Trip to the Capitol

We had the opportunity to go to Washington DC last week. Michael was being sent to a training class and we decided to choose the DC training since Michael had never been there. After his two-day training we hit the DC sightseeing circuit with a vengeance. I love history and get so patriotic when I see these sites. It never gets old for me, so I was ecstatic to show everything to Michael. Since my mom grew up in the DC area I've been lucky to visit a number of times. My Aunt Paula still lives in the area so we stayed with her for two nights. It was great to spend time with her and get her DC tips. She definitely knows her way around that crazy city filled with one-way streets (yes, I went the wrong way down a one-way)! She even pointed out the Officers' Club where my parents wedding reception was held.

One site I didn't take a picture of was Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot). It's not much from the outside and I didn't know I could take photos inside so I left my camera in the car. Since I was here last time, they have added a new section to the Theatre. It's a new lobby, ticket area, and gift shop. They also added elevators that take you to the appropriate section for the evening plays. We saw The Civil War, and was very cool to be sitting in the same Theatre (although definitely refurbished) as Lincoln and so many other presidents have. As a matter of fact, President Bush went to An Evening at Ford's Theatre last year for a concert. I just love the history that surrounds that place. We did miss the Petersen House (where Lincoln died) because we were too pooped to see anything else. Instead, we spent a few hours sitting in ESPN Zone watching the Lakers playoff game. Great tourists! :)

These are some of the best photos:

The Washington Monument

The Jefferson Memorial

Flowers outside the Botanical Garden

The United States Capitol

The Rotunda inside The Capitol

The Supreme Court

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery

The changing of the guard at The Tomb

Engraving at the Korean War Memorial (not too happy with that kid)

It was a lot of fun, but because I packed so much into 2.5 days we were very excited to come home too! I think I may have been overly ambitious in my planning, so maybe we'll be back one day to see the things we couldn't fit into this trip.