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dr.com Capitol Tour, Saturday, February 9th at 11 AM and 2 PM - Given By A Guide Who Has Done This For 15 Years


DonRocks

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Here are the current lists for the tours on Saturday. The 11:00 tour has added 2 since my last count a few days ago. As I posted above, there is still one spot open for the 2:00 tour.

For those who are on the Tour on Saturday, I am re-posting our Tour Guide's instructions, with additions. Please read these carefully to ensure that nothing prevents you from taking the tour. Hope that everyone has a wonderful time.

11:00

The Matt (1)

darkstar965 (2)

Gary Tanigawa (1)

Tweaked (2)

Squidsdc (4)

Xochitl10 (1)

IlanaKS (1)

Night Owl (3)

2:00

KMango (2)

u-bet! (1)

Lydia R. (2)

iolaire (2)

goldenticket (2)

LauraB (2)

hm212 (2)

Traveling to the Capitol:

Metro: Capitol South or Union Station

Vehicle: Parking is available on weekends in the Supreme Court lot on A Street, NE, between 2nd and 3rd (3rd is one-way northbound). Also, parking can usually be found in the neighborhood on weekends. There are also diagonal parking lots on Pennsylvania and Maryland between 1st and 3rd NW (these are staff parking on weekdays).

Entrance to the Capitol:

Please arrive before the start time. Plan to be in the security line no later than 10:45 am if you're on the early tour and 1:45 pm if you're on the late tour.

Enter through the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) entrance, which is on 1st Street NE/SE across from the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. The CVC is underground, so there are stairs, ramps, and elevators to help you get to the entrance. Once you enter and go through security* you will proceed through a set of doors into a no-mans-land space. Don't stay there. Instead, go through the next set of doors. I will be standing to the right, across from the coat check and probably leaning against the Senate
Appointments Desk.
As one identifier, I wear glasses. If no one with glasses is loitering there please hang around anyway because it means I'm not quite there yet!

NOTE: In addition to purses and electronics, jackets and belts must go through the X-ray machine. The Capitol Police will mention this but it helps to be prepared in advance. You can leave your shoes on unless you know that they set off metal detectors (ie. heels with metal spikes, that type of thing).

Cell phones, cameras, and video cameras are allowed.

The following are NOT allowed:

  • Liquid, including water
  • Food or beverages of any kind, including fruit and unopened packaged food
  • Aerosol containers
  • Non-aerosol spray (Prescriptions for medical needs are permitted.)
  • Any pointed object, e.g. knitting needles and letter openers (Pens and pencils are permitted.)
  • Any bag larger than 18" wide x 14" high x 8.5" deep
  • Electric stun guns, martial arts weapons or devices
  • Guns, replica guns, ammunition, and fireworks
  • Knives of any size
  • Mace and pepper spray
  • Razors and box cutters




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These attendance lists are a moving target. At this moment, the 11:00 tour is full and there are 2 open spots on the 2:00 tour. I have updated the lists in post #52 above.

Any takers for the 2 spots at 2:00? Going once, going twice....

Also, many of us on the 2:00 tour are planning to go out for drinks afterward to thank our Tour Guide. Current plan is Johnny's Half Shell, aiming for 5:00pm. Everyone on the 11:00 tour is very welcome to join in, please let me know if you plan to come.

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Many thanks to our tour guide (who wishes to remain anonymous) for a wonderful experience today! It was great meeting everyone, but sorry LauraB had to miss out :(. Thanks for organizing, and hope you feel better soon, Laura.

Yes, huge thanks! She was fabulous, and it was great to meet the others on the 11:00 tour. :)

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Much more later, but WOW, tour guide, your knowledge is astonishing! We learned more than we thought would be possible, with historical and sensory stimulation on overdrive. Infinite thanks for the infinite perspectives and your masterful tour.

You are very good at what you do, and we are very lucky to have you in the community.

LauraB: Egads! So sorry to miss you today after all your exceptional planning. If she's game, I'm going to book a "mini-reunion Capitol Tour group" happy hour for our guide's place of choice so we can thank her and you in proper fashion. High five to both for an amazing day.

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Big, big...no, make that HUGE +1 on the three posts just above. Great and fascinating time. Such generosity to take us (in two groups virtually back-to-back!) through. Wonderful meeting everyone in the early group. And fab organization by LauraB. Big bummer she didn't make it but love KMango's idea! Aside from Laura so deserving it, it would also be an opportunity for cross group meetings. :)

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A huge THANK YOU to our guide who is amazingly knowledgable about all things Capitol. We had a delightful time thanks to her candid approach and delivery. The building now seems so much more than just another government building by my understanding of its long history of revamping, recovering and retouching. I especially enjoyed hearing an insider's view of how things tick and how personalities play such a huge role beneath the dome.

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