As we set out to see President Ford laid out in the Capitol, we had no idea what to expect. My friend had waited in line for 3 hours in near 100 degree heat to see President Reagan. She was at the very beginning of the line that day. So, I figured I had a pro with me. We did not leave early Sunday morning, so we had no idea how long this entire process would take.
When we arrived in the vicinity of the Capitol, we headed to the parking lot where my friend has a pass for parking available on a 24/7 basis. It was locked up tight. We decided to try our luck on the street. Between the two of us, we normally have very good luck getting parking spaces, so we figured with both of us in the car at once, we were sure to get a great spot. Sure enough, as soon as we said that we spotted someone folding up a stroller into a car. The spot was at 3rd Street and Independence Avenue, SW. We took a look around, and concluded that we got the CLOSEST LEGAL parking spot to the entrance for the viewing. As we pulled into the spot, the sun came out, and we knew that the rest of the day would go smoothly.
We were so excited about our great parking spot that we took pictures, since we were sure no one would believe us. I just noticed from the picture above that we were given the green light.
We then proceeded to figure out which necessities we should take with us and which to leave in the car. We did not know if we should bring something to sit on, and who knows what would happen with the weather. I did, however, proceed to put on 5 layers of clothing even though it was as warm as I have ever seen January. Since there were some people running around in shorts, I probably looked like an Eskimo in Florida - a sight to be sure!!!
