They both ride AMTRAK! We are back from DC and happily have lots of photos to share from the event - everything from ACELA train rides to the Netroots Nation Party and of course, the big day itself. Photos below! Enjoy (but be prepared for anything)
We're BAACK! And we had a great trip to the big city. It all started on Sunday as we boarded the Downeaster in Portland - it was 5:45 a.m. so we were all kind of bleary, but it was also Phoebe's first train ride - so it was very exciting for Mr. Phoebe 1st and me.
It was snowing when we arrived in Boston, so we hung around in the station waiting for our connection to the "high speed" ACELA - I use quotation marks because the "highest" speed the ACELA ever goes to is 69 between Boston and NYC and then a whopping 79 between NYC and DC. But all the same, it's a nice train. Here is Phoebe catching up on her reading.
The ride to NYC was quiet, and the babe slept a bit, but when we got to NYC, things got crowded. By the time we left the big apple, even the seat next to mine was filled. Yes, in spite of the telltale stroller, toys and diaper bag strewn in the aisles near us, the brave passenger who married us for the next three hours was a familiar name, but before we became train buddies, I surreptitiously took a picture of his stuff - just to verify his identity:
He uses an IMAC and he has a cute silver IPhone too.
So once we got to Baltimore the train stopped to discharge a passenger via the paramedics and we had to wait for a while. So the rest of us all got chummy and enjoyed chatting up people like Moby, Sir Ian McKellan and Matthew Modine. Turns out K.O. needed a little help getting his tray table back into place -
And then he needed a quick refresher on eye contact
Followed by some good old fashioned knee bouncin'
Once we all got to DC, it was a freaking mob scene! The crowds were legion and we decided instead of waiting for the five hundred people in front of us to get a cab, we would walk to our hotel (30 blocks away, with four bags and a stroller - HAH!) Luckilly, some well meaning stranger directed us to Massachussets avenue where we hailed a rogue taxi from Maryland who was really not supposed to pick up anyone in the district...but all bets were off that night. We made it to the Mayflower by 9:00 and we were exhausted and hungry.
Monday morning: we were up with the sun and we took a very brisk early morning stroll to the Cannon Office building - it was wicked cold and guess who forgot the diaper bag?
Ruh, roh, rorge!
Anyway, we finally made it to the office of Bud's childhood friend and Missouri congressman Todd Akin. Now before any of you have heart failure, I'm not going to show a picture of him here, and yes he is a hard core Repbublican, but he and Bud have known each other since 7th grade, and they are now both 60, so they have a history. And Todd was nice enough to share his Orange Section tickets with us...Hello? We'll take them! Here's Mr. and Miss in front of the office after scoring the tickets to the swearing in.
My sister showed up from Philadelphia later on Monday to pull two-day babysitting detail with "the Phebester" (as Mary calls her) - and then we were off to TWO Inaugural balls. The first was the Arab American Institute Ball. Mr. Phoebe 1st has been a member for a while and he wanted to meet a few people with whom he has had a glancing correspondence relationship. Success! But they made you buy your drink tickets. And by the way, I got us lost on the way. The ball was at the Fairmont and I insisted it was at the DC Renaissance. So my darling dearest believed me and off we went to the DCR, where the Illinois State Society folks were done up right and proper and my face was bright red from being so 'durn sure of myself.
Anyhoo. After an hour or so, we were off to the Foggy Bottom metro station (I've always liked that name) - and we hopped on the Orange line to the Clarendon station in Virginia so that we could attend the Netroots Nation ball. What a great party!
When we arrived (about 9:30) Howard Dean was just putting the finishing touches on his rallying speech. The party was ultra cool and hip and we totally did not fit in at all. But we loved the people and they had great campaign photographs all over the place. AND, four free drink tickets each - plus they served the white wine in PILSNER glasses (whoo hoo!) - we had to take it easy though, knowing we would be up before dawn to get to the Capitol.
The night cap for us was meeting Darcy Burner - who loved my shirt (that I have been wearing since July)
She told me that she was definitely going to be involved in politics in a meaningful way very soon. Super, duper nice and lovely.
Tuesday: Pre-dawn arrived way too early for us, but we had lots of experience with crowds on Monday, so we were ready. Armed with our one-day inaugural metro tickets we knew that it would be tough getting downtown, but with coffee in hand, we braved the first wave.
Our job was to find the Orange gate once we got to the Capitol South station. We followed a very, very, very thick crowd to the very, very, very long waiting line that didn't move again until 9:00. But we finally MADE it inside. Bud and I both got fabulous photos of the humanity surrounding us. Definitely the highest you could get without being on something.
Despite the high spirits, we were all basically freezing our collective asses off. My sister told me to take a blanket from the hotel, which I did. This little piece of cloth was not only a body warmer, but it was also a great conversation starter, as it helped me to get to know my next seat neighbor, the one and only Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Records and super, amazing hip hop godfather and philanthropist. We had a lovely time talking together before the ceremony. And I gave him a few pointers on keeping his feet warm. Here we are braving the elements together.
We were all silenced into amazement when these next few things took place:
President-elect Obama taking the oath:
President Obama making his inaugural speech. I love his smile!
Total and unabashed delight on everyone's face. Everywhere. After leaving the capitol grounds, we walked two miles to a far-away metro station so that we didn't have to face the crowds going back down to the metro. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were WIPED OUT. A quiet night with the family out to dinner.
Wednesday. What trip to Washington would be complete without a visit to see Abraham Lincoln?
And of course we needed some shwag to take home. Here's our Obama Baby on the last afternoon in DC.
Thursday: After a leisurely taxi ride to Union Station (Phoebe said the driver had "Big Hands") we ended up having to wait an extra 1.5 hours for our delayed 9:00 a.m. train. But it was worth the wait because it gave all of us a little extra time to soak up the Post-Inaugural collective thrill that everyone was feeling.
Once we got to our seats on the ACELA, people were clearly ready to move on. Laptops were out, newspapers were open, and it was business as usual. But the trip would not have been the same without one final photo op. Donald and Joyce Rumsfeld struck up a friendship with miss Phoebe, (she calls them Don and Joy) - and they loved bouncing her on their knees too!
What a happy journey. If you've read this far, you are a braver soul than I would probably be. See you all around the water cooler!