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.


3 Comments for For Inauguration Travelers, Saner Options

Ling 01.09.09 | 9:07 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 | 12:03 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 | 2:07 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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