Just A Typical Day in Washington…

So we got a phone call last night from a friend of ours inviting us to join him touring the White House grounds and gardens this afternoon.  This sounded like a total snore, but we didn’t want to be rude, so we obliged.  And of course, the weather is terrible and DC is such an ugly place to be this time of year, we really had to be reeled into going… [Read: Sign me up!] 

We’ve toured the interior before, but never walked the grounds, so we were excited. [Tourist tip: if you toured the interior in 8th grade, it’s still the same thing—I’d spend my time and energy elsewhere. Unless you pull strings for a West Wing tour or get in at Christmas—that’s worth it. They open up the grounds in the spring and fall, and I think they’re worth a visit.]

So we met for brunch (Tunnicliff’s, where else?) and then headed over to the presidential palace.  A military band was set up on the grounds and the tour was self-guided, so you just moseyed around at your own pace.  It was absolutely beautiful today—a perfect, breezy 65 degrees, so it was great to just walk around and be outside.

Enjoy some of the pictures!

The fountain on the South Lawn (the one you see in front of the house when you stand behind the gates on Pennsylvania Ave). The new vegetable garden.The view from the South Lawn—what the Obamas see from the Truman balcony.The Truman balcony.The rose garden is behind us (where they conduct a lot of the press conferences) as well as the West Wing, and the Oval Office is to the left. Rotate this 180 degrees and it turns the tennis courts into basketball courts.The playground set that sits right outside of the Oval Office.  Pretty cute.The Oval Office—this is the window directly behind the President’s desk.The Old Executive Office Building—this sits next to the WH and houses the VP’s ceremonial office.Do NOT step on the grass.   Our friend Adrian, who was kind of enough to invite us and let us tag along.

Happy Saturday! Have a great weekend!