Attending Obama's First Inauguration

I had never considered or desired attending a Presidential Inauguration until President Obama was elected in 2008.

I felt compelled by the spirits of my ancestors to witness this historical event in person.

So I signed up with a travel agent, and recruited a number of girlfriends who also grasped the significance of this occasion.

I confess I was a little nervous thinking there might be racist attacks that day, but I put my fears aside and continued with my plan.

Fortunately, there was no insurrection or even a blip of unrest that day. Just a huge jubilant crowd of well-wishers every where we went along the way.

You could feel excitement of this historic occasion from the moment we gathered with 1000's of other passengers at LAX headed to Washington, D.C. that January 2009.Our group headed to Columbus, Ohio a few days ahead of the Inauguration so we could see some of the sights there before connecting with our tour guide.

A memorable visit was to an elegant home in Columbus that had been part of the Underground Railroad that provided escaped slaves protection as they made their way North, sometimes even to Canada. It was amazing the strategies they had in place to evade and fool the slave catchers.

We enjoyed visiting several other unique sights, like the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens @ fpconservatory.org/disco…

We also enjoyed the famous Book Loft of German Village known for its 32 rooms. loaded with books, puzzles, and other fun items. Learn more about this unique bookstore at bookloft.com/tour…

After spending the night before the Inauguration in Maryland, we headed to to Washington, D.C. very early on January 20, 2009 and experienced the most jubilant folks as we got closer. There were vendors selling t-shirts and other memorabilia, of course, but the most unique experience was one young adult inviting us to sign her autograph book to capture the words and signatures of perfect strangers sharing this historic occasion.

We left for Washington, D.C at 5:00 a.m. and were glad we were prepared with warm clothing, hand warmers and small fold-up stools since we arrived well before the Inauguration began. All around us were not only people from the USA, but from other countries, primarily Canadians, waving their country flags, greeting strangers and cheering.

We Californians were so bundled up that you could hardly recognize us, but we were warmed not only by our heavy clothing, but by being witnesses to this historic occasion in United States history.

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