From the heart of the USA

§ 1 Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America, is a city of symbols.

The Capitol building is the place where the United States Congress meets. The White House is the home of the president. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials were built to honor two of The United State’s greatest presidents. The Washington Monument, installed in 1848, is a tribute to George Washington, the country’s first president. Washington is also the city of institutions: the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Library of Congress. The Supreme Court Building houses the highest court in the land. The city is one of the United States greatest tourist attractions with its many parks and museums. The National Zoological Park, created in 1887, exhibits more than 4000 wild animals, and is also a major research facility. The Smithsonian Institution, founded in 1846, is the largest complex of museums in the world. The National Air and Space museum has more than 9 million visitors each year, making it Washington’s most popular museum.

§ 2 Washington DC is also a city of art. It is home for the Hirschhorn and Freer museums, as well as the Corcoran Gallery of Art. You will also enjoy touring the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and dozens of other fine art institutions. The Folger Shakespeare Library contains the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s works. Washington is also the city filled with memorials to the nation proud military history. Visitors can pay their respects to the fallen heroes at the intensely moving Vietnam War Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. Georgetown is one of favorite spots of Washington. There, you can visit Embassy Row, stroll down by the Old C & O tow canal, eat at Georgetown’s many fine restaurants, and walk it’s tree-lined streets. And don’t forget to visit Mount Vernon, George Washington’s historic, and stately home.

Visiting Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, will be one of your most memorable stopping places in America.

§ 3 New York is the largest city of the USA. Many people call it the heart of America. Its skyline is known everywhere in the world. More visitors coming to America have seen Broadway and Times Square than any other places in the country. New York's Broadway is the theater capital of the nation. Its dramas, comedies, musicals, and reviews are seen all over the world. Radio City Music Hall, with its famous shows and chorus line, is one of the city's most popular attractions. Millions of people are fascinated every night by Manhattan's display of flashing neon signs. The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the Met Life Building are among the city's best-known landmarks. Everywhere you look you will see exciting cityscapes and architectural panoramas.

§ 4 New York is a city of neighborhoods. You must visit Soho, the city's current art scene center. Its bars, restaurants, and galleries are among the favorite meeting places for the art world's elite.

Chinatown will be a rewarding stop on your visit. Its exotic markets, its unusual shops, its beautiful art, and its wonderful restaurants make it difficult to leave. And be sure to visit Little Italy, the heart of New York's thriving Italian community. Greenwich Village was once the center of New York's Bohemian life, today it is alive with people playing, performing, and just enjoying life.

Manhattan, the heart of New York, is a never-ending circus. You should visit Wall Street and the diamond district. It’s possible to spend hours window-shopping at thousands of stores and shops. You will find branches of the world's finest stores in the streets of Manhattan. New York is a shopper's paradise. But New York is much more than shopping. It is a city of landmarks: Rockefeller Center with its beautiful Art Decco architecture; Grand Central Terminal; The New York Stock Exchange. In New York you will find some of the world's greatest museums and cultural centers: The Julliard School of Music; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Guggenheim Museum built by Frank Lloyd Wright.

§ 5 New York is also one of the world's great seaports. You can spend a very exciting day walking the New York waterfront. Take a ride on a boat and see the world's most famous skyline from the water. Take a ferry ride to Staten Island. Take photographs of the city's many bridges, especially the Brooklyn Bridge. Visit Central Park and watch street performers, people playing, visiting, and having a good time. And don't forget to visit New York's famous zoo. Be sure to relax in the city's many urban parks. Everywhere you walk in Manhattan you will see beautiful sculptures by world-famous artists; fountains; monuments; churches and cathedrals. And be sure to visit the United Nations Building and see many diplomats and interesting displays.

And finally, take time to visit the Statue of Liberty. This gift from people of France has become the most famous symbol.

§ 6 San Francisco is known as the most loved city of the USA. It is located on the San Francisco Bay and nestles among the rolling hills of Northen California.

The mornings are often foggy and the afternoons are bright, cool, and sunny. The dramatic Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks. San Francisco has a breathtaking beauty. There are beautiful vistas to be seen from its high hills. There is a beautiful rocky coast. There are quaint harbors, waterfronts, and docks. There are majestic sailboats to be seen everywhere. Parks, fountains, gardens, and old buildings make each excursion a pleasure. Ponds, lakes, zoos and aquariums are easily found. You will want to visit the Haight-Ashbury district. In the 1960s this area was the center of America's Hippy movement.

The most famous Chinatown is in San Francisco. It is a monument to the contributions the Chinese immigrants of the past and their descendents of today that they have made to this country. Your eye will be captivated everywhere you look. Be sure to take day trips to Monterrey, Santa Cruz, and Big Sur to appreciate the wonders of Northern California. You will be charmed by the beautiful Spanish architecture, a reflection of California's strong Hispanic heritage. Then eat at some of the world's best seafood restaurants in San Francisco. And if you want to shop, there are few places where you will find a greater variety than here.

You must ride on San Francisco's great attraction, the cable cars along its hilly, winding streets. You will be thrilled with the city's magnificent Victorian houses, its museums, its buildings, its art treasures, and its striking architecture.

§ 7 Incorporated as a city in 1869, Seattle is a city of water. Seattle is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, and situated on a series of hills. Seattle is closely identified with the 185-meter-high Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair.

The Seattle Center is a showplace of cultural institutions and striking office buildings. Consequently, Seattle offers an impressive skyline. It is also a city of parks and recreation. Because of its very high annual rainfall, Seattle is a green city. It provides many opportunities for enjoying nature: walking, boating, riding, visiting gardens, and many other relaxing occupations. It's a pleasure to simply walk Seattle's streets and to enjoy its interesting architecture and old buildings. Seattle still has a street-car system, and riding on them is a fun way to see much of the city. You will often see street performers, colorful vendors, and the city's citizens enjoying Seattle's many attractions. You'll enjoy looking at Seattle's many fountains. Most of all, you'll enjoy life along the waterfronts. Visit Seattle's many fish and seafood markets and dine in some of its excellent seafood restaurants. Take boat rides and enjoy views of the city from the water. You'll be thrilled by the sight of Mount Ranier, part of the Cascade Range of mountains.

Your visit to the USA will be enhanced with a stop in Seattle, a beautiful, gentle, and hospitable city.