US Capitol Visitor Center

The US Capitol opened it's new visitor's center last December and I finally took the time to see it today. The girls and I went into to town with Matt on the train and everything. I forgot the camera so I just give the highlights.

We took the metro. While the girls enjoyed the train fine enough, it's a pretty long haul to Capitol South - (some 19 stops), so it took significantly longer than it would have by car. But I decided to take the metro because I thought we would spend much more time there, and if we had taken the car we'd only have the meters with two hour parking.

As it turns out, Ellie and Annie were done with the whole building and ready to get out of there within 30 minutes. I compelled them to stay at least 15 minutes longer, but that was all they could handle. (I really need to do these things by myself.) As an aside, I thought it was funny when Matt's parents were here and we were trying to decide what touristy things to do, I was only giving out suggestions of places with fun kid things. The truth is it's no fun for me to go anywhere with the girls that doesn't interest them. Because they dislike it and I don't get the chance to enjoy it either.

As we got out of the metro, a policeman was standing on the corner helping tourists find their way to their various destinations. As we passed he asked me if I needed any help. I told him that we were going to the new visitors center. Before I could say anything else, he gave me instructions on how to get there and pointed out the Library of Congress (including commentary on the reading room), the Supreme Court building, and the other nearby buildings. I laughed inside, because he was completely unaware of the fact that I was a former Senate staffer and know very well how to get around Capitol Hill. But it just goes to show how much I look like a tourist mom, instead of my former identity as a Senate staffer.

Later we were looking at a model of Capitol Hill and I felt somewhat self conscious as I was pointing out the two buildings I once worked in to Ellie. Was anybody around us looking at me like, "Yeah right, you worked on Capitol Hill? Please..."? I don't know.

Anyway, the new center is very nice. It was pretty crowded with a bunch of folks trying to get a tour of the Capitol. I wish I had had more time there. But Ellie was much more interested in eating a snack outside than staying there, so what do you do?

When my last child starts school I think I will spend the first year going to every museum and visitor center around town that I have skipped because I know the kids won't like it. It should probably take me that long to do it.