If you've been to Arlington Cemetery before and it was on an eighth-grade trip, well, it's time for a return visit. Especially now.

It's easy to skip the four war stories printed in any given newspaper, but it's impossible to ignore a caravan of slow-moving black cars or the expanses of uniform gravestones lining the quiet hills. Most majestic is the Tomb of the Unknowns, marked with these words:

"Here rests in

Honored glory

An American

Soldier

Known but to God"

Every day and night, in every manner of weather, vigilant watch is maintained over the tomb by members of the prestigious 3rd U.S. Infantry "Old Guard" Regiment. With mesmerizing precision, they walk before the marble monument, emanating reverence with each exacting step. Every 30 minutes from mid - March through September, and every hour during fall and winter, the guard is changed in a stirring 10-minute ceremony.

Honored glory, indeed.

Tip: It's a pretty hearty hike up the hill, so if you have anyone with special needs, now is the time to bring along that handicapped parking pass. There's also a shuttle that will bring you to the highlights, including the Kennedy graves, if walking isn't an option.

--Ellen McCarthy (Jan. 25, 2008)

Major attractions include the Tomb of the Unknowns, where a formal changing of the guard ceremony happens every half-hour in the summer and on the hour therest of the year. The tomb contains the remains of unidentified U.S. service members from world wars I and II and the Korean War. Each was presented with the Medal of Honor at the time of interment, and the medals, as well as the flags that covered their caskets, are displayed inside the Memorial Amphitheater, to the rear of the tomb. The tomb is guarded at all times by the Army's Old Guard. Changing of the guard occurs on the hour Oct. 1-March 14 and every half-hour March 15-Sept. 30. The Women's Memorial, dedicated in 1997, pays tribute to all servicewomen in the U.S. armed forces. It is at the Ceremonial Entrance to the cemetery.

-- The Guide 2007 (April 26, 2007)