My Visit to the White House

I had the thrill of a lifetime when I accompanied my son and his girlfriend to visit the East Wing of the White House to see the Christmas decorations.  I wrote about my upcoming trip here.

 

We were told that we couldn’t have cameras, but taking pictures with our iphones was okay.  So, I took some shots, but the quality is less than perfect.

 

 

Since  the powers that be had done a background check  on us, we just had to show our driver’s license and pass through a few security check points.  Then we were able to wander through at our leisure.

 

 

The decorations were installed by various garden clubs and decorators from around the country.

 

 

Even though it was a special day for us, we were reminded that it was a work day for everyone who is employed there.

 

 

The first tree we saw was in honor of our Armed Forces and their families.

 

 

 It was a reminder that families are sacrificing so that we can keep our freedom.   Our son and son-in-law both served as officers in the military and both were deployed for a while.  We have an understanding of what those families are going through.

 

 

The White House’s hallways were huge, and this was my favorite because it was so bright.

 

Its windows were decorated with stained glass and wreaths.

 

This tree in the East Garden Room was by far my favorite.  I just loved it.

 

 

Bo played a prominent role in the decorations.

 

 

He “hid” large ornaments, like the one above, around the house.  It was a little way of getting the children involved.  We were all given a sheet with hints of where his decor would be.  (Sorry about the quality of this shot).

 

 

Although there were guards stationed in each room, I was amazed that we just were able to walk through.  There were groups waiting outside, but we were able to be on our own.

 

 

Each guard knew everything about everything in each room where they were stationed.  We could ask about the history of a painting, for instance, and they knew it.

 

 

This fruit garland looks perfect on the Red Room’s mantle.

 

 

Although the rooms were big, some weren’t as large as I expected like the State Dining Room.

 

 

Here’s the traditional gingerbread house.

 

 

This tree was in the main foyer inside the front door.

 

 

The grand foyer is where John Travolta and Princess Diana had their famous dance.  It is also where the photos are taken before a state dinner.

 

These stairs lead to the first family’s private quarters.  The guard stationed here told us that Barbara Walters would be filming there that afternoon.

 

We exited through the front door as do the thousands of other people visiting the White House during Christmas season.  After the tour we went to the Library of Congress which is a breathtakingly beautiful building and then to the bell tower at the old post office.  Finally, we had a nice lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, the oldest saloon in DC.  It was a great morning.

 

Take care.

 

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