1. The National Archives: we spent a LONG time in there, and had exhaustion and time not been a factor we could have stayed longer! In addition to getting to see the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carter, the Bill of Rights, and other historical documents, there are SO many exhibits and modern layouts of information! There's a small section on patents, as well as an interactive exhibit where you can attempt to guess what the patent is for. There's a small section displaying letters people have written the Presidents over the years; video footage of funny Presidential speeches or comments; video footage of historical events, and so much more!
2. The Library of Congress. As a child I dreamed of getting locked up in this humongous library overnight. I was disappointed that we didn't actually get to see the stacks, was surprised to find out it actually consists of three HUGE buildings, PLUS a warehouse, and was AMAZED at the main building we saw (the Thomas Jefferson building). It's an art and historian lovers' dream. We didn't get to take the organized tour of this building, but heard enough from various groups passing by that we learned quite a bit. I also bought a book to read on the way home that gave more information about the LOC and its artwork and buildings.
3. Arlington National Cemetery...did you know this was Robert E. Lee's property that was confiscated during the Civil War, turned into a school for freed blacks, and then later a burial place for Union Soldiers? It wasn't until years later that his family was reimbursed for the land. And it also houses the largest burial site of unknown Confederate dead (about 2,000 in one big grave). The above picture is from the changing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from three different wars. I actually cried through part of it. It made me wish every American could see this. There's a lot about our country that is wrong, but this is something that we have done correctly for years. It was heart wrenching and touching to know that some one's son, brother, uncle, or nephew was being shown the respect that his family was unable to give. We didn't see as much of the cemetery as we'd have liked due to taking a tour bus due to the heat and exhaustion. But we saw quite a bit and it was well worth it.
4. The White House. Our scheduled tour was disappointing in that you're not allowed to take cameras. This shot was made from the War Memorials, but there were so many other shots that I would have loved to make. I'd take this "self-guided" tour again. Of course, we got to see a few glimpses others didn't due to Bobby's disability. En route to the elevator we went through two storage rooms (music stands and chairs), two kitchens, and made a brief stop at the basement kitchen (the cooks summoned the elevator to send food up for a meeting). The cooks jokingly told us to come back at 11 for lunch. My biggest surprise there was the China pattern that the Clintons had chosen during their term...it was beautiful!
5. the War Memorials. My favorite of all the war memorials was WWII. It was overwhelming, peaceful, cool, and educational. Of course, knowing that my Grandfather fought in this war and Bobby's Dad had served at the Pentagon at its close made it all the more special.
6. The Supreme Court Building. We went for one of the lectures (given when the court is not in session). It was great. Of course, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a good chunk of the marble came from Alabama!
The outside of the building is undergoing renovations. You might be able to see part of the crane in the top of the picture.The Smithsonian History Museum was also fun, though we didn't get to see the display of the First Ladies' dresses due to the long line and a schedule appointment at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where the money is printed). The BE&P is good for a first time visit if you're interested in that kind of thing, as is Ford's Theater (where Lincoln was assassinated).
The International Spy Museum was a little disappointing. Kids would probably love it, but for us it was almost impossible to maneuver the crowd was so tight and kids were running around unchecked (meaning they dart in front of Bobby without warning as he's moving, etc). The factual information was good, but it was hard for me to enjoy it between all the "orphans" and older people who kept loudly talking during video presentations. I guess you could say it was a great people study.
I'm thankful for those who gave me the advice to pick out what we wanted to do most and try to hit those areas, otherwise we wouldn't have seen quite so much.
And while the metro was great, due to the elevators being in different locations than the metro marks on the map, we did quite a bit of walking trying to get our bearings or find the elevators. We quickly learned they were always within a block of the escalators, but finding out which direction sometimes meant a good deal of walking. Nevertheless, we saw some really cool buildings while searching!
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