Conservatives Travel to D.C. For Annual Trip

Twenty nine conservative students from Ohio University's College Republicans traveled to Washington D.C. this past weekend.

The 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference is what inspired these students to make the 5.5 hour drive to the nation's capital.

The 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC for short is an annual convention for conservative activists across America. CPAC is held at the Omni Shoreham, a lavish hotel in Washington D.C.

Held since 1973, this conference provides an excellent excuse to travel to Washington D.C. and mingle with fellow conservatives.

Washington D.C. is a lively city and highly enjoyable for both the politically active and historically interested. Teeming with monuments, memorials, and museums, the nation's capital is a fascinating place to travel.

This year's Conservative Political Action Conference received a great turnout from conservative activists across the nation. This conference was able to inspire a great deal of traveling to the nation's capital.

The conference was highly successful as it featured noteworthy speeches from prominent conservatives such as Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter.

"There were so many fascinating speakers and their events obviously generated a lot of attendance. Unfortunately, some of the events required waiting in line for over three hours just to get into the conference room," says Suzi Hawk, communications chair for the Ohio University College Republicans.

The popularity of CPAC's keynote speakers certainly hindered some attendees' plans. Even after traveling near and far to get to D.C., some people ended up viewing the speeches on televisions in their hotel rooms.

"Regardless of where we viewed these speeches, they were poignant and hard-hitting. Just the environment of being at CPAC was refreshing and invigorating," says Kristen Bussel, vice president of Ohio University College Republicans.

The Ohio University College Republicans opted to carpool this year to the conference. The journey took approximately 5.5 hours and took the students through the states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.

Carpool tends to be the preferred mode of transportation but charter buses are also occasionally used.

"This is my third year attending CPAC. This annual trip and conference is something I look forward to all year long. Traveling to Washington D.C. each year is definitely a highlight of my college experience," says Melissa Short, president of Ohio University College Republicans.

The CPAC attendees also travel to Washington D.C. to partake in sightseeing and experiencing what the city has to offer.

"Visiting the National Museum of American History, viewing the Washington Monument, and eating at fabulous restaurants completely complemented the CPAC experience this year," says Tanya Rennicker, secretary for Ohio University College Republicans.

For more information about CPAC, please visit http://www.cpac.org/