The President and the White House

We left the Museum of American Art (which is open later than the other museums) and headed to the Metro, stopping at a McDonald's to fuel the kids (it was past dinner time at this point).  While at McDonald's we speculated as to whether we were late enough to have avoided work getting off crowds on the Metro.  B suggested we walk over to the White House.  I jumped on that idea since I've always wanted to and never have seen the White House up close.  I think I've always seen it from a few blocks away at a weird angle.  We walked over and the Secret Service had taped off Pennsylvania Ave.  We waited around for awhile because even the regulars seemed to think this would be momentary and then we'd be able to pass.  And we waited.  Finally someone asked the SS and they said they were "working on something" and it was supposed to open again in 45 minutes to an hour.  We gave up, walked up a block only to find that one side of that street was blocked as well.  So we walked on the other side and just as we got there (for a straight shot of the White House from a few blocks up) it seemed like things were happening and maybe the President was going to roll by.  Within about 5 minutes 8 or so Secret Service agents on motorcycles went by, followed by more police cars, to limo/town cars, dark minivans and SUVs, more police and an ambulance.  The limo/town car had the Presidential seal and tiny American flags.  People were waving in a few cars, but B said the hand waving from the limo/town car had long fingers, so we'll just say that was President Obama waving to us.  It seemed like they all stopped about a block past us, roped off that block (with the cars all in it) and maybe his appearance was there.  ?  Don't know.  But now we could finally walk to the White House.