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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THE UNITED STATESThis lecture tells us about tourist attractions of the U.S.A. focusing primarily on Washington, D.C. as the home of numerous national landmarks and one of the most popular tourist destinations in thenation. We will go on an outdoor excursion around the Mall and then visit the most notable museums located on the Mall. Key Words and Proper Names: under the auspices of, lucrative, to promote tourism, tourist destinations, natural wonders, gambling venues, historic landmarks, pursue a noble mission, a reflecting pool, the promotion and dissemination of knowledge, by a bequest of, out of wedlock, mammal, curvilinear; Pierre L’Enfant, James Smithson, Duke of Northumberland, Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Claude Monet, E. Manet, Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Rodin, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Henri Daumier, Modigliani, Perugino, El Greco, Leonardo Da Vinci, Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Alexander Calder, Charles Lindbergh; The U.S. Capitol, the Mall, Supreme Court Building, Union Station, National Archives Building, White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Tidal Basin (with the Japanese cherry trees), Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution, and FDR Memorial., the Ulysses Grant Memorial, the Pentagon, the Iwo Jima memorial (or Marine Corps War memorial), Arlington National Cemetery, the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the National Archives, the Hirshhorn Museum, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery, Yosemite National Park, Newburyport, Massachusetts, the Wailing Wall, "The Star-Spangled Banner", Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Washington National Cathedral. The U.S.A. has a large and lucrative tourism industry serving millions of international and domestic tourists. Tourism in the U.S. is mostly promoted at the state and local level. The federal government in addition to promoting tourism sets visa entry requirements. As one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, the U.S. boasts of having an amazing amount of tourist destinations ranging from the skyscrapers of New York and Chicago, the natural wonders of Yellowstone and Alaska to the sunny beaches of California, Florida and Hawaii. Tourists visit the U.S. to see natural wonders, gambling venues, historic landmarks, and its cities. Among the most famous are:
With so many tourist attractions it’s tempting to discuss all of them, but I will try to focus on Washington, D.C. It is the home of numerous national landmarks and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. It is a very beautiful place, especially in the spring when Japanese cherry trees are in full blossom. The functional and aesthetic beauty of Washington D.C. remains true to the dreams of its name-sake and the designs of its architect Pierre L’Enfant. Atop Jenkins Hill, the highest point in the city stands proudly a domed Capitol, overlooking the entire city. And the city springs from it in all directions, with its broad avenues, emanating (arising) like spokes (спицы) from the focal point. The U.S. Capitol is the seat of the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Federal Government. It is an American icon, a symbol of democracy and the most prominent landmark in Washington, D.C. Its both wings belong to the Senate and the House of Representatives. The dominant feature of the Capitol is its Dome. Crowned by the 19-foot tall statue of “Freedom”, a spectacular roof for the Great Rotunda rises from the middle of the Capitol. The statue of Freedom is often mistaken for Pocahontas. The U.S. Capitol is the tallest building in the city. The Rotunda serves as the Capitol’s chief ceremonial room, best known as a place where presidents have lain in state prior to burial. There is simply an incredible number of famous buildings and monuments to visit in Washington, D.C. The Capitol, Supreme Court Building, Union Station, National Archives Building, White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Tidal Basin (with the Japanese cherry trees), Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution, and FDR Memorial. They are all located downtown on or within a walking distance from the National Mall. The National Mall is a large, open area in the center of Washington that features many of the monuments to American leaders and connects the Washington Monument, the White House and the U.S. Capitol buildings. The Washington Monument (the most important monument in Washington, D.C.) is at the western end of the Mall and in the heart of the cross formed by two imaginary lines, one line going through the Mall from the West to the East between the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building, and the other crossing the Mall and going from the North to the South between the White House and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The Washington Monument is a large white-colored obelisk surrounded by 50 American flags at the start of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built as a memorial to George Washington, the first U.S. President and the leader of the revolutionary Continental Army. The monument is made of marble, ‘granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of the 1840’s. It was planned to be of such magnitude and beauty as to be an object of pride to the American people, and of admiration to all who see it. Its material was intended to be wholly American, and brought from each state, so each state participated in the glory of contributing materials and funds to its construction. American Indian tribes, professional organizations, societies, businesses, and foreign nations donated stones that were 1.2 by 0.6 by 0.3 to 0.5 m. It officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure, a title it held until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was finished in Paris, France. The Washington Monument reflection can be seen in the aptly (suitably) named Reflecting Pool, an edged rectangular pool extending westward in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial. The fireworks over the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are typical of the 4th of July celebrations. The Washington Monument drew enormous crowds even before it officially opened. During the six months that followed its dedication, 10,041 people climbed the 893 steps to the top. After the elevator that had been used to raise building materials was altered so that it could carry passengers, the number of visitors grew rapidly. As early as 1888, an average of 55,000 people a month went to the top, and today the Washington Monument has more than 800,000 visitors each year. To the north of the Washington Monument, there is the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the U.S. President. The White House is a white-painted, neoclassical sandstone mansion located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. As the office of the U.S. President, the term "White House" is often used as a metonym for the president's administration. President George Washington himself helped select the site, along with city planner Pierre L'Enfant but never lived in it. John Adams became the first president to take residence in the building on November 1, 1800. The building was first referred to as the Presidential Palace or Presidential Mansion. Dolley Madison called it the "President's Castle." However, by 1811 the first evidence of the public calling it the "White House" had emerged, because of its white-painted stone exterior. The name Executive Mansion was often used in official context until President Theodore Roosevelt established the formal name by having "The White House" engraved on his stationery in 1901. The White House was open to the public until the early part of the 20th century. Now organized and supervised by the President’s body guards excursions are held in the early hours from 6.30 to 8 a.m. on week days. Very few people realize the size of the White House, since much of it is below the ground level or otherwise minimized by landscaping. In fact, the White House has:
Every presidential family made changes to the decor of the White House, some subtle, others more profound and controversial. In the early 20th century, new buildings were added to the wings at either side of the main White House to accommodate the President's growing staff, which had previously used an office located in the U.S. Capitol. Both new wings were largely concealed from view by being built to a lower height than the main house. The West Wing houses the President's office and offices of his political staff. It currently holds about 50 employees. The East Wing, which contains additional office space, was added to the White House in 1942. The East Wing was built during WWII in order to hide the construction of an underground bunker to be used in emergency situations. The bunker is known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. Among its uses, the East Wing houses the offices and staff of the First Lady. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south of the Washington Memorial, opposite the White House, it combines a low neo-classical saucer dome with a portico and reflects characteristics of buildings designed by Jefferson such as Monticello and the Rotunda, which were a result of his fascination with Roman architecture. It bears some resemblance to the Pantheon of Rome. The monument was officially dedicated on April 13, 1943, on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth. This memorial is not as prominent in popular culture as other Washington, DC buildings and monuments, possibly due to its location well removed from the National Mall and the Washington Metro. In an episode of The Simpsons, Lisa Simpson visits the Memorial and Jefferson la’ments "No one ever comes to see me. I don't blame them. I never did anything important. Just the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, the dumbwaiter...Wait! Please don't go. I get so lonely..." The interior of the memorial has a 5.8 m tall, 4.5 t bronze statue of Jefferson, and the interior walls are engraved with passages from his writings. Most prominent are the words inscribed around the monument near the roof: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." The Lincoln Memorial is to the west of the Washington Memorial, it is a memorial to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple, and contains a large seated sculpture of Lincoln. The focus of the memorial is the sculpture of Lincoln, seated, looking worn and pensive, gazing eastwards down the Reflecting Pool at the capital's starkest (perfect) emblem of the Union, the Washington Monument. On the back of Lincoln's head is supposed to be the faint outline of the face of his enemy during the war: Robert E. Lee. One hand is clenched, the other open. It is said that carved Lincoln's hands were carved to sign the letters "A" and "L" in American Sign Language. Beneath his hands, the Roman fasces [faesi:z] фасции (kind of weapon), symbols of the authority of the Republic, are sculpted in relief on the seat. The statue stands 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide, and was carved from 28 blocks of white Georgia marble. The memorial has been the site of many speeches, including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream", delivered on August 28, 1963, during the peace rally on Washington. Located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, there is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, it is a memorial not only to President of the U.S. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but also to the era he represents. The monument traces 12 years of the U.S. history through a sequence of four outdoor rooms, each one devoted to one of FDR's terms of office. Sculptures, inspired by photographs, depict the 32nd President. Some examples include a 10-foot statue showing him in a wheeled chair and a bas-relief (барельеф) depicting him riding in a car during his first inaugural. At the very beginning of the memorial is a statue with FDR seated in a wheelchair with his dog Fala. Other sculptures depict scenes from the Great Depression, such as people listening to his fireside chat on the radio and waiting in a bread line.Each idea, each phrase pronounced during his fireside chatswas full of courage and optimism that inspired the people he served. For many Americans who lived through the Roosevelt years, the words inscribed on the walls recall personal struggles and triumphs during the 12 years that seemed like a lifetime. |