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Washington, D.C.

Me and the U.S. Capitol Building. Just across the reflection pool you'll find the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

Atop the Capitol's dome is the 19-foot statue Freedom. The bronze statue depicts a female holding a sheathed sword on one hand and a laurel wreath and shield in the other. Hard to see because she's so high up (her crest rises 288 feet above the plaza), many people mistakenly think the statue is that of an Indian because of its crown feathers. I think I can include myself into that same, uninformed group of folks.

Here's a close-up of the architecture.

I've arrive at the U.S. Capitol Tours entrance. I stand in line to pony up for my ticket.

I put on my admission sticker and step to the back of the line. The Prohibited Items sign makes me wonder. What kind of idiot would be packing weapons and/or explosives? I can see it now. "Oh, geeze officer, I forgot I was packing this stick of dynamite. I notice that your the sign is telling me I cannot bring it inside the U.S. Capitol. Can you please hold this for me while I attend to the tour?"