back in NM

i mentioned to a few folks that bit about visiting the Capitol & walking around the Mall being inspirational.
No one was surprised.

The folks to whom I mentioned this have all been in DC for at least a couple of decades, and all have worked at some time or other for the Fed Govt.
Each related a story to the effect that, "Yeah, when I used to take the Metro across the Potomac every morning, seeing the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol all lined up was just a fabulous way to start the day!"
... apparently the 'inspirational' thing isn't limited to the tourists.