district o columbia, part dos

FRIDAY
Today was the busiest and most exhausting day of our trip.  We were up early to get in line for security at the White House.  My poor friend Hilary, by the 2nd or third time I told her that we got into the White House was like, "I know, Michelle, you got into the White House. Ha."  Sorry, Hilary, I was just too excited.
So, we got into the White House. And it was a LET. DOWN.  After waiting in line for almost an hour, then going through security, they handed us a pamphlet and let us loose. No tour. Approx 6.5 rooms.  35 minutes. The up side to the tour at this time in the morning was that we got to see the back of President Obama's head as he loaded his personal helicopter.
We got in another line to get tickets for going to the top of the Washington Monument.  It's in this line where we met a man by the name of Ray Walter Swangkee, aka The Peacock.  He showed us his rock houses and water irrigation system.  He is set on changing the world, one Intelligent Truth-Seeking Honest Robe-Wearing Person at a time.
We had some time, so we hit up Madame Tussad's. 

hanging with the Obamas

JoBros + Me = love

The next thing we did was so fun = SEGS IN THE CITY!!
Aka a Segway tour around DC.  We saw all of the monuments on our segways and I only almost bit it once.

SEGSY!

The fam bam had a tour of Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was shot.  We sat in the theatre while a lady re-told the story.  Right at the part when booth jumped on the stage, there was a bang behind stage that scared the crap out of all of the audience. The tour included the Peterson house across the street where Lincoln died.

We had an early dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

Then to the top of the Washington Monument! It's 555' 5.5" (OCD much?), so makes for an awesome view of DC, especially at dusk. 

Dad, Dan, Spence, and I tried out FroZenYo, much like FroYo in Provo. Good stuff!

SATURDAY

Syd, Mom, Sam and I hit up the National Zoo with two goals: pandas and porcupines.  DC's Zoo has the longest surviving pandas in captivity.  They also have this cool rope system that enables the orangutans to swing across the zoo above our heads.

We got picked up in a limo!  My mom likes to switch hotels in the middle of our vacations just so we can mix it up and try out different areas.  And none of us kids had ever been in a limo, sooo why not switch hotels in a limo?

That afternoon was Nandos trip #2 with my London friend LAURA! It was so good to see her and to catch up.

That night, my family and I went to the Nat'l Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Really cool! Go America!