Ever since I was little, I've loved heights. I am in love with the Grand Canyon and Yosemite Valley, I always angle for a window seat on airplanes, I went skydiving for my birthday this year, and I overcame my phobia of being "that tourist" to spend hours at the Eiffel Tower. Despite all this, I've lived in Washington DC for 6 years without once going to the top of the Washington Monument. I've always meant to but have never gotten around to it. Well, no longer!

This completion is not the most epic, or the most creative, but it did get me off my ass and compelled me to do something interesting with my day. Plus I got cool photos, which counts for something.

Here are some photos of my trip.

Overall, I don't know if I'd recommend it. For some reason American have real problems building tall stuff you can look out of easily--there were only really tiny and dirty windows, none of the panaramic open-air views that you get from the Eiffel Tower (a similar problem exists in the St. Louis arch). Over drinks last night, a friend of mine speculated that it's due to suicide concerns. I'm not sure--the Eiffel Tower gets, on average, 4 attempts per year. On the other hand, other tall US buildings don't offer the same access to open-air views that I've found elsewhere. More study needed!