The Inauguration

Hubby and I drove to Baltimore and stayed with his daughter Amy and her family. On Tuesday we went to the Inauguration. It was a fantastic experience. It was very cold and windy but the crowd was unbelievably warm and friendly. As we rode the Metro to D.C. people on the train spoke to us and told us where they were from and of how excited they were. The Metro had extra staff who helped people insert their tickets and explained where they should be. All through the city the police and National Guard were very helpful. At one spot people were handing their cameras up to a National Guard soldier on top of a truck and he was snapping pictures of the crowd for them. The crowd was happy but still serious. They were very quiet during the speeches and extremely courteous. At one point I had to step down off a wall at the Washington Monument. My family had led the way and I hesitated because of the steep step. A young woman extended her hand to help me down. Even though we were way back at the Washington Monument we could hear the speeches and see the screens. Afterwards 7 of the Smithsonian museums were open for people to warm themselves and get lunch. We were at the Air and Space museum and you wouldn't believe how fast McDonalds was serving lunches for the crowd. Of course I have never seen so many McDonald employees in one place ever. At the subway entrances police and national guard troops were encouraging people not to push on the escalators and people didn't. The trains were able to handle the crowds and we never had to wait for a train. We must have walked 10 miles around DC and then with driving home the next day, my legs are still throbbing today. It was fun as we drove on the turnpikes. At the Breezewood stop, as we ate breakfast, a couple came up to us and asked if we had been at the inauguration and shared their experience. We then talked to another couple as we left. At every rest stop people were willing to share their thrill with the whole experience.

After all the walking and the bitter cold Kameren said, "It was the worst day ever!"