Shenandoah National Park at Front Royal. I made my main destination without a hitch. The park was beautiful. The day was perfect and sunny. The drive along Skyline Drive was very enjoyable on a motorcycle. I looked for a camping spot that was wild and accessible by motorcycle only. But being in a strange place without anyone around made me a little nervous so I decided the use the designated camping at Lewis Mountain. I did not like the high cost of the campsite so I did something I rarely do. I got up early, broke camp and left before they came around collecting money. I do not believe that one guy with a tent and a motorcycle should have to pay the same as a 30 foot RV with 6 people and 2 cars.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Anyway I finished the drive along Skyline toward Charlotte, Virginia and Monticello. I made Monticello after some difficult on the back roads of Virginia.  It was a really nice tour. Thomas Jefferson is a hugely important figure in American history and as a history major in college, Monticello was a must see. I camped that night at a campground somewhere in Virginia but I can’t remember where or what its name was but it was a nice spot right on a pretty lake.

Camping in Washington D.C.
On to Washington D.C. which was on the way to New York City. I didn’t want to deal with city traffic on the motorcycle so I stayed at a campground near D.C. Greenbelt National Park campground in Maryland, and it was great. A nice campsite, a hot shower and a short drive to the Greenbelt metro station. Again a strange way to go but I chose to park the bike at the station and commute in by train. It worked very well. No getting frustrated by big city traffic or worrying about parking or paying too much for a bed.

Supreme Court Salad Bar
Washington D.C. is one of those destinations you can return to again and again. There’s so much to see that I pick some places and not all. You can get burned out trying to see it all and that’s not fun. This trip I chose to visit the Supreme Court. I took the tour which was cool. They take you right into the main court room where all the big cases are decided. There is a good lunch to be had in the cafeteria. Eating where all the people involve in the highest court in the land eat. Commuting back to Greenbelt and my bike was fast and easy. On to Manhattan by way of New Jersey. Again I chose to stay outside of the main destination and commute in. I picked Allaire State Park. Just a short ride to a park to a New Jersey commuter train station.

Another Chance to Explore New York City
First day in the city was September 10^th, 2001. I was doing the tourist thing when I made my way to Rockefeller center where they tape and broadcast varies TV shows including my favorites Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. It’s been a dream of mine to get into the studio audience of SNL which happen in 2008. I found out that you

can get stand-by tickets (space available vouchers) for Conan if you’re willing to get in line early in the morning. So that was the idea and I thought I’d at least get to see the studio of SNL by way of the NBC studio tour. While waiting for the tour to start I met a cute Canadian girl named Sarah. She was on her own too and we where going on the same tour.

NBC Studio Tour and Saturday Night Live
The tour was great. They took us to different places within Rockefeller center. My favorite of course was studio 8H were Saturday Night Live is taped. Very cool! Another interesting studio or a special part of the news station was a “ready room” for breaking news. It was explained to us that after the Kennedy assignation the networks were unable to react fast enough and not wanting that problem again designed this place to be ready in minutes to handle an important story. After the tour, Sarah and I decided to hang out together and see the city. She suggested we see a Broadway musical which I’d never done before so I said sure. When I'm dealing with a pretty girl, she probably could have said let’s go to the city dump and I’d say yes but that’s another story.

Rent, Were Not Going to Pay it!
We went to the Nederlander theater ticket window and managed to get last minute tickets for “Rent” the musical. Not only were the tickets really cheap, they were in the front row! The downside was that we could not seat together. In fact they were on opposite ends of the stage but so what? The performance was amazing. I couldn't believe I was in front row so close to the actors. And thinking about all the people behind me paying more and see less. I mean there were people that could barely see the stage and I was able to see each and every one of the actors faces. I almost felt like I was part of the show. Ok, enough about how great it was, after the performance Sarah and I made a date to meet tomorrow in front of Rockefeller center to wait in line for Late Night with Conan O’Brien tickets at 7.00 a.m. As I made the subway back to Penn station I notice some of the actors from rent waiting for the train too. How cool!

Getting Up Early. I’ve Got a Date!
I had to get up really early, about 4:00 a.m. if I was going to meet Sarah at 7:00a.m. in the city. But I did it. I have to tell you if it wasn’t for Sarah, I probably would have gone back to sleep. It was still dark when I took my shower. I rode the

 bike to the train station and parked. The trip in to the city was smooth and easy. I was the first person in line out front of the famous Rainbow Room entrance of Rockefeller center. Sarah was late but she did show up. It was great to be in her company while waiting in line.  The wait wasn’t bad at all. The weather was nice and we were treated to seeing some celebrities up close using the entrance.  Katie Couric was really sweet and said “you're all waiting for Conan tickets aren't you” as she walked in. Then it was Ray Romano and Peter Boyle from Everyone Loves Raymond using the entrance.

Tickets in Hand but No Show
Tickets for the show were to be passed out at 9:00 a.m. Just as the time came, a busty blond woman walked up to us and in a panicked voice said “a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center.” We didn’t believe her. Thinking that we were close enough to have heard something like that. And I’ll never forget her saying “fine, don’t believe me” as she hurried into the building. Seconds later an NBC Page began handing out the tickets, mine being the first with the number 1 written on the back in black magic marker. The buzz of the event started to become real with the page saying that there will probably not be a show today. Huge understatement. We started to wonder if the woman was telling the truth.

Rosie O'Donnell’s Reaction with her Child
A large black SUV pulled up and Rosie O'Donnell and her child were rushed inside. The window was rolled down and I

could see her clearly. And again I will never forget this but one second she had an expression of horror on her face and when she looked at the baby, her face changed completely to a smile and calm. Sarah and I broke line to try and find out what was happening. We came up on a guy with a radio and learned the reality by broadcast. I was completely in shock and did not know what to think. We were three and half miles from the site. We almost immediately started walking towards lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center. Walking block after block, fueled by a morbid curiosity. Could we really be here in Manhattan today, this morning? How? Why? Confused, shocked disbelief. We walked and walked, getting closer and closer to the tragedy. And then it happened.

Watching the South Tower Fall
We witnessed the impossible, the absolute unthinkable. With a clear view down 6th Avenue at 10:05 a.m. we watched the first tower fall. Again, it was a clear, sunny day making our point of view unobstructed. We saw the tilting, first, of the top of the South Tower which included several floors. The enormous section of office building then began to fall straight down. I saw thousands of  windows scattering, glittering simultaneously as they were stuck by the bright sunlight. It was surreal. Unimaginable. I remember thinking I just witnessed thousands of people losing their lives in an instant. We just couldn't believe want we just saw. Sarah had a walkman radio with ear bud headphones and was listening to the news. She said that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon in Washington. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Fighter jets where flying overhead. Is this it? The end? When is it going to stop? It wasn’t on a TV screen, it was right in front of us. All around us. We were part of the event.

Three and a Half Blocks from Ground Zero
We kept walking closer and closer. And finally we were stopped by police barricades. I wanted through. I wanted to help. To help in any way. But I felt an attachment to Sarah and didn’t want to leave her. So we linger there at the corner of Greenwich St. and Duane, just 3 and a half block’s from the destruction. Right at the point where the white dust stopped. I’m crying as I write this. It was such a horrible day in American history. Without much we could do we retreated to a small restaurant. We sat down and had sandwiches. I guess when something so bad happens your quick to try and act normal. Police and firemen were coming in, here and there, covered in ash for a bottle of water. I felt incredibly guilty being able to eat lunch so close to where thousands died.

We Couldn’t Give our Blood Away!
After lunch Sarah and I began to search for a hospital that we could donate blood to. We searched and searched, making our way uptown. By the time we found a hospital, they were turning people away. Without much we could do, we made our way to an apartment on the Upper West side that Sarah’s cousin was letting her use. It took hours. Transportation was a mess. We managed to get on a very crowded bus that just crawled. Frustrated with that, we just got off and walked, making our way to Grand Central Station for the subway that was running again. We finally got to her apartment and watched for the first time what the whole world had been watching since it all started. Seeing it on TV from all the different perspectives was excruciating. Seeing those planes crashing again and again and knowing exactly where I was. Absolutely terrible.

Here’s Some Popcorn, Now There’s the Door
Well, I can lighten things up a little with what happened next. I didn’t really want to go all the way back to the campground not knowing if it were even possible. I had asking Sarah early in the day if I could stay with her considering what had happened, and she reluctantly agreed. With the weight of the day’s events I broke my own rule of never asking someone if you can stay with them. If they offer that’s fine, but don’t ask. Well anyway I guess she was having second thoughts. This strange guy she does know staying in an apartment that was lent to her. I don’t blame her. It was funny how she went about it. She offered me some delicious hot buttery microwave popcorn and some cold Gatorade. She literally buttered me up, to make the bad news seat better because just after I finish the goodies she said she didn’t feel comfort about me staying. So I left.

Escape from New York - Getting Out of Town
I was on my own. Making my way back to Penn station for the train back to New Jersey. I remarked how it seemed

 people were out eating and drinking at sidewalk restaurants and bars. As I got closer to the station I noticed a very bazaar thing. No cabs. I mean not one. And if you’ve ever been to New York City you know those yellow taxis are omnipresent. The second thing was blackness looking south. Lower Manhattan was completely dark. A city that is always bright and alive was not. The last thing I remember seeing was city busses with firemen on them driving to the scene. Penn station was operating and after a long wait I was able to take the train out of the city. One more unforgettable image was this man on the train. A business man with a briefcase heading home. Covered head to toe in white dust and wearing a dazed, blank stare on his face. What he must have experienced. As the train came to my stop, I couldn’t help but think how many people would never return to their cars in that parking lot.

I Had Enough
Totally sick and dishearten, I raced back to Detroit the next day on my motorcycle at 80 MPH for 10 hours. I planned to do more but under the circumstances I just wanted to go home.

Story Side Note
Exactly one year later, September 11, 2002, I flew into New York City. Got a ticket, again after waiting in line and made it into the studio audience of a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Photo Gallery

 

		My only picture with Sarah in it

Related Web sites to this story: Shenandoah National Park Monticello Tour Greenbelt National Park Supreme Court Tour NBC Studio Tour Nederlander Theatre

Places visited on this trip: Michigan - Detroit Pennsylvania – Shawnee State Park Virginia – Shenandoah National Park Virginia - Monticello Maryland - Greenbelt National Park Washington D.C. - U.S. Supreme Court Tour New Jersey – Allaire State Park campground New York - Rockefeller Center New York - Corner of Greenwich Street and Duane Michigan - Detroit