White House, Ford's Theater, U.S. Capital

Life has been busy around here.

Where were we?  Our group arrived on the East Coast on Monday, March 28, and we've now reached the morning of Thursday, March 31. On this day, our bus rolled at 7:00 a.m. Gazing at the White House in peace requires beating the crowds.

It was a beautiful morning (did I mention that all the cherry trees were blooming?), and we did beat the crowds. The security contingent in front of the White House had an easy job with our group. Occasionally, an officer walked through our crowd with his dog, scanning and sniffing.

The White House visitor's center is nearby; we spent an hour there. It's an interesting place, with displays on the house's history, stories of the families who've lived there, and, of course, an irresistible gift shop.

Next stop was Ford's Theater, where President Lincoln was shot. The theater still holds plays every evening, but during the day, they present a drama describing Lincoln's shooting. After watching, we filed across the street to the house where they took the injured president, and looked into the bedroom where he died.

We intended to eat lunch at the Reagan building, but the lines (of eighth-graders) outside were so long that some of our kids almost cried. We stayed on the bus and drove straight to the U.S. Capitol. Who know the Capitol has a gigantic cafeteria, selling an amazing variety of dishes? After lunch, we gathered upstairs for our tour.

I was too busy gawking to take photographs. Besides, the Rotunda, of which I wanted pictures, was being "maintained."

Under the sheeting and behind the lower scaffolding, some of the wall murals were visible.

We were back at the hotel by 6:00 pm. This was our evening to relax and catch up on sleep, which was a life-saver. Our blessed History teacher and a few other dads watched the kids while they swam, so the remaining adults could collapse.

I woke up the next morning feeling more human than I had all week. Good thing, because Friday would be packed: The agenda included monuments and memorials, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, and a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.