We Go To The White House

This past weekend, Stray Monkey went to the White House for the first time. While playing in the NFL, Stray Monkeyman Justin Hartwig got to know quite a few people. Luckily for us he made friends with the Retar Crew. The Retars are a music/comedy/entertainment group out of Chicago. They have over 1 million hits on their YouTube page and were doing an East Coast tour over the past few weeks. Growing up, they were friends with a guy that is now working for President Obama. Because of that connection, we got an invite to the Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley. And thanks to that, you now get to see the inside of the Presidential bowling alley.

The alley is in the basement of the Eisenhower Building and attached to the White House. The building is full of great architecture, but the bowling alley is in the sub-basement and not as elegant. The wires and pipes were so low that I had to duck to get through it all. The alley itself is great. They even give you shoes, balls, scorecards, lockers, and more. Plus, one of our balls said “Harry” on it so we all liked to think that it was actually Truman’s ball.

After we worked our way through security it was a real casual affair complete with six-packs. Yes, we did have beer in the White House. I mean, they give you a fridge, which is nice. We’re guys…we weren’t going to have wine coolers.

If you know anyone that works at the White House, give them a call. It’s not hard to get in as long as you know someone on the inside. And it’s definitely an awesome experience that you should try if you have the opportunity. Thanks again to Terry Hanson and the Retar Crew!

Here are some pictures from the day. You can also see all of the full-size pictures here on our Flickr channel.

Full Lanes