MCM Expo - Kicking Off the Weekend

The weekend has arrived and MCM activities are in full swing. To kick everything off, we headed over to the convention center for the ribbon cutting of the MCM Health Expo. This is where Jim picked up his race packet, which included his race bib.

We visited the Brooks tent for our official MCM gear and then headed out to the floor for the vendor booths. There were ten aisles of running vendors and charities with teams in the race. We sampled Turkey Hill Ice Cream, Nuun Sports Drink, bought a few accessories, and picked up lots of swag!

The Capitol

After our White House tour, we wandered over to the Capitol to Louise Slaughter’s Office in the Rayburn House Office Building. In order to see the White House, Capitol and Library of Congress, we had to request tickets through our local representative’s office. As a result, our contact there invited us to stop into her office to pick up passes to the Senate and House Galleries. Thinking we would just grab our passes to use the Friday after our scheduled Capitol tour, we found our way up to the fourth floor and into Louise Slaughter’s office.

We were warmly welcomed and invited into the Congresswoman’s office. With photographs and awards with hometown recognition hanging on the wall, we had a great view out of her window. James, our contact in the office, offered us a tour of the Capitol, right then, to be guided by an office Intern. Jaquarius, originally from Texas, joined the staff about a month ago. He was a fine conversationalist and gracious host as he guided us through the Capitol building.

We saw the crypt, lined with statues from different states, including Robert Livingston representing New York. In addition there is a bust of Lincoln with only one ear. No one really knows why there is only one ear, but it does make for an interesting point to ponder.

Lincoln with only one ear.

We walked the halls of the offices of the House and Congress, visited the original Supreme Court Chambers, and found our way into the statuary, which used to be the House Chambers. Standing on John Adams spot, we learned of the flaw in the room and why they moved the Chambers. (There is an acoustical feature where if you stand on a spot completely opposite John Adams spot, the sound bounces off the arched ceilings and you can hear the speaker clearly.)

Last Chance to See This!

There's a reason why people only heard him in the House Chamber.

After the building tour, we visited the House Gallery where we were able to see Louise Slaughter testifying on the floor. Much to my chagrin, there were very few representatives in the room, making me wonder just what they were doing. However, it was a big day at the Capitol, as Hillary Clinton was there to testify about Benghazi. When we visited the House Gallery, there were only two representatives on the floor.

It was a great day, and although we had an early start, we met some great people, had a personal tour and saw the government in action!

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

There’s nothing like breakfast at the White House! Well, it was close. Really we ended up at the Old Ebbitt Grill, just down the street. While our meal was great and the atmosphere reminiscent of old time DC, the highlight of the morning was the White House itself.

Our tour of the White House was scheduled for 7:30 AM and on the recommendation of the hotel staff, we took a taxi into DC at 6:00 AM…. Not fun for those of us non-morning people!

Needless to say, traffic was not bad, so we arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue about 6:30 AM, making us first in line for our tour! You would think that would have it advantages, but not so according to the Park Ranger who was on duty. We had a great chat with him, a former Air Force Officer, who has been working in DC for years. He had lots of great stories to share and had a dry sense of humor that Jim and I could appreciate.

By the time the sun came up (did I mention the early hour of all of this?), the line for the tour was around the block. At 7:25 AM, we moved in a Secret Service approved orderly fashion to show our IDs and pass through the metal detectors to admit us into the east wing of the White House.

There is a hallway with photos highlighting White House events through the years. We walked by the China Room and the Vermeil Room, then up the stairs through the East Room. The Green Room, Red Room and Blue Rooms were open as well as the State Dining Room and Family Dining Rooms. The hallway with the famous red carpet, which isn't as long as it appears on TV and in the movies, led us to the door out the front of the White House. 

Rumor had it that Mrs. Obama was hosting a Tea in the Blue Room in the afternoon, but for some reason they didn’t ask us to stay!

On the steps of the White House

In the White House

Rolling Through DC

We arrived in DC and are quickly becoming familiar with the Metro and navigating. With the exception of Jim becoming distracted by Marine One flying overhead as we were finding our way to the hotel, it really isn’t too complicated, just busy.

The weather on Wednesday was great… 75 degrees and sunny… the perfect weather for a Segway Tour!

Having never ridden Segways before, we met our guides Corey and Darnell near the Washington Monument where we received our crash course in controlling our ride. While it is sad to admit, Jim and I both required a little “extra attention” in order to get the hang of it, but we eventually were ready to roll.

Starting at the Washington Monument, we cruised the West end of the National Mall, seeing the WWII, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials. We headed south for the FDR Memorial and crossed the Potomac to check out the Jefferson Memorial.

Then we headed eastward down the south side of the mall past the Smithsonian Buildings, and crossed through the Capitol, where we zipped through the cars waiting to pick up the Senate and House Representatives for the night.

We crossed in front of the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Buildings and then zoomed westward on the North side of the Mall back to the Washington Monument. Three hours of sightseeing… A whirlwind but well worth it!