One year ago Monday, I had a bit of downtime during a weekend trip to New York City, so I decided on a whim to ride the subway to New York’s tallest skyscraper and take the elevator up to the observation deck. On Monday, I did the same thing — but my destination wasn’t the same building. Of course, that’s because New York’s tallest buildings, the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, were destroyed in the horrible terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Empire State Building has now tragically re-assumed the title of the Big Apple’s tallest skyscraper.

Since I can never again return to the “Top of the World” observation deck that I visited on June 3, 2001 — nor to the 107th-floor gift shop where I bought the New York Beanie Baby now known as Unity Bear — I did the next-best thing Monday, making a pilgrimage to the observation deck of the Empire State Building, from where Unity Bear and I looked out at the beautiful views of New York, and stared wistfully toward the hole in the skyline where the World Trade Center once stood. (For more on Unity Bear, click here.)

I also visited the area near Ground Zero and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday. And that was just the tail end of a wonderful weekend in which Becky came to town and we saw “Cabaret” on Broadway, toured Central Park, and strolled through Greenwich Village, among other things. Check back soon for more photos of our weekend, including my parents’ 25th anniversary party Friday night!

Out of ESB. Bought a new teddy bear there. :)

At observation deck of Empire State Building. Got picture of WTC native Unity Bear & me in front of downtown skyline.

Standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, over the East River. Terrorist threats be damned!

Today is the anniversary of my last trip to the World Trade Center — June 3, 2001, exactly 100 days before Sept. 11. I think I’ll go visit the Empire State Building today, in observance of the occasion, and bring the teddy bear I bought at the WTC one year ago, Unity Bear.