After the historic election comes the historic inauguration. Here's what you need to know if you are thinking of making the trip to Washington to see Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20.
1. Arrangements for the inaugural luncheon and swearing-in ceremony are made by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, while the parade and inaugural balls are organized by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which hasn't been named yet. The theme for this year's inaugural festivities is "A New Birth of Freedom," drawn from a line in the Gettysburg Address in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.
2. If you'd like to attend President-elect Obama's swearing-in ceremony, you'll need to contact one of your U.S. senators or your representative to get tickets. You can identify your representative andsenators online and find out how to get in touch with their offices. Be realistic about your chances, though: These offices have already received tens of thousands of requests, and only about 240,000 tickets will be available. For example, aides of Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, told the Washington Post that they had received 40,000 requests for tickets by the Monday after the election. Many offices have already stopped taking names of constituents who call in hopes of attending. Some offices plan to draw names to decide who gets the coveted tickets.
3. Be wary of scam artists trying to sell you inauguration tickets. Tickets for the swearing-in are free, and they won't be sent to the congressional offices until the week before the ceremony. If you are lucky enough to get one, you'll have to go to the office to pick it up in person. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, is even .
4. The inaugural parade down Pennsylvania and Constitution avenues may provide more of a chance to glimpse the hoopla. Only the seats in the bleachers are reserved, so you can watch from the sidewalk without a ticket—if you can find room.
5. The schedule of official inaugural balls has not been set, but the groups and societies that organize the unofficial events are fielding considerable interest. Tickets for the ball hosted by the Hawai'i State Society are reportedly already sold out. A number of the state societies have posted their plans at theNational Conference of State Societies' website. The Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is in charge of organizing the official balls, will announce the events and the Obamas' schedule for the evening as the details are determined.
6. If you're planning on coming to Washington, book your accommodations now. A McClatchy Newspapers article reports that most D.C. hotel rooms are already spoken for, even with an average price of $400 a night. Many hotels stipulate you must stay at least four nights. Some upscale hotels are offering lavish inauguration-themed experiences: One five-night package includes "a chauffeur-driven Maserati" and "daily spa treatments" and goes for over $200,000. Even hotels in Richmond, Va., and Baltimore are filling up fast. You may have better luck staying with a friend in the area or checking websites like Craigslist, where some locals are hoping to make some money by renting space in their homes.
Click here to continue reading the original story from U. S. News & World Report
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