3-19-2011 Abingdon, Treasury, Natl. Geographic

A gorgeous day - sunny, not humid, cool - the best type of day back here. Sue had made arrangements some weeks ago for us to tour the Treasury building. Since it is right next to the White House, one has to go through the Congressional delegation process just like for a White House or Congress tour. This was out day.

On the way downtown in the rental car Sue had gotten the night before, we stopped at the National Airport to take a look at the Abingdon Plantation site. I had read about this inside the airport, at the history exhibits in the old wing of the Airport. (BTW, National is a great place to prowl around in - art all over the place and history exhibits in unexpected places.) After winding our way through the parking garage, we found the place. I have put some pictures of the plaques and the foundations here. You can see the airport and Metro stop in the background behind Sue. The site is tied up with the Alexanders (of Alexandria), the Washingtons and the Custis' (related to Lee). It's a very small world out here when it comes to the aristocracy.

We drove then downtown and went for our Treasury tour - no pictures allowed unfortunately. A very good tour, about 90 min. The inside of the building has been restored to its appearance in the early 1800s. There is one office that was Andrew Johnson's office after Lincoln's assassination, since Lincoln's wife couldn't make it to move out of the White House. Talk of the secret vaults in the basement - nothing there they said!

After seeing the Treasury, it was such a beautiful day we decided to see something else so we walked over to the National Geographic Museum to see the photos. Amazing pictures - and these were the rejects from the magazine!