Eighth Day in Washington, D.C.

Today we were up and out early and headed to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.  We passed it yesterday and there was a ticket booth where you had to reserve a time and ticket to get in.  We passed by at 3:00 in the afternoon and all the tickets were gone.

While looking at their website last night I found out you have to get there fairly early because once the tickets were gone that was it for the day.  They’re free but they have to limit the number of people inside.

We arrived at the ticket booth by 10:30 and got the next available tour which was at 1:45.  We decided that while we were waiting we’d go to the Holocaust Museum, which was right next door.  Pictures were not allowed in most of the museum so I just got what I could.  I had resisted seeing this museum because the whole Holocaust thing is very disturbing to me and I didn’t want to see any more pictures of dead bodies piled up in graves.  There weren’t any displays of that unless you got tickets and we didn’t have time for that.  It was mostly the history of the Nazis, their propaganda, and anti-Semitism.

There are still so many people that have never been seen again since being separated from their families.  Most don’t know if their missing family member is alive or dead since 1,100 of those were children.

You can light candles to remember those killed at the various Concentration Camps

What’s unbelievable is that genocide still goes on today.

From there we headed next door for our 1:45 tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  First we had to go through the Visitor’s Center while waiting for our tour.

Every museum we’ve been to we’ve had to go through Security checks

The only place I could take pictures in this museum was the Visitor’s Center.  They wouldn’t let anybody take pictures of the printing of the money.  LOL

This is what One Million Dollars looks like in ten dollar bills.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury first issued paper U.S. currency in 1862 to make up for the shortage of coins and to finance the Civil War. There was a shortage of coins because people had started hoarding them; the uncertainty caused by the war had made the value of items fluctuate drastically. Because coins were made of gold and silver their value didn't change much, so people wanted to hang onto them rather than buy items that might lose their value.  Paper money really isn’t paper at all but 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton.  The largest denomination printed today is the one hundred dollar bill and is mostly used by tourists.

Looks like I’m worth $1,491,200

Since they don’t make these anymore maybe I could have one…

We finished up in the gift shop and stepped outside just as two Marine helicopters flew over headed in the direction of the White House.  Could it be the Prez or the Veep??

From there we headed back to the Metro and hopped on the train home.  After we got off we stopped on the way home at a Chinese Buffet that we’ve passed every single day.  It was disappointing food but at least we got that craving out of the way.

Not sure where we’re going tomorrow but we’re thinking we might just go to the White House and do the tour and then to the Capitol for that tour.