After breakfast we traveled into the city by metrorail, mixing with the city's commuters as we squeezed into the crowded trains at rush hour!
Our first stop was the United States Capitol Building. We had to pass the rigorous security check first, but then we watched a short movie about the history of Congress & the Capitol building before taking a 30 minute tour of the public spaces inside - the 'Crypt', the Rotunda, & the Hall of Statues. Along the way we saw one of Texas' two state statues, Sam Houston.
After our tour we had time to make a short visit to the nearby Library of Congress's Jefferson Building to view the ornate & beautiful Great Hall & Main Reading Room.
Then it was time to meet Congressman Bill Flores, on the steps of the House of Representatives. Congressman Flores greeted everybody individually, shaking everybody's hand personally & taking photos with us, then answered some questions before heading off to his offices.
We rode the metrorail again, to Metro Center, where we enjoyed plenty of time for souvenir shopping & lunch before our next visit - to Ford's Theatre, the site where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865. A National Park ranger talked about the assassination, then we crossed the road to the Peterson Boarding House to see the bedroom where the president died 9 hours later.
A 15 minute walk took us across the National Mall to our last visit of the day, the National Holocaust Museum & Memorial. This museum tells the terrible story of how the Nazis first persecuted & later attempted to wipe out Europe's jewish population in the 1930s & 40s. It isn't an enjoyable visit as such, but it is powerful & meaningful.
From the museum we traveled back to our hotel by metrorail, arriving in time for an earlier dinner & an earlier night to bed!
It was another great day & there is still lots more to see. Tomorrow we hit the Smithsonian Museums, the National Archives, & the World War II, Navy & Washington memorials/monuments.
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