The Eiffel Tower

Our driver picks us up for a private tour of the top sites in Paris. Our first stop: The Eiffel Tower. It was built by Gustave Eiffel from 1887 to 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. The tower is 1063 feet tall, about the same height as an 81 story building, and is the tallest structure in Paris. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world, with nearly 7 million visitors every year.

We bought a few souvenirs from a Senegalese migrant selling trinkets at the base of the tower and he took this picture of us. On a return trip a few days later, Kenny and Kelton climbed 600 steps and then took a lift to the top of the tower. Michelle made it up a little past the first 300 steps, before becoming overcome by a serious and sudden fear of heights.