DNC Roll Call showcases diverse, singular beauty of the US

(CNN) — This is not your typical Democratic National Convention — and that’s a good thing. For the roll call portion of Tuesday night’s proceedings, the convention transmogrified into something of a travel program showcasing the most beautiful, meaningful, powerful and poignant destinations in America.

Instead of political theater, with balloons and confetti, campaign signs, thunderous applause and a jumbotron, the American people and the world were treated to a visual journey across the United States and her territories, showcasing the nation’s geographical diversity, historical value, natural grandeur and cultural monuments.

Join CNN Travel on a quick trip to see what America, The Beautiful is all about.

Alabama

Alaska

The state’s natural beauty was on display during roll call, as local fisherman and party activist Chuck Degnan spoke to the importance of protecting the state’s waterways and other natural resources. Degnan made his remarks from the Native Village of Unalakleet near Alaska’s Norton Sound and not far from the Bering Land Bridge Natural Preserve. His positioning is but one aspect of Alaska’s vitality and significance: Its living connection with prehistory, its vital Native populations, its precious wildlife and natural resources — it’s also one of the most beautiful, otherworldly places on Earth.

American Samoa

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the ancestral home of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, book a flight to Pago Pago in American Samoa and head north to Fatu ma Futi, where rock formations rise from the water as tiny, tree-topped island oases. This is the location on Tutuila selected for roll call, where Aliitama Sotoa, the chairman of American Samoa Democratic Party, and Petti Matila delivered their remarks alongside one of the most exquisite natural harbors in the world.

Arizona

California

Colorado

Georgia

Georgia State Sen. Nikema William spoke in front of the mural honoring John Lewis in downtown Atlanta. Located at the intersection of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, the mural was designed by Sean Schwab of the Loss Prevention artists collective and dedicated on August 24, 2012.

Hawaii

Civil rights activist Dr. Amy Agbayani made her remarks from Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Honolulu, with stunning Diamond Head in the background. That same day, Governor David Ige decided to extend the state’s mandatory 2-week quarantine for visitors and residents until October 1 — at the earliest.

Missouri

“People talk about the Gateway Arch the way they talk about the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower,” Eric Moraczewski, former executive director at the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, told CNN Travel in 2018. Last night, Reuben Gill, a member of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, stood in front of the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse and said, “I love walking around this city and seeing the contribution of my brothers and sisters.”

These opposing yet symbiotic structures both are architectural icons — the Old Courthouse is a reminder of slavery and the pursuit of eradicating the practice legally — most notably when Dred Scott, along with his wife Harriett, sued for and won their freedom over two trials in 1847 and 1850.

Montana

Nevada

Puerto Rico

This US island territory has not had a good run these last years. Hurricanes Irma and Maria, a slew of catastrophic earthquakes and Covid-19 have had a devastating impact on the island’s tourism industry. As CNN Politics reported Tuesday, “Delegate Carmelo Rios delivered his roll call address entirely in Spanish, reminding the country that ‘We Puerto Ricans are US citizens’ in a message that featured English subtitles.” Visitors to Puerto Rico will find warmth from the people, as well as the weather. And while traveling there right now is tricky, you can temporarily satisfy your island cravings with a piña colada, the deeply delicious Caribbean cocktail born at The Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1954.

Rhode Island