Ken and I just returned from a bus trip to Washington DC with a group of docents and friends from the National First Ladies Library. We were invited to bring along spouses or friends which is how Ken came to be a member of this special trip.We left Wooster at 6:00 AM on Sunday morning. We went to the NFLL in Canton and boarded a bus for the trip. There were 41 of us on the trip and the bus was full. We packed a lunch which we ate on the bus and after stopping a few times for short breaks, we arrived at Arlington National Cemetery.
The weather was cold and rainy, but we got out our umbrellas and walked around. We went to the Tomb of the Unknowns and watched the changing of the guards. That was solemn and impressive.
The weather was cold and rainy, but we got out our umbrellas and walked around. We went to the Tomb of the Unknowns and watched the changing of the guards. That was solemn and impressive. 
The number of tombstones is amazing and the cemetery is large. We also stopped to see The Kennedy graves and the home of Robert E. Lee which overlooks downtown Washington.Eric and Katherine picked us up for dinner and we went to Martin's Tavern in Georgetown. This is where JFK proposed to Jackie so even this location had a first ladies tie-in.
On Monday morning we went to Mount Vernon. The rain had stopped but we had strong, strong winds. We toured the house and spent time at the new visitor's center. We ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn and really enjoyed ourselves. I bought a Christmas ornament with a picture of Mount Vernon and it is already on our tree.
From there we went to the Capitol. We were met by our congressman, Ralph Regula, who took us on a tour. He took us on the floor of the house of representatives and demonstrated how the voting system works. He also took us to the gallery of the Senate which was in session while we were there.From there we took the bus to Union Station where we ate dinner. We were on our own and Ken and I found an Asian restaurant where we ate dinner. We reboarded the bus for a nighttime tour of the monuments.
The next morning we departed the hotel for the White House. We had previously submitted our names and social security numbers for security clearance and were only allowed to carry a photo ID in with us: no pocketbooks, cameras, phones, etc. We were among the estimated 60,000 people who will see the White House decorated for Christmas. This year's theme was National Parks and there was actually an ornament with a painting of the Saxton House on the official White House Christmas tree. Unfortunately it was on the side of the tree we couldn't see. The decorations were truly gorgeous: everything was real greens, gilded leaves, pine cones, butterflies, birds, seashells, and tiny golden lights. In addition to the official tree, there were probably 10 to 12 other decorated trees along with a an impressive nativity set, tabletop decorations, garlands, and a gingerbread house covered in white chocolate in the shape of the White House. It was a great visit.From there we went to the Congressional Club. It is a club that was created in 1908 for the wives of congressmen.
Mary Regula founder of the National First Ladies Library was the president of the club in 1980 and remains an active member. We had an elegant lunch in an impressive setting. 
After that, we boarded the bus and began the long ride home. We got back to Canton just before 10 PM and then made our way home. The roads were clear and dry and we were glad to be back in Wooster about 10:30. What an experience!
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