Stonington High School - Breeze Yearbook (Stonington, ME)

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clurmg Hooseveltis administration, is just :cross from the Capitol. The Capitcil itself was next on our itinerary. We joined a tour and were escorted through the building by a very attractive guide who lectured as we went from one section to the next. The old Supreme Court room, Statuary Hall, the Senate and House of Representa- tives, the Dome, the worldis longest corridor, the President's Room, came in for their share of our attention. The Capitol located at the end of Pennsylvania Avenue, surrounded by its plaza and park, is beautiful to behold, especially at night when the dome is beauti- fully illuminated. After a rest period of an hour at the Hotel Stratford and luncheon at the Marlboro, we went to see the White House, which is now undergoing extensive repairs. Although We could not see the interior, we walked around the building so that we might see the exterior from all sides. Opposite the North Portico were two large round beds of bright pink hyacinths in full bloom on the lawn. VVe rode over to the jefferson Memorial, walked around the Tidal Basin to the Lincoln Memo- rial, followed the path by the reflecting pool up to the Washington Monument, the View from which is superb. If you don't like the elevator, you can always climb the stairs, all 898 of them! Most of our group did sol We did a little souvenir hunting there in a near- by shop. By then we were ready to return to the hotel to freshen up because we were going to Baltimore for the evening. We hear much about Southern Hospi- tality . I had never had the pleasure of sam- pling it until we went out to Baltimore to have dinner and spend the evening with Dickie Nash's Aunt Iessie and Uncle Paul. Now if that visit was a fair sample of south- ern hospitality, then I am convinced that it is all that it is said to be. From the moment we enteredthe door, where we were greeted by Dick and Herbert who had gone out earlier in the afternoon, until we boarded the bus to return to Washington, we were made to feel at home and treated royally. And did I say we were invited to dinner? I should have said to a banquet, for that was what we had. just to make your mouths water, I'll give the menu-roast turkey, mashed potato, dressing, gravy, green peas, glazed sweet potatoes, the tastiest cold slaw, cran- berry relish, celery, hot yeast rolls, mince pie, lemon meringue pie, custard pie, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or milk. Sounds good? It surely was, and needless to say we ate until our tummies could hold no more. While the seniors went out to some amusement parks and a race track, Miss Morey stayed to visit with Dickis Aunts fanother having come in to spend the eveningj. The combination of southern drawl and clipped Maine word end- ings made an interesting chat. After a most pleasant evening, we were presented with a box of Martha Washington chocolates to eat on the train and were escorted to the bus terminal by Mr. Campbell and a friend. I believe that we shall always think of that visit to Baltimore with a real sense of appreciation of southern hospitality. Tuesday morning at 8:45 we were out to Smithsonian Institute. A most interesting and educational two hours was spent there. The balcony with its story of the progress in medicine, the cases of models gowned in dresses worn by the Presidents' ladies, the coin collection, the display of Army and Navy uniforms of different wars, the government military medals, the old bicycles, carriages. automobiles, locomotives, steamboats, etc. held us almost spellbound. And guns, what a collection! We also roamed through the building which housed the various types of airplanes. An exciting feature of the morning was the FBI Tour in the Department of justice build-

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CSENTU 1 --.M H LASSL... ff! I LM' - -fxa AUEZQ5' .-.4 . '- -1 - - -J'-31-' Stonington at 4:30 A. M. Sunday, April 23, and Stonington at 9:30 P. M. Sunday, April 30--and between those hours eight wonderful days in Washington, D. C., and New York City, and Boston. Our trip proved to be even better and more enjoyable than our fondest dreams. Sunday dawned fair and bright and we were grateful for a nice morning to start our journey. Everett Billings and Wendall Davis rounded upv the group, consisting of Betty Cross, Erlene Pray, Letha Barbour, Helen Steele, Dick Nash, Herbert Spencer, Donald Cripps, Raymond Buckminster, and Miss Morey as chaperone. NVe were in Bangor in plenty of time to secure our train tickets, ride over to see the ruins of the Windsor Hotel, and to be among the first to board the train so that we might all be together in the same coach. At 7:35 A. M. we were on the way to Portland where we arrived at 10:55. Lunches were brought out and did those sandwiches taste good! At 2:15 we arrived in Boston, secured taxis and crossed to the South Station, where at 3 P. M. we left on the 'fPatriot,' for the nation's capital. By this time it was rain- ing lightly, but since we would be on the train all day, it failed to dampen our spirits. At 6:00 P. M. we made our way into the dining car where many of us enjoyed our first meal in a train diner. At long last the call came Next stop is NVashington-WVash- ington nextf, We weren't sorry to hear that. At 11:45 P. M. we arrived at Union Station. Oh, maybe our hats werenit on quite such a perky angle, and maybe we had hard work to prevent yawning, but we tried to look like seasoned travelers as we walked across the square to Hotel Stratford. We registered as speedily as possible, found that our rooms were all on the same floor, bade one another a sleepy Goodnight-see you at 6:30, and we were off to bed. The next morning we had breakfast at 7:15 at Child's Restaurant. Our first point of inter- est was the Bureau of Printing and Engrav- ing. We watched the printers and their assist- ants as they printed sheets of paper currency, watched the ladies who so competently ex- amined the bills for defects, we saw the sheets being counted and then wheeled away. Stamps and bonds are also printed there. Next we went to the handsome Congres- sional Library. It is instinctive for visitors to stop on the wide marble stairway and glance about at the dignified beauty of the building. After taking a peep at the original Declaration of Independence, at the Con- stitution and Bill of Rights, at a rough draft of Lincolnis Gettysburg Address, and many other historical documents, we saw a display of early pictures of Washington now being assembled in honor of the cityis Sesquicenten- nial celebration. The U. S. Supreme Court was our next stop. This beautiful building, completed

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ing. This should not be missed by any capital visiicr. Their laboratory and legal library are among the finest in the world. The shooting demonstration by an FBI man emphasized the uselessness of trying to get away from such marksmanship as theirs. Tuesday afternoon we took a four-hour tour of Alexandria, Arlington and Mt. Vernon. This tour never fails to please the senior groups. We crossed the beautiful Arlington Memorial Bridge, drove through the National cemetery and close to the grave of Gen. John Pershing. He rests on a knoll at the head of World War I veterans in a spot that he him- self selected. We were fortunate in reaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in time to see the changing of guards, which is done in a brief but very impressive manner every two hours. We visited the pure white marble Amphitheater which is the scene of Memorial Day services. We drove past many historic places-the Lee mansion, Christ Church where both VVashington and Lee worshipped, the first public school founded by George Washington and still being used as a primary school, a cobblestone street on which many houses still bear the plaque which indicated that their owners belonged to a particular fire department and merited help in case of fire. We drove all around the Pentagon build- ing, the world's largest office building, each side of which is U5 mile long. We passed the National Airport and noticed that Tru- manis plane, the ulndependencev, was on the field. Our second stop was at Mt. Vernon, the beloved home of George Washington. Situated on a hill which slopes gently to the Potomac River, this is truly a delightful spot. As one sits on the long front porch and gazes across the fields and lawns, it isnit hard to imagine the scene as Washington himself liked to picture it-Home, prosperous farm, family gatherings, slaves playing and singing after their dayis work-the place where he longed to be. Every foot of ground and every dogwood tree was precious to him. An hour spent there, and we were again on our way, this time for our third and last stop-the Masonic Washington Memorial, in one room of which is the World's largest Persian rug. Its soft, lovely colors are blended perfectly, but as the room lights are changed the reds and the blues seem to rise right out of the rug, making it appear almost as a magic car- pet. This building has no steel in its con- struction, the entire weight being supported by eight huge marble pillars. Capital Theater with its movie and vaude- ville was the attraction of the evening, and it was our pleasure to see and hear Xavier Cugat and his orchestra. On Wednesday morning we visited the Botanic Gardens and discovered that it was just between seasons, and since the spring was late, there were very few flowers in bloom. However, the tropical garden is al- ways a delightful spot and the orchid house boasted quite a few varieties of blooms. Since we didnit want to leave Washington without seeing any of its stores, we spent about three hours after lunch visiting the various shops and five and ten cent stores. The latter part of the afternoon was spent in the Hotel Ambassador swimming pool. That was a great treat and everyone came back refreshed and uraring to gov. So we had dinner and then went to see Van johnson in Battleground',, a very entertaining war movie. We arose at 5 A. M. Thursday and were soon on our way to New York, arriving there at 12:40. We registered at Hotel Dixie. That afternoon some attended a ball game, some a show, and some of us attended two shows! In the evening came Madison Square Garden and that great spectacle, the Barnum Bailey, Ringling Bros. Circus. What a treat! There were trained bears, horses, elephants, ponies, and dogs. There were long distance spring- board leapers over the backs of massed ele- phants, daring aerialists, bareback riders,