The Washington Monument
Monday, June 9th, 2008 
When we emerged from the subway we were greeted to a clear blue sky on a record breaking hot day. Wow…this thing is huge. Everywhere we walked and rode…we saw it. The Washington Monument can be seen 30 to 40 miles away on a clear day.
The Washington Monument is the most prominent, and oldest attraction in Washington D.C. Built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence, then became it’s first President.
Here are a few cool facts we learned about the Monument from our ‘bus guide’ and a good ‘Google’. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian Obelisk. Big word ‘Waldo’? What is that? It’s a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top.
Weighing 90,854 tons, the Washington Monument stands 555′ 5-1/8″ tall. The walls of the monument range in thickness from 15′ at the base to 18” at the upper shaft.
They are composed of white marble from Maryland and Massachusetts, underlain by granite, the whole supported by interior ironwork. A slight color change is perceptible at the 152′ -level. A flight of 897 steps rises to the observation area in the pyramidion. Inserted into the interior walls are 192 carved stones presented by individuals, societies, cities, States, and nations of the world. An elevator takes visitors to the top, where they can gaze over the city from the monument’s windows.
Above: View from the steps of the ‘Lincoln Memorial’. Below: View from ‘Jefferson Memorial’.
The Washington Monument was built between 1848 and 1884 as a memorial to George Washington, first President of the United States. Its construction took place in two major phases, 1848-56, and 1876-84–the Civil War and a lack of funds causing the intermittent hiatus.
Don’t think we’ll make the journey up the monument…Only a 1,000 tickets are handed out, daily, at 8am. This is vacation after all…I am getting up and motivating ‘5 boys’.
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