Inauguration 2009: To Go Or Not To Go?
Monday, January 5, 2009
We're just back from a weekend in the DC area, where the buzz inside and outside the beltway is all about inauguration day, January 20. Enthusiastic locals we spoke to are still on the fence whether enduring the crowds for hours on end in potentially frigid temperatures is worth being part of the historic day, or if Obama's inauguration is better seen from the comfort of one's couch. Logistics is one huge issue. Expect monumental log jams, human and vehicular; bridge and road closings, Metrorail subway tickets may need to be purchased in advance; our friends are considering sleepovers at offices close in to the parade route. Do you bring the kids to stand on the sidewalks for, say, 8 hours then face a long wait to get home, knowing the only glimpse you're likely to get of our new prez will be on a TV monitor?
Of course security will be tight all around - no strollers, umbrellas, coolers or backpacks allowed.
You'll have to really enjoy being close to complete strangers vying for personal space: estimates are 2 - 4 million people attending, surpassing all records. With those numbers, it's predicted even the cell phone service will be jammed. And if you're thinking of going now, you'll have to find a crash pad, since all hotel rooms in the area have been sold out for months.
So, Baristaville, are you DC-bound to experience history-in-the-making, first hand? Find Inauguration Day tips here, and here.
Posted by Annette Batson on January 5, 2009 8:48 AM
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