SW6906, have you been impressed with our summers the last few years? When I was a kid, we went days or even almost weeks with gray skies in summer, waiting for a day to get warm enough to go swimming. Now we wait for a day to get a little overcast so we can cool off. It's strange.
Nea, did you go into the Capitol building with the dome? That's where I hung out almost all the time in grade school, sliding down the low marble edges of the massive staircases, sneaking along the ledge of the Supreme Court building to look into its upper story offices, climbing to the dome (it was still open then), riding my bike down the capitol steps, slipping quietly into the legislative chambers or diplomatic reception room in awe, using the big trees for forts, playing in the Sunken Garden, etc. I lived very near the Capitol grounds. I think living in the shadow of the Capitol affected me in a political way ... hehe.
I'm so glad you came here and got to see the grandeur.
What I found suprising was we didn't hear anything this summer about water restrictions or water conservation like we have in hot summers past. Interesting.
We went into the Supreme Court building, but the Capitol building was not open for visitors at that time. Olympia must have been a fun place for you to grow up!