Titanic, May They be at Peace

April 15^th marks the 100^th Anniversary of the Titanic tragedy.

I first heard of Titanic when I was eleven. My teacher had a ticket to board the ship. However, they ended up canceling because her brother was ill.

Unfortunately, many were not so lucky.

I first met Titanic up close and personal in 2006. A traveling exhibit came to Atlanta, and I had to go see it. I was not disappointed. They had the original bell on display. The brass gleamed as if it was new, and I could picture the people waving from shore. I could hear the horns blaring and the bell ring as it pulled away from the port. Those on board did not realize that most would never see land again.

April 14^th 2009, I had another chance to visit. This one was a bit different. During the exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium, they had a paranormal group do a walk through at night, and I was able to attend. No evidence was found that night. However, the objects whispered of better times. Times, before their owners departed.

Orlando, has a permanent exhibit. One with life size replicas, to make you relieve that night as time ticks away. The most moving part for me was standing on the deck. The air was brisk and cold and the night was pitch black. A chill ran down my spine as we were separated from our loved ones. Ladies and children first.

And today, Titanic is back in Atlanta. And once again, I was drawn to her story. The boilers gleamed in the darkness, and I imagined the fireman shoveling away, as they tried to give power to the massive ship. Even though they knew that death was upon them.

It was just enough. The band played on as the last life boat left. Terror filled the night, as the oars splashed in the frigid water, as they pulled away from the broken dream.

May they be at peace. 

Titanic, The Ship of Dreams, 100 Years Later

re-posted from iseekissimmee.com

Roused from my bed, I made my way to the ship’s deck. The wood creaked beneath my feet as I stepped onto the planks. The chill from the night air wiped the last threads of sleep from my befuddled mind. People were milling about in all manors of dress. Murmurs ran through the crowd, as everyone tried to ascertain the reason for their situation. Then the news came, the unsinkable ship was sinking. As I looked out upon the still ocean, surrounded by nothing but stars, fear crept into my heart.

April 14, 2012 marks the 100^th Anniversary of the Titanic disaster.  What better way to honor the fallen than to walk in their footsteps?  Titanic The Experience has full-size replicas of the Grand Staircase and several other rooms.

I have always been fascinated by the Titanic. Having read several books and visiting several other Titanic exhibits, I figured “Titanic the Experience” would be pretty much the same. I was wrong. It was better.

The Orlando attraction offers guided or self-tours through the exhibit.  I highly suggest waiting for a guide. The premise is: you are a first class passenger, and are treated as such. The guide was wonderful, the tour started out with excitement at the maiden voyage of the greatest ship ever built. Then it slowly turns to grim realization that you might not survive. Many froze to death from the frigid water, an iceberg is present so you can experience what 28 degree water feels like.

I was one of the lucky ones, Michael survived as well. Nicholas, well Nicholas wasn’t as lucky. He was lost along with 1516 others.

There was no gift shop on Titanic itself, but there is one at the attraction. You can purchase replicas of China and other amenities which were saved from the deep. They also offer a Titanic Dinner Show, which sounds wonderful, but was out of my budget. They do have a nice selection of books on the tragedy and I picked up a couple, as well as, a ceremonial pin depicting 100 years.

The guided tour took about an hour. I found the tour guide, and the sweet lady in the gift shop to be incredibly knowledgeable and willing to answer questions.

Titanic is going down as one of my favorite attractions!

For more info on Titanic the Experience, click here.

Read my rant about the Titanic Movie.

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