United States Capitol building - October 22, 2018
Home the United States Congress and seat of the
legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.
Located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the
National Mall, construction started in 1793.
It is 288 feet high, and sits on a plateau 88 feet
above the Potomac River.
Washington Monument - October 22, 2018
The first city landmark I noticed when
I arrived in Washington D.C. in 1962
was this one, the towering
Washington Monument at the western
end of the National Mall.
It was visible from my windows. After
dark I could even see its flashing red
aviation warning lights
at the very top when lying in bed.
When I'm back in the city I realize
how omnipresent it is and probably
visible from many, many windows!
The Washington Monument, constructed 1848-1884,
was the tallest building in the world until the
Eiffel Tower was built in Paris.
It is an obelisk, 555 feet high, built to commemorate
George Washington, first President of the United States.
No building in Washington D.C. is allowed to be
taller than the monument. Climbing the monument
is no longer allowed, the 898 steps (50 flights each
with a resting platform) were causing health issues
for some visitors. I did climb it once, probably in 1963
when young, agile, and not thinking about
heart attacks!
The monument is closed until Spring 2019 as the
National Park Service modernizes the elevator
system - the original elevator ride to the top took
20 minutes - and also constructs a permanent
screening facility for visitors entering the landmark.
It is impressive, as is so much of Washington D.C.
We try to visit once a year as we have so many
memories of this city, having lived there, met there
and married there.
If you haven't visited, hope you can some day.
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