A photography class assignment was in the offing, so where else would we spend a Saturday afternoon taking pictures? We began with a Metro ride to Union Station, then a walk up Capitol Hill, and finally down the National Mall we went. I never get tired of visiting the Mall.
The paved area around the Washington Monument is a nice place to take in the views. It even has seating. I love to watch the crowds by the Washington Monument, especially the kids. If they get overwhelmed by the granite spire, there’s always plenty of grass to run around on.
I guess a big thing to do these days is sit at the base of the Monument with your feet up and take a picture. People were having lots of fun doing that.
Begun in 1848, the project ran out of money and idled from 1854 to 1877. When the project restarted, the original stone quarry had closed and the new project managers had to find a new source. The transition is quite noticeable in this view. The stonework was finally completed in 1884, and internal work continued for another four years. The Washington Monument was briefly the tallest structure in the world, a title it gave up to the Eiffel Tower.
The Monument was severely damaged by an earthquake in 2011, and closed to visitors. It reopened in 2014, only to close again in 2016 due to elevator problems. Until 2019, we’ll have to enjoy it from the ground level.
One famous person is immortalized in this shot.
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