Washington D.C.

The exterior of the U.S. Capitol. To the right is the House Chamber.

The entrance of the Rayburn House Office building. Thus began our private tour of the Capitol.

The roof of the Capitol Dome with the Apotheosis of Washington, painted by Constantino Brumidi. It is a representation of George Washington sitting among the heavens.

Eight, large historically themed paintings line the walls and represent scenes from the American Revolution, periods of exploration and the colonization of America. This particular piece portrays the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York on October 17, 1777.

Statue of Ulysses S. Grant in the Capitol Rotunda. This statue is one of 100 statues that belong to the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Just beyond the Rotunda sits the office Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House.

The original chambers for the United States Senate from 1810-1859, this room later housed the United States Supreme Court from 1860-1935. On January 8, 1999, the Senate reconvened in this room to debate rules for the impeachment trial of President Clinton.

Enjoying the comfort of a marble bath in the basement of the U.S. Capitol

The exterior of the Jefferson Memorial and its reflection dancing off the Potomac River Tidal Basin.

The marble stairs that lead into the Jefferson Memorial.

In April 1962, President Kennedy held a dinner at the White House honoring a number of Nobel Prize winners from the Western Hemisphere. During his opening remarks, President Kennedy stated “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

The statue of Martin Luther King stands high within his memorial, dedicated in the fall of 2011.

Well known, inspirational King quotes ring his memorial.

The exterior of the Lincoln Memorial. It is a wonderful location to visit during the daytime, but an entirely different, more serene experience after the sun sets.

The World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol sit on the National Mall.

I never pass up an opportunity to venture down to our Nation’s capital.