First leg - Raleigh

Today I am anchoring from our newsroom in Raleigh. It makes it easier since we are leaving so early Monday morning, although it only shaves about 3 hours from the trip. We are estimating about 5 or 6 hours. Hopefully it will be smooth drive. I am doing some research today about the last Papal visit to DC. From what I could find it was October 1979. I compared the itinerary and Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting a lot of the same sights Pope John Paul II did. The two may not mirror each other in attitude or behavior but the message is similar.