| OCR Text |
Show Feature UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, -- fl f I im -U- -H (M X- Ct By Barbara Pyles Like all stories, this one has a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning is about traveling. The middle is the travel part. And the ending? Its about coming home. On a frosty evening last March, Jim and I received a call from our son, Pat. He wanted us to visit him and his wife, Chrisser, in Arlington, Virginia. We dusted off our suitcases and toasted the moment with a glass of champagne. The whole great, enjoyable adventure started when we drove to Omaha, Nebraska to visit relatives before boarding an airplane for the National Airport in Washington D.C. The airplane stirs to life we are in the sky. I wont drag this part out, but only say the food was excellent, the seats were roomy and comfortable, and the champagne flowed freely. I considered this a good omen for our trip. Day one. Our bags came around on a carousel.. .we rush for a cab. With our suitcases safely in our daughter-in-law- s office, we hit the streets of the only city in the United States that is not part of a state. We experienced joy, pleasure and sore feet.. .but thats getting ahead of the story. In this setting of concrete and crowds exists an exciting city. We walk in the direction of one of our nations most famous land- e marks, the United States Capitol Building, and join a tour in the Rotunda. It is alive with the sights and sounds of the nation. Abraham Lincoln, the Unknown Soldiers and John F. Kennedy had laid in state here. My eyes circle the Rotunda. I am comfortable at once in this room. On the west side of the Rotunda are four large paintings illustrating scenes of the American Revolution. On the east side are scenes of the discovery and colonization of America. And encircling the Rotunda is a frieze in fresco depicting over 400 years of history, from Columbus to the Wright Brothers. M It seems as if the three men the walls for their own names. Photo by Barbara Py'es. Statues ofthree soldiers at the Vietnam Memorial. in stone are scanning fe... m & o o 0 1n X" &', , ? 4... $ ? M&t -- ii - ' S;?u Tfr2r'i & r ZL;A ' ' '- AH' wh M. msA. M&ftf---- "Mr & TfiWrfrr w Tfr w iwiW v. - ... . y W.A ' ' ... 'A Inscribed on the walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are the names of more than 58,000 who gave their lives or are still missing. The names are inscribed in the order they were taken. Photo by Barbara Pyles. C.C. Auto Parts (MAPfl) V- - 7 Quality NAPA Parts! Largest Inventory in the Area! Nationwide Warranty! Best in picturesque Georgetown. We enjoy good food Parts for Cars, Trucks, Semis, RUs, Boats & Motorcycles! 801-865-11- 00 26 418 East 300 South Kanab, UT 84741 Visitors Galley Passes and slide into our seats. Everyone first passed through security. I look down at rows and rows of mahogany desks. Many of the original desks were made in 1819, and are still in use. As I look towards the ceiling and see an interpretation of the Great Seal of the United States, I am overwhelmed. In the evening we gather as a group for our first dinner to- gether Prices! 801-644-25- We visited several rooms before taking the elevator to the Senate chambers. We show our 970 North Main Cedar City, UT 84720 and each other. That night Jim and I sleep as if we are dead. Day two. We are seasoned tourists already. We ride the White House is in that direction, points a vendor. My heart skips a beat, I am walking on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and about to view the first public building built in Washington D.C. We follow others to the East entrance and although we have passes, wait in a long line. Single file, we move through security and I overhear: Lets get them in and get them out. It doesnt matter. I am within the walls of the White House. We enter the elegant East Room. Dolly Madison used to hang her laundry here, says the guide. But this mistress of the White House did more than hang her laundry in East Room. History books credit Dolly Madison with saving a portrait of President Washington. Legion says she cut the portrait out of its frame with a kitchen knife as British soldiers marched to attack her home. Because of Dolly, the portrait is now the oldest object in the White House. As we visit the Green, Blue and Red Rooms, I am captured by their color and charm. The rooms are beautiful furnished, but I overhear an English woman say, This is not the home of a king. We are hurried through the china room where I glimpsed a display of the porcelains of earlier Presidents. Historical objects of great value fill the White House. After viewing the State Dining Room, we left the residence of the president and walked towards the Smithsonian Institution. On the way we stopover at the Washington Monument. Long lines of tourists wait to take an elevator to the top of this 555 feet white marble masterpiece. The panoramic view of Metrorail subway system from the city is awesome. If you think the Smithsonian VA into Washington D.C, and exit at McPherson Sq. We look Institution is one building, think up and down the street. The again. There are various large buildings containing a vast store house of Americana. We choose to visit the National Air and Space Museum. The museum contained everything from historic aircraft to space missiles and more. Five hours later we rest at the Botanic Garden. It had been a day of nonstop activity. Tired? I asked. Nah. Then a pause. You? Who! Me? That evening, mother, father and son had a glass of wine while Chrisser cooks. Day three. We board a tourmobile. It is a mixture of guided-tou- r and independent sightseeing. Our first stop is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It is one of the most popular sights in the city. Our route takes us to the Lincoln Memorial. The famous white marble statue of Lincoln is in the center chamber. The text of the Gettysburg Address is in the south chamber and Lincolns second inaugural speech is in the north chamber. And each speech is engraved on a stone tablet. I am speechless. Located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial is the dramatic Vietnam Memorial. The 500 foot walls are polished black granite that slopes to the ground. Inscribed on the walls are the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing in the Vietnam War. I did something unexpected, I touched a name at random and cried. Nearby the Vietnam Memorial is a bronze statue. I sense the three fighting men in stone are scanning the wall for their own names. A statue of two nurses holding a wounded servicemen V-shap- ed commemorates the role of See AMERICA, Page 11 |
