The Capitol Dome (pictures!)

I got to go up inside the dome of the Capitol building in Washington DC today, and also got to walk around the outside of it. This was really neat since for one, it's really tall, and two, only eight people per hour are allowed to go up there at a time. Plus, you can only go with a member of Congress, so only about 15 people per day get to do it. Needless to say, I'm really excited still that I got to go.

So here's some pictures from inside the dome and outside the dome. My favorite is the last one.


Looking down from the inside of the top of the dome.


A look at George Washington and the painting of the Apothesis of Washington (the ascension of George Washington into Heaven). He's flanked by Liberty and Victory, and there's 13 maidens in a semi-circle around him that represent the original 13 colonies.


Around the rim of the painting, there are allegorical figures representing War, Marine, Sciences, Arts, etc. This one is science (you can see Ben Franklin). To the left is Marine (the cable is the Transatlantic Cable). To the right is War.


View from outside the dome looking out toward Southeast DC.


A really bad picture of me with my friend Veronica. Just as a note, it was really cold and really windy.


My favorite picture! You're looking straight down the National Mall toward the Washington Monument. Behind it is the Lincoln Memorial and you can see Arlington, VA in the way back. You got the Smithsonian Museum stretching up and down the side, and you can faintly make out the roof of the White House toward the right of the Washington Monument.

OH!

I love the last one. Now I wanna go...

You took the words right out of my mouth.

the last one is just.. wow. more incentitive for me to polish that essay for that contest.. prize is a trip to DC.

Great shot of the National Mall

Meshugenah wrote:You took the words right out of my mouth.

the last one is just.. wow. more incentitive for me to polish that essay for that contest.. prize is a trip to DC.

I'm with you on that one...

Ah sweet. I am going to go to washington this feburary.

I'm dizzy looking at the first picture and I absolutely LOVE the last one.

Niobe wrote:I'm dizzy looking at the first picture and I absolutely LOVE the last one.

You have no idea how scared I was to take that picture! I don't deal well with heights, and I was terrified to even put my camera just a few inches past the ledge just to take a snapshot.

To give everyone an idea of how tall the inside of the dome is, you can fit the entire statue of liberty from her feet to her torch inside it. So that first picture is kind of like looking from the torch down to the feet. Dizzy.

Nate wrote:

Niobe wrote:I'm dizzy looking at the first picture and I absolutely LOVE the last one.

You have no idea how scared I was to take that picture! I don't deal well with heights, and I was terrified to even put my camera just a few inches past the ledge just to take a snapshot.

To give everyone an idea of how tall the inside of the dome is, you can fit the entire statue of liberty from her feet to her torch inside it. So that first picture is kind of like looking from the torch down to the feet. Dizzy.

I'm terrified of heights to, but my solution: Go indoor rock climbing a few times, it may not be AS high, but it helps...

And heh, last pic is great.

Wow, the first one is scary! Which congress member did you go with?

Shadow Knight wrote:

Nate wrote:

Niobe wrote:I'm dizzy looking at the first picture and I absolutely LOVE the last one.

You have no idea how scared I was to take that picture! I don't deal well with heights, and I was terrified to even put my camera just a few inches past the ledge just to take a snapshot.

To give everyone an idea of how tall the inside of the dome is, you can fit the entire statue of liberty from her feet to her torch inside it. So that first picture is kind of like looking from the torch down to the feet. Dizzy.

I'm terrified of heights to, but my solution: Go indoor rock climbing a few times, it may not be AS high, but it helps...

And heh, last pic is great.

God, that is so high, I'm glad I didn't take the picture.

I went rock climbing with a youthclub during the summer and it was fun even though I was afraid to try it out. I am thinking of going again during the Christmas holidays.

Oh wow... those are great, Nate! Eek, lame rhyme-- promise that was unintentional.

wow, Nate... these are some nice pictures... *nods her approval*

jennafina wrote:Wow, the first one is scary! Which congress member did you go with?

I second the question.

I agree that the mall picture is great. I just visited DC last month... and never realized it was so symmetric! (Hah.)
Anyhow. Great city, great pictures, etc!

Went with Congressman Darrell Issa, who I was an intern for up until November 1st of this year. Once we got up there, he had to go right back down because the Speaker suddenly decided to call everyone up for a vote. Technically, we were supposed to leave with him, but the tour guide let us stay.

One of my favorite things about DC is just how level everything is. Looking around from any tall building, and you'll notice nothing is more than ten stories high. And since all the buildings in the federal district are neo-classical, you really get a sense that this is what Rome must have looked like 2000 years ago.