A Trip to the White House

Thanks to my friends at the Department of Education, I was able to tour the mecca of politics, the most important residence in all of America, The White House, last Thursday morning. Around 8:30 in the morning, I left my K St cubicle to begin the walk to the tour with my fellow interns. Excited and happy to be getting some time out of the office, we practically ran to The White House and entered security around 8:45 for our 9 AM tour. Surprisingly, the security process went fairly smoothly, but I suspect this was due to the fact that we could barely bring anything with us on the tour besides identification. Finely around 9 AM we were allowed to enter and begin our tour!

The tour was unguided, although the red ropes and dozens of police officers clearly marked the route. Upon entering, we encountered dozens of pictures of the current President, Barack Obama, as well as the First Lady, Michelle, their two children, and The infamous White House Dog. The feeling of entering The White House for the first and what I promise, will not be the last time, was unreal. It is during these initial moments that I turned to my closest coworker and said, "Wait, we are really in The White House!" As we passed the hundreds of pictures of past presidents, their families, and the rooms they inhabited, I felt that I was watching history unfold before my eyes. We were only able to tour some ten odd rooms of the East Wing, but it was most definitely worth the time spent. The decor and furniture was amazing. Many of the pieces were in their original condition and were consistently used today for parties! Despite the visible age of the rooms, decorum, and building, many newer features had been installed, such as the bullet proof glass covering the outside of the windows and the electrical outlets installed in each of the walls.

One of the best things I learned on the tour came from the guard in The Red Room. It is that room, he told me, that the first President George Bush used to wine and dine Mrs. Bush each Valentine's Day they spent in The White House, due to its color palette. He would have a table for two set up for a candlelight dinner that was specially prepared by Chef Emeril Lagasse, who he would have flown in each year to cook. Now that is how you do a Valentine's Day, if you ask me!

It was in the next room that I was given some fun facts about President Obama's time in The White House. The officer in that room pointed out the location of Michelle's garden and the playground of their two children. He also informed me that the playground was positioned so that the President could watch his children play as he worked in The Oval Office, as he wanted to make sure he could see his children growing up.

My last favorite part the tour was seeing the portraits of many of our latest Presidents. Portraits of Clinton, Bush, Johnson, Reagan, and Carter could easily be seen on the tour. My favorite portrait, however, was that of President John Kennedy.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time at The White House! Although the tour was short and quite informal, it gave me the feeling that I was encountering true history! I promise, however, that won't be my last time there!

-C.C.