Another Rooftop View

Rooftop Hero ~~ Clare Rigney

During our time in DC, WAIPers and lone WAIPers have seen their fair share of roof tops and terrace views. So I am rating them based on quality of pic, "wow" factor, and other fun facts from the viewing experience. 

4. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Going to DOT, I was ready for a full Aladdin moment - to see a whole New World - from up on that rooftop. The view was shining and shimmering, but definitely not splendid. I really wanted to soar, tumble, and freewheel back to the ground....

Though definitely a very cute and hipster area, the Navy Yards next to the Nats' stadium are still being gentrified, and therefore do not YET make for a very picturesque view. The fact that this view was extremely hot (as in the temperature) definitely degraded from the overall wow factor. Also, the new apartment buildings that may have a nice view of the Potomac definitely detracted from this sight. 

3. Newsium

Though the Newsium itself is wonderful, the ability to effectively capture the Smithsonian in any was truly lacking. And at the end of the day, most of what ya see is Pennsylvania Ave. According to the placards, there were some nice parades on Penn Ave, but day-to-day, just okay.

2. Speaker's Balcony

This view screams "All That Power" (by Gambino). Being able to survey the National Mall and know that the legislation that you are working on will change hundreds of millions of Americans lives. I can see why this view is one of the most coveted in Congress. Paul Ryan is beyond lucky. 

Also, there was no way to take a bad photo out here. You either had to have a horrible model (aka all my selfies) or an iPhone 4 to snap a weird pic of this glorious view. And those booming clouds? Hella yes. Michael Angelo would be jealous of this cloud game.

1. Department of State (DOS)

The best view was by far at the Department of State location in Rosslyn. Though this image only partially captures the awe of the view, being able to see the entirety of DC in one glance was beyond inspiring. Washington Monument, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial and the Capital in one view? I think yes. 

Overall, I'm so lucky to have gotten the chance to tour all of the places that we've seen. We never would have been able to take the pictures that we did, meet the people we met, or learn as much about DC as we could have without WAIP.