Webshots has provided a boatload of snapshots taken by tourists on the 2006 holiday tours and a few others I'd overlooked before from previous years. There are too many to list here (see What's New), but one is the first "real" pic of the East Wing Lobby!
They may be spelling-challenged, photography-challenged, and memory-challenged, but these tourists are precious to me. In the spirit of the Reathel Odum Distinguished Service Award (and tonight's Oscars), I award Haleychura, Amber, Cdhopk, Spificwoman13, Sspin55, and all the others the Dan Quayle A for Effort Award.
Update: More touristy goodness!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LOL at the spelling. Kinda reminds me of some of my emails to Derek. I'd like to blame it on too much coffee but . . . .
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Room sofa is definitely the McKim sofa from the TR renovation. The Bellange one must be out for repairs, etc.
ReplyDeleteHow did those tourists get into the theatre, bowling ally, and elevator.
ReplyDeletewhen i went to the white house, the doors to the theatre were locked shut, and a security guard told me to move along when I went to peek through a crack in the door.
And I certainly got nowhere near the bowling ally or elevator.
It's pretty clear from the pics that they got a special tour outside of what others get. Maybe they are contributors or with the party.
ReplyDeleteNow adays since the White House shut tours to the masses, I think they are more lenient with the select few that are allowed to tour... seems like photography is permitted, as is peeping around at places not seen before during the mass public tours prior to 9/11.
ReplyDeleteWhat places were you allowed to see before 9/11?
ReplyDeleteI believe on the general tour they wouldn't take you into the theatre, the PBR, the kitchen like the photos show.
ReplyDeleteSomeone trying to go to the White House hoping to see the Oval Office would be really disappointed.
If I'm not mistaken the tour start in the East Wing and takes you past the Vermeil Room, China Room, Library, East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, State Dining Room, Cross Hall, Entrance Hall, and then out the North Entrance. That's alot, but not enough for us freaks. :D
I've done the VIP tour a couple of times and I remember once, about a thousand years ago, (We had to get tickets from my Congressman, or something like that) we were able to see - on the ground floor -the Library, Vermeil room. China room, Diplomatic Reception Room, then upstairs and through the East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, State Dining Room - then out through the Cross Hall and the Entrance Hall. Then back out into the real world through the North Portico. I remember one tour when the State Dining room was completely shut.
ReplyDeleteWe certainly didn't see the Movie Theater, Bowling Alley (White House Bowl!) or the elevator. I guess we were'nt worthy.
Much later I did get to see all that - and party in the State Rooms - as a guest at the Bicentennial Symposium reception(except the Movie Theater,and bowling alley, which I've never seen) but at the time, I was thrilled to see it at all. I Still would be.
The White House never looses its magic, no matter how you see it.
yea, it was the same for me.
ReplyDeleteIn through the east wing entrance, past the closed movie theatre, into the hall on the ground floor, past library and vermiel and the closed china room, up to the east, then green, blue, and red, state, and then out through the north portico. The paralized people got to go farther and take the elevator. Next time il fake a broken leg.
My dad was with me at the time, and I joked with him that we should make a break for it and have a race to the oval office. Last one to get gunned down wins.
Woah! Off topic . . .White House has a new looking website!!!!
ReplyDeleteIn the theatre pic you can see that they're wearing the "A" tags = you get to go "almost" anywhere.
ReplyDeleteFrom the photos, it looks as if the group were at the White House for a specific reason, not just to tour. They were all dressed up.
ReplyDeleteMy niece sang in the St. Olaf College Choir and sang at the White House a couple of years ago. They also saw parts that are not normally on the tour.
The old VIP tour was different only in that you did see all of the ground floor rooms, not just the Library and Vermeil. You were also watched more closely and moved more quickly. One of the reasons I liked the general tours is that they were self-guided and you could absorb the flavor of each room, paying attention to paintings, furniture, the Aesop panels in the East Room, etc.
Some of the photos show them dressed-up, but the theatre pics show casual wear.
ReplyDeleteThe bowling photo? The guy has the kiddie bumpers engaged over the gutters. LOL.
ReplyDeleteHey, you're right! That's hilarious!
ReplyDelete