Barack Obama Inauguration

Great seats for the Inaugural Parade

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If you’re watching – or attending – today’s Inaugural Parade, stay tuned till the end.

A prototype of NASA’s Lunar Electric Rover and a bevy of astronauts will be bringing up the rear of the parade.  The nimble Lunar Electric Rover is a pick-up sized concept vehicle NASA is considering using when humans return to the moon.

Astronaut Mike Gernhardt will drive the rover. Astronaut Rex Walheim, wearing a spacesuit, will ride with him. NASA will record video during the parade from a camera mounted on the lunar rover. A member of the lunar rover team will provide live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed throughout the event.

This isn’t the first time NASA vehicles have been part of the inaugural festivities. One example:  the Apollo 7 float, which included the capsule and crew, took part of President Nixon’s first inauguration in 1969.

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Photos courtesy NASA.

Happy Inauguration Day!

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Millions of people have traveled to D.C. and are braving the cold and the crowds just so they can be part of the buzz and the festivities surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as the president of the United States.

For those of us who couldn’t get a plane ticket, bleacher tickets, or a place to stay -there’s plenty of coverage of today’s events on TV, on radio, and on the Web.   Including this nice Travelers Guide to Barack Obama from the folks over at World Hum.

Love the layover: London’s Madame Tussauds free for US citizens Jan 20th

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Can’t afford to go to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20th?   Consider going to the see the newest U.S. president in London instead.

On January 20th, Madame Tussauds in London will be unveiling its sculpture of Barack Obama. The waxwork version of the new president will be posed informally, in a reproduction of the White House Oval Office.

To celebrate the new presidential sculpture, U.S. citizens with proof of citizenship will be admitted free to Madame Tussauds on Inauguration Day, January 20th.  Regular admission is about $38 per person, so it’s a great deal, whether you’re  interested in seeing Barack Obama,  Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Tinkerbell, or some other big star.

tink-and-girl-default-size(Tinkerbell is wax.  Girl is not. Photos courtesy Madame Tussauds)

Travel time from Heathrow Airport to Madame Tussauds is between 40 minutes and an hour.  Tube fare as low as $6.

Planning your inauguration day trip

Events, History, Politics

Planning to be in D.C. for the festivities surrounding the January 20th swearing-in of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States?

Getting plane tickets is going to be the least of your problems.

Hotels rates will be outrageous. Streets will be crowded. Restaurants will be full. Getting tickets to anything official will be just about impossible. And it’s likely to be really, really, cold.

Sound like fun?

Then take a look at my article for MSNBC.com about how to plan your inauguration trip – and get busy!

(Photo courtesy Destination DC)