Inaugural Prep, Again
Allow me to indulge in just alittle more Inauguration talk. With houseguests coming, I've got groceries to buy, floors to mop and sofabeds to make, not to mention coordinating plans for Tuesday morning. Braving the cold and crowds to be on the Mall for the swearing-in may seem like lunacy, and I'm sure I'll be cursing my decision after Hour Five in Tuesday's forecasted chill, but I'm not going to miss it for the world.
Travel-wise, one of the upsides of the hordes descending on our fair city this weekend will be the boost to the city's hotels, restaurants and shops. I hope that the cold weather won't prevent people from enjoying the city and deciding to come back during a less-frenzied time, which would be basically any time. Even during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
But back to the present. While you take a break from sofabed-assembly and mitten-sorting, check out some maps to help you plan for Tuesday, most courtesy of The Post's Inauguration Central:
* An updated map of the JumboTrons on the Mall
* Metro's special bus routes maps aren't as pretty (or user-friendly) as this one.
* And this one brings it all together - vendor locations, bathrooms, JumboTrons and walking routes.
Now back to the task at hand: Getting ready for all those inauguration-goers, some of whom may be staying at your house. Are you responsible for planning their transportation for the weekend, whether getting them from the airport or sending them to the parade? How are you navigating the sea of travel information out there to minimize the stress of traffic and packed Metro cars? And have you, in your travels, witnessed a similarly frenzied event, and how did you survive it?
By Christina Talcott |
January 15, 2009; 1:30 PM ET
| Category:
Christina Talcott
,
In the News
,
Mid-Atlantic Destinations
,
Travel Logistics
,
Travel Strategies
,
Travel Survival Tips
Previous: Insta Q&A: Chinese Cruisine |
Next: Inaugural Exodus
View or post comments
Posted by: Hemisphire | January 15, 2009 3:18 PM
I'm going to stay home, invite a few friends and pop a bottle of the California champagne they'll be serving Obama after the swearing-in. I tasted it at the Sonoma winery, and it is very drinkable (not to mention, affordable). I blog all about it on http://californiatravelgirl.blogspot.com.
Posted by: lfinn | January 16, 2009 4:39 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
We've got 4 houseguests, and another 2 who are staying in DC who we'll meet up with. They're all driving in (Massachusetts and Missouri) and will meet at our house early Sunday morning in VA. We're driving to a Metro station and taking the subway into the city, then walking to the Lincoln memorial. On Tuesday, we'll take buses as far as possible, then walk (no one has tix).
For navigating, I'm getting most of my info from the Post's helpful info (though I still missed out on ball tix).
The event most like this was Live 8 in Philly. We knew that would be crazy as well, but parked outside the city, took a crowded commuter train in, and walked from the station. We adopted a "whatever happens, it will be fun" mentality. It served us well then, and will be good for the next few days.