A Field in Shanksville

Flight 93 National Memorial

It’s been three years since I visited this site in Pennsylvania. It’s been 24 years since the 911 attacks. An entire generation has grown up since then. 

I have written about this memorial and about the 911 anniversary before. I keep thinking that this will fade from memory with the passage of time, but traumatic events leave their mark.

When I visited the memorial, I viewed the exhibits but did not listen to the audio recordings. It would’ve been just too much to handle emotionally. I also did not visit the tower in the picture, preferring to see it from a distance.

Flight 93 National Memorial

Stoystown, PA

I had planned to post these pictures yesterday, September 11. Unfortunately Blogspot did not want to cooperate with my efforts, so I wound up doing a much shorter post.

Blue Monday / Treasures

The visitor center at the Flight 93 National Memorial is well worth a visit. The architecture at the entrance is impressive and lets you know you are in a sacred space. Visuals and sounds tell the story of the brave people who thwarted the terrorists’ plans but lost their lives. There are recordings that you can listen to but I chose not to, because the sights and memories are sad enough.

View from the Flight Path Overlook

Flight 93 National Memorial 

 

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stoystown

This church is near the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Something odd is going on with this first picture. I suspect I was turning off the camera and accidentally hit the shutter button. Let’s just call this a “special effect.”

The church faces the Lincoln Highway, US Route 30. I believe this building dates to 1888.

Tower of Voices

Flight 93 National Memorial

This tower has 40 chimes representing the 40 people who died on Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. I did not walk over to the tower because my feet were sore. 

This picture was taken from the parking lot with a bike rack in the foreground. The tower is 93 feet tall. The park service has a page on this impressive memorial.

Six More Snapshots from Pennsylvania

Once I made it to Pittsburgh, my sister did all the driving.

Sophia is learning cheerleading and demonstrated how to get up on her dad’sshoulders. And her brother insisted on trying it. 

I took another picture of Peggy using portrait mode and then changed the adjustments using my Photos app. My iPhone impresses me.

At the end of my visit, I left later than I intended, and then didn't drive straight home because I like viewing scenery and taking pictures. The pretty church is Unity United Church of Christ near the town of Berlin.

Views from the Duquesne Incline

Pittsburgh, PA

 

Signs / Reflections

I stayed with my sister in Penn Hills and she took me to see the incline and the views at Duquesne Heights. The cable cars go up and down a steep slope on 5-foot wide tracks. Originally constructed in 1877, the system serves both commuters and tourists. 

Duquesne Incline Official Site

Floral Friday, Pennsylvania Edition

I just got back from Pittsburgh.

On Tuesday I drove up to Pittsburgh to visit my sister who was there to see her children and grandchildren. I took many pictures but I am tired so I’m only going to post a few of them tonight.

Pennsylvania is a pretty state but I don't like the roads. Many of them are old and need repairs, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Roads in the Pittsburgh area are convoluted because they have to go around hills and rivers.

My sister Peggy currently lives in Kentucky but her family is in Pittsburgh. We spent an evening with her son Elias and his family.

Spending time with family is special. Don’t be shy about asking them to pose. 

Lutheran Church, Greenville Township, Pennsylvania

On our way home from Pittsburgh on Wednesday, we passed this Lutheran Church on Greenville Road. 

This brick church may have been built in 1848. (I say "may" because I have not confirmed that it is the same building as the Lutheran Church mentioned in an online history book.)

I had to check that this is in Pennsylvania and not Maryland, because we were close to the state line.  I was following instructions on my car navigation system, which had surprised me by telling me to leave US 219 and take backroads to reach I-68. I actually passed a sign warning truckers to not follow their GPS by going this way! There was a hairpin turn as the road descended from a mountain. I had no problem with it because my car is not very long.

Links:

• Inspired Sunday
• Our Trip to Pennsylvania

Post-Vaccination Trip to Pennsylvania

We took a brief trip to Pennsylvania this week. Since we got our second dose of the Covid vaccine two months ago, we felt that is was relatively safe to travel by car. My sister is visiting Pittsburgh this week and that is closer than Kentucky, so this was an opportunity to see her for the first time in over a year. 

Signs, Signs

Frank has a brother who lives near Pittsburgh so we saw him too. 

Images 1-3 are at the Maryland Welcome Center at Sideling Hill. It has some pretty views. On the door I saw a hand-drawn sign that says "Mask on Maryland."

I did most of the driving so did not take many pictures en route.

Eventually I needed Frank to take the wheel. I pulled over in a parking lot in Uniontown and saw this sign for a tire store.

We had arranged to meet Frank's brother at a Dairy Queen in Delmont, PA. Frank then went off with him for two nights and I continued to my sister's residence, but first I wanted to locate a restroom. The doors to Dairy Queen were locked. Like many restaurants, they are doing drive-through service only. This protects their staff from exposure to Covid, at least for the most part. 

At a service station, a clerk directed me to a Get-Go gas station that has open restrooms. 

I was glad to have my GPS to direct me to Peggy's address, even though it had failed me three times on the trip so far. I think it loses signal in the mountains and then says to turn either too soon or too late. 

When I finally reached Peggy's driveway, I was delighted to have a welcoming committee of Peggy, her daughter Meadow, her daughter-in-law Michelle, and her cute little girl. It's hard to believe she is eleven already; see her picture as a baby in 2010.

The next day we visited Larry, Meadow's dad, at his home near Greensburg.

Later Peggy took me to a softball game where her grand-daughter was playing. Here are Michelle, Elias, and their dog Nala with Peggy.

Elias is Peggy's son. I did not see him the day before because he was at a softball game with his son. Both of the children enjoy sports.

I only spent two nights at Peggy's house, and left yesterday. I drove back to Delmont  to meet Frank and Bill. 

I am thankful that I had a chance to see family members. All had been vaccinated except the children, so that's a great thing.