Visit to the Capitol Building

We toured the Capitol Building

US capitol is a majestic, symbolically important, and architecturally impressive building and is surrounded by national park settings. We walked around and explored and enjoyed its surrounding.

Last September, when we were visiting our kids in Baltimore, we planned a trip to our country’s Capitol building. Since our focus on this trip was to visit the museums and monuments, this iconic building was at the top of our list of destinations. If I had my way, I would have wanted to see the congress and Senate in session. Our tour of the building did not have that option. 

These are statues in the Rotunda and are among the newest in the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Below is Lincoln Catafalque.

The Lincoln catafalque is a platform constructed in 1865 to support the casket of Abraham Lincoln while the president’s body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. It is a simple base of rough pine boards nailed together and covered with black cloth.

Although the base and platform have occasionally been altered to accommodate the larger size of modern coffins and for the ease of the attending military personnel, it is basically the same today as it was in Lincoln’s time.

When not in use, the Lincoln catafalque is kept in a specially constructed display area in the Exhibition Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.

Mi Vida Restaurant

After spending all morning and well into the afternoon, we were hungry, and Marium found a Mexican restaurant called Mi Vida. Tazeen joined us. The menu looked great. Jaffer and I ordered enchiladas rancheras. The presentation and contrasting colors of the sauces in the backdrop of beautiful black stoneware plates were in themselves very appetizing. Marium and Tazeen got Nachos and salad. The rainbow color salad with different textures was to die for. But the restaurant’s excellence shone in its tomatillos, jalpeños, and herbs sauce which was simply off-the-chart delicious. They served that with purple corn chips which we all inhaled, even though, for me, it would be a digestive health disaster. I think my whole digestive tract was on fire, which didn’t stop me from pestering the waitress to find out what went into that delicious gut-burning sauce. Her information helped me find the recipe which will be on my blog as the Tomatillo Salsa recipe.

After a very satisfying meal, we headed out to go home but not without stopping for necessary shopping on our way. The day ended with a delicious relaxed meal that had already been brought in by Zahir, and Tazeen decided to make chapli kebab as an extra treat. After a delicious meal, Everyone retired to their own corner to relax and sleep to recuperate from an energizing yet tiring day. The following day was planned with an exciting and long-awaited itinerary.