We went to a wedding in Virginia and on our way, stopped in Mount Vernon to see the family home of George Washington. His estate was along the Potomac River. The house has 21 rooms and was built by his father. There were several outbuildings including slave quarters, barns and a blacksmith shop. He had gardens that provided fruits and vegetables. We couldn’t take pictures inside his home, but these are pictures taken from outside. While President Washington could have been buried at the U.S. Capitol, he wanted to be buried on the grounds of his estate. He also wanted to be known as General rather than President.

The pictures below are of Washington’s home with the large back porch looking out at the Potomac River, slaves quarters, and the marker outside of Washington’s tomb.

In Washington D.C., we got to several of the sites via a “hop on – hop off” bus. We drove by Ford’s Theater where President Lincoln was shot and also the home across the street from the theater where he died.

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President. When president, he liked to go to the lobby of the Willard Hotel for some peace and quiet. Other people found out about this and went to the Willard to talk with him about issues. He called these people lobbyists, a word still used for people who are trying to influence someone else. Below is a picture of a picture depicting this and also one of the lobby in the Willard as it looks today.

The President of the United States serves as the leader of the Executive Branch and is both the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. As the Chief Executive, the President is tasked with enforcing and implementing laws passed by Congress. There are federal agencies and departments that assist in carrying out this role. The president appoints the leaders of these agencies subject to Senate approval.

The first picture below is of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Many White House staffers have their offices in this building. It is very close to the White House. The second picture is of the United States Treasury Building. There is a statue of Alexander Hamilton, who served as the first Secretary of the Treasury, in front of this building. The last picture in this section is of the Pentagon. It houses offices of the Department of Defense and is located in Arlington, Virginia. We didn’t tour the Pentagon, but it is possible to do so. Tours must be arranged in advance – you can find information at pentagontours.osd.mil.

During our visit to Washington in 2014, we were able to take a White House tour. We saw the Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room, but as you might expect, none of the West Wing. At the time of our visit, pictures were not allowed inside the White House. There was a guide that walked with our group and provided information about the history and use of the rooms we could visit.

These are pictures that I took of the exterior of the White House. The first one is of the south portico. The others were taken from Pennsylvania Avenue. The last picture was taken in Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue. The statue in the foreground is of Andrew Jackson, who was the seventh President of the United States.

The Supreme Court is the judicial arm of our government, responsible for interpreting our nation’s laws. The Supreme Court did not have its own building until 1935. The Old Supreme Court Chamber was the first room constructed for use by the justices. The chamber is located in the Capitol and was first used in 1810. In 1860, it was moved to another room in the Capitol, the former Senate Chamber. The pictures below are of the Old Supreme Court Chamber which now serves as a museum.

These pictures are of the exterior of the current Supreme Court building. The words under the pediment are “Equal Justice Under Law.” The statue in the fourth picture is entitled “Contemplation of Justice.” A book of law is by the figure’s left hand and a blindfolded justice sits in her right hand.

One of the most interesting architectural features inside the Supreme Court building are two spiral staircases. Neither are open for use by the public, but they can be viewed from the ground floor. The steps are made of marble from Alabama. The staircase is self-supporting, with the marble steps embedded deeply into the wall and each step resting on the step below. It spirals seven times from the ground floor to the third floor. The balusters are decorated with different symbols – the one pictured has an eagle.

The picture immediately below is of the Great Hall in the Supreme Court and leads to the actual courtroom. The next picture shows a diagram of where different people sit in the courtroom. The final picture shows the bench where the Chief Justice and justices preside over cases. Justices are nominated by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate.

• Consider tours: We applied to tour the White House several months in advance of our trip. Information can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/the-white-house-tour.htm.
• Remember security will be tight. Carefully read any information about tours of government buildings – take note of the identification needed and what you can and cannot bring during the tour.