The Adventures of Kate and Brian: State and Estate

Kate here. Yesterday we had an amazing opportunity to get an insider's look at the Department of State. A few months ago, I made contact with a few Gustavus graduates working for the DOS who helped arrange a tour. They tracked down six grads working in DC and set us up with five hours of activities. But first we had to make it through security! We've been through a lot of security lines over the past week and a half, but this was by far the most we've faced. First, there was a super sensitive x-ray machine where they also checked our IDs. Then, another ID check where they cross-checked our IDs with a computer list I had to send in a month ago for pre-clearance screening. Then, we had to have our hosts scan us in through another set of guarded doors. After a morning snack and introductions, they took us to the Operations Center where they monitor activities around the world 24 hrs a day. To get in here, we had to leave our IDs with the guard and turn over cell phones and cameras.

The Operations Center was really cool! We sat in the rooms where the Secretary of State sits to make conference calls to foriegn leaders. Then we toured the room where people monitor the activities happening all over the world. Finally, we saw the rooms they use for task forces they set up to deal with crises. They convene task forces for dealing with things like hurricanes or coups in foriegn countries that might have an impact on US interests of US citizens abroad.

After leaving the Operations Center (and getting our IDs back) We toured the Diplomatic Rooms, where the Secretary of State entertains foreign leaders. This required yet another ID check and a special escort to the 8th floor of the building. Even while we were on our tour (as you can see in the photo below), they stationed a guard before and after the group as we moved through the rooms. The Diplomatic Rooms are beautifully decorated in authentic 1750-1800 furnishings. We were lucky to have a very knowledgable tour guide who could help us appreciate the art and architecture of the rooms.

Here is the seal on the ceiling of the dining area in the Diplomatic Rooms. This was, incidentally, where President Obama and Secretary Clinton held a press conference the day before to announce George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke would be special envoys in the Middle East. Missed it by a day!

Here's a photo of the entire group, including the six Gustavus grads who hosted us.

This is the official seal of the US used to stamp treaties and ambassador commissions. We got to watch it in action as they stamped some new Obama commissions.

That night, we took the group to a comedy show called Capitol Steps. I had seen them before during my past visits to DC. Basically, it's a group of former congressional staffers who do a musical comedy show about politics and current events. They use familiar songs and then change the lyrics. One of my favorites was..."How do we solve a problem like Korea?" sung to a tune from the Sound of Music. They made fun of just about everything and we all laughed pretty hard. Here's a photo of the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center (the building where they performed)...

And the show itself. This was a song based on Bush's shoe throwing incident in Iraq. Neither of us can remember what song it was set to.

It was a good day, but exhausting!

Today, we gathered the troops and set out for Mt. Vernon, the former home of George Washington. I enjoyed it much more than I expected! Part of the reason was probably that I was totally stressed out about it last night and this morning. I've never been there myself and the travel there is a little complicated (Metro, then bus...but the bus only leaves once an hour, so you have to time it right). There was also a bus fare separate from our Metro cards, so Brian and I had to scramble to come up with exact change (two sets of ones, quarters, and dimes for each of us). Brian ended up sweet talking a bank teller into making change despite their policy of not making change for people without accounts. The students were great, though, and they hustled to the Metro so we could make the bus connection.

Mt. Vernon is a huge estate, much of which has been restored to what it would have looked like when Washington was alive. Washington farmed 8,000 acres near his riverfront home. It was cold and windy, but we still enjoyed a walk around the property. Here we are in front of the mansion itself.

Washington used this really interesting technique to make the outside walls that were made of wood look like they were made of stone. It involved paint and sand. This picture doesn't really do it justice.

For those of you in Minnesota, you might be a little jealous when you see this next photo. Look at the leaves! Not all of the trees here still have their leaves.