Flight 93 Memorial

I spent a good while driving the winding roads through mountains and forests, seeing lovely farms and experiencing the peace of this part of the world.  Then I went to the Flight 93 Memorial, and the peaceful loveliness of the countryside just underscored the incomprehensible horror of that day.  Residents were mostly inside, watching the news of NY and the Pentagon.  Then their ground shook, a horrible noise filled the air, and a huge smoke cloud marked the spot of impact.  Terrorism had come to their little world.

The memorial made a huge impact on me.  It was simple, tasteful, and well thought out.  The Wall of Remembrance, with all the passengers' names engraved on it, follows the flight line.  At one end, through a "gate," you can see a path mowed through the wildflower meadow (that was what the field was on 9/11), ending at a boulder that marks the point of impact.  Low gray walls show the boundary originally marked with a fence ordered by the coroner, to enclose the area where bodies had been found.

More photos here:  Flight 93