Happy New Year DC (is it too late to say that already?)

About a month ago I agreed to take a little trip over inauguration weekend rather than stay for the event.  Not that I needed my arm twisted-a few seconds of imagining the traffic nightmare this city would be was enough to convince me that missing the most historic inauguration ever wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

As we get closer though, and reports that there won’t be as many people as originally anticipated surface I’m beginning to rethink the quickness to which I volunteered to jump out of town.  I’m still going to be leaving, don’t get me wrong, but a survey of some web site tend to show that the city looks like it is getting its act together regarding “how to get there.” 

So while I’ll be watching the inauguration from a couch several hundred miles away (and reporting here from said couch) I thought I’d pass along some helpful transport links for those who are staying in town:

Take the Train:  Despite the fact that everyone else will do it too, I’m guessing that Metrorail will be your best bet if you have more than a mile or two to cover. 

The commemorative cards are now available online at the WMATA site and at sale centers.  They look a lot sharper than I was prepared for. 

Strangely-Metro has decided to close some of the metro stations and parking lots for the event.

For Metro’s full coverage of Inauguration Day-click here.

Or…Don’t take the train:  Is Public Trans not green enough for you?  Well then ride your bike!  WAMU had the story this morning about bike racks and valets (Bike valets?) being made available on Inauguration day. 

Stretch those Legs:  How about a nice walk?  Right along the parade route.  The city of DC’s home page has a great Inauguration 09 site, including this “getting there” page which highlights some walking routes.

Roads?  Where we’re going we don’t need…roads:  And neither should you.  Unless you have a flying Delorean (which I would also suggest not taking to DC for the Inauguration) it looks like cars and buses are going to be severely limited in where they can go and what they can do.  Do your best to avoid trying to park in DC or drive anywhere near the mall-the sooner you can get out of a car the better. 

Can we Sail?  Yes We Can!:  Yep-you may have missed booking it already, but at least one group of Obama fans will be sailing to the Inauguration.  No clue where they are going to park it, but even taking a boat here you’ll still be subject to the rules of the road once you land. 

Other tips?

"Inaugural 09 Hotel Madness..." courtesy Flickr user dbking

The best part of Inauguration might possibly be what happens after the swearing in.

After the speeches are given and the parade has marched through it’s time for the real celebration- the Inaugural Balls.

The night life on inaugural weekend out in full force with an extra few million in town and bars, restaurants, and clubs expected to be opening a little bit later than usual, there’s going to be a party somewhere. The key is to find the one you want to go to.

President-Elect Obama and Vice-President-Elect Biden will be hosting 10 balls and has recently announced the lineup of official galas (all official balls are going to be held on Inauguration Day, January 20th.):

"Clinton_inauguration_1993_crowds" courtesy of Flickr user dpape

Did estimates of up to 5 million people scare you from coming out to see the Obama Inauguration?

Well how about 2-3 million? Does that number sound more appealing to you?

Inauguration officials are now revising earlier estimates of Inaugural attendees by half. According to the Washington Post, “turnout could easily reach 2 million, officials said, far outstripping the 400,000 who attended the 2005 inauguration of President Bush.”

It doesn’t surprise me that only 400,000 people came out to see Bush swearing in again. I wonder how many of them were protesters.

The WP article notes that 5 million people may come into the DC Metro area, but it seems unlikely that the entire 5 million will actually make it to The Mall and parade route. So does that mean that a fallback plan of watching the festivities at a local pub may not be smart? Trying to fight through the other 2 million that came into town but didn’t want to go the extra mile to be there in person may make leaving my house a nightmare no matter what I do.

I also wonder if this story will entice even more people to try and see the events in-person. Next thing you know we really do have 5 million people in DC because they thought, “5 million people? No way! But 2 million people… maybe I will try and make it in…”

Now for some more Inaugural news.

Obama’s playing the part of Lincoln very well

"Lincoln Bible" courtesy of the Presidential Inaugural Committee

So the Obama’s got the Lincoln train ride thing down. He’s also kicking off Inaugurapalooza with a concert at the Lincoln memorial. And of course we all know Obama’s from the “land of Lincoln.”

He wants to make sure we get the whole Lincoln metaphor down with his decision to use the Lincoln bible to take his Inaugural oath. The bible hasn’t been used in over 150 yearsm since- you guessed it- Abe Lincoln used it. With the announcement the Lincoln bible came out for a little photo op and CBS has some video of it on display.

More Inaugural Weekend Details

It looks like the Inaugural committee has released some more details on the events that weekend, here’s the latest details from the Presidential Inaugural Committee:

Sunday, January 18th
No new details on the welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial except that it will be in the afternoon

Monday, January 19th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The President-elect, Vice President-elect, and their families are going to honor Dr. King through various community service activities. The earlier reported youth concert at the Verizon Center will be held that evening.

Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day

"the president's own" courtesy of Flickr user happy via

The festivities will start at 10 A.M. but officials say that if you have tickets that you should try and get into the areas around 9. Remember that there’s no overnight camping on The Mall and that you can’t stake a parade spot til 7 AM.

Musical groups to perform include The United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and The San Francisco Girls Chorus. John Williams will conduct an ensemble including Itzhak Perlman,  Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.

Here’s a the current rundown of the ceremony:

• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma  (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
• President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
• Inaugural Address
• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

President Obama will escort President Bush to a departure ceremony then attend a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.

The Inaugural Parade will march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. Here’s a preliminary list of parade participants that have been invited.

Wednesday, January 21st
No new news on the prayer service that will take place that day.

How cushy is an Honorary Co-Chair role?

The committee has also announced their Honorary Co-Chairs which include former President Carter, Clinton, and Bush (the first one.)  Mayor Adrian Fenty and Colin Powell are also on the list. While I don’t know what exactly an Honorary Co-Chair does at the Inauguration- I bet he/she will have really good seats.

Talking about seats I was showing a friend around DC last night and we visited the White House where we saw the VIP Grandstand still under construction.

The work looks top notch and there’s a round frame at the top- probably for the Presidential Seal. I also noticed glass partitions installed in the front and center rows. I bet those are probably bullet-proof. There’s also another grandstand structure opposite of this one. That’s probably as close as  I’m going to get to the parade- or anything Inaugural for that matter.

More Inauguration Links

The Inauguration Committee on Twitter: http://twitter.com/obamainaugural

Volunteer for the Inauguration: http://www.pic2009.org/page/s/volunteer2

Chocolate Crumble Cake Bread Pudding

Memo to anyone who bought the Double Chocolate Crumble Cake from Whole Foods this weekend.  If you were as disappointed as we were with this, consider following this Paula Deen recipe and transform it into yummela bread pudding!

The unseasonably warm weather has almost put me off baking and soup-making, both traditional activities for me this time of year.  I’m looking forward to a drop in temperature next week — and more baking adventures.

"dc united fans" courtesy of Flickr user jamescalder

Mass transit- it’s transportation for the masses.

The very definition of the word is going to be realized during Inaugural Day weekend when the millions of people that is expected to come out will try out the city’s Metrorail system to get to and from places. It goes without saying that you might experience some delays. I’m not talking about delays that happen when there’s a Nationals game and a Wizards game occurring at the same time- I mean delays that may just may make you dodge the Metro system altogether.

While preparations are being made which includes rush hour service for 17 hours (4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Inauguration Day) lines are expected to be long. General advice includes spending more time around the city so everyone isn’t rushing the system at once; and if you live within 2 miles- just walk. Doesn’t it sound scary when mass transit advises you not to use mass transit?

Well for those that are planning to take the Metro should prepare for fees- WMATA has announced that they will be charging rush-hour rates while providing extended rush hour service. For those that want to park can expect a $4 fee. Typically fares are reduced and parking is free on Federal holidays- however this is clearly not a typical Federal holiday. WMATA is raising the fees in order to cope with increased costs that will be expected with Inauguration.

In other news my excitement over DC’s decision to extend bar serving hours to 5 AM has waned with the D.C. Council’s decision to roll it back to 4 AM. The amended bill now only extends the alcohol serving hours to match similar hours done during New Years. Also the law does not supersede agreements bars may have with local neighborhoods- so that means not every bar will be able to stay open late if they have a deal to close sooner with the neighbors.

I’m not too too disappointed- I mean who is really going to be out drinking til 5 AM? I think those that are should be able to cope with the extra hour of sleep this bill now gives them. I can see myself going out til 3 AM- then getting out of there before things get too dodgy.

Earlier I wrote about the Newseum being open for Inauguration and noting it’s advantageous location. Well it appears that now word has spread and the Newseum is now sold out of tickets for Inauguration Day. Looks like you going to have to find another museum to haunt before your 12 hours of drinking.

"DC: Lincoln Memorial" courtesy of Flickr user wallyg

Another item I wrote about earlier was the Inaugural Kick-Off which is now revealed to be a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There will also be a Children’s concert at the Verizon Center. Both events will be free- check out the Committee website for more information.

With all these events shaping up- where will you go to the bathroom? Well it looks like that there will be over 5,000 Porta-Potties on the mall ready to relieve the masses. While most people would be worried about bathrooms on The Mall- I want to let everyone know that WMATA has also decided to close all their bathrooms during the Inauguration and will also be setting up Porta-Potties where it can outside stations.

I don’t know what will be more chanllenging- finding a way to get there or finding a place to pee?

Inauguration week just got a bit crazier.

I heard on MSNBC today that the D.C. council has passed “emergency legislation” that will allow bars, restaurants, and nightclubs to serve alcohol to 5 A.M. The legislation will also allow these places to stay open starting Saturday January 17th until the morning after the big day- January 20th.

Personally I am very excited over the news. Councilmen that voted against in the 9-4 decision cited a suspicion that many will be drunk at 5 A.M.- and I fully agree. I do suspect that many will now be partying all night long, and I intend to be one of them.

The move clearly benefits these establishments which can now generate revue for a longer period of time, however it is a wise move to try and accommodate the big inflow of tourists that will be in town that weekend.

While I personally still don’t know how I will ring in the new President, the increased hours have enticed me to make it a weekend I won’t forget… or maybe remember…

What do you think about the new law? Good move? Bad move? Great move?

So if you’ve just come out from under a rock, this new guy got elected President of the United States.  A lot of people like him and want to come see him become the President.  Like millions of people.  So they are all going to come to our fair city and delay our Metro rides and hope to catch a glimpse of the magic that happens when the Barack Obama takes the Oath.

So many people are coming in fact that there is nowhere left for them to say stay-which is why people are renting out their rooms at incredibly extravagant prices.  No seriously-look here on craigslist.

So here I am:  Feet from a Metro stop, with a nice one bedroom in a huge three bedroom apartment, a Federal Employee with a four day weekend in January on one hand.  On the other hand I have the Super Bowl of tourist weekends with no reasonable way to do anything or go anywhere for four days while Barack-a-maniacs clog the tubes and roads.

Sounds like a perfect time to do some “What the Inauguration is like from another, warmer, city” blogging for the old DC Metblogs doesn’t it?  Don’t get me wrong-I know how cool this is, that it is a once in a lifetime event and all of that-I really do.  I just can tell you already I’ll be watching the show from my couch.  And if I’m watching it from my couch, I can watch it from any couch anywhere.

And why not advertise my room for the weekend as well and see if I can make a few grand in the process?

Read more

preserve, protect, and defend

UPDATE:  In comments, I was reminded that Tom Davis is leaving the House due to retirement, not electoral defeat.  I stand corrected!

The election is over, the winner has finally been announced (within the hour!  boy, that was a relief…but I digress).  But the plans for Inauguration 2009 have been in the works for some time.  You may have noticed the platform going up on the South Side of the Capitol building.  You may have noticed the nice, fresh, even pavement on Pennsylvania Avenue.  You may even have noticed the repainted bricks on Penna. Ave.’s many crosswalks, so that they will be nicely bright red when the parade is broadcast (now in HD!).    State societies will be just some of the myriad groups to put on their best at inaugural balls galore.  The whole city will party down!  If you haven’t been here for an Inauguration yet, you’re in for a treat (as long as you’re ready to be patient for extra security and traffic).

If you want to be a part of the festivities, you can contact your Senator(s) or House Representative to request a ticket to the swearing-in ceremony which will take place on the Capitol’s south side, at noon on January 20, 2009.  This year’s theme is “A New Birth of Freedom”, and will begin celebrations of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President.  The folks in charge of the ceremony (the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies) have a website up, where you can learn about past inaugurations and look at photos and artifacts from ceremonies past.  The Inaugural Parade, organized by the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, is a show in itself.  Will the Obamas walk as many recent presidents have done?  Or will they ride in bulletproof luxury, a la Bush 2005?  (Open cars seem to be out.)

And don’t forget, whether you’ll be partying the days and nights away in celebration, or drowning your sorrows, it will be a four-day weekend for most of us!  (January 19 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.)

Check your representative or senator’s website for details!

DC:  Eleanor Holmes Norton

MD:

Sen. Barbara Mikulksi
Sen. Benjamin Cardin

Gilchrest, Wayne T.; Maryland, 1st
Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch; Maryland, 2nd
Sarbanes, John P.; Maryland, 3rd
Edwards, Donna F.; Maryland, 4th
Hoyer, Steny H.; Maryland, 5th
Bartlett, Roscoe G.; Maryland, 6th
Cummings, Elijah E.; Maryland, 7th
Van Hollen, Chris; Maryland, 8th

Well today is Election Day, and we all know that the 2008 Election will be a historic one. I am personally excited to vote today (and will be prepared for the long lines!) I wanted to share with you some information about voting today so that everyone in DC and beyond will be prepared and be able to express your voice without any hassle!

The biggest tip I want to share with everyone is that no matter how long the line is- as long as you are in line by the time polls close you still have your right to vote! Lines in Arlington County this past weekend for absentee voting were over an hour long- expect lines when you go out to vote, especially during peak times (when polls open in the morning, during the lunch hour, and during after work rush hour.)

Newsweek has a good article on some last minute tips including provisional ballots and brining ID to the polling place.

You should definately make sure you know where to you are supposed to vote before you leave to do it! Here are some links to check to see where your polling place is:

• Washington DC: Board of Elections & Ethics
• Virginia: State Board of Elections
• Maryland: State Board of Elections

You can also check out Google Maps where you can find your polling place and get cool directions to it as well.

The Washington Post has local information on area elections as well as voting instructions and sample ballots for your electronic voting machines- a must for anyone that’s nervous about electronic voting.

Of course after you vote you’ll want to celebrate like the rest of the city! The Going Out Gurus and The Washingtonian has lists of all the hot parties in the city tonight.

Happy Voting everyone!