President Taft's 1909 Whitehouse Steam Car

It's not every day we come across a 1909 steam car. And it wasn't just any car - it was President Taft's car. He was the first to be driven to the White House in an automobile. It is part of the national historic vehicle register established in 2014. It was surprising to see it sitting, totally enclosed in glass, in the middle of the national mall across from the national gallery of art. It attracted the attention of just about anyone who was passing by. I remember seeing President Truman's vehicle at his library in Missouri, and the Downton Abbey lookalikes at Winterthur in Delaware. Neither my husband nor I are car enthusiasts. But since it was right in front of us we stopped by to see it. I can't recall that ever happening in Milwaukee. That's one of the reasons we like it here - an unexpected surprise on a morning walk.