Visiting Washington, DC

Touring the White House

I’ll beg your indulgence for another travel post. On this trip to Washington, DC, my sister-in-law had the foresight to arrange a tour of the White House. That turned out to be fun and genuinely interesting. We’ve all seen so many images of those spaces–probably mostly recreated on TV sets–but wandering through the actual place was moving. Despite all the necessary security, there is an accessibility, a hint of communal project, that is innate to our way of governing in this country. My walk through the White House, surrounded by a lot of other tourists, communicated that sense of a shared purpose far more than I expected.

Presidential Dog at Play

I enjoyed that my first glimpse was of the Biden’s cute dog, Major, playing ball with a secret service officer in a small garden named in honor of Jackie Kennedy. (If I’m remembering correctly.) From the look of it, entertaining the Presidential dog is a welcome diversion from sterner duties among the security staff. Major charged up and down the narrow patch of manicured lawn, doing the usual doggie things, although I noticed he was well mannered about handing back his ball. Perhaps he felt intimidated by his brawny secret service playmate.

Dinner in Washington, DC

I loved the grandeur of the room for state dinners. It was arranged with a long, central table when I was there, elegant but not designed for huge numbers. The guard said they’d soon be rearranging it for a large dinner that was happening that evening. Then he glanced at his watch and said, “In two minutes actually. You’re the last.” Wow. The staff at the White House clearly have the quick turn around of rooms down to a well-honed routine. The kitchen must already have been in full action. It gave me a vivid sense of this space as the working real place it is. No museum this, despite being packed with famous paintings and furniture, silver, china, etc. This is a home and a branch of government.

Abe is hanging over the dining room’s fireplace, watching the proceedings. Good inspiration for leaders. Abe got the art of holding your principles while also compromising. Messy thing our democracy, when it works right. This was a lesson I was taught early in life by my historian father. I actually remember the extended conversation.

Rooms by Color

We took lots of photos and admired paintings and the sets of china that apparently come with each new President. Sitting rooms, a library, all with vivid bright color schemes–red, blue and green. You’ll notice in this photo of the red room that the carpets are rolled out of the way for the daily tourist invasion. In a few minutes they were about to be rolled back into place and “real” life would carry on. I like the portrait over the red room’s fireplace. According to the sign, it’s an 1842 portrait by Henry Inman of Angelica Singleton Van Buren, daughter-in-law and hostess for President Van Buren. There’s a story, thinks the historical fiction writer in me. Perhaps a boring, conventional one, but a story. I don’t think, however, that I’ll be heading into American history for my fiction.

Pandas in Washington, DC

I will conclude this travel post with one more animal from my visit to Washington, DC. I love the DC zoo. It’s smallish. You can see it all without a strain. But the animals are almost all impressive and fun to watch. (There’s also a terrific lunch place across from the entrance called Duke’s.)

In addition, they arranged the zoo for maximum viewing of the critters. So here, for example, is one of my husband’s panda photos. The pandas are even cuter than the Presidential dog, but don’t tell him I said that.

Further Reading

If you’d like you can read my other Washington area travel post, with an episode from George Washington’s career, George Washington, Thinking American History.