Arial Shot of the Mall on January 20

Where's Marcia ??

From the http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/20/a-birds-eye-view-of-the-inauguration-first-satellite-image/ website with annotations

The green oval was our location for the concert on Sunday; the aqua oval our spot for Tuesday. The reason for the "ant masses"....the location of the Jumbotrons and speakers. People tended to cluster.

More Photos

More Photos

1.20.09 Inauguration Day

While we were lucky at picking up the Metro at the Van Ness station which saved us some time walking, once we got to the Mall, moving towards the Capitol was a challenge. By 10am, we found a spot on a knoll just in front of the Washington Memorial. Good sight to the jumbotrons and great sound (and a bit of the dome of the Capitol way in the distance.








Before all the crowds moved in but a great view of the Lincoln Memorial









Justin and Carol all bundled up! It was cold but the sun shown on the new President!















There was no way to capture the size of the crowds; they stretched as far as the eye could see, up and down the Mall.

12 hours and 10 mins till the end of the "error"

So the sun has set on the Bush administration. Here's to CHANGE!

Carol had submitted several photos taken yesterday to the New York Times. Two of them showed up on the Times site this afternoon.

Headed out this evening to the Adams Morgan area of DC. Started out in a bar with a singer doing songs about Obama. He was awful but the band behind him was good. Got chatted up by a future politico from Maine (by way of GWU). Watched him working the place. Must think the future of politics is better with the recent elections....

Had dinner in a restaurant featuring food from Ghana. Not the usual fare from North Carolina.

Ran into this display with notes from every day people about their hopes for tomorrow.

Walked back up to the apartment (practice for tomorrow - about half the distance...)

All the buttons!

The Obama mania is most pronounced in the buttons. Everyone has gotten into the act (although I haven't been able to find one that says "North Carolinians for Obama).

Sunday January 18 - the "We are One" concert

The vendors were out, selling t-shirts, buttons, hats, flags, hand warmers, and other useful stuff.

After grabbing a hot dog mid-way up the Mall, we headed for the Lincoln Memorial. We got as far as the grass just past the Washington Monument, when we could go no further. However, there were 3 Jumbotrons as well as a view of the Monument itself.

The parade of speakers and performers were terrific. "The Boss" led it off, followed by the likes of Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Stevie Wonder, Bono, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Herbie Hancock and others. The audience sang along. Biden and Obama both spoke. And many of us sang along to "This Land is Our Land" with Bruce and Pete Seeger as the concert came to a close.

After the concert, we, and a half a million others, according to CNN, headed for transport.l We headed into Georgetown and found a good Vietnamese restaurant in which to hang out as the crowds thinned out. Once we picked up the Metro at Dupont Circle, things were much more quiet.

Sunday - January 18

Sunday -

As we headed down to the Van Ness Metro station, the buses passed us. Every light, another 6-8 buses from all up and down the East Coast headed down Connecticut Avenue towards the Mall. Last night there was another batch, but today was much heavier.

The Metro wasn't that crowded as we took it down to the National Gallery of Art. We were headed for the "Arts of Pompeii" special exhibition. As we walked cross the Mall, we listened to the rehersal for the inauguration itself from the capitol. The big question was whether Hillary Clinton would enter with the "new cabinet" or as the former First Lady.......

Saturday - Jan 17

Saturday

We headed for the Philips Collection at DuPont Circle. A smaller museum, but much easier to enjoy. Enjoyed the the Arkansas River "Over the River" project by Cristos to be completed and unveiled in 2012 in Colorado. Justin and Carol saw the "Gates" in Central Park, NYC a few years ago.

Had dinner in a French bistro, Le Bistro de Coin mid-afternoon. Terrific French Onion soup!! Tres authentic!

We found a small gallery with a great Andy Warhol Obama poster/t-shirt and $1 buttons!!

Friday - Jan 16

Friday

Drove up to DC on Friday, arriving around 9:30pm just south of Chevy Chase. Even the road warning signs in NC (on 15-501 in Durham)were alerting people to the inauguration traffic in DC. Not too bad getting into town - the big question is getting out of town on Tuesday!

WTOP, one of the local DC radio stations is broadcasting all sorts of news on the inauguration. And the weather is cold!

Inauguration 2009 - Washington DC

I am heading in to DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. Had to see history in the making!!

Justin (my brother-in-law) and Carol are providing a place to stay up in the Van Ness area.