Day 1 - Arrival at Dulles Airport (11-29-08)

The U.S. capital welcomes the LMU-selection with a 46°F warm handshake and blue skies. So far so good. Arriving at Washington Dulles Airport proofs to be quite a journey. The "mobile lounges" that transport passengers between the main terminal building and the outlying terminals are still in use, and - one must admit - are more reminiscent of old-school Star Wars.

The airport's design was so hip it received a First Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1966. Designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen in 1958, with its swoosh roof over a squat building, Dulles still stands out as a stunning exhibit of modernist architecture and was the first airport in the US designed specifically for commercial jets.
Note: "Washington"was officially added to the "International Dulles Airport" moniker after too many people inadvertently booked flights to Dalles, not Dulles, and vice-versa. No joke.