I went to East Coast trip from April 5th to 10th. It was my first time visiting the east side of the U.S. I visited a lot of places in Boston and Washington DC. All of the places were quite different from Japan and each place has their own beautiful scenery and character. They were very different from Spokane. I also learned a lot about history and culture that I didn't know before. So this time I would like to share my amazing memories. There were three places that were especially amazing to me on the East Coast trip including Plimoth plantation, Lincoln memorial and Smithsonian Institute.
First, visiting Plimoth plantation was really great opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge about Native Americans and pilgrims.This is a place where pilgrims first arrived and settled down. There were also Native Americans who helped pilgrims to make their living by harvesting crops and hunting. There were people who portrayed pilgrims and there were houses which were used at that time. The lifestyles between Native Americans and pilgrims were different in many ways. Native Americans lived in houses which were made from straw and used animal fur for clothing and carpets. On the other hand, pilgrims lived in houses which resembled modern houses but the floors were made from solid dirt. Both people made fires using wood. Seven to eight people lived in each house and slept on the cold floor.Costumes that Native Americans and pilgrims wore were quite different and showed the cultural differences. I felt like I was really in that era. Luckily, I could have Thanksgiving lunch there and had a lot of opportunities to talk with people living there. In Plimoth plantation I learned many things about history between Native American and pilgrims. I was surprised the way they lived and cooperated with each other.
Second, visiting Lincoln memorial was quite impressive for me. Before I went there I studied about American history and also learned about Lincoln. He was the 16th President of the U.S. and it was during the time of the civil war. Seeing the great memorial, I felt how tremendous the work he had accomplished to unite the separated country to one great country. I learned that the left hand of Lincoln's statue means that he could not forget the hard time of civil war that made great sacrifices. On the other hand, the right hand means that Lincoln wanted to remain peaceful after the war ended which had lasted for four years. Inside of the memorial, there was a speech from Lincoln and after reading it I felt that he really worked hard to end the war. I also sensed how he loved his country and all citizens. I was impressed by all his accomplishments.
The last place, I visited was Smithsonian institute which was awesome for me. There were so many museums that I could not visit all of them, but I could visit the Air and space museum. I saw many airplanes and rockets. I am interested in space so it was a really great opportunity to visit there. I saw many things that are actually used in rockets or the real airplane that the Wright brothers flew. Before I visited there, I watched the movie Night at the Museum so I could find some of the things or buildings that had appeared in the movie. I learned new things about the universe and how people worked together to discover new places such as space.
In conclusion, I visited many places and these three places were most impressive for me, Plimoth plantation, Lincoln memorial and Smithsonian institute. I could learn not only American history and cultural differences but also the importance of learning historical background and information of places that I will visit before going there. In this way, I can absorb further knowledge and enjoy my trip more. During my trip I experienced a different atmosphere from Spokane and Japan. These differences showed me more about the U.S. and I would like to visit there again and discover new things.
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