Ok, I've never alluded to my profession before so here goes...I work for a member of Congress in the member's district office. I don't really like to make much mention of it or who exactly I work for because I wouldn't want my views or words to be seen as my boss' words in a public forum. Anyway, this past weekend we had our staff retreat in Washington to set goals for the new year. The culmination of the trip was a tour of the U.S. Capitol dome. I'm sure some of you have toured the Capitol itself, and if you haven't, you should. The dome tour however, is a special tour that MUST be taken with a member. Since the tours usually have to be set up months in advance due to demand, and since members don't usually have an hour and a half to devote to climbing seemingly endless stairs, a dome tour is a rare privledge. Here are a few pictures I took on the way up and once we got to the top.
This is the structure which holds up the dome. There is an inner and outer dome, made entirely of cast iron, not stone, which many people think. Stone would have been much too heavy for the building to support. The cast iron structure, a relatively radical new technology during the 1860s when the dome was constructed, still weighs 9 MILLION POUNDS.
This is the view of the rotunda floor from the highest observation point inside the dome, just below the mural painted on the ceiling. This is about 170' from the floor.
This is a close up view of the mural on the ceiling of the dome, "The Apotheosis of Washington," by Constantino Brumidi.
Me enjoying the view from the outside observation deck, just below the statue of "Lady Freedom" at the very top of the dome. To my right you can see the Capitol reflecting pool and a small portion of the National Mall. The road emenating from the Capitol grounds is Pennsylvania Avenue.
This is a rare view of the still under construction East Front Visitor's Center. It's about a year behind schedule and way over budget, but you can see the skylight in the deck because the entire thing is underground complete with museums, office space, etc... You can't normally see it from the ground because there are fences surrounding the construction site.
Finally, a view of the almost equally as beautiful Library of Congress main building. To the left you can see R.F.K. Stadium way off in the distance.
In all, a once in a lifetime experience which I will always be grateful for. It makes me even prouder than I already am to work for the people's house. It also highlights the fact that the Capitol is the highest building in Washington, D.C. for a reason-to signify that the will of the people must always be held in higher regard than the will of the executive branch.
This is the structure which holds up the dome. There is an inner and outer dome, made entirely of cast iron, not stone, which many people think. Stone would have been much too heavy for the building to support. The cast iron structure, a relatively radical new technology during the 1860s when the dome was constructed, still weighs 9 MILLION POUNDS.
This is the view of the rotunda floor from the highest observation point inside the dome, just below the mural painted on the ceiling. This is about 170' from the floor.
This is a close up view of the mural on the ceiling of the dome, "The Apotheosis of Washington," by Constantino Brumidi.
Me enjoying the view from the outside observation deck, just below the statue of "Lady Freedom" at the very top of the dome. To my right you can see the Capitol reflecting pool and a small portion of the National Mall. The road emenating from the Capitol grounds is Pennsylvania Avenue.
This is a rare view of the still under construction East Front Visitor's Center. It's about a year behind schedule and way over budget, but you can see the skylight in the deck because the entire thing is underground complete with museums, office space, etc... You can't normally see it from the ground because there are fences surrounding the construction site.
Finally, a view of the almost equally as beautiful Library of Congress main building. To the left you can see R.F.K. Stadium way off in the distance.
In all, a once in a lifetime experience which I will always be grateful for. It makes me even prouder than I already am to work for the people's house. It also highlights the fact that the Capitol is the highest building in Washington, D.C. for a reason-to signify that the will of the people must always be held in higher regard than the will of the executive branch.
