Inauguration Alert !

Yesterday, October 1st, I set out to book a hotel room for the Obama inauguration on January 19th.  Everything in the District, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Foggy Bottom is booked.  One call led to another and I did find a room in old Alexandria for $399 a night with free shuttle to the metro. I can cancel without penalty anytime up to January 15th (in case, well, you know). 

There is nothing finer than being there on Inauguration Day.  I went to the first Clinton inauguration -- a clear cold day, unforgettably happy.  Can't recommend it highly enough.  Other rooms are going for more like $600 a night that Sunday/Monday, but they're full.  Heads up, folks.  

 

Comments

Book a room in Fredericksburg and take the train back and forth. 

Reserve your Amtrak seats early, the train is so popular these days that even W is seeing the light: [WSJ] Bush to Sign Bill to Nearly Double Amtrak Funding

I've not checked availability, but there is an official AYH hostel less than one mile from the whitehouse ( http://www.hiwashingtondc.org/ ) and just over one mile from Amtrak's Union Station, but my favorite DC hostel is "Hilltop Hostel" (formerly "India House Too") up 5 miles in the north corner between Takoma Park and Walter Reid Hospital ( http://hosteldc.com/ ) right next to the Takoma Metro and bus stations. Compared to the AYH joint, Hilltop is much more bike friendly, has loaner bikes and hammocks in the backyard and is a likelier spot for engaging a nice chat with a mix of locals and foreign visitors over a bottle of whiskey and a midnight card game.

DC is also great for getting around on foot, bicycle or probably wheelchair too, especially on holidays.  The streets are a well connected grid which evens out traffic flow nicely.
There is a lot of broken pavement though, so I'd recommend touring, not racing, tyres.

You can also camp within biking distance of Foggy Bottom along the C&O towpath. In January, there should be little competition for spots!

 

Community Guidelines

By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.

 

Content license

By contributing to OrangePolitics, you agree to license your contributions under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Creative Commons License

 
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by WeebPal.