US Capitol

I drive by this every day.

I feel very lucky to live in Washington DC, home of more major national landmarks than you can shake a stick at! Twice a day I drive between the Washington Monument and the White House. I drive past the Vietnam Wall - you can't see it from the street, but it's there - and the Kennedy Center. I just love all these landmarks.

And there's the Capitol. This isn't the best view, but it's rare to have a red light at the left turn from Pennsylvania Ave back onto Constitution Ave, so I had to take it where I could. I drive through Capitol Hill every day, on the Senate side. There's US Capitol Police at 1st St NW and at Terrace Ct NE; their jobs are pretty boring - they just stand there and wait for a big truck to come along, then divert it away from the Hill itself. I was quite surprised to drive through on a weekend and see that the officers weren't there - I guess if no important people are on site, it's okay if the buildings get damaged.

I drive right through the heart of American government every day, dodging cocky pedestrians and cabs that stop suddenly for no reason in the middle of a traffic lane. I love DC.