DC Part 1 v.33

I think we have to come back....  There is just not enough time to see and do everything here.  We still have a few days, and we are having to pick and choose.

The first day we toured the White House.  Well... Becca and Bobby toured the white House.  I misread the instructions that said NO cameras, but phones with cameras are OK.  So-I held the cameras while they toured the 7 public rooms.  It takes about 20-30 minutes and you have to go through your Congressperson. They were a little disappointed that they were not allowed to see the Oval Office...  The highlight of the tour was a quick sighting of the Presidential Dog, and a Secret Service Agent with a very big weapon!  We thought he could be the dog's dedicated agent.

We spent the rest of the day at the Spy Museum.  Becca had done "Operation Secret Slumber" with her cousin Abby last spring.  They had a blast doing secret missions while parents experienced "Operation Spy".

Becca and Abby at "Secret Slumber" (far left)

 This time, doing "Operation Spy in the City", Bobby, Becca and I got at GPS and foiled an enemy spy mission all within 3 blocks of the museum!  I guess espionage is more rampant than I realized!

Wednesday we thought we would see Air and Space and Engraving and Printing.  Wrong!  We did get to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  We discovered the "How Things Fly" exhibit- a "must see" especially (but not only) for kids.  The demonstration topics of the day were "Forces of Flight" and "Paper Airplane Contest".  Perfect!  They did a great job, and Bobby said he could never get one to fly before- Success!

We had so much fun we were too late for the money tour.

Library of Congress

Since we were on the east side of the Mall, we trekked up "the Hill" past the Capitol to the Library of Congress.  Becca's goal was to read something there. Another discovery- the Young Reader's Room.  It has only been open 3 years, and is actually 3 rooms dedicated to readers up to middle school.  For the older kids, there are uncorrected copies of novels that are yet to be published.  They cannot be checked out, but the idea is to see what's coming, read a little to see if you are interested, and check them out a your local library when published.  They do give anticipated publish dates as well.  Becca's quest to get a reader's card was quashed, as she is not yet 16.

Tomorrow we tour the Capitol!