For Inauguration Travelers, Saner Options

Travel Blog  •  Julia Ross  •  01.08.09 | 4:22 PM ET

Photo by CrashingWaves via Flickr, (Creative Commons).

As a Washington, DC, native, I’ve attended my share of inauguration ceremonies, usually braving a bitter cold to catch a fleeting view of the proceedings. My earliest inaugural memory dates to Jimmy Carter’s swearing-in in 1977. Despite my parents’ determination that I witness history, all I remember are the reams of red-white-and-blue bunting draped across the Capitol and a very distant Rosalynn Carter standing next to her husband in a blue coat.

This time around, I’m opting out. Today’s Washington Post warns of up to 3 million visitors on January 20, and I’d prefer to avoid the chaos. For inauguration travelers who are of like mind, the Washington Post’s Inauguration Watch blog plans to post a listing of venues that will screen the event live. I’ve already stumbled across one that might tempt me off the couch: the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland, will show a big-screen broadcast beginning at 10 a.m., free of charge.  Access to popcorn and no metal detectors: hard to beat.

Tags: Barack Obama, Politics, North America, United States, Washington, D.C., News and Briefs

Julia Ross is a Washington, DC-based writer and frequent contributor to World Hum. She has lived in China and Taiwan, where she was a Fulbright scholar and Mandarin student. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Time, Christian Science Monitor, Plenty and other publications. Her essay, Six Degrees of Vietnam, was shortlisted for "The Best American Travel Writing 2009."


3 Comments for For Inauguration Travelers, Saner Options

Ling 01.09.09 | 10:07 AM ET

C’mon. There’s millions of people who’re desperate to be a part fo it. You should be out there, snapping pictures and taking in the historic atmosphere.

Julia Ross 01.09.09 | 1:03 PM ET

Ling- I think I’ll soak up plenty of atmosphere just walking around the city that weekend. As for diving into a crowd of 3 million on the Mall?  I’ll pass, thanks. At least I’m not leaving town—I know several people who are.

Zach 01.10.09 | 3:07 PM ET

I posted some advice on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/x-2219-Louisville-Budget-Travel-Examiner~y2009m1d5-A-budget-survival-guide-to-Washington-DC-for-Barack-Obamas-inauguration

I agree—opting out is a good move. Only I’m too stupid to stay home.

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