The People's House

Evan and I have talked about visiting the White House for years, but out of pure laziness we didn't pursue it until recently. The process is actually incredibly easy.  All we did was go to our Congresswoman's website, emailed her staff our full names, SSNs, addresses, etc., and then indicated our availability (three dates) over the course of ninety days.  Two and a half weeks prior to our visit we were notified of the day and time.

My mom joined us and we had a ball once we got through waiting outside on what felt like one of the coldest days in recorded history.  It was probably in the 20s or 30s but we all felt like our fingers and toes were numb and gnarled by the time we got inside.  BRRRR.

A serene scene my mom captured while we were waiting in line:

The White House tour is self-guided and they recommend 45 minutes.  I guess we took about that time but it's not like anyone was monitoring when we entered or exited.  We were all surprised at how few rooms visitors had access to BUT we loved each and every one.  One of the things I truly loved is that every room, while beautiful and ornate, felt cozy and homey. So often when you tour an old mansion, castle, palace, etc. you feel like you're walking through a stuffy and untouchable museum.  I did not get that feeling from the White House at all.  I felt very much at home.

Some of the pictorial highlights:

Yes, that's a portrait of Jackie O.

This is the room where President Obama signs bills and conducts important gatherings.  It's the room where media gathers to broadcast important speeches like when he announced the death of public enemy number one.  

  

This is the hallway he walks down when giving those televised speeches.  See the red carpet?  To the left, where you see the flags, is the Presidential Seal.  

These rooms are named after their colors:

Dining room:

This was a private dining room for the Presidential family until 1961 when a separate private dining room was built/created in their personal quarters.

I especially loved the chandeliers and other lighting fixtures.  Can you tell?

The back of the White House:

It was a lovely morning and totally worth waiting in the cold.  We all agreed we were especially happy to be visiting the White House with its current residents!!!  Although, we were disappointed to not see any of the Obama family (you can always hope, right?).  I would've happily settled for a Bo or Sunny sighting.