Walking the Air Conditioned Halls of the LOC and the CVC

It is just dreadful outside and the week ahead looks about the same. We usually walk every morning for about three miles, but even if we got up early it wouldn't make any difference. On Saturday evening we drove out to Tysons Galleria mall and strolled a bit. Today we decided to walk the two blocks to the Library of Congress, then spend the rest of the time walking through the underground tunnels to the Capitol Visitor Center. So we entered at the corner of the building that I always went in for ten years as an employee of the library - now retired! The magnetometer and police are familiar, as are all the hallways. It was such a pleasure to walk in air conditioning rather than sweating to pieces. The Capitol Visitor Center was very busy, but the hallways and tunnels to and from were not. It's not something everyone would really know about, but I walked through there so many times before! We also passed through a few new and old exhibits - including the "America Reads" section that hosts the favorite books everyone likes to peruse. Several of my best selections were showcased. In the end we didn't quite reach the three mile average, but we got in a few staircases instead. I saw a couple of my past colleagues and was happy to know I could keep heading for the exit when we were done. It's nice to have this option in the heat - another reason my husband will probably never leave this town. 

Joshua Kendall, First Dads, and a walk to the Capitol Visitor Center

It has been a solid month of rain and I am so sick of it. Rather than walk in it this morning, we decided to start out early for a program we planned to see at the Library of Congress. Rather than walk outside, we walked in the underground tunnel to the Capitol Visitor Center to look around a bit, have an early lunch, then head back to the library for the talk by Joshua Kendall on First Dads. Along the way we ran in to my past colleagues on the way over to the Capitol, and a couple more who also attended the lecture. We took advantage of the long corridors a couple times more on the sixth floor before we went in to the meeting room. It feels so much better to be in the building since I retired in February. This was one of the best presentations we have heard since attending these programs over the last ten years. It almost made me want to buy a book! But it was the type of information that I have always found interesting - more about the social aspects and real lives of famous people. I'm not sure when or what the next program will be, but it is a great way to get in some exercise, have a bite, and maybe even learn something - all in a very remarkable setting. 

Capitol Visitor Center - A Good Time to Visit

Every once in awhile on my afternoon break I will walk over to the Capitol Visitor Center. Usually I walk the long halls of the Library of Congress Madison Building to get away from my desk in an office with no windows and an escalator churning overhead. I get to the CVC by traversing the underground tunnels that connect all these buildings. I still have a piece of brick from the Jefferson Building when the groundbreaking ceremony for the tunnel that connects the Library to the Capitol occurred. Depending on the season, the CVC is wildly busy with tourists and school groups. Now, however, it is really quiet. You could easily see all the exhibits and take the tour at a leisurely pace. It is worth it to see these sights. So if you are ever in the mood to visit Washington DC without a big headache, this is the time!

An Accidental Work of Art

In order to get in to the Capitol Visitor Center to see the movie, exhibits, and take a tour of the Capitol, you need to have a small white square sticker with a date and time stamp affixed on your person. Oftentimes, the stickers remain on until someone notices that they should be removed. Apparently the point that everyone notices they forgot to remove the sticker is on a sign across the street from the American Indian Museum. It actually looks like an accidentally created work of art - to me. Some stickers were very worn while others were recently placed. It just goes to show you that people sometimes like to copy what others do before them. It's obviously not harmful, but could potentially get quite messy, depending on your point of view.