Hey Trippers,
This isn’t a political blog and rarely will I ever go there. I just returned from a six day trip to witness the Swearing-In of Barack H. Obama as the 44th President of The United States of America in Washington, District of Columbia. What I can do is provide you a link to a photo gallery from the trip. If you’re interested, have a peek HERE.
What I will share with you is my preparations. When you plan a trip to a destination that will have more people visiting then any other time in history, you have to make extra special preparations.
Weather and as a result, clothing, was my biggest concern. We knew that it was going to be outdoors, the temperature range could be between – 14C (7F) and about 10C (50). It could be raining, snowing, or dry.
Walking was also a big concern because the Metro Underground train system was going to close stations. There could be unannounced closures because of the 2 to 5 million people visiting the city. All it would take is someone to fall on the tracks (It happened) and then you’ll end up walking. I was in London attending the Millennium Celebrations and it was a huge fiasco (a story for another time). I learned from it and applied my lessons to this trip.
The day of The Inaugural Ceremony roadways in and out were closed. Coaches, Buses, Passenger Vans were only allowed in so far. The National Mall was fenced off on all sides with temporary fences – starting the day of The Inaugural Kick-Off Concert two days before. The public could go in an out freely but only at certain gates. All this meant a lot of walking – miles of it.
Restaurants were busy. At the popular ones, it was common to have to wait in a long time. Fast food and Starbucks were mobbed – forget sitting down.
Accommodation was pretty well booked up months in advance. Long waits for Taxis and Cabs to get around. Our hotel service was exceptional despite being full. We booked our hotel a distance away from the action. We wanted to be nearer the airport and yet close enough to walk to and from the District of Columbia Center – in case anything disastrous happened.
Museums were busy but no long lines until the day before and day of The Inauguration. We’re glad that we went a few days earlier.
The guided tours of the U.S Capital Building were available on demand in the days leading up to the The Inaugural Kick-Off weekend, which was very surprising given the amount of people in town.
You have the background, now here’s the preparations for the miles and miles of walking the streets, museums, and the hectares (acres) of the sights:
- Gortex covered well-cushioned running shoes by Adidas. (Fashion was not considered while spending hours outdoors). I think the gortex waterproof coating kept in the heat.
- Foot Warmers – Oxygen activated pads that adhere to any part of your foot. They last for up to five hours. These were needed by everyone in our group except me because my shoes keep my feet warm. This could be a circulation issue as well.
- Hand Warmers - Chemically activated little pillows that slip into your pocket or gloves and last up to 8 hours. I brought a case with me and almost used everyone between the members of our group.
- Long Johns ( tights to wear under trousers) – made out of a moisture-wicking spandex skin tight material to keep in heat and wick out moisture.
- Double lined Trousers with many pockets – Many events did not allow back packs. Okay, we had cases for our digital camera and video, but what about our other necessities?
- Scarf to wrap around face and neck to protect from the wind chill.
- Gloves – double lined, rain-resistant, heat retaining, with enough space to accommodate the hand warmer.
- Hat, double-lined wool or fleece and long enough to stretch over my ear. I prefer the Nike Hat Phones to listen to music on my iPod and to keep warm at the same time. The iPod stores on the inside of the hat in a pocket – so no cords. You may want to consider ear muffs.
- Extra Pockets around my waist (not a fannie pack!)- I bought a set of these brilliant little things at The Portobello Road Market in West London. They are made out of a khaki material and fit securely with velcro around your waist It adds six extra pockets for you to fill. The velcro-ed flaps and zippers keep everything in there safely. I would not use them for to hide wallets or valuables. I gave up searching for them on the internet, so I’ll just have to go back to the
- Adult Diapers – That’s right, diapers. It reminds me of when Senator John McCain was asked what kind of underwear he wears while on the campaign trail. His answer? “Depends . . . .” I came up with the idea when I was at The Inaugural Kick-Off Concert (U2, Beyonce, Usher, John Legend, Tom Hanks, Garth Brooks, Jamie Foxx, Steve Carell, Bruce Springsteen, Denzel Washington, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, etc. performed for us) I was attended by over 500,000 people. I arrived four hours early and had to stand in a tiny spot being abused from all sides as people tried to get closer, back to their spot, or had to go to the toilet. Trouble was once you left, there was no way you could get back. So, in addition to the four hours waiting, I stood another two hours for the show and the aftermath. I couldn’t imagine what to do during The Inauguration Swearing-In Ceremony when there was supposed to be a couple million+. So, I wore adult diapers and DIDN”T NEED THEM! I arrived at 4:30AM with a few hundred thousand others, got as close as possible without a ticket, and waited for seven bitter cold hours for the ceremony to begin. Once in position, it was too cold to worry about how close you were. It was about staying warm. We had plenty of room to get to and from the toilets. I didn’t regret wearing the adult diapers because they kept me warm.
Hope some of this helps you prepare for hours and hours in the cold, walking around, with only a freezing cold ground to sit on, or a bench if you’re lucky. I was thrilled to be there because the six days were a memory of a lifetime – if not an endurance test. I’m glad I was prepared because it made it all that much more enjoyable and bearable.
Happy Tripping,
Carter
