My roommates and I woke up this morning at 6:30 and immediately looked in our Youth Tour Passport to review our day’s itinerary. Another incredible day in Washington, D.C… I still can’t believe we are actually here. Thank you Cuivre River Electric Cooperative for this opportunity. This is truly a trip of a lifetime!
We eat breakfast with Youth Tour delegates from Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, South Carolina and Texas. Everybody was talking about their experiences in D.C. “You have to go to here… You definitely have to visit… Did you see that… This place is amazing!” Just some of the delegate’s comments. It was cool to hear about what the other students were leaning about in their school systems back home.
After breakfast we boarded our bus (Even bus rules!)… Counted off… 2, 4, 6, 8… Then hit the road. First stop for the day… The Newseum. The world’s most interactive museum. For me this was the high point of my trip to Washington! We spent two hours here. The building is absolutely gorgeous. Each of the 6 floors have numerous historical artifacts, unique exhibits, and a collection of today’s front pages from both the United States and the world’s leading newspapers. That was really cool. It’s amazing how we are portrayed around the world.
My favorite part of the Newseum was the Pulitzer Prize exhibit on Level 1. They showed every single photo that won the Pulitzer since the award was first created (in the 40s, I think). Don't forget to check out the two or three hidden booths that are kind of around the corner in the photo section. There, you can select photos on a monitor and hear and see the stories behind them. I liked the Newseum because there was something new around every corner. Like the Newseum TV Studio, Journalist’s Memorial, and the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall exhibit was fascinating. An actual section of the Berlin Wall and watchtower is on display. The video of Tom Brokaw reporting directly from Berlin was crazy! A must see!
The 9/11 Gallery. The 9/11 Gallery contains the mangled communications tower that was on top of the World Trade Center. I can still remember where I was when this tragic event happened. The gallery also includes a tribute to photojournalist William Biggart. He died covering the attacks, and some of his personal belongings and final photographs from that day are on display. Also featured are front pages from around the globe about the attacks and first-person accounts from reporters and photographers who covered the story.
Level 6. A must for every visitor to Washington, D.C. Take the glass elevator to Level 6. How many Youth Tour delegates can squeeze into an elevator? Don’t ask! Pennsylvania Terrace, overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue, offers an incredible view of the U.S. Capitol Building. I can’t wait to visit Capitol Hill tomorrow and meet Representative Todd Akin and Senator Claire McCaskill.
12:00 Noon. Lunch time! The ESPN Zone in Washington, D.C. Wow! I still can’t believe I’m standing here in our nation’s capitol Washington, D.C. This place is truly amazing! Lonnie was right when he said this would be a trip of a lifetime. Mike went all out for this lunch. The food was great! Once again… Thank you Cuivre River Electric!
A lot of the delegates enjoyed competing against one another in several of the sports theme games like baseball, basketball, cycling, golf, racecars and even a virtual roller coaster. Zach did his best Tony Hawk impersonation on the skateboarding game! It was a blast. I wish they had an ESPN Zone in Missouri.
Next on the itinerary… Ford’s Theater. The famous site where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Boothe. A park ranger gave a riveting narrative of the events surrounding Lincoln’s murder. We walked across the street to the Petersen House and visited the room where President Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. It was hard for me to stand there and think about everything that happened in this room 145 years ago.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the home to one of the largest collections of American art in the world. Masterpieces from more than 7,000 master artists are on display here. Artists like John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and Georgia O'Keeffe to name a few. These paintings were absolutely beautiful. Reminded me of the Thomas Benton Hart room in the Missouri State Capitol. We even had a scavenger hunt to see who could locate the most artist works on our list. It was a lot of fun and really made you look at things in the particular works of art.
After that we loaded up the bus and visited the National World War II Memorial. The memorial recently opened in 2004, and is located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. This beautiful memorial honors the brave men and women who fought for our freedom and the 400,000 who died fighting for our nation. There are 56 granite pillars surrounding the fountain, each one represents a state or territory that fought during the war. We found the Missouri pillar and had our picture taken to remember our fallen Missourians.
Next up, the Washington Monument. Wow! The Washington Monument is tall. Really tall! I learned it stands 555 feet tall and is the tallest structure in Washington, D.C. It is also the world’s tallest obelisk. A what? It is made up of marble, granite and sandstone. The memorial was started in 1848 and completed in 1884. Over 126 years old! Wow! For me, such a monument symbolizes the endurance of our country and founding fathers. It also symbolizes that through every past crisis, financial struggle, and the unified times we kept striving towards the top.
We loaded up the buses at 6:30 pm. Counted off. All delegates present and accounted for. Mr. D stepped on the gas and we traveled once again across the Potomac River to the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, also called the Kennedy Center, to attend a play? A play? I know what you’re thinking, but you are wrong! We got to see the SOLD-OUT theater production Thurgood, starring Laurence Fishburn. Yes the guy who played Morpheus in The Matrix! I also learned that Mr. Fishburn is a Tony Award-winning actor. The one man play focuses on the life of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to be appointed to the Supreme Court. What an amazing performance! Everybody loved the play. Yes a play!
10:45 p.m. We loaded up the buses once again and drove around the Washington, D.C. to see the monuments lit up at night. It was beautiful! Everybody was still talking about Laurence Fishburn and his performance in Thurgood. Back to the hotel for some much needed rest. Some of us ordered a pizza while others played cards in the lobby. I was definitely ready for bed after a memorable day. 11:30 pm Bed check. Lights out. Good night John Boy! Tomorrow I’m going to need some energy during our day on the Hill.
