THE ITINERARY a Quarterly Newsletter of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington DC
ISSUE 04 | February 2020 ISSUE 04 | February 2020
THE ITINERARY A Quarterly Newsletter of The Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington DC
OOverver thethe RiverRiver and Through the Woods: byby NathanNathan HarringtonHarrington
Most tourist maps don’t even show it. The portion of the District of Columbia that lies east of the Anacostia River is residential, working class, and well off the beaten path. If written guides mention the area at all, it is to warn visitors of high crime rates.
Known as “East of the River” or “Ward 7 and Ward 8,” the area has a population of around 170,000, more than 90 percent of whom are African American. From the earliest days of the federal city, the geographic barrier of the river has been exacerbated by segregation, neglect, flawed planning, and environmental racism. Statistics showing the stark disparities in virtually every indicator of social well- being between East of the River and the rest of the city are cited with
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In This Edition
P1 Over The River P7 Remember. Honor. Teach. P13 What Makes A Show P4 Messages From The Board P9 Books - Animals In The Streets P15 WFTGA - 14 Days in Cyprus P5 Twenty In 2020 P12 Member Spotlight P18 Board Contact Information 1
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Continued from pg 1 consternation by politicians and activists forts was in July 1864, when President alike. Lincoln personally witnessed the unsuccessful assault on Ft. Stevens by Outsiders and even journalists often refer mistakenly to all of East of the River as Confederate cavalry under Jubal Early. In “Anacostia.” For residents, that name applies 1937 the Civilian Conservation Corps only to the river itself and to Historic partially restored Ft. Stevens to its wartime Anacostia, a relatively small area between appearance, and reenactments are held the 11th Street Bridge and the Anacostia there each year. Metro station. Ward 8 includes other After the war the forts were abandoned, distinct and recognized neighborhoods reclaimed by nature, and in many cases including Fairlawn, Garfield Heights, passed back to private ownership. The 1902 Hillsdale, Bellevue, Washington Highlands, McMillan Plan envisioned a scenic greenway and Congress Heights. To the north, Ward and ring road linking all of the forts. 7 encompasses Hillcrest, Benning Heights, Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the Ft. Dupont, Kenilworth-Parkside, National Park Service (NPS) acquired land Deanwood and many others. Labeling it all for the project under the Capper-Cramton "Anacostia" is like calling the whole area Act, but rapid urbanization during and after west of Rock Creek Park “Georgetown.” World War II made the scheme increasingly Washington has been called a City of Trees difficult. Work proceeded more smoothly and boasts by some measures, the highest East of the River, where development was concentration of parkland among large slower and many areas remained semi- U.S. cities. While leafy verdancy is typically rural. The roads through Ft. Dupont Park in associated with posh neighborhoods, Ward Ward 7 offer a taste of how the ring road 8, where I live, is blessed with more than may have looked if it had been completed. 500 acres of forested parkland interlaced Guild member Russ Norfleet has led hikes with residential neighborhoods. on the Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail, As in other parts of DC, much of this which runs through a continuous 7-mile parkland owes its existence to the Civil greenway from Ft. Mahan near the War. When the war began, Washington Minnesota Avenue Metro to Battery Rickets, was surrounded by a largely pro- across from the Anacostia Community Confederate region and was very lightly Museum. Several sets of earthworks are still fortified. To protect against possible visible after 150 years of erosion. invasion, the Union army hastily seized Along I-295, south of the South Capitol Bridge, hilltop sites, cleared forests to open up you will notice a wooded hillside to your east. views to the river, and constructed a total That is Shepherd Parkway, named for Alexander of 68 forts in a ring around the city. Most “Boss” Shepherd, territorial governor of DC in consisted of rustic earthworks topped with the 1870s, called by some “The Father of wooden ramparts. Modern Washington.” This 197-acre parcel The only hostile action to occur at these shelters the earthwork remains of Ft. Carroll 2 Continued to pg 3
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and Ft. Grebel, along with stands of towering Ward 8 woodlands, controlled by the District poplar trees, a small wetland, and panoramic government rather than NPS have fared no views across the river. better. Suitland Parkway, constructed through a natural valley during World War II to connect Further east, Oxon Run Parkway is a 126- acre Bolling Air Force Base with Andrews Air Force woodland adjacent to the THEARC community Base, is flanked by roughly 100 acres of forest. center, United Medical Center, and the These woods shelter the many hilltop Southern Avenue Metro Station. The namesake apartment buildings from the noise and stream, like the neighboring Maryland pollution of the busy commuter route below. In community of Oxon Hill, got its name because places, the valley is so narrow and the hills so the landscape reminded early English settlers steep that, viewed from above, the road seems of Oxford, England, hence the unusual spelling. to disappear. Yet the scale of illegal dumping Its’ broad floodplain is covered with winding here is staggering, the worst in the entire channels, extensive sandbars, islands, and District. deep pools. Long a part of the Camp Simms military reservation, these woods also conceal In 2009, the same year I became a Guild the ghostly remains of a World War II-era member, I purchased a home in the quaint but shooting range. Along Southern Avenue is a ungentrified Congress Heights section of Ward pristine upland area of oaks and mountain 8. A lifelong hiker and environmentalist, I was laurel, a slice of Appalachia in DC. drawn to these woods but appalled by their condition. At first I pulled out trash by myself. In As a legacy of DC’s status as a federal enclave, 2011, I formed the Committee to Restore most of this abundant parkland is controlled Shepherd Parkway; an all-volunteer effort, that by NPS. The parcels of NPS land that spread over seven years has removed more than 50 across the eastern half of the District and all of tons of trash from the woods and cut invasive Prince George’s County, make up an vines from hundreds of trees. administrative unit called National Capital Parks-East, similar to the more prominent In 2019, recognizing the need for continuous, National Mall and Memorial Parks. long-term restoration, maintenance, public engagement, education, and advocacy work, a As DC tour guides, we see every day how the group of founding board members and I, chronically under-funded NPS struggles to incorporated the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy as maintain the monumental core. In poorer a non-profit organization. Our mission is to residential areas like Ward 8, the neglect is engage residents in the rejuvenation and even worse. Millions of pounds of trash cover protection of the beauty, ecological health, and the ground: tires, car parts, furniture, public enjoyment of the more than 500 acres of appliances, and construction material dumped forest in Ward 8. We employ Ward 8 residents over decades by unscrupulous contractors. who face barriers to employment. Few signs identify the land, and most areas are without trail access. These Civil War sites have To learn more, volunteer, or request a guided been treated with none of the reverence rightly hike visit ward8woods.org or contact Nathan at given to the battlefields. [email protected]. 3
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Messages From The Board
Communications Committee communications, or marketing, join the Wow! This is the 4th edition of The Itinerary. Communications Committee. Over the last year, I have received wonderful Contact Kelvin Carter at 614-783-4548 or content from our members, and have sought [email protected] to discuss to present a mixture of informational and possibilities. entertaining topics.
I have received positive feedback on both the Government and Tourism design, and the quality of articles. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to, and read Committee The Itinerary. Please join us in welcoming Ella Schiralli, The Itinerary is growing, and needs additional Laura Moore, Susan Murany, and Diane people behind the scenes. Photographers, Lietzau to the Government and Tourism writers, copy editors, and others, please Committee. continue to step forth and help me produce The Committee works with D.C. and U.S. this quarterly newsletter. I appreciate your government entities to discuss issues of ideas, articles, and assistance. importance to tour guiding. Besides publishing The Capital Guide Online Activities include advancing the and The Itinerary, the Communications professionalism of the Guild and its Committee is also responsible for: members, promoting tourism and tour • Promoting the Guild and the tour guiding by licensed guides, and advocating guiding services offered by members for safety and improvements to tourist sites in the city. • Helping build relationships with Friends and Affiliates We are hope to have a committee member serve as the liaison for each of the various • Providing members with news from government agencies with whom we work, travel and tourism industry publications e.g D.C. Regulatory Authority (DCRA), and other sources that affect our National Capitol Planning Commission business (NCPC), NPS, Trust for National Mall, etc. How do we do this in 2020, the age of Liaisons will follow agency activities and transmedia marketing? To meet this goal, the communicate issues of importance to the guild needs new creative ideas for connecting Guild. We’d be happy to add a few more if our members, the public, and the tourism people are interested. industry. This is where you come in. If you have an interest and talents in social media, Contact Maribeth Oakes and Ellen Malasky. 4
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Twenty in 2020 - By Kaitlin Calogera Founder of A Tour Of Her Own Events & Exhibitions Every DC Tour Guide Should Know: Women’s History Edition
20) Women’s History Month - Join A Tour Of Her Own (TOHO) for a 10-day celebration of women in American history and culture. The kick-off event includes a panel discussion and networking social. The celebration continues with tours and events scheduled every day leading up to International Women’s Day. (February 28th, 2020 - Sunday, March 8th, 2020)
19) Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words – Visit the Library of Congress’s newest exhibit showcasing rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure. (Now – August 2020)
18) Shall Not be Denied – This Library of Congress exhibit examines the growth of the suffrage movement while focusing on themes like fortitude, sacrifice, and victory. (Now - September 2020)
17) Rightfully Hers - Located in the National Archives adjacent to the Charters of Freedom, this exhibit highlights the relentless struggle of diverse activists throughout US history to secure voting rights for all American women. (Now - January 3rd, 2021)
16) One Life: Marian Anderson – Located at the National Portrait Gallery, this exhibit focuses on the life and legacy of the famed singer, and the resulting imagery of her as an icon of civil rights. June 28, 2019 - May 17, 2020
15) Lucy Burns Museum - The area’s best-kept secret is Lorton, Virginia’s Workhouse Arts Center. The newest exhibit on campus tells the story of the suffragists who were imprisoned there in 1917 for picketing the White House for women’s right to vote (Opens January 25th, 2020)
14) Girlhood! (It’s Complicated) - The Museum of American History understands that girls and women have been misrepresented in society. For decades, young women were told that girls were “made of sugar and spice and everything nice.” What we learn from history is that many girls were made of stronger stuff. (June 2020 - January 2022)
13) Creating Icons: How We Remember Women’s Suffrage – The new exhibit at the Museum of American History marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Commemorate women’s achievements in winning suffrage while learning about the cracks and fissures in the movement that continue to impact women’s politics and activism. (Opens March 6th, 2020) 5
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12) Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists – The Renwick Gallery is situated just across from the White House and will showcase the first major thematic exhibition to explore the artistic achievements of Native women. It includes about 80 artworks and highlights the power of the collaborative process. (February 21st, 2020 – May 17th, 2020)
11) Paper Routes: Women to Watch – This exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, showcases the transformation of paper into complex works of art. Artists use paper not merely as a support for drawings, prints, or photographs, but as a medium itself. (June 26th, 2020–September 7th, 2020)
10) The Rights of Women - Visit the Society of the Cincinnati on Embassy Row to explore the Legacy of the American Revolution and its impact on the women’s suffrage movement. (April- September 2020)
9) Daughters of the American Revolution Museum - The downtown building serves as the national headquarters for the DAR whose mission is historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
8) The Women’s Memorial – A visit to Arlington National Cemetery would be incomplete without admiring the only major national memorial honoring all women who have defended America throughout history.
7) Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument - Situated on Capitol Hill, this house was the headquarters for the National Woman's Party and the epicenter of the women’s rights movement.
6) Congressional Cemetery – Visit the final resting place of trailblazer Belva Lockwood who died May 17, 1917. She is the first woman to argue in front of the Supreme Court and the first woman to run a full-fledged presidential campaign in 1884. Twenty-one women in total have run for US president including the 2020 candidates.
5) Washington Mystics - Expect to see a parade in the spring celebrating DC's first WNBA championship in franchise history or catch a home game at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in southeast DC. (May 2020 -October 2020)
4) Washington Spirit – As members of the National Women’s Soccer League, the team will play 12 local home games in 2020. After setting record-high attendance last year, four of the games will be played at DC’s Audi Field in southwest DC. (March 2020 -September 2020)
3) Silent Sky – This inspiring drama explores the determination, passion, and sacrifice of Henrietta Leavitt and her fellow women “computers” who transformed the science of astronomy. The play is both written and directed by women. (Ford’s Theater - January 24th, 2020– February 23rd, 2020)
2) Call Boxes - Eight downtown call boxes have been restored as artwork dedicated to sharing the accomplishments of historical women. (TOHO guided tour March 2nd 12:00p-1:00p.)
1) A Tour Of Her Own - Mark your calendar for the TOHO annual special event. One full day of women’s history tours, speakers, panels, and more is scheduled for Saturday, November 14th, 2020.
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“Remember. Honor. Teach.” By Clara Sachs
On Saturday, December 14, 2019, over 38,000 soon to be rain-soaked volunteers gathered at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery to remember, honor, and teach. They gathered to lay donated evergreen wreaths with hand-tied red bows at the gravesites of over 250,000 American military veterans. This was the 27th year this wreath laying event has taken place at One of over 200 semi-tractor-trailer trucks stationed all over Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) for Wreaths Across America (WAA). ANC.
At age 12, a young paper boy, who had In 2014, I attended this annual event for my won a free trip to DC visited Arlington first time. The grounds were full of National Cemetery. He never forgot the thousands of visitors with one mission in awesome majesty of these grounds. He mind. There was an atmosphere I had not grew up and got married. He and his wife experienced while conducting my regular became the owners of the Worcester ANC tours. There was such purpose, joy, Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. In respect, and gratitude exhibited by all the 1992, they had some surplus unsold visitors. My first wreath was laid at a Christmas wreaths. With the help of gravesite of a veteran from Kentucky. I took Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, they in a shocked gasp of air! The maternal side contacted ANC and asked if they could lay of my family is from Kentucky. I have an these wreaths at veteran’s gravesites at uncle who served in WWII, and my maternal ANC. This small gathering of local grandfather served in WWI. Not only was I Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Maine honoring this particular veteran, I was natives continued to lay wreaths at ANC honoring my Kentucky relatives. Chance? each year. In 2005, a photo of the wreath Coincidence? The hand of God? I naively decorated gravesites went viral. thought I had aimlessly wandered through Thousands of people asked to participate. the sections. But, fate had something else in In 2007, the non-profit Wreaths Across mind. America was created with the simple After laying the wreath at the Kentucky mission: Remember. Honor. Teach. veteran’s grave, I continued to walk through
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the cemetery. questions. We have met local With a tour Washingtonians who have never visited guide’s antenna- ANC, enlisted personnel who have like ears, I heard traveled hours on leave, family members people asking who have loved ones buried at ANC and “Where is do not know how the day evolves, President students here because they needed the Kennedy’s community service points, groups from grave?” “Where businesses, and those who simply come is the Tomb of to honor our country’s veterans. Every the Unknowns?” visitor has a reason that brings him or Guild member Tina Odenbaugh lays a I offered detailed her here. And, every visitor leaves wreath at her father’s grave site. directions of the Arlington National Cemetery and the most direct routes and some historical Wreaths Across America event with the information. There were 75,000 visitors same understanding. Today, they that warm Saturday, and ANC Explorer honored a hero. had all but crashed. Everyone was so So, I would like to invite you to open your appreciative. I stood with my red, white, calendar to December 2020. Pencil in on and blue golf umbrella at a major Saturday, December 19th “Guild/Wreaths intersection and called out, “Does anyone Across America.” Share this event with need help?” People came running. One your family, invite your neighbors, tell after another for over an hour. I your friends. For the Guild, the approached the Guild Board and asked if I ANC/Wreaths Across America event is could recruit Guild volunteers for the next one of the few times local WAA event. It was a way for the Guild to Washingtonians - people who live here give back to Arlington National Cemetery all year - get to see us in action! Join your and honor the veterans who are buried neighbors! Remember. Honor. Teach. there. I was put in touch with the Volunteer Coordinator for WAA. She was thrilled when I offered the assistance of professional tourist guides!
Since 2015, the Guild has volunteered every year at this precious and awesome event. As Tony Spadafora was greeting visitors this year, an ANC staffer came up to him and said, “We love it when the Guild shows up!” We greet visitors as they enter ANC, provide directions, and answer Volunteer visitors walking through decorated sections of gravesites. 8
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Animals in the Streets Books
By Hayden M. Wetzel
This winter, after six years of research and another four finding a publisher and preparing the final manuscript, my history of animal control in the District was published by the Humane Society of the U.S. and on Amazon. After such a long time obsessed with one topic, I hardly know what to do with myself now. It certainly was a fun ride while it lasted!
The project started when a community organization from Southwest Washington asked me to research a modest brick building for landmarking – historic protection by the District -- something I regularly do. We vaguely knew it had been the old District pound, but I ran into blind alleys looking for information. A knowledgeable friend gave me a lead to the annual reports of the poundmaster. Here is the first one I read:
The question of whence comes the large army of dogs which infest our two cities is still a conundrum. It would seem that the killing of these animals by thousands every year would at least decimate the worthless class; but who among us can say that the 12,474 killed during the past six years are missed? Indeed, it would seem to me, like the adage in regard to gray hairs, two have appeared for every one removed. (1878)
How can you get away from this stuff? Read his opinion of goats:
Pestiferous animals which will positively hesitate at nothing which they can masticate. (1875)
And his problems with stray cows:
We have many complaints from citizens respecting cows coming close to their dwellings, dropping their filth, and frightening children. (1882)
Newspapers, available and searchable on-line, produced their own goodies:
A bachelor correspondent writes us from 12th Street between F and H: “a locality undisturbed by the sacrilegious tread of the policeman, where rank weeds overgrow the pavement, and where cows, hogs, ducks and goats revel in unrestricted freedom, and where alleys swelter in filth and reek in
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rottenness; where night is made hideous by the shouts and yells of boys who nightly congregate there, and to which, when added the barking of dogs, the mewing of cats, and the screams of unattended babies, there is furnished a scene outrivaling Pandemonium and Bedlam combined. From whence cometh relief?” (Evening Star 1868)
Go through almost any street in the city, and you will see one or more Washington pets reclining cozily in some refreshing mud hole, with a squad of geese standing guard close by. (Evening Star 1870)
To this ever-growing trove of information (the newspapers just kept yielding stories funny and sad), I added the various laws, regulations, Commissioners’ orders (there are something like 70 volumes of these at the National Archives), and court opinions from 1791 to 1940 to give me the legal underpinning of the District’s efforts to control wandering animals. Even these had their interest.
An 1809 law “To Prevent Swine from Rooting or Otherwise Destroying the Pastures of the City of Washington,” allowed “any citizen or constable” to butcher an unmarked (lacking “iron rings in their snouts”) hog and then split the proceeds with the District poorhouse.
Dogs found in city markets were killed by the constable (who received $1 for his trouble) and buried “In some remote place,” (1819, 1820), four-feet deep (1857).
Before the Territorial government police had the responsibility to take up strays, tho reluctantly.
This is the most unpleasant of all duties . . . because the hogs generally belong to persons not able to lose them or recover them after [being] taken. (Evening Star 1868)
Then, in 1871 the District established a dedicated pound force to handle the growing problem. Unfortunately, this was at first a contractor operation and proved as corrupt and incompetent as many other municipal efforts of the time.
(In 1871 the undisciplined pound crew started taking geese from a homeowner’s yard. When the lady protested Poundmaster Hoover) “told his men to knock the cat down, tie her legs, and throw her in the wagon with the dogs.” (Evening Star 1871)
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A permanent District-organized pound Carting away dead animals proved more operation was established the following interesting than it they sounds. year with Samuel Einstein as poundmaster; he served until his death About 100 pages of appendixes list in 1912. Things were not easy. all laws and other legal instruments relating to animals in the study period, At the time the pound service was about 60 pages of statistics, and a established the city was overrun with animals of all kinds. When Poundmaster miscellany of textual add-ons amplifying Einstein and his assistants started upon the text and describing ancillary matters their crusade they found their task was a such as attempts to shoo pigeons from troublesome one. Clubs, brickbats and city streets, cats resident in federal offices, stones greeted them daily, the appearance and what dog breeds and names were of the pound wagons never resulting in anything but trouble, more especially in the popular at various periods. There are also sections known as ‘Foggy Bottom’ and 20 pages of period graphics. ‘Swampoodle’. No owner of a goat was ever I doubt any guide will find this known to surrender his animal without a fight, and assistance was never lacking. material useful in his or her work. It does, (Evening Star 1911) though, give an interesting insight into the life of Washington in its early days. It was not until the 1890s that farm animals had disappeared from the District to the extent that the pound men could concentrate on taking dogs, which were only of interest to their immediate owners (if they had any) and the neighborhood boys.
The story of the pound led me to the development of the District’s humane organizations of the period: The Humane Society (established 1870, which did not provide actual shelter of stray animals until much later) and the Animal Rescue League (established 1914, which did). Fortunately, both groups are well- documented and happily opened their Excerpted from the book: archives to me. As an add-on, I also Mangy Curs and Stoned Horses: Animal control followed the methods used to take dead in the District of Columbia from the beginnings animals from city streets, part of the to about 1940 municipal garbage collection effort. by Guild Member HAYDEN M. WETZEL
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Member Spotlight - Richard Ayad
by Barbara Western
New to the Guild in 2019, Richard Ayad is already a familiar face around the National Mall. As a ranger for the National Park Service, one of his duties is to present informative programs at the memorials. I made his acquaintance on a blustery fall day, where he guided our small group through four parks at the western end of the Mall. (Each memorial is actually a “Memorial Park.”) We can all agree that no matter how long one’s tenure as a guide, there is always more to learn. I was duly impressed that day by Richard’s knowledge, style, and wit. Little did I know he had recently joined the Guild and as retirement approached, was about to explore a new path as a tour guide! Having received certification from ITMI in the late 90s, he’s now ready to utilize his skills in new ways.
Richard spent over 30 years in California, working various jobs, from restauranteur to commercial real estate agent to taxi driver, and much more. Variety is his vocation! His love of new people and places led him to do some guiding in the Golden State in various capacities. He has always loved the outdoors, biking, hiking, skiing, and especially parks. He worked at a Tahoe ski resort just so he could take to the slopes whenever he had the chance!
One day he attended a ranger program at Yosemite National Park and decided then and there he wanted to become a ranger, even though the talk focused mostly on bears! He was willing to go anywhere, and to his delight, soon found himself driving the Alaskan Highway through the Yukon, to scenic Skagway, Alaska. As a park ranger there, he worked at the trail center, where he assisted hikers and helped ferry supplies via helicopter to Sheep Camp. This is a remote backpacking outpost in the mountains of British Columbia. While living up in the wilds, he enjoyed hiking, exploring the forests, tundra, and mountains. He even flew to Tuk, a remote town on the Arctic Ocean, known for caribou, polar bears, northern lights, and frigid winters.
A few years later, Richard relocated to the East Coast, working as a ranger on the George Washington National Parkway. His career as a park ranger was sealed as he discovered he absolutely loved the National Park Service. His enthusiasm has persisted through thirteen years on the job. He states that the ranger’s noble mission is to preserve, protect, educate, and help visitors enjoy the parks. It is amazing to him that our National Mall Memorial Parks need no advertising; people come by choice. And when a visitor’s simple question becomes a dialog, that is a measure of success. As a Guild member, Richard anticipates many opportunities for growth and looks forward to making personal connections with fellow members. Welcome Richard! 12
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What Makes A Show
The Virginia Sales Mission by Christen M. Eliason photo by Normand Huberdeau
A little over 10 years ago, I attended my first Travel Exchange: November 2009 in Reno. It was my first time in Nevada and my first work-related convention. I was enthralled at the whole affair, including all those appointments I had as a buyer. I have attended every Travel Exchange since then.
Having a full book of appointments can be exhausting, but ultimately, it is productive and fun. It’s constant engagement with a good share of the convention attendees, and every seven minutes you meet a new contact!
Several new elements were groundbreaking at TREX ’19 in Fort Worth. On Saturday night tour operators were treated to a BBQ and a rodeo at the Stockyards. While every Travel Exchange may not lend itself to a signature event that captures the heart of the city or region, this introduced Western culture with a bang.
Sightseeing tours are a good way to immerse yourself in your surroundings, and my colleague Ellen Turnbull and I chose the Stockyards tour. We were treated to a variety of experiences, including the Walk of the Longhorns. Before that finale we learned about cowboy culture and how the historic stockyards will be reborn as a retail and Christen Eliason - Photo by Normand Huberdeau 13
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restaurant focal point. What a great morning.
I always admire the energy in my business appointments. I met with folks who went to school, studied, and got certified in their craft—well done! I, on the other hand, got lucky in my career. I learned on the job, falling into tour planning in midlife after working in the less-stable Washington, D.C., halls of government and holding other jobs. My boss, Chris Babb, was born into the tour operator business.
Beyond presenting a good spin on their region, attraction, or tour business, the NTA members I met with showed a lot more: a dedication to our profession and enthusiasm in talking about what they came to present.
That drive and substance was evident in the Best Pitch session on Tuesday. They weren’t high-tech presentations, except for our Whisper devices. International members simply telling us about their country—how and where to travel within it—made for a novel experience. Listening to their accents and zeal was amazing. It was, as we say, authentic. NTA will probably tweak this session, but please don’t change the genuineness of this new element of Travel Exchange.
Likewise, the state and provincial Sales Missions were, for many tour operators, a good way to round up our knowledge of an area and give us connections we may not have time for in our one-on-one appointments. Presenters at all the Sales Missions I attended put thought into what they did, and the cleverest was probably the Virginia Sales Mission.
As the operators sat in a circle, with a member of the state’s DMO team behind us, we each held a wrapped gift that had initially been placed underneath our chair. As we listened to short presentations about each area, we were directed to listen for the words “left” and “right.” Upon hearing either of these words, we passed the gift to the person on our right or left. While this might not work for all the Sales Missions, this approach helped get us around the state in 20 minutes.
In my other Sales Missions, I heard about new, themed itineraries and learned by listening to questions from other operators. It was all very helpful for planning tours.
So many other components of Travel Exchange 2019 were great, too, from the Icebreaker to the ’80s dance party … Pam Inman leaving (sniff, sniff) and Catherine Prather coming (what a great speech) … Chairman Paul Larsen also leaving and new Chairman Jim Warren coming on.
Thank you, NTA and Fort Worth, for Travel Exchange 2019. What a good show!
Christen M Eliason is a tour consultant for The Group Tour Company in Washington, D.C.
Reprinted by permission of NTA Courier. https://www.ntacourier.com/
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World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations
14 Days In Cyprus
by Maribeth Oakes and Kelvin Carter
Cyprus is a small island of 1.2 million people located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It lies 70 miles south of Turkey and 300 miles northwest of Israel. The climate is warm and breezy. Flowers bloom year around, and orange, lemon, and lime tress are abundant throughout the city neighborhoods. While Cyprus has several coastal cities, its’ capitol Nicosia, lies in the interior of the island.
In November 2019, Guild members Maribeth Oakes and Kelvin Carter visited Nicosia, Cyprus to attend the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations’ (WFTGA): Train-the- Trainer Course.
If you have ever thought about becoming a trainer of tour guides, consider taking the Train-the-Trainer course. Not only are the training skills one learns invaluable, but you also come away with new friends from other countries, and a better appreciation of Cypriot and international cultures.
We arrived at dusk. After settling in at the hotel, we attended a welcome reception where we met the WFTGA leaders, our trainers, and fifteen other tourist guides from across the globe; all hoping to strengthen their guiding skills and acquire the teaching techniques that would prepare them to become national and international trainers of tourist guides.
Countries represented included: the Philippines, Denmark, Canada, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico, Peru, France, Thailand, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
Early the next morning, we The WFTGA 2019 Train-the-Trainer attendees and trainers 15
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boarded a “left sided” bus and made our way through the city to begin our training.
The first two days of class took place in the library on the campus of the University of Cyprus. The library, designed in-the-round by acclaimed French architect Jean Nouvel, featured a central domed roof-top skylight situated above a reflective concrete cone that descend five stories, bringing natural light down to the lowest levels of the building.
The first week of course work focused on self- University of Cyprus library interior. Photo: Dezeen.com awareness and improving essential guiding skills.
The remaining sessions were held off-campus at the university’s Archaeological Research Unit; a renovated two-story neo-classical house built in the 1900s during the British occupation of the town. This became our base camp for practical sessions that included neighborhood walking tours, a study of the museum of Cyprus, and conducting motor coach tours around the city.
Week two focused on various aspects of designing a training course and conducting training assessments. Lectures included topics such as story storytelling, group dynamics, working with adult learners, protecting antiquities towards a sustainable tourist development, and business considerations.
At the museum of Cyprus, we saw artifacts from the Neolithic days of Cyprus, as well as the picrolite (a mineral stone) cruciform figures. These figures have become a symbol of Cyprus and is embossed on the Cypriot two Euro coin.
While days were spent focusing on learning, several evenings allowed for time to socialize, eat souvlaki and fried halloumi (a cheese made from sheep’s milk that can be fried without melting), 3000 B.C. Picrolite and explore Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus since the 11th century cruciform figurine. Byzantine period. The oldest part of the city is surround by thick, Photo: Kelvin Carter mediaeval walls, anchored by eleven heart-shaped bastions. They were built in the 1500s by the Venetians. Inside the walls, narrow streets, spattered about like puzzle pieces, lead to a thriving shopping district that is a mixture of name brand stores, privately owned shops, and quaint restaurants.
Cyprus is a divided country. It has been conquered, sold, and colonized many times during its 10,000-year history. It has been controlled by Persia, Greece, the crusaders, the Ottomans, and the British to name a few. Over time, the population became a mixture of 16
Winter / Spring The Itinerary 2020
The Venitian walls, and Paphos gate entrance into the old city. To the left is the Tukish occupied area, to the right is the Greek area. Photo: Kelvin Carter
Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus in response to an attempted Greek takeover. The Turks were stopped, but not expelled, leaving Cyprus and its capital city, divided. The Greek Cypriots live in the south and the Turkish Cypriots in the north, between the two, and in the heart of the old city, lies the “green line”; a demilitarized zone. For years there was great resentment between the two sides, but more recently there is growing hope that the two sides can set aside their differences and be reunited.
While the days were long, two weeks went quickly. There was much studying, and both written and oral assessments to take. In the end we gained a great amount of knowledge that we were able to utilize on our return to the states.
I am grateful to the WFTGA for a great training experience, and to my fellow tourist guides for being open, and sharing their cultures and experiences. Seeing life and guiding through their eyes was just as valuable as the course work.
WFTGA is a non-profit, non-political organization, that promotes universal ethics and professional standards for tourist guides around the world. To learn more about WFTGA’s training opportunities click on http://www.wftga.org/training/about-us
Left: Maribeth Oakes, Center: Alusha Ritche, President of the WFTGA, Right: Kelvin Carter 17
Winter / Spring The Itinerary 2020
THE GUILD OF PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDES OF WASHINGTON, DC https://www.washingtondctourguides.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2020 Elected Officers:
President: Jackie Frend 703-966-7717 [email protected] 1st Vice President: Corky Rainey 703-867-7246 [email protected] 2nd Vice President: Maria Limarzi 301-928-7614 [email protected] Treasurer: Bart Smith 571-228-7591 [email protected] Secretary: Mary Thorne 202-550-5596 [email protected] Guild Guide Rep: John Days 240-988-8550 [email protected] Affiliate Rep: Anna Geer 703-855-0953 [email protected]
Committees:
Admin & Ethics: Russ Norfleet 703-501-7952 [email protected] Cert. Master Guide: Jim Carr 703-217-3090 [email protected] Shannon Mikush 703-865-0724 [email protected] Communications: Kelvin Carter 614-783-4548 [email protected] Education: Chris Bauer 301-467-3006 [email protected] Pat Abler 703-915-4795 [email protected] Gov’t & Tourism: Ellen Malasky 202-549-5171 [email protected] Maribeth Oakes 202-957-4406 [email protected] Membership: Debra Wiley 202-302-5701 [email protected] Barbara Longnecker 703-984-9193 [email protected] Training: Christen Eliason 202-841-5021 [email protected] Sandra Moore 240-328-4040 [email protected]
EDITOR: Kelvin Carter, Chair, Communications Committee
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CONTENT DISCLAIMER: The statements contained within the articles and columns of The Itinerary are the perspectives, viewpoints, and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Communications Committee or The Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, DC.
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SUBMIT MATERIAL TO: [email protected] Please include your name, a suggested title, any supporting pictures, and “NEWSLETTER” in the subject line. Submissions will only be accepted by email except when determined through prior discussion with the Communications Committee. The next issue of The Itinerary will be published in August 2020. All submissions should be received by July 15th. 18
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