Vaca Part 4: The Capital

One of the highlights we were really looking forward to was touring the US Capital...yeah, well, it was under major (and I mean major) renovations while we were there so the tour fell flat for all of us. However, we have all put this at the top of our list for our next visit to DC, so we didn't let the disappointment ruin the trip.

I have no photos of the outside because...well, because they would have been of scaffolding and construction barriers and equipment and we see enough of those in Iowa. The only space we were able to tour was the old rotunda pictured here:

And the old Supreme Court chambers here:

Both of which were really cool to see and learn some of the history of. The rotunda that we saw was the one rebuilt after the war of 1812 and the redone again after a gas explosion in 1898, after which the capitol quit using gas and transitioned everything to electric.

A bright spot for the visit, though, was the beautiful gift shop! I was very impressed with the quality and reasonable pricing of the gift shops at the Capitol and museums. I had been looking for a hooded sweatshirt for me, since I did not own one I thought it would make a reasonable souvenir and found one here that I really liked! I wore it all fall long and have enjoyed wearing it on the warmer winter days, too.

As we were leaving the Capitol, exhausted and ready to end our day, we passed by the Library of Congress. This is one that we did not make it too, but is high on my list for my next visit! (pictured here)

Something that surprised me and after a week in DC still startled me was the presence of helicopters. They patrolled up and down the Potomac and around the Tidal Basin all day, every day. The kids loved seeing them so close, but it was a constant reminder of the threats that exist every day.

Up Next:  Museums!