Among the Inauguration Masses, Many Stories

But then they had a change of heart. They walked in the opposite direction and cleared a security gate around 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in time to see the parade.

"We made it," a jubilant Whitaker said.

-- MIRANDA S. SPIVACK

The Bicyclists

Nic Ryba of Bethesda, a British citizen, traveled to the Mall by bicycle with his three children, Anna, 15, Thomas, 13, and William, 10. He thought the day went well.

The trip down the C&O Canal path with the three kids was great despite the cold, he said. The path was virtually deserted, and much of K Street NW seemed to be closed to traffic.

Ryba and his children left their bikes at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association valet parking service, which he said was "extremely efficient." The trip from Bethesda to the bike check-in took less than an hour.

"We followed the hordes along L Street and entered [the Mall] at 17th," Ryba said. "The spectacle was something I have never witnessed in my life. It was 11 a.m., and there was a sea of people stretched out across the entire Mall."

The cold of the office and commercial buildings along K Street "was melted away by the sun and the thousands of people," Ryba said. "Someone next to us from Michigan lent hand warmers to the children, as they were still frozen from the ride."

They watched the ceremony on the JumboTron screen near 17th Street. "The crowd was pretty quiet until [Obama] appeared on the screen," Ryba said, "but everyone erupted at that point. . . . The speech was well received, and the noise at the end was incredible."

The trip back to Bethesda took a little more than an hour, Ryba said, noting that they rode into a head wind all the way. "The kids are extremely happy to have made the trip," he said, "and have spirited away their bike check cards to show their grandchildren."

-- MIRANDA S. SPIVACK

The Ticket Holder

Debbie Stein, a Bethesda resident and holder of coveted silver tickets, found herself caught up in long lines.