Did you see what Grant Park was like?
There are busloads of people going to DC, without a ticket, just to be there. It’s going to be absolutely bonkers.
Can anyone help someone completely unfamiliar with the DC area make a decision about where to stay?
We can get this studio for $175/night on 17th & R in the Dupont Circle area. But a friend said she got a hotel room in “downtown DC” for $150/night and will see if there are still rooms available.
What’s the geographical relationship between the two areas? Are they nearby, one and the same, across town? Which is closer to where all the activities will be happening or more easily accessible to public transportation?
Thanks for any helpful information you can share!
By the way, the private tour of the Capitol has been scheduled for Monday the 19th, though we don’t have a time set yet. There’s still room for a few more people; so far it’s going to be me, Spiny Norman, Larry Borgia, possibly Hostile Dialect and 2 of my friends from here in L.A. So let me know if anyone else wants to come along.
Nevermind – nothing left at the friend’s hotel anyway.
But still let me know about the Capitol tour!
I’d take you up on the tour, Shayna, but Papa Tiger is on one-hour call that day, plus has to be at work at 0-dark-30 Tuesday morning (he’s at one of the military hospitals). We’re not sure his BlackBerry would work inside the Capitol building. 
Since he’s working, I’m not going to try to go to the inauguration by myself. I’d have to get to the end of the Metro, which is a 20-minute drive under good circumstances, then park, and since the Metro parking lots are opening at 3:30 a.m. and will probably be filled by 3:45 a.m., that’s not likely. And although we had tickets to the American Indian Ball that evening, we had to give them up because of Papa Tiger’s work schedule. In any event, I’m not sure I could stand that long in any case, between a bad foot and back problems.
For those thinking of driving in, be warned that there will be almost no access to D.C. proper from the south until Wednesday morning, when they’ll be unblocking the various roads and bridges at 7:00 a.m. So you’ll have to park somewhere way out and try to catch the Metro. The commuter train lines, the MARC in Maryland and the VRE in Virginia, have all sold out completely, from what I hear.
The Metro will be INSANE. They’re expecting hour-long waits – or more – to even get onto trains, and then they will be at peak capacity. They’re also closing several closer-in stations, so you’ll have to walk farther and then wait a long, long time to catch a train. If you do plan to take the Metro, buy yourself a one-day pass when you first get there so you don’t have to worry about not having enough fare. And should by some miracle of the universe you be able to get a parking spot in a Metro garage, parking will be $4, cash only, no other forms of payment accepted (not even reloadable farecards, which are the usual method of payment).
Security to get onto the Mall or the parade route will also take HOURS. So do allow yourselves lots and lots of extra time for everything! Temps are projected to be in the 30s right now, so at least it shouldn’t be too cold, but nevertheless it could be a long, cold day. The museums on the Mall are going to be open, however, if for no other reason than so people can warm up and use an indoor bathroom (instead of one of the 5,000 porta-potties they’ll have all over the place). People who have to be down on the Mall to work are going to be caravaned very, very early – I’m talking 3:00-4:00 a.m.-- just to try to beat the traffic.
Also, do check the restrictions on what you’re allowed to take past the various security checkpoints. The lists are long and strict, and I suspect there will be no leniency for those who come with the wrong stuff.
I’ll watch from home and wish I were there, but not enough to deal with all of the craziness.
I’m about 40 miles away, but there’s no way I’d go. Too damn crowded.
I’m just hoping I don’t have to head that way for work that day. The places I’d be likely to go (Walter Reed, Bethesda Naval Hospital or the VA) would be on high alert, and that’s always a pain.
I’m going. I wonder why my thread flew under the radar.
My parents live in D.C., but are staying as far away from the crowds as they can possibly manage. However, my aunt and uncle are flying in from Chicago to see the inauguration. They actually know Obama personally from before he was famous, so this is a huge deal for them.
My son’s boss won two tickets from some Alderman thingy, and offered them to my son. However, the last minute logistics (and airfare) just didn’t work out for us. He said, “but Mom…we can just rent a van and crash in it overnight!” Uh, yeah, if I was 32 and it wasn’t the dead of winter!
Anyway, it was awesome that he wanted to see history in the making with his ol’ mom. 
(I’m sure I was 3rd choice)
In and around Grant Park it was a mad house but once you got a little further away, it was fine. I found street parking that night and traffic in and out of the city was actually BETTER than usual.
That said, I already did Grant Park. It was fun and all, but I’m not doing DC.
We actually live 12 blocks from the Capitol and we’re already starting to see the insanity creep in. One of the big staging areas for tour busses etc is at RFK, which is 6 blocks in the other direction from our house, on Independence Avenue. Many of the people on our block have rented out their houses and apartments for the event since we’re within walking distance - but we want to be here and at least have the option to take part if we want.
That said, we’ve stocked up on necessities and may not leave the house - it all depends on the atmosphere on the day.
I wouldn’t. Keep the pets inside, too.
AnnaLucretia, you should set up a stand and sell coffee and cocoa in your front yard. I bet you’d make a fortune!
Or charge people to use your bathroom. 
Haha! We’ve come up with all kinds of money-making schemes, believe me - from a coffee stand to a “warming station” to a wifi hotspot to a laptop station for uploading your photos or burning them to cds…
At the end of the day, though, we’re a) lazy and b)don’t want to deal with the hassle.
I saw it and replied. It’s also one of the reasons I bumped this thread – so you could see who’s already replied that they’re going, and perhaps get in touch with them via PM. 
Good luck! I hope you find someone to stand with!
Any recommendations for best online live feed to watch it at work that day?
Thanks
I am! I found a £250 round-trip deal from Heathrow to Dulles a few months ago, and decided it would be silly to turn down so good a deal for Being Present at History. I’m staying with a friend who works admin in the Senate, and we’re going to watch the ceremony from a bar with lots of her work friends. I’m really looking forward to it, although 75% of that is knowing what a good tour guide I’ll have!
I like your plan, Typo. My Plan A is a possible party in Silver Spring; if that falls through, I’ll seek you out in Alexandria.
Anyone willing to let me tag along with them? Maybe lunch afterward?
Don’t know about best, but there are lots of choices.
My brother has tickets to the ceremony. I’m envious. (Yeah, I know it’ll be crowded, but…it would be amazing!)