My life as a Memphis Real Estate agent takes me to Washington, DC for the National Association of Realtors and Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) Mid-Year conference.    A few thoughts in this post about my trip to our Nation’s Capitol:

Quick! What is the first landmark you think of when you hear Washington, DC?  The Capitol?  Lincoln Memorial?  White House?   The landmark that seems most prominent as the cabbies whiz me through the scary traffic seems to be the one at the right: out the cab window and through the trees, just a little piece of the huge Watergate complex.

When you are on foot on the Mall, its the Washington monument,that sort of towers over everything.
Whenever I get a chance take advantage of tourism opportunities, I do.  Of course I do my best to act like a jaded local with high disdain for tourists, but  that cool facade gives way to the WOW effect of seeing the icons of America.  From the Smithsonian museums to the government buildings, to riding the Metro, DC is a great tourist town.
This best known mueseums are packed with kids on school trips,  but I did fight my way into the Museum of American History for a quick run through.  Archie and Edith Bunker’s chairs are still easy to find but I missed a whole wing of other TV stuff, like Julia Child’s kitchen.  Mostly I spent my time in the art museums:  The Freer, Hirshhorn, National Gallery of Art,  and American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery.  I don’t know if it is a homeland security dictate or museum policy, but each building has different security measures.  Take out your camera and electronics in one, leave them in your pocket or bag in the next. Get the inside of your bag poked with a stick in one, and not even looked at in the next.  Check a backpack in one, keep it in another, and my favorite keep it, but carry it (don’t put on your shoulder) in the American Art Museum.