15. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. Do you know what the letters D.C. stand for? This extract will give you some interesting impressions of the city.

When you hear people talk about Washington, D.C., you may want to know what the letters D.C. mean. They mean "District of Columbia". Washington, the capital city of the U.S.A., is in the District of Columbia, not as you might expect, in the State of Washington. Washington State is thousands of miles away on the northwest coast. (There are also several other towns called Washington in the United States.)

Washington, D.C. lies between Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River. It's about 220 miles south of New York City. The pleasantest and easiest way to get there is by long-distance bus, or by the fast (125-miles-an-hour) train which costs a little more than the bus journey and a little less than flying. I would travel far more than 200 miles to see Washington. It's not a city that has grown up accidentally as most big cities have done. It was carefully planned as the nation's capital by Frenchman, Pierre L'Enfant. The city was named after George Washington, the much-loved, much-admired, much-respected first President of the United States. In 1791 he himself arranged to buy the land on which it stands.

Now let's take our first look at the capital. For a few moments you may feel you are dreaming and that you have stepped back through the centuries into ancient Greece. Many of the beautiful, shining buildings are built in the noble style of the ancient Greek temples, and stand in wide avenues amid trees and fountains. Most of them are museums or government offices. Government is the chief business of Washington, and the chief government building is called the Capitol. With its high dome, it looks a little like St. Paul's in London or St. Peter's in Rome. It stands on a hill overlooking the city, which is divided by Rock Creek Park. A long wide avenue called the Mall leads to the Capitol. At the other end of this avenue a tall, white, needle-like building points to the sky. This is, of course, the highest 'needle' in the world!—the Washington Monument.

On both sides of the Mall are museums and government buildings. What a surprise this city is! Washington and New York seem to be in two different worlds. Here there are no huge office skyscrapers and so it's not necessary to lean backwards to look up all the time. Then there is the Washington Cathedral which looks very much like a cathedral in an old European city. Of course, as in any other big city, parts of Washington are not so pleasant. There are narrow dirty little streets and ugly houses. But there are many splendid things to see and, because Washington covers such a wide area, the easiest way to see them is to take a special sight-seeing bus or a "mini-bus" or "tour-mobile". But don't expect the guides on the buses to give you a very serious talk.

On one tour, I remember, the guide told us: "That's the Washington Monument, folks," (people here are often addressed as 'folks'). "It's the highest 'needle' of its kind in the world." And then he added, "At least, I don't know a higher one!"

This is the city where America remembers her famous Presidents. The guide will take you to see the memorials to them. The Jefferson Memorial is a very beautiful white building in the shape of a circle. Its roof is supported by tall columns. Inside stands a statue of President Jefferson. The Lincoln Memorial is a huge white building. Inside you can see a famous statue of Abraham Lincoln, sitting in a great chair. The theatre where he was murdered while watching a play is now a museum, the Lincoln Museum. Then there is the Memorial to President Kennedy at Arlington. Here a flame which was lit on the day of his funeral burns and is never put out. Like Lincoln, Kennedy was shot. Another, newer, memorial to him is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, overlooking the Potomac River. It is a huge place and contains the Eisenhower Theatre, an opera house and the concert hall which is the home of the National Symphony Orchestra. Operas, ballets and concerts are frequently performed there.

Across the Potomac River is the Pentagon, a strange, low, five-sided building. This is the headquarters of the American army, and is also the American Ministry of Defense. During World War II more than 35 000 people were employed here, which gives you an idea of its size.

Everyone, of course, wants to see the White House. On my first visit to Washington a stranger came up to me and asked if I knew where the White House was. I felt pleased to be able to give him directions. In fact I had just left it. I could not have told him where any other place was! The White House really is white, clean shining white, and the beautiful gardens around it make it look like a pleasant American country house. The public is allowed inside on guided tours.

You could spend days at the Smithsonian Institute, which includes ten buildings, housing the Museums of Natural History, the National Gallery of Art, the Arts and Industries Building and several others. Here also is the Air and Space Building which is packed with the history of flying, from the early days up to our own time of space travel. It is exciting to see a model of the strange-looking machine which, in 1969, landed two men on the moon. Also the actual spaceship in which the three Americans travelled safely back to Earth, ending the greatest adventure in the history of the world. Here you will feel close to it all, and astonished that it was ever possible.

Should you feel that you'd like to know about the history of America, you could visit the Wax Museum on 4th and E Streets, where there are life-like scenes, with sound and movement, from the country's past. Afterwards, for some fun and a laugh, go to watch the performing dolphins in the dolphin theatre.

If you've any dollars left, you might like to spend a few lazy hours shopping and eating in Georgetown. It's an interesting old town with a lot of eighteenth century houses and it is conveniently near the centre of the city.

Visitors should make the interesting 15-mile boat-trip down the broad Potomac River to the home of George Washington, which is at Mount Vernon in the State of Virginia. You can eat and drink on the boat, and enjoy music and dancing by moonlight. George Washington's home is a simple white country house kept just as it was when he lived there. Here, also, guides will take you inside and show you around. American parents from all parts of the country bring their children to this famous and popular place, for they are all taught at school that George Washington was 'the father of his country'.

From Travel, ed., Theodore Gross,

New York, 1981.