Exceedingly Mundane

We just got back to the hotel after our private tour of the White House West Wing, and all I can say is…. WOW!

We had a great time and were so in awe of where we were and what we saw. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside most of the White House, but I took what I could, where I could, and I just loaded them into the Photo Gallery on Hambones.

Kirk setup a tour with his friend Lucas, who works in Vice President Cheney’s office. We stopped at two checkpoints and got cleared through Secret Service and got our “A” badges, for temporary access (visitor pass, I guess). Lucas met us at the final gate and got us scanned in, then we walked toward the Old Executive Office building, and the entrance to the West Wing, and then entered the White House. There were lots of great photos on the wall, enlarged, from recent events such as Nelson Mandela visiting the White House, some other dignitaries, and then a lot of photos from Sept 11, and the president’s subsequent visit to Ground Zero.

Then Lucas walked us to the mess area, which is where some senior White House staff eats. We walked around the corner to the door leading to the situation room, which was created by Kennedy after the Cuban Missile Crises. We didn’t get to go in this room, but Lucas told us that President Bush gets a briefing every morning in this room. We walked up some stairs and then went out to the Rose Garden. There were a lot of people milling about, because Marine One had just landed with the President on board. I had actually seen the helicopter when we were walking in from the street where Kirk parked, but I had no idea that the President was on board and returning to the White House from Camp David. Anyway, there were a lot of folks on the South Lawn, but Lucas let us take some pictures and even took some of all of us together. I took one of our group on the walkway that President Bush walks down every morning, from the Residence past the Rose Garden into the Oval Office.

Then we walked back into the West Wing and Lucas took us to the Cabinet room, where the Cabinet meets. He pointed out the spot where the President sits – it was easy to tell because his chair is slightly higher than all the others. He told us who sits to the left and right of the President, across from him, etc, and also pointed out that each chair has a plaque on the back that indicates each administration they served in. One plaque for each – so Vice President Cheney had 3 plaques on his chair and Secretary Rumsfeld has the most – he has 5 on the back of his chair. The large conference table in the Cabinet room was a gift from President Nixon. The rug was recently redone and redecorated by Laura Bush. After the Cabinet Room, we walked to the outskirts of the Oval Office, which was roped off, but we were allowed to look in. No pictures though! Each president is allowed to decorate the office to his own tastes, except for certain items that remain the same – for example, the flags behind the desk, the mantle is the same, the Presidential seal enscribed on the ceiling overhead in the Oval Office always remain the same. Bush has a new rug in his office, that Laura designed, which has rays of sunshine coming out from the center, said to reflect his positive outlook and sunny disposition. Lucas pointed out several items in the room that President Bush picked out, such as a bust of Winston Churchill (a gift from Tony Blair), one of Abraham Lincoln and a third of Einsenhower. We also noted that over the mantle hung a beautiful portrait of George Washington, and this is directly across from his desk. I asked about his desk and Lucas said that Carter brought this particular desk back, but before him, most Presidents except for Johnson, Ford and another (maybe Nixon?? We can’t remember) had used this desk. His father used it in his administration, but it was located in the private residence upstairs. I noticed on the table behind his desk, personal pictures such as one of Laura with their dog Barney, some of his ranch at Texas. I also saw one of his twin daughters in the bookcase on the side of the wall. We also noted fresh roses on both the coffee table in front of the sofa and also on the large table behind his desk, and when we asked, Lucas said that they are replaced every couple of days, and that those roses are Mrs. Bush’s favorite.

After the Oval Office, we walked across the hall to the Roosevelt Room, which was named after both Roosevelts. Named for Teddy, because the West Wing was built during his administration, and for FDR, because it was renovated (or maybe expanded) during his administration. Lucas told us that this room was also called the Fish Room (because FDR had an aquarium in here, and Kennedy had a mounted fish on the wall!). In the Roosevelt Room, Lucas pointed out several flags – including the flag of the President, Vice President, and one for each branch of service. There is also a medal of honor hanging in this room (awarded to Teddy Roosevelt in 2001) and there is also a Nobel Peace Prize in this room (maybe Carters, but it could be Woodrow Wilson or the other winner, Lucas said only 3 presidents have ever been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize). We got to look at this room from two different directions/doorways. We noticed from the second door that each military branch’s flag had a series of ribbons, which denoted each conflict that the particular branch had engaged in over history. Lucas said that the Army had the most (however, Tim is partial to the Air Force one, of course!).

Then, we walked over to the Press Room, which really surprised me. It looks sort of large and nice and grand on TV, but in person, it’s almost, well, shabby and a little rough around the edges! It is small and narrow. The carpet was stained and the seats (old chairs from a previous Air Force One, according to Lucas) were a little ragged looking. Still, it was WAY COOL that not only did we get to go in there, but that we even caught a glimpse of Scott McClellan who was in there for a minute. Even better – we got to take pictures behind the podium, with the White House symbol behind us on the curtain. So cool! Then, Lucas raised a panel in the floor/carpet and showed us where the old White House pool used to be – under the floor of the Press Room. FDR used it, but it was later tiled over and covered up (we think it was by Nixon, but we’re starting to get our factoids mixed up!).

After the Press Room, we got another look at the outside of the West Wing, and Lucas told us that sometimes President Bush will come and go through that entrance, although not as often because it’s not as secure and closed off to the public (you can see the West Wing entrance, sort of, from the front gate area). We also went over to the side of the White House that the press corps always uses for their live reports. I took pictures of the press equipment that apparently is left there, and several shots of the side of the White House, but most of those need touching up (it was so bright and sunny and the sun made the White House look like a big white blob in the sunlight!).

Our tour, unfortunately, then came to an end. Kirk saw another guy he knew, and he offered to take a picture of all of us with Lucas, which was really nice of him. We had a great time, and I think we both think this was definitely the highlight of our trip. We’ve seen lots of great things, and especially today, with the cemetery and all the feelings we felt at the Tomb of the Unknown, still – the White House tour was so cool. So cool that so many people come to DC and will never get to see what we saw at the White House.. So cool to stand at that rope and look through the door into the Oval Office, and see where all of our Presidents have worked and sat at their desk, running our country. So cool to see all the history and mementos and personal touches of the President. So cool to hear all the stories and factoids that we had never heard before. So cool to stand in this house and know that, somehow, it’s our house, a house for all American people, and that the President and his family live there because of us. So cool knowing that the man who lives and works in this house is responsible for the protection and welfare of each and every American. So cool that we looked in the Roosevelt Room and saw a Medal of Honor and a Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to a President. Way cool. All of it. 🙂