I was invited by the curator of my program to go up to the top of the Washington monument. At 555 feet in the air, we had an excellent view of the DC area in all four cardinal directions (and a great opportunity to use the panorama option on my camera). The monument was constructed between 1848 and 1884, with a two-decade long break in which construction ceased due to lack of funds. A change in the color of the stone around the 150 foot level marks the place where they resumed construction. Although visitors were once able to climb to the top of the monument, today's visitors take the elevator, with special permission needed to take the stairs (and usually only granted for those trying to break the speed record).
The interior of the monument has 193 carved memorial stones, including stones for States, cities, individuals, and countries. Unfortunately, today's visitors are only allowed to see about six of the carvings, which become visible when the glass on the doors of the elevator are electronically transitioned from opaque to clear.
-KS
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