It's been a week since the election, and already my couch, floor, and possibly my bathtub have all been reserved for January 20th, when president-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office. And apparently I'm not alone, as the Washington D.C. tourism push has already begun. There has been few words about planning yet from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, but here's what we do know: it's gonna be crowded. Rebecca Pawlowski of the Destination DC visitors bureau says she's fielded over 600 calls in the past few days from people interested in coming to town, and that their online inauguration guide has already gotten 20,000 hits since going up last week. Tickets to the events are free - but they'll be hard to come by - as you have to get them through your Congressperson or Senator. But you should know now that any ticket being sold for cash is probably fake, so don't get duped.
There is some good news regarding whether you'll actually be able to
see anything along the Pennsylvania Ave. parade route. Fritz Hahn, the
going out guru at the Washington Post reports that earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled
that the Bush administration had challenged the public's right to free
speech by corralling protesters in an area that was far from the parade
route. The National Park Service has now designated over 70 percent of
the route to the public, meaning that you won't be standing out in the
cold for no reason.
But where you'll be staying is another thing. Hotels in D.C. have already begun selling out, and Craigslist ads are offering weeklong stays at eye-popping rates.
Pawlowski says she'll keep us posted on details when she gets them (you can follow them on Twitter for updates), but here are a few things to keep in mind if you're planning on making it out there: Dress warmly. Use public transportation, and buy your tickets online beforehand to avoid bottlenecks. Check for detailed information as it comes out on where you can find public bathrooms, metal detectors, and what businesses will be open along the route.
We'll be sure to offer you more inauguration info - not to mention some other great things to do in the area (many of them for free!) in the coming weeks.
But where you'll be staying is another thing. Hotels in D.C. have already begun selling out, and Craigslist ads are offering weeklong stays at eye-popping rates.
Pawlowski says she'll keep us posted on details when she gets them (you can follow them on Twitter for updates), but here are a few things to keep in mind if you're planning on making it out there: Dress warmly. Use public transportation, and buy your tickets online beforehand to avoid bottlenecks. Check for detailed information as it comes out on where you can find public bathrooms, metal detectors, and what businesses will be open along the route.
We'll be sure to offer you more inauguration info - not to mention some other great things to do in the area (many of them for free!) in the coming weeks.
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