![US Capital building Wshington, D.C. US Capital building Washington D.C.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YEOAJUHoS_waQvCfWeYLDRE6wV7yHgY71uKx91AuLGP_mi-jo90gnt_lxRN_XWNsB152tDeJv6iRud2TYlNNSkImMoxysFYAfV3A93Y4ATe5H9sqxjcUAgp2nzMtQjBPlr9W6OLTFolG/s288/iphone_photo.jpg)
It takes a while to walk around it!
![US Capital building Wshington, D.C. US Capital building Washington D.C.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jUGVXh657JtKnaedyitGEjGqeb2E1yWjMcEDJH55RXIJ6iookorlGxSgJibrDHK7Bj1CPK9u2io3udkFUUsp-DJqoj8mOaelkwIC1gIlr4S-d3zW9lkj7v4Bk0MTLNdCYWGDo8MU-l8/s280/iphone_photo.jpg)
Unfortunately while we were there this was as close as you could get. Used to you could walk up the stairs, but this time they were closed to the public. I saw a sniper up there trying not to be noticed!
![US Capital building Wshington, D.C. US Capital building Washington D.C.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Vr0yEBBecL3TCQ5k60IvxvZdkG5TCOz3MwB2cNfHhlmEfJbnq36o-ePpa__oGEV2FH6Y9Nz_j5YQXGRKze4Q12ps-CRZ0JcxwmG1nUf-G7NirrRVBhSF1R7_5wUXtx5SEDAhauMfxGo/s288/iphone_photo.jpg)
Now we are leaving to capital area for today and headed to some of the Smithsonians. All of the Smithsonians are completely free.
![US Washington monument Wshington, D.C. Washington Monument Washington D.C.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEbS9Q4gbWsVxHZGNn10Z8o0_ZnrBzUFrs5AzlSi7YnGZEyka0jKSSltLy_AQAZgET64jSnDtzRqxz44c1UGRiPzwvoO3DKtJzWGNmAqrezjX723ApEMdSPoeFrPj_GE1-0N2nUJ6JJ8/s288/iphone_photo.jpg)
We did stop briefly at the National botanical gardens. I was hoping to go inside but the kids were not up for it. It looked really awesome in there, but it was quite hot. I think they could have made it through there if I had just brought more water with us!
![US National Botanical Gradens Wshington, D.C. National Botanical Gardens Washington D.C.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3mAmjfxaAIROMZRzURQ_WMutit_U1vCQ7hYAX1VO612iMz9d0BZFVnUSb765xW-stXPzzppy-knVVofC0MQwcS5u6pNbCSRZpzY2Gx9jynS4Nm6KI4WPDGMq9kpSdfphvUgOwVDukuPu/s288/iphone_photo.jpg)
This is outside the botanical gardens. It was such a hot day I let them get pretty wet.