Wow! What a day is was! Beginning at 6:50a.m. we boarded the Gray Line bus that would transport 18 of us to Union Station. Our driver, Tony, was a friendly fellow who told us to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. As you can imagine, the traffic was very heavy but Tony took it all in stride. He has been driving the bus for 31 years and allows the other drivers who weave in and out or cut in front of him to just go on about their business. He says that he has no worries as he is already at work and they are just trying to get there.
Upon arriving at Union Station, Tony told us he would meet us at 5:00 p.m. for our return trip to Cherry Hill. We disembarked his bus and were guided to an open top tour bus and a new driver. It was quite cool that morning and our new driver was very considerate. He altered his normal routine to take us a short drive to Capitol Hill for a tour there. By the time we returned to the bus it was warmer.
Our Capitol chaperon has been on the job 36 years and loves her job. She did a great job directing us and sharing her wealth of knowledge with us. At the conclusion of that tour, Ray and I took the tunnel over to the Library of Congress, a slight detour on our way to meet the bus. We were on and off the bus many, many times during the day. Lunch was at the Ronald Reagan Building food court.
I was able to photograph the White House, Intercontinental The Willard Hotel, multiple national monuments and buildings as well as the Pentagon. The pace was quick and exhausting, but we had a great day in D.C.!