Roof access?

First things first, I decided to get to a reasonably high point to check out my surroundings. Unfortunately, there's no roof access. Right?

Ladder!

Oh my, what's this? I wonder what could be up there...

Success

Well, look at that, I'm on the roof. Good thing no one locks that access hatch. Ironically, the other stairwell that claims to have roof access has a locked door.

View 1

Nothing over this way...

View 2

A crane over here. That's higher, but not very accessible.

View 3

This is more like it. That building in the distance looks taller than everything else. I now have a goal, time to head down and walk that way.

Closer

It just so happens to be on a hill as well.

Entrance

Gee, think they made the door big enough?

Mr. Washington

Welcome to the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Here's what's probably the largest of the many many many statues. You can't really tell, but he's wearing all the Mason stuff, a sash, collar, and apron.

Columns

Another view of the main room here, with murals and columns and stained glass. I figure listening to an advertisement for Freemasonry for an hour is worth getting to see the top, so I fall in with a tour group.

Floor 2

Going up one stop in the elevator, we get to floor 2, which is a Washington museum of sorts. Kinda nice, in a museum-y way. Having 2 floors and a little spiral staircase is cool.

Statue 2

Hello again, Mr. President.

Floor 3

OK, now we get to the next floor, which is just kind of weird. There's this whole Egyptian/Jewish vibe going on. The rooms are full of coins from various Masonic chapters.

Ark of the Covenant

...I figured this should be left alone, as I was not really in the mood to have my face melted off.

Walls

"Oh noes!" "WE ARE ALLIGATORS OM NOM NOM"

Floor 4

Next floor. Welcome to the medieval era.

Stained glass

Complete with cathedral and all.

Door?

I also have to express severe disappointment here. This is the worst hidden door I've seen in a long time. Come on, I expected better out of Masons.

Floor the top

We're now at the very top. There is a throne that I can only assume came from the University of Texas.

Of pictures and funny hats

I have stumbled across the secret to the success of the Masons. I am tremendously envious of this gentleman's hat. He is apparently a "Supreme Tall Cedar". Obviously this is important, or it would not be on his hat.

View from the top

Hurrah! I have reached the top.

I can see my house from here

Hey, that roof looks familiar.

Front yard

A view of the building's fancy lawn.

DC

Way off in the distance you can see the Washington Memorial in DC. It didn't really come out very well, but I circled about where it's at.

Highest place

Yeah, this is decently far up.

Seekrits

One final thing - what the heck is this? I can see that it's fenced off even from up here, but I'm suddenly curious. There might be ancient buried treasure. Must make a note to come back.

Fezes!

One more stop to poke around in the basement exhibits. I find plenty of fezes. fezez? fezzes? feces?

My hero

OK, so the hat is not as silly as the previous guy, but MAN. Check out that facial hair. It's so ridiculous that he's won medals for it.

Miniatures

Also down here, a miniature version of an all-Shriner parade. Including elephants, camels, bedouins, tiny cars, and silly bicycles. I am quite disappointed that it's currently out of service and I can't make the parade march around when I push the button.

Minor trespassing

Also, since a door happened to be open, I stepped over a rope blocking a hallway off and had a peek. Mostly uninteresting junk, except for...

Show us the wheel and give us the wine

Andrew Jackson's refrigerator! Also locked. Boo.

Looking back

One final shot as I come out the front. I consider this mission to be a success, as this is about the highest point I can get to in Alexandria. Hurrah!