The monument offers the best views of the city. New high-speed elevators whisk you up to the observation level, where four windows offer spectacular views in each direction. It’s about the only way to see the Pentagon in its entirety. Planes will, at that point in their approach/takeoff from Reagan National, be lower than you. The views of the Lincoln Memorial to the West, White House to the North, and Capitol/Mall to the East are picture-postcard-perfect. Look up while your here and note the way the tip is tapered. The entire structure is composed of marble, and on the way down, your elevator will pause, and the operator will point out the many memorial stones submitted by each state and territory.

Waiting in line and security takes more time than the actual visit, and the whole thing should last 1 to 1 1/2 hours start to finish. The NPS is also adamant about certain rules regarding food and drink; in a word, no food and only water is allowed in clear bottles, the rational being that years upon years of minor spills lead to problems renovation (paid for in part by Target) had to overcome. There are stairs up the 55 stories, but you will not be allowed to use them. If you cannot be denied, a once-a-week tour on Sunday led by a park ranger descends down the steps, with stops at the major commemorative stones, including the million-dollar jasper job given by Alaska and the hunk of petrified wood sent by Arizona.

You may be disappointed in the construction going on -- they are building a permanent (yet decorative, they say) security fence around the monument to keep the bad guys out. The good news is that they have just reopened the monument to the public, so you can go up to the top once again.

Tickets are free, but you have to make a reservation through the National Park Service. Call 800/967-2283 or visit for more info. Metro: Smithsonian (Orange/Blue lines)

We signed up for a two-day tour of the DC area, not realizing that we would have to leave our hotel before 6 a.m! We got up about 5 a.m, got ready, and we were picked up around 6, but not before we almost got on the wrong bus. It seems a group of Japanese tourists just happened to be staying in the same hotel, and also took a guided tour, by a white bus, leaving before 6 a.m. It’s probably just as well that we missed that bus, because neither my wife nor I speak Japanese! Our bus came to pick us up about 5 minutes later, and we drove around suburban DC for almost an hour (picking up other passengers) before arriving in front of the White House, to wait for tour tickets. About 7 a.m. the National Park Service Ranger came by to issue tour tickets, and we were told we had tickets for a tour at 11:50. Then we were driven to see the first three monuments.

The first monuments we visited were the Vietnam War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. They are all impressive in their own way. The Vietnam Memorial is a simple wall, in two parts, listing all those who died in the Vietnam War. The Lincoln Memorial is a huge building, with a 19 foot tall statue of Lincoln, seated, looking over the Mall toward the Capitol. The Korean War Memorial has 19 statues of soldiers on patrol, along with a wall engraved with likenesses of others who were involved in the war.

After we saw the monuments, we were dropped off in front of the Capitol to take a tour. We stood outside for about 45 minutes before our group was allowed in. We saw the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the House of Representatives’ meeting room. The statues and paintings in the first two rooms were extraordinary, but the House was not in session, so all we saw was a mostly empty room. The backs of the representatives’ chairs were being replaced with bulletproof material at the time we were there.

The size of the monument is what hits you... it just seems to hover over everything else in the area. I guess that is what you would expect from a father... so why not from the father of this country? It really is indescribable how magnificent to see the monuments reflection in the reflecting pool... no matter how many photos or how many movies you have seen it in... it doesn't prepare you. Then, of course, the views from the monument… of the entire city. Unfreaking believable! Well worth the aggravation of getting up at the crack of dawn to ensure that you get your hot little hands on a ticket. Hours of operation are 9am to 4:45pm daily.

Tickets to visit the Monument are free of charge, however everyone (even children) needs to have a ticket. You can get tickets in advance from the National Parks service reservation system (this is for a minimal charge of $1.50). Or, you can get timed tickets at the 15th Street kiosk (located at the base of the Monument). Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:30am until all tickets for that day are gone. Tip: Each person can get up to 6 tickets. You can take the Metro to the Smithsonian stop. The Monument is at the West end of the National Mall.

Washington Monument: 900 Ohio Drive, SW (Entrance to the Monument is on 15th St. SW).
Visitor Information: (202) 426-6841