Going to see Obama? No photos, please

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You just can’t wait for the inauguration to happen. You need your dose of hope, change and belief now. So, you get on a plane for Chicago and navigate your way to Hyde Park. According to the NY Times, you won’t be able to take any pictures of our next president’s Greenwood Avenue home. Fortunately, there’s a bit more to do in Chicago than try to catch a glimpse of the man who will be our 44th president. Skip his place and check out the Robie House, for which Frank Lloyd Wright is responsible. Trek around 10 blocks north, and you can visit another home … belonging to Louis Farrakhan.

While in town, you can live like a future president, spending $21 on a haircut at Hyde Park Hair Salon and picking up breakfast at the Valois Cafeteria (get the scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausage and be just like the future #44!). In fact, drop in on any of these spots starting in February, and you can do what the president can’t: get what you want without crowds creating a scene.

[Via NY Times]

When supply and demand becomes gouge and pilfer

by Scott Carmichael on

January 20th will be a pretty big day for any business in the Washington DC area. It probably doesn’t matter whether you are selling doughnuts or special inauguration plates, people will be heading to DC in the millions ready to buy whatever it is you are selling.

With that many people, it is only logical that many of them will plan to stay the night, so naturally that drives the price of accommodations up a little. However, it appears that most hotels in the area have taken “a little” to a whole new level, way beyond what they usually do for special events.

Take for example the Crown Plaza Hamilton, a fairly basic 3 1/2 star hotel in the downtown area. This hotel normally charges between $85 and $100 for a standard room. Care to guess what they want for a night in a standard room during the inauguration?

That’s right, $1000 bucks. And not just anyone can get that rate, you’ll need to reserve at least 3 nights to get that “special rate”.

In their defense, they are by far not the only ones cashing in on this event, even suburban 1 star hotels are charging a staggering $699 a night (compared to their usual $59 rate).

Hawaiian Obama-themed tours much lamer than the Kenyan safari

by Mike Barish on

Last month I told you about a safari provider that was offering a Barack Obama-themed safari in Kenya. Well, it took a little longer to trickle into the news, but now word is out of tours in the President-Elect’s old stomping grounds in Hawaii.

Whereas the Kenyan tours feature a safari and a trip to a National Park and Mt. Kenya, the current Hawaiian experience features “a 90-minute stroll through the middle-class neighborhood where Obama spent most of his preteen and teenage years.” A stroll! Through a suburb! Where the President-Elect probably had acne and self-esteem issues! Where do I sign up? That particular tour is run by “Uncle Jack” Christenson and all he asks for in return is a donation. So, you know, you get what you pay for.

At least two other for-profit providers plan to exploit the time Obama spent in the 50th state by offering tours. Not that Hawaii needs help in the tourism department. Last time I checked, more people vacation in Honolulu than in Plains, GA (home of Jimmy Carter) or Hope, Arkansas (home of Bill Clinton). Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. But staring at a school building where a politician learned arithmetic just doesn’t sound that exciting to me. If I’m in Hawaii, I’d rather be at a pig roast, failing miserably at surfing or applying to work for Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Well, at least we have options now. Be it in Kenya or Hawaii, you, too, can experience the life and times of our 44th president. Just wake me up when the Joe Biden Amtrak tour of the Mid-Atlantic opens.

Obama’s Election Inspires Baby Naming in Kenya

by Josh Lew on

Aaron recently wrote a post here on Gadling about a production of Obama: The Musical in Kenya. The song and dance-filled bio-play shows how ridiculously popular Barack is in his father’s home country. Well, some Kenyans are upping the ante further by naming their children, and their beer, after the prez-elect. “Senator” Beer, a locally made brew, was inspired by Obama’s previous political rank. No word yet on how sales stack up against perennial favorite, Tusker.

Mothers in Obama’s ancestral homeland of Kisumu have been naming their newborns Barack Obama, or some variation thereof. Have a girl? No problem. Several female babies in the province bear the name of Michelle Obama. Sharing your name with the future president of the US doesn’t come without its share of pressures. One mother told a Reuters reporter that she expects great thing out of her pint-sized Barack Obama. “I would like that by the time he is in his 40s he becomes the president of this country.”

I know there is a lot of excitement now, but wouldn’t it be wise to wait to see how Obama performs in office before naming your child after him? I mean, what if your parents had named you after Richard Nixon?

And it appears that a few Americans are getting in on the fad as well.

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[Via Reuters]

Get thee to the White House!

by Annie Scott on

Planning a trip for Obama’s Inauguration? Expedia will help you.

Expedia has set up a whole host of tools to get you to D.C. and into a hotel, car, tours (don’t miss the FBI!), or whatever you need with as little hassle as possible.

The Expedia 56th Presidential Inauguration Site features travel tips like which airports are nearby, what suburbs to stay in if the city’s booked, and all kinds of activities to try, including a list of great free activities like the Inaugural Parade!

It’s going to be a momentous occasion in Washington D.C. and all over the country. Don’t you want to tell your grandchildren you were there?

The best advice I can give you? Book now. Like, today. Everything’s gonna fill up fast.