Adventure!

Yes, a real one. And fun, too. See this?


View Larger Map
That's the top of the (former) Banc One tower in Indianapolis. At about the 600-foot level, there are four balconies. The roofs over them form the four different-looking portions of the top of the building. They have a sort of notional railing at the open side but the ceiling is at least 15' high and the space is just plain open at the outside wall.

I spent about 45 minutes on the North one this afternoon. The view is utterly stunning. From the straight-down peek at the post office and park to the distant, hazy horizon punctuated by towers, there's nothing to compare it to that isn't also a good viewing platform at a great height

I was up there (and out there!) on a semi-secret task for my employer. I'd describe that in detail but to be fair to them (and protect my own livelihood), I'd have to leave out so many details the story wouldn't make any sense!

What makes the vista even more striking is that the area inside the top of that building has the general ambiance of a basement. It's a dingy machinery space with some room set aside for the sorts of techie toys I herd: all unpainted concrete, I-beams and huge, whirring pumps; then you open a nondescript door... and all the sky and half the city's on the other side! Amazing. Would that I had brought a camera; perhaps next time.


A side note is that the issue that resulted in this particular task was entirely unexpected but thanks to an excellent collaborative effort by my department, it was resolved in very short order. Sometimes I complain about The Skunk Works but when we're good -- oh, man, are we good!
-30-