Editor: Shea Raftus

Chicagos Tribute to Vietnam

The money-strapped National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum the only art museum in the U.S. dedicated to exhibiting work by Vietnam vets and, most recently, Iraq War vets has an almost appropriate vacancy about it. As you step into the main gallery, youre met by a graceful found-metal sculpture that mimics a soldier about to step off to dance with death, portraying the romantic notion of war; one of the feet is molded using a tricycle part. On the second floor, get close to the softly clinking dog tags that make up Above & Beyond theres a tag for each of the more than 58,000 service men and women who died in the Vietnam War. Take the back stairs or the elevator to the third floor to see the photos and installations of the Iraq War exhibits. The museum is kept afloat by a handful of dedicated artist vets who regularly ship pieces out for exhibition, and also restore pieces like a sculpture utilizing the POW bracelets of pilot (and Sen. John McCain colleague) John Borling, as well as the cup he used while imprisoned at the Hanoi Hilton. Many of the pieces easily stand on their own. But within the context of the museum, they are quite overpowering. On your way out, stop by the front desk and ask to see the hardcover rendition of the museum Vietnam: Reflexes and Reflections, which was released in 1996, the year the museum opened. The book offers a colorful and extended review of the larger collection, as well as artist reflections, and is worth a perusal.

3 Monuments to Visit in Philadelphia

Independence Hall
Independence Hall, originally named the Pennsylvania State House, has been called the birthplace of the United States. It is here that the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was drafted, debated over, agreed up and signed. The Liberty Bell originally hung in the bell tower of Independence Hall. Replica pieces that now adorn the Assembly Room are similar to those that the our forefathers used when they met in the building.

peace, equality and liberty. It acquired its name from abolitionists who were trying to put an end to slavery and who adopted the bell as their symbol. During the Civil War, the bell was taken around the country to promote unification. Today, the bell is housed in the Liberty Bell Center.

Columbus Monument

The Columbus Monument in Penns Landing was completed in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus. It also represents the role that all immigrants played in shaping Philadelphia and the United States. The structure is a modern twist on a traditional obelisk. At the top of the structure sits a weather vane that represents the colors of Italy and Spain--Italy being the country from which Columbus hailed, and Spain the country he sailed for.

San Diego Zoo

The Top 5 Zoos in the United States

The Liberty Bell

The San Diego Zoo may well be the citys most popular tourist attraction, and deservedly so; more than 4,000 animals comprising over 800 species call the sprawling, 100-acre animal park home. Visitors will encounter all manner of creatures, including giant pandas, polar bears, elephants and cheetahs at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. While the animals are the main attraction here, the grounds are also a veritable wonder, having been accredited as a botanical garden featuring more than 1 million plants. To traverse the enormous grounds, jump aboard the San Diego Zoos 35-minute Guided Bus Tour, which offers a

The famous Liberty Bell was originally commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of William Penns Charter of Privileges in 1751. According to legend, the bell rang on July 8, 1776, calling citizens of Philadelphia to gather to hear the first reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell represents

narrated tour covering some 70% of the zoo. Or take the Express Bus, a hop-on, hop-off affair that makes 5 stops throughout the grounds. For a literal overview of the zoo, get sky-high on the Skyfari aerial tram, which gives riders an aerial view of the grounds. Must-see stops include the Scripps Aviary (filled with 130 African native birds), the Polar Bear Plunge and the Panda Trek, where visitors can wander through a bamboo forest spotting giant and red pandas.

whose frequent television appearances on shows like Late Night with David Letterman helped make him an animal-loving legend, is the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and has helped it earn the distinguished reputation as one of the best zoos in America. Hanna helped refurbish the Columbus Zoos 588 acres, build its bevy of animals to some 7,000, and expand the grounds to include a theme park, waterpark and golf course. Notable zoo exhibits include Animal Encounters Village, the largest manatee exhibit outside of Florida, a 100,000-gallon coral reef exhibit and an African Forest, featuring rare bonobos, gorillas and apes, including Colo, the first great ape born in captivity, in 1956 -- and now the oldest living gorilla in captivity anywhere in the world.

generally recognized as a symbol for at least the ideals of opportunity and freedom to many. French sculptor Frdric-Auguste Bartholdi traveled to New York in 1871 to select the site, then spent more than 10 years in Paris designing and making the 151ft-tall figure Liberty Enlightening the World. It was then shipped to New York, erected on a small island in the harbor and unveiled in 1886.

Bronx Zoo
Tourists and locals alike flock to the Bronx Zoo, the nations largest metropolitan animal park, stretching some 265 acres. Opened in 1899, the Bronx Zoo houses more than 4,000 animals representing 600 species, in an environment that emulates a variety of habitats, like African plains, Himalayan mountains and Asian forests. The experience is sure to make visitors forget theyre a mere subway ride from Americas most massive city. Get up close and personal with beastly Siberian tigers at Tiger Mountain, a sprawling viewing enclosure, and meander through the Wild Asia Complex, which recreates Asian rainforests, complete with native birds, leopards, gibbons and lizards. Catch a gander at a variety of wildlife while taking a load off your feet, with a ride on the Wild Asia Monorail, a safari in miniature, which winds through enclosures housing elephants, rhinos, antelope, horses and deer. To beat some of the zoos notorious crowds, arrive as early as possible, or visit on a weekday or during the winter off-season.

Columbus Zoo

Jungle Jack Hanna, the zookeeper

Completed in 1913, Grand Central Terminal more commonly, if technically incorrectly, called Grand Central Station is another of New Yorks stunning The history of modern mall development Beaux Arts buildings, boasting 75ft-high, is divided into two distinct eras: everyglass-encased catwalks and a vaulted thing that came before Mall of America ceiling bearing a mural of the constellaand everything after. With more than tions streaming across it backwards 400 shops, MOA changed the (the designer mustve been ? playing field radically, w dyslexic). The balconies o u kn not just in terms of o overlooking the main cony Did is size (for years it a course afford an expansive c i mer in size. view; perch yourself on was the worlds A f o all eet largest mall) but one of these at around 5pm he M square f T also that heady on i on a weekday to get a glimpse l l i blend of retail, 4.2 m of the grace that this terminal entertainment, and commands under pressure. Wow! factor that subsequent malls have tried to achieve. Central Park MOA continues to lead them all with 40 million visitorsnearly as many as Italys Like the citys subway system, the vast and majestic Central Park, an 843-acre foreign tourist arrivals last year. rectangle of open space in the middle of Manhattan, is a great class leveler which 3 Cant Miss Attractions is exactly what it was envisioned to be. Created in the 1860s and 70s by Fredin The Big Apple erick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux on the marshy northern fringe of the city, the immense park was designed as a leisure space for all New Yorkers, regardless of Statue of Liberty color, class or creed. And its an oasis n a city full of American icons, the Statue from the insanity: the lush lawns, cool of Liberty is perhaps the most famous. forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies Conceived as early as 1865 by French of water and meandering, wooded paths intellectual Edouard Laboulaye as a providing the dose of serene nature that monument to the republican principals New Yorkers crave. shared by France and the USA, its still

Monthly Spotlight: The Mall of America

Grand Central Terminal