A few pictures from Washington, DC

Washington, D.C. 2017

I got back from my Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C. about a month ago and, wonderful though the trip was, the weather was far from spring-like. It was cold, and it snowed, but that was okay. Washington has enough inside activities, such as the numerous free museums, that there was still plenty to do. Plus, many of the buildings are either very close or connected by tunnels (such as the Capitol and the Library of Congress) that you can stay out of the elements. Here's all we did:

National Musuem of Natural History
International Spy Musuem (not free)
National Archives
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
National Air and Space Musuem
Capitol Building Tour- Senate and House Gallery Viewing
Library of Congress (my personal favorite, I love a good library)
Supreme Court Building
National Musuem of American History
Mount Vernon
Arlington National Cemetery
Self- guided monuments/memorials tour

And there's still enough to take many more trips to the capital. A few things I will say:

1. Plan ahead. Your senator or congressman has staff that can help you plan and book tours for you. That's how we managed to get gallery passes for the Senate and House and how we booked our Engraving and Printing tour.

2. Be aware of security. Every place we went had numerous security checkpoints, so make sure you read up and follow the guidelines of each place.

3. Use the metro. It was super easy and convenient.

Anyway, despite the snow, it was a lovely trip. Was I impressed by how the House Representatives conducted themselves during the vote we got to see? No, they talked over each other and used it as social hour. But seeing the vote take place, and wandering around Capitol Hill and other parts of the city, was an interesting into our government. I didn't get to see everything I wanted to see, and so a return trip is definitely on the books.