UDC 793: Travel. Leisure. Pursuits: Presidential Inauguration

Showing posts with label Presidential Inauguration. Show all posts

Monday, January 21, 2013

Heading to the inaugural ball ... in 1981

Campaign memorabilia (1979-1985)

After going to Ronald Reagan's first inauguration, M and I decided we wanted to go to an inaugural ball, so, after watching the parade and hanging out downtown, went up to the Washington Hilton to see if we could pop into the ball.

These were simpler times, so we had no trouble getting into the hotel, watching people coming, and hanging out in the lobby. We went to the lobby lounge and had a drink (coffee) and some appetizers (deep fried mozzarella sticks). But for some reason the wouldn't let couple of college kids, inappropriately dressed, into the actual ballroom.

After a while, we got tired of waiting around so headed out the side door (that let's you out on T Street (the same location where President Reagan was later shot). Just as we were heading out the door, the Presidential limo pulled up and the door opened. President and Nancy Reagan were in the backseat and I stepped into the door with my hand outstretched to congratulate him.

I think he was a little (maybe a lot) surprised to see me greeting him as the door opened, but he reached out his hand, but, just then, Secret Service staff grabbed me from behind and firmly placed me well away from the President and Mrs. Reagan.

Ronald Reagan Funeral, June 2004

As I said, those were simpler times when the people could get a little closer to the President (sadly, it also meant that people like John Hinckley could get close to the President).

This inauguration night I'm not heading anywhere near downtown, not that I could get anywhere near the ball!

Inaugurations, from Reagan one to Obama two

Inauguration 2013

This year I attended my eighth Presidential Inauguration, well, technically it was my seventh, since Ronald Reagan's second was a private affair, the public elements mostly cancelled due to the extreme cold (was it for the benefit of the attending crowd and parade participants or for the 74 year old president?).

Like last time, we walked from our home in Arlington, down to the Rosslyn Starbucks (for refreshment) and then down past the Marine Corps Memorial and across the Memorial Bridge.

It was much less crowded than in 2009, but there were also less jumbotrons and more security. We walked down past the Washington Monument and camped out at a jumbotron for a bit, then tried to get into the public standing space beyond 14th Street, but weren't allowed to pass. Went back to our jumbotron (F1) but it was breaking up (a la Max Headroom). It tuned in in time for the swearing in, but half way through the inaugural address, started breaking up again. Headed back down the Lincoln Reflecting Pool, over Memorial Bridge, back to Starbucks and then home.

Barack Obama, 2009

This year seemed a little anti-climactic. Maybe it was because it was a second term; maybe it was because the first Obama inauguration was such a huge affair. Another reason, for me, was the massive, and intrusive security in place for this 57th inauguration.