If half a million people show up, the infrastructure should be okay, except for major issues such as transportation and dining near the mall.  But if a couple million people converge on the Mall, the infrastructure, along with the food service industries will be pushed to their limits.

So here’s a few of the potential “disasters” that might occur due to massive crowds attending the inauguration celebration, and my estimation of how likely it will happen.

1. Multiple hour waits to get on Metro trains leaving the National Mall — With crowds expected to run at least five times more than a typical July Fourth event, it’s likely that Metro will be overwhelmed, even with 15 hours of consecutive rush-hour scheduling. Likelihood – very high.
2. Mobile phone service will cease — Due to overwhelmed cell towers around the Mall, especially during the hours just before and after the ceremony, the cellular carriers will likely not be able to handle all of the call traffic.  Considering at times all over the Washington, DC area, especially during rush hour, it can be sometimes tough getting a call through, so don’t expect to place a call phone call on the first attempt 3 minutes before Obama takes his oath.  Likelihood – medium/high.
3. Chartered busses might not find parking – With upwards of 10,000 chartered busses potentially bringing people to the inauguration, where are they all to park? So far, potential places include Wolf Trap, JFK Stadium, Hanes Point, and more so parking should not be an issue. Likelihood – low.
4. Getting people from chartered busses at remote parking areas to the National Mall — Getting upwards of a half a million people to the Mall and then back again quickly will be an issue. So see #1. Likelihood – high.
5. Grocery stores will run out of staples – With a million-plus people who are not staying in hotels looking for items such as as bread and milk, grocers may run out quickly.  While the hint of a snowfall in the area causes some people to rush out and hoard 200 rolls of toilet paper and 40 gallons of milk, I doubt that retailers will miss the opportunity to stock up and make big bucks form our out of town visitors. Likelihood – very low.
6. Parking at Metro rail station will not accommodate all the cars — With only 60,000 parking spaces spread out over 42 stations, if you don’t get to the Metro very, VERY early, chances are you won’t get a parking spot. Again, see #1. Likelihood – very high.
7. Getting a meal on the Mall will require an act of Congress — You should be able to find plenty of hot dog vendors around the Mall on inauguration day. But if you want to wait out the exit rush after the ceremony, at a restaurant anywhere near the Mall, expect a multi-hour wait. Likelihood – high.
8. Restroom facilities will be tough to find – DC does a great job at having enough porta-potties at most major events in the Mall, so this shouldn’t be an issue. Likelihood – low.
9. Finding a taxi to get to or from the Mall – With all the expected street closures, security checkpoints, rerouted traffic patterns, and the massive crowds all heading to the same place, finding a cab (or for that matter, a cabbie willing to bring his cab anywhere near the expected gridlock on Mall that day) is unlikely. Likelihood – medium.
10. People will simply grin and bear it — In the crowd that descends on Washington, DC, there will be some complainers who expect a seat on the Metro train, a table at a restaurant just blocks from the Capitol, parking garages to have open spots an hour before the inauguration ceremony and no hassles getting to and from the Mall.  But I hope people will just expect the worst and smile when things go well.  Likelihood – high.

So what do you think?  Will Washington, DC handle the crowds or will it be a tourism nightmare?  Make a comment below.

Image – Flickr – 2005 inauguration

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Post from: The DC Traveler

If you are not inside the security perimeter, these rules will most likely not apply.

Note that strollers and chairs are on the list, so ATTENTION PARENTS with small children and people who may need to sit during the long wait.

Prohibited items at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration include, but are not limited to:

• Strollers
• Chairs
• Backpacks, large bags, duffel bags, suitcases
• Thermoses or coolers
• Signs or posters
• Firearms, ammo, explosives, fireworks, knives, blades, mace, pepper spray, or any other weapon or sharp objects (of any length)
• Umbrellas
• Laser pointers
• Animals (other than service animals)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Other items that may pose a security threat

So it looks as if people lucky enough to get inauguration tickets will be required to stand, leave small children at home or carry them, and only pack a small bag.

This list might actually lesson the number of people who attend the inauguration.  And as always, this list is subject to change.

The West Lawn of the Capitol grounds will open at 8:00 a.m.. with the event starting around 11:30 a.m. 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

One might make the perfect last minute stocking suffer.

• The most expensive inauguration package I found was the Omni Shoreham Hotel’s staggering $440,000 Commander-in-Chief package. Located near the near the National Zoo, it includes a $44,000 jewelry shopping extravaganza, and a private in-room dinner with a performance by well-known political satirist, Mark Russell.  Get to and from Washington, DC on the hotel-provided private jet and, just like the Obama’s, select a puppy of your choice as a memento of your trip. After the inauguration, play the diplomat and get whisked off for a 5-day first-class trip to St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Try the 14-room suite at the Mandarin Oriental overlooking the city and the National Mall for a paltry $200,000. It includes a chauffeur-driven Maserati.
• The ritzy Ritz Carlton Washington in Georgetown has a $150,000 package that includes private jet travel, personal butler and massage therapist and tickets to an inaugural ball.  Leave for home with a full set of Louis Vuitton luggage as well.
• The Georgetown Ritz Carlton offers a $99,000 package that includes first-class travel and a stay at the Ritz in the Grand Cayman Islands, as after all that pampering, I guess people need to relax a bit.
• The lovely Fairmont Hotel in the West End on M Street offers not so fat cats a lower priced  package in an exclusive suite. For $10,000, it comes with a chauffeured Rolls-Royce and two Secret Service-like body guards.  I wonder if they will talk into their wrists and give the guests special code names.

Many of the presidential inauguration hotel packages include other perks, such as lots of Dom Perignon and Beluga caviar, spa treatments, high-end shopping trips, tickets to the inaugural balls, limo service, designer clothing and jewelry, butler service, special dinners, designer luggage set and more….but only if you act fast and have a Fat Cat’s budget. 
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Post from: The DC Traveler

I’ve seem estimates ranging from about a million to over 5 million.

So what do you think?  Take the latest poll and tell us…

How many people will attend the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009?

• Less than 500,000
• 500,000 to 1 million
• 1 to 2 million
• 2 to 3 million
• 3 to 4 million
• 4 to 5 million
• over 5 million

For some historical references:

• In 1965, the inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson, drew the largest inaugural crowd, estimated at 1.2 million.
• In 2005, for the inauguration of President George W. Bush’s second term, crowds were estimated at 400,000, a hundred thousand more than his first inauguration in 2001.

• Approximately 250,000 gathered at the U.S. Capitol for Bill Clinton’s second term inauguration, a significantly smaller number than his first term about 800,000 people attended in 1993.
• George H. Bush Sr.’s inauguration in 1989 drew about 300,000.
• John Kennedy’s inauguration, a day snow fell in DC, drew an estimated 1 million in 1961.
• A small crowd attended the second Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1865 (see photo above).

Image – Lincoln

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Here’s the second part of the listings of official and unofficial Inaugural Balls in Washington, DC, that will be celebrating the inauguration of the 44th President of the United State, Barak Obama.

Here’s the list for January 20, 2009 Inaugural Balls, the first list of inaugural balls, (on January 19), was posted on The DC Traveler, yesterday. Click here to link to the other post.

Again, the availability of tickets may change daily.  Even if inaugural balls are sold out, waiting list or returned tickets may be available.

• American Indian Inaugural Ball   
  Hyatt Regency Crystal City
  2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
  Arlington, VA 22202
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009 -7:30 p.m.
  Tickets – $110
• The George Washington University Inaugural Ball
  Omni Shoreham Hotel
  2500 Calvert Street, NW at Connecticut Ave.
  Washington, DC 20008
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009 8:00 p.m.
  Tickets – $100 (SOLD OUT)
• Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball
  Mandarin Oriental Hotel
  1330 Maryland Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC 20024
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
  Tickets – $200 (SOLD OUT) 
• New Jersey Inaugural Ball
  Washington Court Hotel
  525 New Jersey Ave., NW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009 – 7:30 p.m.
  Tickets – $100
• Pennsylvania State Society Inaugural Gala   
  Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC
  1150 22nd Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20037
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009 – 7:00 p.m.
  Tickets – $150
• State Society of Arizona Inaugural Ball   
  Historical Society of Washington, DC
  1307 New Hampshire Ave NW
  Washington, DC 20036
  Date & Time – January 20, 2009, 9:00 p.m.
  Tickets: $175, $300 per couple

Images – Flickr – sign, ball gown
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Post from: The DC Traveler

So many, that I am splitting up the information I have been able to find into two post, one for January 19, 2009 Inaugural Balls, the second (tomorrow) for Inaugural Balls on January 20th.

Ticket availability changes by the day.  Some ball tickets will be available online from the inaugural ball committee.  Other inaugural balls are sold out, but check the ball sites as they may have a waiting list or returned tickets.  To find tickets to sold out balls, check with reputable ticket brokers and sites such as Craigslist for tickets.  But be careful of scalpers and con-artists selling fake inaugural ball tickets.

Most balls are formal black tie events, with live music and dancing.

Let’s start with what is expected to be the most attended balls, the most expensive and one that we have to assume President Obama will spend more time at than any other ball, the ball of his home state, the Illinois Inaugural Gala.

• The Illinois Inaugural Gala  
  Renaissance Washington DC
  999 9th Street, NW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 19, 2009, 5:30 p.m.
  Tickets – $500 dinner, reception and gala ball, $400 ball only

There’s another group of official inaugural balls, that include the Commander-in-Chief Ball, Constitution Ball, Democracy Ball, Freedom Ball, Independence Ball, Liberty Ball, Patriot Ball, Stars and Stripes Ball, and the Texas Wyoming Ball.

Here’s a list of some of the unofficial state society balls.

• Arkansas State Society Inaugural Gala
  Washington Court Hotel
  525 New Jersey Ave, NW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 19, 2009 8:00 p.m.
  Tickets – e-mail or call C. Glen Mahone at 202-329-6711 or C.Glenn.Mahone@aerojet.com
• Pearl Presidential Inaugural Gala
  Mandarin Oriental Hotel
  1330 Maryland Ave., SW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 19, 2009 – 7:00 p.m.
  Tickets- $250 (SOLD OUT)
• North Carolina Society Inaugural Ball
  Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
  2660 Woodley Road, NW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 19, 2009 – 8:00 p.m.
  Tickets – $150
• Kentucky Society Bluegrass Ball   
  Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
  2660 Woodley Rd, NW
  Washington, DC
  Date & Time – January 19, 2009 – 6:30 p.m.
  Tickets – $191

Images – band, Obama
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Post from: The DC Traveler

• Morning Worship Service, a tradition started in 1933 by Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Motorcade Procession to the Capitol, where President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will accompany the President-elect Barack Obama and his wife and Michelle to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
• The Vice President’s Swearing-In Ceremony happens before the President is sworn into office on the steps of the US Capitol.
• The new President’s Swearing-In Ceremony follows and has occurred 54 times, for 43 presidents, in 10 different locations.
• Immediately after the Swearing-In Ceremony, the Inaugural Address is delivered by the new president.  The shortest was by George Washington, just 135 words. The longest Inaugural Address was by President William Harrison, who delivered the longest address, at 8,445 words.  It is suspected that the bitter cold and rain of that day contributed to his death from pneumonia, just a month later.
• Departure of the Outgoing President follows the inaugural ceremony on the front of the U.S. Capitol.
• The tradition of the Inaugural Luncheon began in 1953. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosts a luncheon for the new President, VP and dignitaries.at the U.S. Capitol.
• Inaugural Parade then concludes the public events, running down Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol Building to Lafayette Square in front of the White House. The parade become so large, that it is now limited to 15,000 participants. 
• The last events of the inauguration are the many Inaugural Balls.

I’ll write about specifics on each of the public events as the date gets closer and details are made public.  Stay tuned to The DC Traveler for more information on the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.

Images – Flickr – no parking sign; President Reagan and Inaugural ball – public domain ____________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

Are you attending the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, on January 20th, 2009, in Washington, DC?

Potential presidential inauguration attendees estimates range from 1 million people, up to 4 million, making hotel rooms that week tough to find (or perhaps more accurately…tough to afford).  Flights in and out of Washington, DC are also more expensive during that week.

Even DC’s Mayor, Adrian M. Fenty mentioned that there could be as many as 3 million attending the inauguration.  

The largest crowd attending an inauguration was  for President Johnson, when close to one million attended the swearing in ceremony.  But the largest event at the National Mall, considered a logistical nightmare, was on July 4, 1976, for the Nation’s Bicentennial celebration. It drew an estimated 1 million people and resulted in hours of public transit and traffic gridlock around the National Mall and surrounding areas.  

But take the poll and let’s see if readers are planning on joining what is expected to be the largest crowd ever to attend not only a presidential inauguration, but any event on the National Mall.

So tell us if you are attending the inauguration — the poll is located in the right hand column —>

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Post from: The DC Traveler

If you are planning on attending the inauguration from out of town, start your planning now.  In fact, start planning two weeks ago, because most, if not all of the 95,000 area hotel rooms are already booked.  And expect to look hard for alternatives.  An estimated million and a half people are currently expected to attend what may be one of the largest events, and the largest inauguration, on the Mall National in Washington DC’s history.

The last inauguration, in 2005, drew 300,000 for President Bush’s second inauguration. President Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration drew the largest inauguration crowd, around 1 million people watched the ceremony at the Capital. 

After checking over 450 area hotels, none were accepting online reservations.  Some hotels were already sold out, others had multi-day (4 or 5 nights) stays required, while others required calls directly to the hotel.  A travel representative mentioned area hotels, normally in the under $200 range, had increased hotel room prices to double or more for the inauguration. 

I also checked for available hotel rooms in the Baltimore area and found nothing available.  But I did find a few rooms available in Richmond, Virginia, about 100 miles from Washington, DC. some rooms were still under $125 and even a Days Inn offered a room for just $60.  But I suspect these rates will soon jump as well.

Here’s ten ways to try to find an alternative place to stay for the inauguration:

1. Call around to hotels not generally frequented by tourists, such as conference centers in in the suburbs.
2. Check out temporary housing on home, condo and time share vacation rentals sites, but beware, prices for inauguration week have skyrocketed.
3. Look for ads in the Washington Post and Examiner.com housing section (print and online) for short term rentals for inauguration week.
4. Check Craigslist (temporary housing section) in Washington, DC and the surrounding suburbs for people renting homes or rooms during inauguration week.  I found several hundred ads, ranging from someone’s basement bedroom in the suburbs, to a beautifully furnished 3-bedroom high-rise condo just blocks from the National Mall for $12,000 for the week. Make sure to look for convenient Metro access and parking.
5. Check DC Message Boards for rooms available for the inauguration.
6. Rent a motor home for a few days. If none are available in DC, look in the surrounding areas and drive it to DC for the inauguration.
7. Search out that long lost school friend who lives in Washington, DC on Classmates.com
8. Get on the phone and search out some of the smaller suburban motels, that may not have websites.
9. Find friends who are going to the inauguration and try to crash with them, on the sofa, a roll-away, or on the floor.
10. Make an offer to stay in The DC Traveler’s guest room…all bids will be entertained. Plus, an Inauguration Continental Breakfast is included!!

You can still request inauguration tickets, but it’s probably too late to make the cut. Visit your Congressional Representative’s website at http://www.house.gov/.

Image – Wikipedia – public domain
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Post from: The DC Traveler

I just got word that the first-ever Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball being held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC is SOLD OUT.

Tickets may be available through brokers, on Craigslist and from other sources. The face value of tickets is $200.

I assume most of the other inaugural balls in Washington, DC that night are also sold-out.  I’ll try to provide additional details on inaugural events, parties, and balls as they become available.
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Post from: The DC Traveler