What is the best way to get into DC for the inauguration?|180603

I plan on coming in to DC tuesday morning from Staunton Virginia (Where I81 _ I64 split). I haven_t been to DC in many years and am not sure where would be the best place to leave my truck and get on the metro? I assume that the farther away from the city I park the better. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Arrive at the Vienna Metro station (right off I-66) as early after it opens at 3:30am as possible, and get a parking spot in their parking deck. Expect traffic to be backed up, even at that hour, since I-66 within the Beltway will be closed as of 3am. When the first train pulls out at 4:00am be on it. Take Metro down to Washington Union Station (you_ll have to change at Metro Center for a Red line train--the whole Metro trip will probably take an hour) and hang out in their food court until the sun comes up. Start walking to the National Mall or the parade route sometime during the morning and grab a spot.

I know the above is extreme, and it might be possible to get a parking spot a little later, but there will be millions of visitors with the same idea as you, and the parking spots will go very, very quickly. Tune your car radio to WTOP 103.5FM when you get to Front Royal for regular traffic updates.

By the way, if you have a smaller vehicle than the truck, take that instead--it will be easier to find a parking spot with a smaller vehicle.

Be aware that getting back on Metro will be an even bigger challenge--it_s expected that Metro, even running every piece of equipment they have, will take many hours to get everyone out of DC back to where they started. Also expect a coldish day, with temperatures in the low 30s.

Here_s a link to the Metro website, which will show you how to get around on Metro:

http://www.wmata.com


And yes I know where Staunton is--it_s a beautiful town with a lot to see and do. I_ve seen plays in the theater and eaten at the Depot Grille.

There won_t be an easy way. The farthest Metro rail stops are in Springfield and Huntington and they are both right at the Beltway so there_s no way of avoiding the prodigious traffic. If you could take a train out of Richmond, you could get into the Alexandria train station which is right next to King Street or Eisenhower Station in Alexandria. That would be the best way if you could get a train ticket. I think there is park _n ride as far down as Dumfries, VA and they may be running special buses so you might get onto the Metro website and check.
http://www.wmata.com

You are right to take the Metro to the inauguration. I,ve done that whenever there_s a big event in D.C. If you_re near the Orange Line. then Vienna Station may be your best bet. Or possibly Franconia-Springfield stop on the Blue Line. Visit the Washington Metro transit website at www.wmata.com for specific information on metro rail trains and where to park. I think there is a charge of close to five dollars to park at any metro rail park and ride lot. Again, check the website for details. Good luck.You may want to use mapquest or any map source for directions from Staunton to Washington, DC.

A lot of the roads in Arlington VA are closing by 3am.


http://www.arlingtonva.us/Portals/Topics��


I-66
EAST (Inbound, toward DC) �C CLOSED to all privately owned vehicles; buses, shuttles, taxis allowed
WEST (Outbound) �C OPEN to all traffic
All access ramps within Arlington to I-66 East �C CLOSED (hard closures)
Glebe Rd. and Sycamore St.
I-66 West �C Key Bridge/Lee Highway Exit �C CLOSED (hard closures)

Route 50/Arlington Blvd.
EAST (Inbound, toward DC) at Washington Blvd. �C CLOSED to all privately owned vehicles; buses, shuttles, taxis allowed
WEST (Outbound) �C OPEN to all traffic
All access ramps to 50 EAST inside Washington Blvd. �C CLOSED (hard closures)

I-395
NORTH (Inbound, toward DC) �C CLOSED to all privately owned vehicles; buses, shuttles, taxis allowed
SOUTH (Outbound) �C OPEN to all traffic
All access ramps within Arlington to I-395 North �C CLOSED (hard closures)
All access ramps within Arlington to I-395 South �C OPEN
Shirlington Circle �C CLOSED to all privately owned vehicles; buses, shuttles, taxis allowed

Metro, as others have said - either Vienna at the end of the Orange Line or Springfield - is the way to go, but get there early.

Walk. It is also the greenest way in.

get invited by obama!!

Pray.

Nah, that isn_t enough.. catapult.

What were the main cause of New Orleans flooding?|103904

I know one of the main causes was the levees breaking, but that can_t be the only one.

Can someone please help me and list the main cause New Orleans was destroyed.

Katrina would have been a catastrophe even if New Orleans_ city-proper had not flooded. Realize the storm wrecked an area of almost 90000 square miles, which is larger than all of Great Britain. Much of the Mississippi coast still looks like Hiroshima after the atomic bomb.

However, the city-proper flooded because the US Army Corps of Engineers built poorly-designed flood-walls along drainage canals connected to Lake Pontchartrain. The walls failed at the height of the storm surge, with water levels almost 13 feet above sea level. That is what caused the horrific scenes you saw on TV, with people trapped on their roofs, etc.

In February of 2008, a federal judge agreed the city flooded due to negligence by the federal government (the US Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency). However, he also ruled the federal government has immunity from liability for negligence.

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States.[3] Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding there before strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland.[4] The federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed at more than fifty places. Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans was breached as Hurricane Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Eventually 80% of the city became flooded and also large tracts of neighboring parishes, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks.[4] At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. Economist and Crisis Consultant Randall Bell, brought into the area after the levee failures, writes in his book, Real Estate Damages, _Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.[5]_ The storm is estimated to have been the costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history.

The levee failures prompted investigations of their design and construction which belongs solely to the US Army Corps of Engineers as mandated in the Flood Control Act of 1965. There was also an investigation of the responses from federal, state and local governments, resulting in the resignation of Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael D. Brown. Conversely, the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service were widely commended for accurate forecasts and abundant lead time.[6] Three years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana were still living in trailers.
As the eye of Hurricane Katrina swept to the northeast, it subjected the city to hurricane conditions for hours. Although power failures prevented accurate measurement of wind speeds in New Orleans, there were a few measurements of hurricane-force winds. From this the NHC concluded that it is likely that much of the city experienced sustained winds of Category 1 or Category 2 strength.

Katrina_s storm surge led to 53 levee breaches in the federally built levee system protecting metro New Orleans. Failures occurred in New Orleans and surrounding communities, especially St. Bernard Parish. The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MR-GO) breached its levees in approximately 20 places, flooding much of east New Orleans, most of Saint Bernard Parish and the East Bank of Plaquemines Parish. The major levee breaches in the city included breaches at the 17th Street Canal levee, the London Avenue Canal, and the wide, navigable Industrial Canal, which left approximately 80% of the city flooded.[39]

Most of the major roads traveling into and out of the city were damaged. The only routes out of the city were the westbound Crescent City Connection and the Huey P. Long Bridge, as large portions of the I-10 Twin Span Bridge traveling eastbound towards Slidell, Louisiana had collapsed. Both the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and the Crescent City Connection only carried emergency traffic.[40]

On August 29, at 7:40 a.m. CDT, it was reported that most of the windows on the north side of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans had been blown out, and many other high rise buildings had extensive window damage.[41] The Hyatt was the most severely damaged hotel in the city, with beds reported to be flying out of the windows. Insulation tubes were exposed as the hotel_s glass exterior was completely sheared off.
The Superdome, which was sheltering many people who had not evacuated, sustained significant damage. Two sections of the Superdome_s roof were compromised and the dome_s waterproof membrane had essentially been peeled off. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was closed before the storm but did not flood. On August 30, it was reopened to humanitarian and rescue operations. Limited commercial passenger service resumed at the airport on September 13 and regular carrier operations resumed in early October.[43]

Levee breaches in New Orleans also caused widespread loss of life, with over 700 bodies recovered in New Orleans by October 23, 2005.[44] Some survivors and evacuees reported seei

erm because of the hurracaine? :P
that would be the main reason i_d have thought...the reason behind everything else happening would have been because of the destruction caused from the hurricane katrina...

since New Orleans is below sea level, they use a system of levees and canals to control the water. when the levees broke, New Orleans flooded

Because New Orleans is below sea level.

A levy breach and human error, not the storm.

George Bush, according to the residents.

Who has highest crime rate New York or Los Angeles?|172488

I have been in Manhattan by foot. Nobody bothered me and I didn_t run into any scary situations. I was planning a trip to Los Angeles, I got a tour book and Los Angeles seems frightening. I know people from the east coast who have live in California and say that Los Angeles is nothing compared to New York. Which place has the highest crime rate?

The murder rate in LA (12.6) is about double that of NYC (6.6)

When you look at the crime chart, you should realize the population of NYC is about double that of LA.

I have lived in L.A. my whole life and I was never scared. Just make sure to have a map if you are driving yourself around. Like anyplace there are Ghetto_s in LA. Not to worry it isn_t at all like the movies. It is a great place to be year round sun and beaches.

Los Angeles by FAR!!!!!!!
LA is WAY worse than NY.

What can you tell me about living in vermont?|185091

hi, i am thinking about moving and im not sure where i wanna go. right now i am finishing up student teaching and i graduate in may. i would like to move, and i am thinking to vermont. the thing is, i have never been there and have absolutely no clue what it is like there. is it countryish?? city? suburbs?? i grew up in the city of pittsburgh and now i am living in the south western part of pgh which is in the suburbs, but close to the country. do you think i would like it? how is the year round weather? i am also going to need to find a job as a high school history teacher - any luck there? please let me know as much as possible about vermont.

any tips? living costs (high??) pgh is pretty decent price wise - i wanted to go to nyc but its too expensive. any areas that are nicer than others?

Vermont is pretty much all rural, unless you live in one of our three cities. The weather is Vermont is nice, if you are a fan of snow and skiing. I personally like Vermont because of its rural nature. I think that the cost of living in Vermont is pretty decent, winter heating can be expensive, but rent isn_t nearly as bad as it is in the big cities. I know it might sound cliche, but there are a lot of cows and farms in the really rural parts of VT. I guess I would say that Vermont is a nice place to live, but I can imagine that it could be alittle lonely at first if you didn_t know anyone up here.

You live in Vermount.

I visited Vermont, not too long ago. It_s pretty boring: gray skies, and extremely cold. I went to Burlington (the most popular city in Vermont), and I think some of the pros would have to be the peace _ quiet, and the fact that it_s a 1 and a half hour drive until Montreal. Let_s just say I was so bored I left on the next flight to New York City.

What do I need to have to visit the United States for a long period of time?|182707

My family has decided to move back to the United States from Panama. What I want to do is bring my boyfriend with me, who is a Panamanian citizen, to visit for a while and possibly later decide to become a U.S. citizen. What does he need to do this and how fast can he obtain these things?

well first of all, both of you need to become citizens if you are going to live here. You can_t just visit for a long time.

What is there to do in the Bethlehem, PA area other than your normal tourist type things?|155751

I am visiting there on during the week of July 4th with my husband and 17 month old son. There_s only so much family time we can take before we have to escape and do something a bit more fun! So far, I_ve founds a zoo that we can take our son to, and a white water rafting trip my husband and I can take. Also, a winery that might have a tour available. Anything else?

There are some Amish things in the area, that are touristy, but give you a picture of life in that area.

There_s always bowling. An excellent lane is Jordan Lane on Rt 145 just south of Rt 22 (If you_re travelling south, make a right by Dunkin Doughnuts) You can_t miss it.
There_s also whitewater rafting on Rt 903 in Jim Thorpe or antique shops and train rides in town on the weekend.

Here_ s what I do. Look in the local newspapers for a block party, usually for a good cause like a volunteer fire co. , and you will have tons of fun. Great to take kids too. Also, post this question or search at the website below.

I grew up in Easton and when i lived there, there was a celebration downtown for the 4th called Heritage week with all kinds of things going on and a very good fireworks display. The Crayola Visitors center is downtown and a mile from Lafayette University with is beautiful. Bethlehem itself is kinda blah (except at the end of August for Musikfest) but Allentown always has stuff going on--- check the city website.

Other than normal tourist type things can be jogging in the swimming pool, racing along with the trains, swimming in shallow rainy water, dancing with animals.

Dorney Park and Wild Water kingdom is a amusment park in nearby Allentown, Pa. The Crayola Crayon factory is next door in Easton, PA. Bewarned that that areas arround Bethelhem _ Easton are having some flooding issues due to this weeks heavy rains. Philly is about a hour south but crowded for the 4th.

I live in the Slate Belt area and work in Allentown. My kids grew up in the whole area and there_s plenty to do. I think the Heritage Festival may be canceled, due to the flooding, check the local papers.

But, here is a web site about the lehigh valley http://www.lehighvalleypa.org/ Also, one about the lehigh valley wine trail. Many of the local wineries will let you taste, very informal. Check out http://www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com/

I almost forgot about the Kutztown Folk Festival! Lots of great food, things to see and do, shopping, Amish and Mennonite info, entertainment all in one place! Check out http://www.kutztownfestival.com/

Crayola is great for the 17 mo old. There_s also the Allentown Art museum, lots of great art and a kids section to boot. Of course, Dorney Park is a must for the hot weather.

You could check out the shopping at the outlets in Reading. Vanity Fair (yes, the bra people) started the original outlets ages ago. You can_t beat their prices and they have things other than bras. Clothing for all ages, name brands, food and household stuff. Check out http://www.vffo.com/

Lancaster and the surrounding area is great too. A day trip to Longwood Gardens outside of Philly is good too. Amazing plants there and to think it was all a home for a very rich family (the Duponts) is mind boggling.

Hope this helps a bit.