Well, we seem to have escaped Frostbite Falls just in time, as when we took off from home the snow had just started falling and it wasn’t going to stop for about three days and three feet.
Ugh.
As we headed south the snow turned to sleet, and then to rain, and then to chill, and then we arrived at our Aunt Margaret’s house outside of DC.
Since the trip has always been about augmenting the kids’ education, we thought a stop in DC would be a great place to start, before heading down to Deltaville where Perseverance spent the Hurricane Season. We started back in October by contacting the office of our congressman, Richard Hanna, about setting up reservations for us to see the capitol and the White House. Our White House tour request was on hold for a few weeks, and we thought we were going to be in without hassles, but the day after the election the Chief Executive’s staff sent a polite and lengthy response that amounted to, simply, “No.” I’m sure that on November 9th, president Obama’s team had other things on their plate.
Better luck at the Capitol, though.
What a beautiful building!
Amazing to think about all of the things that have happened there. We took a tour of the Rotunda and the original parts of the building, and then went up to the gallery of the House side.
One of the security folks gave us a little talk about how things work in the chamber, and took us into the corner viewing area. She told us that’s where handicapped people watched the floor. Perhaps she saw something in us.
Then across the street to the Supreme Court. We talked about how the appellate system works and how it came into being, how cases arrive on the SC’s docket, and how arguments work before the bench. We also confirmed with one of the security people that there is indeed a basketball court in the building. We asked if any of the justices actually play, and he told us that Clarence Thomas used to play with the clerks and staff, but hurt his leg a few years back and hasn’t played recently. Elena Kagen goes in and shoots hoops from time to time. The rest of them, he said with a smile, are “on the bench.”
Sailing Perseverance 