The White House

It was a beautiful spring day, but hazy. We learned that the haze was due, of all things, to a wildfire 2,500 miles away in Alberta, Canada.

We left the house at 9:00am, after the tail-end of rush hour, headed for a day of sightseeing in in Washington, D.C. The trek was painless and took just an hour, in stark contrast to thousands of arduous, stressful commutes to and from the nation’s capital I had made over the years.

I spent many years of my working life in journalism, publishing, and corporate communications in and around Washington. I used to cover Congress and my News Galleries pass allowed me to attend committee hearings, conduct interviews, and roam the halls unfettered. I also covered a case or two at the Supreme Court. But only once did I cover an event at the White House, and that was in a room only tangentially connected to the mansion. Donna and I have lived in the suburbs of Washington for more than 40 years and had never visited the White House. So after going through the weeks-long process of securing our reservation, off we went.

A little history

Construction of the White House began in 1793 and was first occupied by John Adams near the end of his term in 1800. The British burned it in 1814 during the War of 1812, leaving only the exterior sandstone walls and interior brickwork. Dolly Madison had servants remove the iconic Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington ahead of British forces, saving it from destruction. After reconstruction of the White House, James Monroe moved in in 1817.

The building has been expanded several times. A needed complete renovation was done between 1948 – 1952 during Harry Truman’s administration. The interior was gutted, a new basement was excavated, new foundations were laid, and a steel framework was erected. Truman and his family lived across the White House in Blair House during the work.

Donna had reserved a surprisingly inexpensive and convenient spot in a public parking garage behind the historic Willard Hotel, a block from the White House. We dropped off the car and, having some time to kill, walked to the White House Visitors’ Center, near the White House entrance we were to use. The visitors center is what you would expect: Presidential memorabilia, photos, historical information, and a 10-minute video with interviews of living presidents. Most interesting to me was the complete absence of any reference to Donald Trump.

When it was time, we crossed 15^th Street to get in line for the tour, and after 15 or 20 minutes the line started moving. As we did so, we heard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, rev up, then saw it lift off from the South Lawn (site of the annual Easter Egg Roll). We were about 50 yards away behind a fence. I got some pictures and checked the president’s schedule; President Biden was on his way to Joint Air Base Andrews, to take Air Force One to New York.

Even with POTUS gone, Security was intense. Secret Service agents, many with helmets, body armor and automatic rifles, were everywhere. We passed four checkpoints where we had to show tour documents and IDs and go through metal detectors.  

Our tour was of the first, or State floor, of the East Wing, where there are mostly ceremonial rooms. They are beautifully decorated, filled with portraits of presidents, antique furniture, clocks, chandeliers, and ornate gold amenities. The first room we entered, the Visitor Entrance, contains exhibits on White House history and seasonal celebrations. When we were there, National Teachers Week was being feted. Again, Trump was conspicuously absent from the walls. The other rooms we saw:

East Room: The largest room in the White House. Used for receptions, ceremonies, press conferences and other events, although Abigail Adams used it to hang laundry to dry.

Green Room: Once served as Thomas Jefferson’s dining room.

Blue Room: Often used by the President to receive guests, the oval-shaped room is where the White House Christmas Tree is placed each year. Grover Cleveland, the only president to have a White House wedding, was married there in 1886.

Red Room: John Adams used it as a breakfast room.

State Dining Room: Served as Jefferson’s office; he and his secretary Meriwether Lewis planned the Lewis and Clark Expedition from there in 1802. It can seat 130 guests. Stuffed animal heads, courtesy of Teddy Roosevelt, were displayed on the walls until the 1920s.

For more information about The White House building, visit this website.

Lunch and a walk

After our tour, we had a fabulous lunch outside at the Café du Parc by the Willard. We struck up a conversation with a young woman seated next to us. She was a teacher who had taken a personal day to enjoy the good weather, treat herself to a fine lunch, and do some catch-up work.

From the café we walked to the National Mall. We went by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, around the Washington Monument, by the World War II Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, and hung a left to the recently renovated Korean War Veterans Memorial. Donna’s father served at Inchon.

From there we checked to make sure Abe was still sitting comfortably in the Lincoln Memorial, saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, then wound our way back to our car. We put on quite a few walking miles and were gratified to tumble into the car, blast the air conditioner and drink from water bottles.

We’re fortunate to live so close to so many places of interest, including the nation’s capital. D.C. is a great destination to be reminded of what a remarkable country we live in and to take in the rich history of its origin.

Here are more photos: