I, accompanied by two of my grandchildren, visited Washington D.C.'s Union Station yesterday for the first time in, I'd guess, about 30 or so years. Believe me, it isn't just a train station anymore! It now handles trains, trolleys, and busses ... no planes yet, but I felt like I was in one when we parked up in the clouds high above the city. The immensity of this building is staggering and impossible to describe, but I did read on a plaque that it is long enough to place the Washington Monument, lying down, inside it's main mall.

Needing to get to the front entrance to meet another grandson, we ventured onto one of the huge escalators and went down, and down, and down ... down into the bowels of this thriving metropolis encased in a building. We passed layers of shopping mall, with of course, stores, stores and more stores, with people shopping and eating everywhere. Walked down long curving stairs, and finally arrived at the front 'door', which actually looked sort of like it did many years ago. Here, was the Union Station I remembered ... the big cavernous room that led you to all the trains, but now it had a reception desk, lots of empty space, two open dining areas, and led to the giant mall, parking garage, and the trains, trolleys and busses. I felt that half the city of Washington was in there with us.

We sat on one of the marble 'benches' scattered around the area and waited. And waited. And waited, while I wondered how in heavens name we were supposed to find one individual in this sea of humanity. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained", swished through my mind, so I suggested we try looking back in the 'booming business area' again. No luck with that, either, then that hated little piece of annoying electronic equipment, the cell phone, rang in my granddaughters pocket and next thing I knew, we were walking back to the main entrance and right straight toward the missing young man, also on a cell phone. I knew there had to be a place for those things! The durn little contraption had saved the day! Yes, she had called him when we first got there ... no answer, but she had left her number.

A quick look at one of the many guides let us know that eating places were plentiful, so we elected one that everyone knew and headed off into the mall again, up the escalators and eventually found 'the' spot. Our choices varied from pizza to sirloin tips with broccoli, and from all the empty plates, I'd have to say the food was great ... although the fact that we were all starved by then might have entered into it.

Well, we had a great visit with Matt, but 3 hours later, we Annapolitans had to be getting home, so we bid Matt a fond adieux and headed back up into the clouds for our car.

I wondered, as I gazed at the monstrous building being built across the way, if maybe that might be the new airport in another couple of years.

Progress....

And down we went, back to reality, pouring rain, raucous city traffic, and reminiscing about the day.

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copyright© 2004 BZ Leonard All rights reserved
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