The Opening on September 11 of the Memorial Will Initially Provide Only Limited Viewing Opportunities

As we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11, I've received a number of inquiries from readers about the advisability of trips to New York to view the structures now in construction at Ground Zero. Eventually, of course, that area will be one of the most heavily visited in New York, and a potent reason for scheduling a trip to New York.

But not yet. What will open on September 11 is not the long-awaited museum commemorating the events of September 11, but the Memorial Plaza of that area, the two reflecting pools on the sites where the Twin Towers once stood, surrounded by an expansive garden area. And the Memorial Plaza will also display the names of the persons who died on that day.

For obvious reasons, the Memorial Plaza will be restricted to visits by relatives of the victims on September 11 itself. Thereafter, additional would-be visitors will need to apply by e-mail to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation (information can be found at www.911memorial.org ) for a pass (visitor numbers will need to be limited each day). So heavy are the requests for such admissions that the first several weeks of visits are said to be already fully reserved. And it will not be until some point in 2012 that the Museum of September 11 will be open. I would think that most out-of-town visitors would want to wait until 2012 to schedule visits that will then enjoy access to the long-awaited museum.

The 10th anniversary of September 11 will be Sunday, September 11, 2011. My daughter and I plan to devote the entire two hours of our Sunday broadcast that day to the travel aspects of September 11 and the new Memorial site, forthcoming Museum, and other structures now approaching completion on the site. And we will be interviewing persons with informed comments to make about the travel aspects of September 11: the security procedures that September 11 brought about in our air transportation, the response of aviation officials to the news of September 11 and the temporary, day-long moratorium on later flights that day, the impact of September 11 on tourism to New York and the recovery of such tourism, the reasons for visiting the Memorial site and Museum. If any of our readers have particular comments to make about September 11, we'd be happy to hear from you and to consider recording your remarks for presentation on the broadcast that day.

You can pass on your initial response by way of comments to this blog.