DC 2 NY

Friday half day - check
DC 2 NY luxury liner - check
Private West Wing Tour - priceless.

Kathryn called and we answered. Having been given a last "sprint" until the inauguration, Kathryn was in a position to work her tail off and get some pretty nice privileges in the meantime. With the promise of a private West Wing tour, Alyssa and I headed to one of my favorite cities for a nice weekend getaway. Having been to DC before (read: high school church choir trip) I was confident in the fact that I had already seen every site that the city had to offer and I could now just enjoy the ride. Alyssa, however, was not so lucky. Being a first-timer, she didn't even know where to begin.

Saturday morning we started the day with a quick cup of coffee and a trip to the top of the Washington monument. We got a 360 view of the entire city, complete with a small stride in my fear of heights (read: terrified). Next, we walked the mall over to the capitol to take in a free tour and check out the premature inaugural set-up.

Sidenote: I have never seen so many fold out chairs in all of my life.

After our time well spent on the capitol tour, filled with a brush up on our American history (thank you tour guide Karen) and personal video of the capitol rotunda, we felt that our time on the hill was done. Next up, the National Photo Gallery, home to Presidential portraits. After spending the afternoon there, we left the Gallery in enough time to swing by Kathryn's house and freshen up for our tour. My bold claim that we were "going to meet the President" was not only inaccurate, it was a false hope that I kept clinging to even hours before the tour. Anyway, we got ready, checked through security clearance, and entered the West Wing.

I was utterly speechless.

Although W was nowhere in sight, it still felt special. Candid photos from Bush's presidency lined the walls and you couldn't help but wonder what story surrounded each moment. Glimpses into Crawford, stolen moments with Laura and famous public appearances were just a few memories that reminded of such special achievements. No matter what people could say about his decisions, I feel that he was the best man for the job at this time in America. I believe that Bush can walk out of his position with his head held high that with all things considered, he did ok.

Private tours, national monuments, and girl time aside, DC is still one of my all-time favorite cities. If nothing else, it holds rank to my claim of being the "cleanest city in the world!" With lots of love and a big thanks to the best host, we said goodbye to the Nation's capitol with hopes of returning when the weather is warm and the Segway tours are rolling.

Old friends, new city

Cutest lil tour guide

Being sneaky

Feeling important

Weekend Quote:

While still wearing our tights, relaxing fireside at Kathryn's:
Me: Ew, feet look weird in tights...
Kathryn: Yeah, they look like Barbie feet.