Across the Aisle

In the interest of bipartisanship, Obamathon Man looked into what Denver Republicans were up to, and stumbled upon the Denver Metro Young Republicans. Presumably, they included "Metro" in the title because there are more republicans further out in the metropolitan area, and not to recognize the metrosexual community (if such a thing exists). The DMYR had a few nasty things to say about the election, but for the most part they tried to stay away from sniping, focusing on strategically placing themselves for the 2010 and 2012 elections. Obamathon Man may just have to drop in on one of their meetings at some point.

THE OBAMATHON GUIDE.™ Part 2: Crush Hour

To staunch West Coasters like myself, "in and out" has always meant either tasty burgers or innuendo. But in Washington DC on January 20, getting in and out of the inauguration zone will be an epic battle, and in some cases, a matter of life and death. No, seriously! If a Wal-Mart rush can kill someone, imagine what might happen during what promises to be the most crowded inauguration ever. So, with the utmost care, dignity, respect for the human condition, and other feelings not normally felt outside of a beauty pageant, Obamathon presents Part 2 of his guide to the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama: Crush Hour - getting in and out of the inauguration... alive!

Getting to the DC Area
As you may know, airlines have added flights for the inauguration. However, getting a flight into Washington's Reagan or Dulles airports will cost an arm and a leg, and that's only if you get a good deal. A quick search Travelocity reveals that you may be able to squeeze a cheaper fare, but only if you're willing to endure a six hour layover in Atlanta. If you do end up flying to DC, you can take the 5A express bus from Dulles, or the Metro Blue and Yellow Lines from Reagan to get within the District on the cheap. Flying into BWI may be a cheaper way to go, and the airport is directly served by Maryland's MARC trains. If you can't get a good deal at either of these airports, better try Philadelphia, Richmond, or Newport News, VA; they'll be less crowded but you'll need to find ground transportation to DC from there.

For those of you based on the eastern seaboard, you may want to consider riding straight to DC on Amtrak. Increased train service has been announced for inauguration day, and with tickets for sale at regular fares, traveling into DC on Jan 20 could save you a small fortune in hotel fees. If you live north of DC you can take either the Northeast Regional (aka the little engine that could), or the Acela, which is slightly faster and twice as expensive. If you live in Richmond or Newport News, you're stuck with the regional. Amtrak does offer direct train service to DC from some cities in Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida, and while this will take you into the center of town, Amtrak's long distance trains are notoriously slow.

For those of you driving in beforehand, check with your hotel or place of lodging to make sure parking isn't an issue. You may want to check to see if they plan to charge extra for parking on inauguration day. Another option is to leave your car near a suburban Metro or MARC station, however since neither of these offer overnight parking in their official parking lots, you'll need to find street parking in an area that doesn't have street sweeping.

And for those with no other option, there are buses. Lavish bus tours are being offered from various Eastern and Midwestern cities, but for those of you without the extra dough, there are also lowbrow intercity buses. Buses are a bit more reliable than trains, but they are subject to freeway traffic and usually stop further from the center of town than trains. Plus, it's virtually impossible to leave the bus without someone at the terminal asking for money.

Getting to the Mall

The fun begins! First off, central DC is difficult to park in on a normal day, so you can pretty much scratch that out. If you're riding in on a charter bus or on a train, you will be dropped off within walking distance of the mall, though you may have to push and shove a bit on the way. For those staying outside the city, both MARC and the Virginia Rail Express are offering trains from as far away as Frederick, Fredericksburg, Perryville, and Manassas (love that name), but you will need to book tickets in advance. For the lucky ducks who have found a place to stay within walking distance of the mall, good for you, but with all other means of transportation completely jammed, "walking distance" may become a bit longer than it normally is. Here's a list of walking distances to the mall from various DC hoods, or you can run a pedometer search of your route.

Bikes, a perennial favorite with Obamathon Man, appear to be a good way to get into the inauguration, especially with the newly announced bike valet. However, for out-of-towners, obtaining a bike may be difficult. SmartBike DC is an innovative bike rental program in the DC area which offers dozens of bikes for rent at several locations throughout DC, but you need to pay the $40 annual subscription fee to have access to them. Other bike rental services don't generally rent bikes in the winter, but you can contact them yourself if you're feeling lucky. Here's a list.

For most of us, including Obamathon Man, the Metro will be the way to go. As you may know, trains will be operating on a rush-hour schedule (at rush-hour prices) from 4AM to 9PM on the 20th, and continue regular service until 2 the next morning. Station parking will cost $4 (cash only), check to see if there is parking available at your station. Metro's capacity is 120,000 people per hour, about 6% of the projected crowd for the inauguration, so needless to say, trains will be packed. Near the mall, two stations will be closed: Archives/Navy Memorial and Smithsonian. The DC Metro charges different fares depending on where you board and where you exit, with longer trips costing up to $4.00 one way. Check here for pricing by clicking on the station you're departing from. An alternative to this is to buy a day pass, which for inauguration day has been raised to $10. You can also buy passes in advance to avoid lines at the ticket machines.

If you hate crowds, it may be best for you to get off at a more distant station, such as Farragut North, Farragut West, or Eastern Market, however this will give you a longer walk and you might have more difficulty finding a good spot to view the proceedings. If you're driving in, park at the most distant stations, like Shady Grove, Vienna/Fairfax, or Franconia/Springfield, so you can secure a spot on the train. If you need to board at a closer station, don't stand too close to the tracks while waiting for trains - it probably won't save you time, and it could result in falling on the tracks (especially with large crowds), which could result in getting hit by a train, which definitely will result in pain and inability to attend the inauguration.

Once on board, keep all your possessions close by and always hold on to handrails. Know which station you're getting off at so you can know which side of the train you'll need to exit on, and start moving toward the exit well in advance. On the way home, consider boarding the train at a station in the opposite direction of your destination (for example, if you're riding to New Carlton, get on at Foggy Bottom instead of Farragut West). Trains will be less crowded and it will be easier to board. If you plan on carrying anything with you, leave as early as possible. For more tips on surviving crowded subways, check out this helpful link.

Getting to and from the center of things will certainly be challenging, but with a little advance preparation it wont be too difficult - though it may be a bit uncomfortable. But hey, no one ever said being a part of history would be comfortable. See you there.


THE OBAMATHON GUIDE
Introduction (history, crowd density)
Part 1: Is It Safe? (safety, prohibited items, law enforcement, crime)
Part 2: Crush Hour
Part 3: When Nature Calls (restrooms, sanitation)
Part 4: Phone Frenzy (Cell phones, texting, finding lost friends)
Part 5: Food for Thought (Food, sack lunches, vendors, restaurants)

Links for 12/29

Warrengate: Warren isn't a major player, he just gives a prayer (Muskegon News)
DC cops get their motors runnin (NBC)
Stars say g'day to Obama contribution committee (Sydney Morning Herald)
Speaking of Australia, did you know that to "barrack" means to cheer on for Ozzies? Ace!(Koalanet)

Good Hoods

This just in! Denver's Greater Park Hill has been named one of the top ten neighborhoods in the country by the American Planning Association. Park Hill is located just east of the historic City Park, and on top of a hill, thus "Park Hill". Obamathon Man has been to City Park in previous Denver trips, but never really dug into this neighborhood. But with its free jazz concerts nearby, I dig this neighborhood already. Be on the lookout for follow-up posts!

In other news, the APA has also named one of Obamathon Man's hometown haunts to its list of glory: Echo Park! Rock on, you latino/hipster hood.

Denver on One to Two Wheels

Obamathon Man has always been a big fan of bicycle commuting; it's clean, energy efficient, and not space-intensive the way cars are. However, it seems the citizens of Denver are not only fans of bicycling, but also unicycling: while hiking up a mountain, my associate and I saw a unicyclist pedaling down the other way. Such is the way of mountain-folk, I guess.

While one-wheeled riders may still be in the minority here, parts of Denver are blossoming with bicycles - particularly the area near and directly south of the Capital. Bike lock areas are seldom empty and often filled with trendy fixed gear bikes. Denver has a pretty good reputation for bike-friendliness, garnering praise from bike advocates back home as well as the extremely bike-conscious citizens in the Northwest. However, there is still room for improvement. Denver has completed a bike master plan, which hopefully will help usher in an era of even greater bike friendliness.

It has been pretty warm here (above freezing), and if this weather holds I may just have to try biking Denver for myself. But if we do get hit by a blizzard, it will be interesting to see if our unicyclist friend can still make it down the mountain when it's covered in snow.

That's Where I Want to Be

Wouldn't ya know it? Denver's got it's own Beverly Hills. Obamathon Man has yet to visit, but I suspect that instead of Rodeo Dr they have actual rodeos, and the Beverly Hillbillies wouldn't look so out of place.

Obamorabilia: Change We Can Buy Into

Barack Obama will go down in history for, among other things, being the president who lent his image to the most merchandise. If his economic stimulus doesn't work, hopefully at least Americans will buy enough Obama-themed objects to put the economy back on track. Obamathon Man chronicles the popular trends, the quirky deviations and the utterly tasteless byproducts of Obama mania in a series known as Obamorabilia.

What an appropriate gimmick to cover while here at the home of the world's largest mint: Obama commemorative coins! Now for a limited time, get these wonderful gold-plated coins for three easy payments of $4.95. How would you ever remember Obama's historic election without a coin bearing a likeness of his face? Check out the testimonials, all from smokin' hot babes - hey, it works for beer ads. No word as to whether or not these coins are actually legal tender, but the people making them hope they will be worth $14.90 to you.

Time to Shine: Colorado and Renewable Energy

Yesterday, Obamathon Man took a day trip to Denver's equivalent of Santa Monica: Boulder. True, the median age of Boulder is about 10 years lower and the median temperature is about 50 degrees lower. The college vibe is felt all across town, unlike Santa Monica where it stops 3 blocks from SMC (though I dare say the radio station at SMC is a bit more influential, if less countercultural, than CU Boulder's). But just like Santa Monica, there's a pedestrian mall lined with chic sake bars and hobos, and every newsstand includes a free publication dedicated to "wellness".

But what struck me is not Boulder itself but the solar plant I spotted along the way. I was aware that Colorado was actively getting involved in renewable energy, but its nice to see it first hand.

Colorado has a long history with renewable energy. In 1974, the Solar Energy Research Institute was founded. The Institute flourished under the Carter administration, and it was during this time that my relative relocated to Denver to work there. During the Reagan years, it was determined that "government is the problem", which meant that all government-conducted solar research was part of the problem too. My relative eventually left for a university job and later ended up working for private research firms, with mixed results. The SERI ultimately survived the wrath of Reagan, though its budget was cut by 90%. In the 90s, it was rebranded as the National Renewable Energies Laboratory, or NREL, and continues to operate to this day.

In 2006, Colorado's Governor Bill Ritter announced that Colorado was to be an energy pioneer, becoming "bolder [Boulder?] than any other state when it comes to renewable energy". This is certainly great news and I commend the efforts of the great state of Colorado, though as a west coast loyalist I have to add that if they want to become the greenest state they've got some competition.

With Obama in office, the future is green for the whole country. But it's great to see that here in the purple state of Colorado, change isn't waiting for January 20.