50+ Lifestyles

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

By Eloise Graham

Trains, Buses and Boats… (Part 2)

Trains, Buses and Boats Part 1 available here.

I ended last month’s article saying “Good-bye” to our nation’s capitol and looking forward to the Philadelphia. However, some memories have come back of the time in Washington that I want to share with you. We were in Washington for almost two days. We also went to Mt. Vernon, a beautiful estate. This is the part that I think is really worth sharing. I was fortunate enough to have gone on this trip both in 1963 and in 1964. Visiting the White House in 1963 we, yes all 400 plus of us, were sent to a side door to take our tour. We walked in en masse with only a few guides to show us around. We just wandered aimlessly in the area we were allowed to be in. Somewhat like a fairy tale, we were in the land of Camelot. There was one boy in our group named Bill that had an uncanny way of mimicking accents and changing his voice. Suddenly, he broke out in a speech sounding just like President Kennedy. A hush went over the crowd and everyone looked to see where JFK was. Bill looked around like everybody else was, trying to spot him. Some of us that knew Bill just giggled, not for sure if the guides thought it humorous or not. Remember, this was spring of 1963 – The Age of Innocence.

    In 1964, the visit to the White House had a much more somber effect. Security was tighter. We were broken up into small groups, probably only 15 or 20 at a time. We entered through the front door after going through a security post. Other visitors would be worked into our small groups. Otherwise, those visitors would have had to wait all day to take the tour. I think our entire group was divided up into three different groups. Some went to Mt. Vernon first, some to Arlington first and some to the White House and other sites nearby. It was a much more organized, almost reverent experience. A lot had happened in that year – there was no longer the feeling of Camelot.

    Mt. Vernon is quite an estate. The cluster of buildings overlooks the  Potomac River. The fact that there was a summer kitchen as well as the kitchen in the main house had a big impact on me.

    It was later in the second Washington D. C. day that we boarded the buses and headed out. We traveled as far as Baltimore. Just a short trip, but it would be where we would spend the night. If I remember correctly, we did have bus tours of the city, but we didn’t get out to wander around. However, our buses did drive us by Fort McHenry. You know, that place where Francis Scott Key saw the “rocket’s red glare.”

A good night’s sleep in Baltimore, and then up early to board the buses for Philadelphia. We saw the Liberty Bell, the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed, among many other historic places. All of that stuff we had read earlier that year in American Government and American History really came alive! It wasn’t just boring words in the textbooks, but real events about real people in real places! And we got to see the places. It was great!

    Next month I’ll tell you all about our three days in New York City. Watch for a bonus Part 3 of Trains, Buses and Boats in the Publisher’s Corner in the June issue of 50+ Lifestyles.