the Capitol building

The Capitol Building was our first place to visit (mainly because we had a scheduled tour there!) I was in awe of the building as well as its historical significance and important to our daily lives. I left there feeling a mixture of awe and amazement at what a wonderful and blessed country we have, plus a feeling of inadequacy and "plain Jane" origin. I can't imagine what it would be like to have such an important role in our country that one could actually work there.
As for the tour, we had ours arranged through Senator Burr's office instead of the Capitol Tours group. Even though your Senator's office is also where you get a pass to tour the House and Senate Chambers, come to find out, the tour arranged with the office does not include the pass. Our tour guide was an intern who had only been in the district for two weeks. He seemed knowledgeable enough, though I wondered had we gone through the Capitol Tours how it would have been different.

The above statue is one of many we saw, but I thought this one was particularly poignant: Lady Liberty with America (the eagle) clinging to her one one side and the lack of freedom on the other. The very evils that existed then are still with us today.

A view of the main rotunda.

This is a section of the painting several layers below the dome, each scene an important historical event for America. I post it here because I found some of its background funny. The painter who had sketched and began the circular painting died before it was finished. The artist hired to complete his work did a great job, but some of his work was not the same measurements as the first painter, causing the mural to have a small gap of blank wall. After the Wright brothers flew their flight in NC, the Congress hired another artist to come in and draw the airplane and a brother to fill in the gap. Not sure why I found that so funny, but it sounded like a problem I would have.

I could talk forever about DC and what we saw, but seeing as my time is now being heavily occupied by little people for the next few weeks, I'll probably post a top ten list about my favorite places or something.