Our Nation's Capitol

Wow, today was quite a trip! In an effort to make a comprehensive, one-day visit to the District, Jillian, Mom, Dad, and I arrived at in the Capital City at 7:00AM, waved goodbye to Grandpa Joe (my new nickname for Jillian's grandfather--our Virginia host and D.C. escort) and eagerly embarked upon our first stop of an all-day adventure. The Library of Congress is a superb architectural wonder; impressively constructed and intricately decorated in classic American Renaissance tradition, it stood out as our personal favorite of the tours we enjoyed.

The Library (or OUR Library, as the introductory video patriotically reminded us) holds many of the world's treasures including a genuine Gutenberg Bible, drafts of the Constitution, Gershwin's piano, and "America's birth certificate"--a German map of the world dating from 1507 that first documents the "New World's" new name.

Moving quickly onto the Capitol, we were guided to the underground facility of the Capitol Visitor Center, a new addition to the D.C. tourist's experience. Due to some extremely good personal contacts I happen to have high up in the government (don't ask, I'm trying to get a job... Just kidding), we were given the VIP tour--a personal intern of a certain Congressperson who's received substantial media coverage over the past few years took us around and told us all about the history, workings, and secrets of the Capitol building. Did you know that there is a certain place you can stand in the Old Senate Chamber where, due to the acoustics, you can overhear personal, whispered conversations from across the room? Senators were being driven so crazy by these "voices in their heads" they were forced to annex the building and create a new space for the Senate to fix this pesky problem. Well, I'm sure there was more to it than that, but that's all I know... We had a few sightings as well in the Senate gallery: McCain and Kerry, my two favorite people!

Jillian for President!

Next was a long hike to Casablanca. The White House, that is. I've often wondered what it would be like to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Street. I don't know if I'd enjoy having thousands of unannounced visitors traipsing all over my lawn and through my halls when I'm having the king of Denmark over for tea in an hour and a half and there are dishes to be done, treaties to sign, you get the picture... Well, we sat in line for about an hour, got bossed around by a power-hungry Secret Service dude, and eventually made it in. It was nice. End of story.

After many miles of walking around, hours of thirst and a quick pit-stop in the National Museum of Natural History to see giant spiders and bugs, we ended our trip at the Lincoln Memorial. We were inspired. Goodnight!

Greetings from A, J, and Abe

- A