"We the people"

All of the most incredible things we saw today were in areas where pictures aren't allowed. So the pictures you'll see are taken from other sources; I didn't break the rules :)

We started off the day at the National Archives. We tried to reserve tickets online, but there were none available. So we were pretty nervous about what the lines were going to look like. When we got to the Archives, the line was pretty long, but since it was moving quickly we thought we'd be fine. The biggest concern we had was Samantha. Sitting too long without moving in the 100-degree sun they have here can be a bit much. We were in before too long, and moved through security quicky.

We were waiting right off the elevators because the crowd waiting for the rotunda was huge when an Archives worker walked up to Ashley and said, "Have you already been to the rotunda?" Ashley said, "No, that's what we're waiting for." And the worker asked, "Would you like me to take you in a back entrance so you don't have to deal with any more stairs?" Oh the perks of having a baby in a stroller...She walked us right up and in this gate that led directly into the rotunda where the Charters of Freedom are displayed. We didn't have to wait in line at all (and it was a line that probably would have taken us an hour to wait through). It was AWESOME. So I got to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.


Then I went to the gift shop where I spent as much money as I've spent the rest of my trip here :) Oh well. It was worth it.