On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, fifteen members of the Niagara Canada club ventured south by air and by car to spend a week with us. After an overnight rest with their hosts, we welcomed the group with a catered omelet brunch at the home of Ellen Wormser. The weather was perfect to enjoy her lovely garden and review the week’s itinerary. 

During the week we entertained the group with tours of Lincoln’s Cottage and Hillwood Estate in Washington. Our guests enjoyed a grand tour of Old Town Alexandria, beginning with guide Mari Clark, using their “Alexandria Keys” to visit historic homes, ships, and museums. To see more of The Mall on a rainy day, we rode the DC Circulator bus, venturing off for walks at the FDR and MLK, Lincoln, and Vietnam memorials. A wonderful coincidence was meeting some of the Honor Flight recipients as we walked. As with most journeys, we introduced the group to our local music culture with an evening at the Westminster Presbyterian church for a blues concert and home-cooked dinner. More home cooking was provided by club members who were not able to host but could provide a delicious meal in their homes.

While touring the Library of Congress, our plans went awry. We had tickets for a tour of the U.S. Capitol building only to discover that the building was closed while President Biden was visiting there. I know that our visitors were disappointed, but were compensated with a casual lunch at the Library’s Madison building cafeteria and visits to the National Museum of Art and more in-depth discovery at the Library’s Jefferson Building.

The farewell dinner was held at Portofino Restaurant in Arlington. We saw our new friends off on Wednesday morning, May 8, some for a further Journey to the Connecticut club and others to return home.