Off to the White House!

20 Oct 09—The weather turned out beautiful today! Started off sort of cool, but as the day went on it just kept getting better and better. We did a good bit of walking today, so having the nice weather was helpful.

We started off at the White House Visitor Center, where I found out for sure that there was no way I was getting inside any part of the White House. You have to go thru your Senator or Congress person, who has to submit all your vitals to the Secret Service to be run thru the National Crime data base before you can be approved. And the person at the Visitor Center told us that you can apply up to 6 months before you want to go, but that you have to really stay on your politician to get you the passes. So that is a word to the wise if anyone is planning a trip this way.

We lucked out and hooked up with a small group that was being taken on a walking tour around the White House area by a guy who worked for the National Park Service (NPS), so at least we had someone who knew what he was talking about as we toured the area. We went to both the South and North lawns of the building…had to wait to pass in front of the South lawn area because either Michelle or the President was out with a group at her garden. They actually close off the street if they are out there, for however long they are there. The only difference between the South and the North sides of the building is that the South side has the rounded off portico, while the North side has the squared portico.

Across the street from the North side of the building is Lafayette Park. This is where you would see any protesters that have been given a permit. There were a couple protesters there, but nothing to write home about.

It is also outside the North side of the building that the newly sworn-in President would walk and/or review the troops on Inauguration Day. The NPS Ranger had his own personal photos he showed us of Obama’s Inauguration walk.

Down the street from the White House is the Old Executive Office Building...where the Vice President works. It is undergoing a lot of renovation, so it is almost totally covered with scaffolding.

Because we couldn’t get in the White House, it was really sort of a letdown…not much fun just staring at the outside of a building. The only tidbit of info we got from the NPS Ranger worth passing on is about the $20 bills….get out an old 20 and a new 20 and you can see the different views of the White House on the back.

From the White House we walked all the way to the Smithsonian Castle…this is the “hub”, if you will, of the Smithsonian franchise. The inside is pretty.

They actually have 20 Smithsonian museums between DC, Virginia and New York, with 13 of them right in this area…all within walking distance, and as far as I know, all of them free. The Castle really only tells you, or gives you examples of, what is in the other Museums….like the Holocaust, American History, American Indian Museums, etc. These ice skates belonged to Bobby Orr…so if you are from Boston, you know that they belonged to possibly the best hockey player who ever played the game, ever!!

So we did a lot of walking around, enjoyed the weather, but didn’t see anything that knocked our socks off today. Oh well, there is always tomorrow!