Days 4 & 5

Are you still with me? 

Mid week we moved from the Residence Inn in Alexandria to The Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue to meet up with our Board of Governors family. We stayed in this historic hotel when we visited D.C. with the BOG in 2008. You can see the White House from here, and the Mall and all the museums and the Capitol are within walking distance.

 This hotel has had many famous patrons...including Lincoln...and is where the term "lobbying" came to be. Going back to 1850 power brokers met here, in the lobby, to wheel and deal. The term lobbying became synonymous with The Willard. 

By the time we were settled into our new digs, it was early afternoon. We headed for The Mall. We decided to try and get into the new African American Museum. Last time we were here we visited the Native American Museum, also new at that time. We really enjoyed the Native American Museum. Highly recommend it!

We were lucky and had only a short wait.

This museum is informative and important. It is also physically demanding. You descend a quarter of a mile...three stories...underground in an elevator the size of a room...a packed with people elevator. 

It opens into a very low ceiling room which is very dark. The exhibits are plentiful and there is a lot to read. Photography is difficult. I took very few pics as I was busy reading and moving with the crowd. 

As you move through the exhibit areas you come to ramps that take you to the next level. The ramps are steep. This museum takes a lot of energy. 

Finally...somebody she recognizes!

When you reach the current era, you have walked a couple of miles. And, symbolically, you have risen from the dark...enclosed...into the open light.

It's a moving experience. 

We walked up The Mall to the Museum of American History. This museum does not look at all like the same museum I visited as a child, or that we visited a decade ago. It has been completely renovated. Again, I didn't take many photos. 

...a ladies pocket

a chatelaine

a "huswife"

The museum was getting ready to close. 

Full disclosure...this was our last full day on our own. The next day, my husband had meetings so we had real time restraints. While in D.C. our group went to the Supreme Court to be sworn in and to hear an oral argument. We did this the last time so we didn't go. There are limited slots available. The Supreme Court is smaller than you might think. You are not that far away from the bench. The lawyers being sworn in are, of course, on the other side of the "bar" and are even closer to the justices. It was a great experience...no photos in the court.

They also went to the Holocaust Museum. We had recently been to the one in St. Petersburg, Florida and you had to be there at 7:30 a.m. We passed. They also went to The White House. Again, we passed.

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The next day we got started early. I have photos of these three on my kitchen windowsill. It was from our last trip here. Now, we have a newer version. He's located in the Sculpture Garden outside the Archives.

The Archives...the place where all the paper lives. You will have to take my word for it...no photos in the Archives. The light is kept very low to help preserve the documents. They are under glass in metal cases. We saw them all...the Declaration Of Independence...still in readable condition. The Bill of Rights. And, the Constitution...so faded and pale...the ink appears to be sepia colored. It is moving to see the signatures...what is left of them...up close. It was a short and sweet visit.

We moved up The Mall toward The Capitol.

It was a gorgeous day and it felt good to be outside in the sunshine among the cherry blossoms.

Remember this is the busiest time of year in Washington. The spring breakers and tourists fill the city. Congress was in session so the place was hopping!

We walked around outside.We did the inside on our last visit. A must see for every U.S citizen, but too much going on for a family trying to relax and enjoy some Mother Nature.

Such a beautiful building.

The Supreme Court

The Library of Congress. We had wanted to go to the Library but ran out of time. It's beautiful inside, and another place I recommend as a place to see when visiting D.C.

We enjoyed our time in our nation's capital so much. Of course, it's "going home" for me. I've seen all these places many times before, but I love sharing them with my family. Surprisingly, I can still manage to navigate the city all these years later. I still remember where to turn!

One more post to finish things off. 

Enjoy the day,

Robyn