Images from Inaugural

The U.S. Capitol a day or two before the Inaugural

I was very fortunate to attend the recent Inaugural of President Barack Obama in Washington, DC thanks to Congressman Paul Broun for the tickets.

It was my first time in our Nation's Capitol and is a trip I will never forget. I wish to thank everyone from the travel agent Stuart to the people on the airplane for making it happen.

Thank you to Teddie Norton at Congressman Broun's staff for making it happen and I appreciate the staffer from the unnamed North Carolina Senator for picking the tickets up before the Friday deadline. We had tickets in the orange section, which was to the far right of the stage, which I suppose would be appropriate for Congressman Broun. 

I did not see the Congressman but I did see U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss from Moultrue getting off the plane at the end of the trip in Ronald Reagan airport, looking like the weight of the world was holding him down. Obviously it was as he was making up his mind not seek re-election Monday, and would announce it by Friday.

The single most impressive thing was seeing Army troops brandishing some bad ass looking guns in Reagan airport. I gave them the nod of respect and they returned it. I love our troops. I have never felt more secure in my life, but I must admit I did wonder of some dumb ass would try anything. Glad they did not.

I had an obscured view of both the podium and the screen, and my travel companion busted her knee and ran her hose tromping over rose bushes. Once you got where you were going to go, there was not much in the way of mingling or moving about. The security made you go through a tent on the way there, and there was an amazing array of stuff that they either did not allow or left in the frenzy to find the best standing area. 

Apparently in 2009 there were nightmare reports of getting stuck in traffic or tunnels and not getting anywhere near the National Mall. This time the National Park Service was much better prepared for the million people with tons of porta-potties and layers of searches throughout the area.

My view during the festivities were not the greatest, but I am not complaining, and this was the view from the Orange section where we were standing. I had to take a break and lean against a fence for a few moments, and was very cold.
I can no longer stand for six hours at a time like back at Lollapalooza shows in the 1990s.

I would have like to have a tour of the White House but will be better prepared next time. This was a scouting mission for me to take my son the next time I go to Washington DC. Apparently you need to give them 45 days notice at the White House to make sure you are not a security risk, and that is quite understandable.

I was impressed with the all the security and relative ease of getting a million people to descend on one place at one time.

It was a very whirlwind adventure with my travel companion and we took the Metro just about everywhere. Came in on Saturday and left early Monday afternoon. 

The activities were all at once exhausting and exciting. I could spend two weeks just looking at all the tourist attractions, but I stuck with the National Gallery, the Mall and a few places to eat besides the actual events on Monday morning. 

I stayed in Alexandria at a wonderful hotel and they have a free trolley in Old Town. We ate at Theismann's watching the Falcons come up a little short.

The day of the Inaugural it was very cold and we got up early and had to check our carry on bags at the Delta gate and thank goodness my travel companion had whatever status where we did not have to pay the ridiculous $25 fee.

This is the Super Bowl jersey of Oconee County employee and Prince Avenue Christian School football coach Brad Johnson, brother in law of Mark Richt, at Joe Theismann's in Alexandria (they had them all in order).

This is my first Michelangelo sculpture seen in person at the National Gallery, entitled "Apollo-David." Everyone was incredibly helpful and nice throughout my vacation.