554 Feet High (Post #300)

not this past week, but the week before that i was in atlanta, ga for a convention. i stayed in the atlanta marriott marquis. it is a hotel with 47 floors and an atrium that extends from the ground to the 47th floor. i wanted a photo of the view from the 47th floor. around midnight one night i and a friend got on an elevator on the 18th floor and rode to the highest number that elevator would take us, the 41st floor. it was there that i got a photo of what i wanted.

shortly after taking the photo i decided that i wasn't happy with the 41st floor. i wanted my photo from the 47th floor. that was what i intended to do when i first set out on this adventure. the plan at that moment was to ride the elevator down to the 10 floor because all elevators go to that floor. the 10th floor is where they put the gym. on our way to the elevator on the 41st floor we noticed that the door to the freight elevators was opened. it was at this time that we realized that the freight elevators go to every floor. so we hopped on one and rode to the 47th floor.

upon stepping out of the elevator we noticed a hatch in the ceiling that was open and ladder attached to the wall that led up to it. the two of us looked at each other with a grin and the same idea in our heads. we're going up! we climbed up and through the hatch. all while being as quite as we could. for we didn't know if anyone was up there? the room we had climbed into was full of generators. six of them if i remember right. not only where there generators in this room, but there was a spiraling staircase leading up to another level. first we peaked up the staircase to once again make sure we where alone, and then we proceeded upward to the next level. this level had what resembled the old football lockers at my high school, but instead of being black they were a pale green color. on each side of the room there was a door.

i walked up to the one on the right and started to turn the handle. as i did i noticed that it had a sensor that would let somebody know that the door had been opened. so i slowly turned the handle back to the locked position. next i walked over to the other door. when i looked up to see if it had a sensor i noticed that the wires had been pulled out of it. SCORE! i opened the door and we were outside, but in a cramped corridor that had a ladder attached to the wall. after a quick look up the ladder, up we went. VICTORY! we were on top of the highest part of the roof of our hotel. 554 feet in the air according to wikipedia.

when you first step up onto the top of the roof you notice how windy it is. the wind must have been blowing 15-20 mph. we walked around the (approx.) 30ft x 30ft portion of the roof in awe. of the view, and in awe of just how awesome it was to be up so high. after a couple of minutes i turned on my camera, set the timer so that i could minimize the motion of it because i knew i would need a long exposure for the lack of light. the pictures below do not do the experience justice, but i hope you enjoy the view, never-the-less.