After breakfast, then Phil, Barbara and I went out for a walk. Georgetown is just a couple blocks away, so we decided to go see what was happening over there. As we walked over Rock Creek, we saw “hundreds” of tow trucks, circling like vultures.
We walked down to the C&O canal, which was partially frozen, and watched the rangers move a canal boat without the aid of mules. The Potomac River was quite frozen; we watched as a police “swamp bat” noisily churned its way up the river. The Swedish Embassy was holding a big party in its building along the river; we thought the building appears to have been bought it at IKEA and self-assembled.
The roads were starting to get clogged again, due to the number of people trying to get into the city and the number of roads that were closed. The Ritz again was crowded with fancy cars; the California Inaugural Fashion Show/Ball was well underway.
Around 2pm, we decided to start walking down to the Lincoln Memorial, just 8 blocks south of the apartment. People were pouring out of the Foggy Bottom Metro Station as we walked by. There were traffic cops, MPs and more trying to keep everyone safe. The mood was happy. People were patient with one another; there was no pushing, no bad attitude, even with the crowds. Volunteers were directing people where to walk; lots of folks stopped to get their photos taken with the MPs and their hummers.
Along the way, there were lots of people hawking t-shirts, buttons, magnets, and hand warmers. There were a few protesters, mostly anti-Bush ones. Te trash cans were overflowing, even before the big event. When we finally reached The Mall, we were informed that the area was closed and were directed down to the Washington Monument where there was a jumbotron.
Chloe decided she had to pee. There were plenty of porta-potties, but they were pretty gross. Chloe then started to meltdown. We could hear the concert live and from the jumbo tron, but the mood of the crowd near us was not intense. People were wandering around, looking lost, which was a bit disappointing.
We left The Mall early to beat the crowds. Again, everything seemed orderly and friendly. The streets being devoid of cars was a bit eerie, but looked like it would be great fun for skaters and bikers.
