Day 4 (Washington D.C. July 28)

Today was our Capital tour and later on the tour of the White House. Back to the tour of our nation’s Capital. We started by going to the House of Office building where at the entrance the whole family was wanded by security. From there we took the elevator down to the basement so we could grab a quick bite to eat. Since congress is in session it was very busy, ranging from tourists to interns and men in suits.


After eating half a Chicken Caesar Wrap I was off with my family back up the elevator to the fifth floor where we were suppose to meet our Representative, Culberson. Once we got to his office we had a little photo session and gave Culberson an AIDAAN.org wrist halo. Then we went with his co-worker, Katie and she gave us the grand tour.


The tour started with a walk through the tunnel that leads to the Capital building. The tunnel was lined with art by high school students from all across America. When we finally reached our destination, The Capital we went to the check-in area checked in bypassing all the tourists coming to the capital on their own instead of through there representative. We were off to see a short film before we saw any rooms in the Capital. The short film was beautifully done and summarized our nation’s history. Then everything really began.


Katie started by showing us the crept a room that was built with a star in the middle signifying the center of Washington D.C. The original intent of the room and why it was given its name is because George Washington’s body was suppose to be buried beneath the star but George Washington believed that no one man should be the center of the nation much less the center of a city. So George was not buried beneath the star but there still is an empty crept. Katie informed us that it was said to be good luck to rub your foot on the marble star so I figured “Why not” I’ll take all the luck I can get. Then Katie began to lead us to the rotunda of The Capital.


Half way to the rotunda we were stopped and told the room we needed to get through was blocked off. The room is called “The Statue Hall” and a new statue was being unveiled. Determined, Katie was going to get us to the rotunda and she did. The Capital’s rotunda was beautiful. The rotunda was covered in paintings starting at the bottom there were eight of some of the most important events in our nation’s history. Then above that there was one painting across the whole rotunda of our nations evolvement, the painting was done by three different artists. At the very top of The Capitals rotunda there was a picture that first appeared to be of Greek Gods but when I looked closer it wasn’t Zeus it was George Washington. It turns out the only gods in the painting were Hermes (the messenger god) and Apollo (the god of healing).


Later that night we went to the White House and it was a bit of a walk but indescribable in the end. We met Mr. Kennedy, our tour guide also special assistant to the president at around 8:00pm. After Mr. Kennedy helped us through secret service we went in to the west wing. Where in the foyer there were four pictures and Mr. Kennedy told us, every day the presidents special photographer takes 400 pictures a day and they are framed and rotated around the White House. The tour started outside the west wing in the Eisenhower Executive office building where we saw what president Nixon used as his office instead of the Oval Office. Once we were back in the west wing Mr. Kennedy showed us to The Cabinet Meeting Room and in the room the middle seat was higher than all the others (The Presidents Seat).


Then we were shown the Oval Office which was the most pleasing part of the tour. Mr. Kennedy asked Nate what the difference between the eagle on the ceiling and the one on the desk that uses to be the desk of President Roosevelt and it was used by John F. Kennedy. Nate got the answer right away there are no arrows signifying war in the eagle on the ceiling (The newer eagle). We were also told that President Obama kept all of President Bush’s furniture. Looking at the Oval Office I thought there was something missing and I realized it was the paint color. I thought it would be a pale blue but it was butterscotch, which was the color Barack Obama had picked. Another thing we were told (by the secret service outside the Oval Office) was that President Obama eats an entire bowl of apples every day the bowl is in his office.


Then we saw the press room it was tiny and I got to sit in the CNN seat. Even though the press room was tiny believe it or not it use to be smaller and an indoor pool. After that we saw the Rose Garden it was magnificent but sadly no pictures were allowed. At the end of everything we took pictures and Nate posed in front of the west wing. What a great way to spend our last night in Washington D.C. !