President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk down a portion of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., during Monday's inaugural parade.
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
President Obama walked the walk Monday, hopping out of his limousine to hoof it down Pennsylvania Ave. during his inaugural parade, to the delight of crowds who waited hours in the cold for a chance to see history in the remaking.
The thousands lining the route from the Capitol to the White House went wild when the newly sworn second-term president and first lady Michelle Obama got out of the black Cadillac about halfway through the trip.
A deafening roar went up as the couple walked hand-in-hand for more than a block before retreating to the limo to continue a journey that presidents have made since Thomas Jefferson.
Crowds were substantially smaller than four years ago but no less subdued.
They stood five-deep or more, bundled against the 40-degree weather, holding cameras over barricades for a picture of the Obamas smiling and waving out the back window of the limo or briskly walking down the blue line that is painted down the middle of the road every four years.
People wore Obama hats and buttons, and at least one woman wrapped herself in an Obama beach towel.?Children danced on the steps of office buildings or perched on their parents' shoulders for a better view of the pageantry -- from a red-coated fife-and-drum marching band that was part of the presidential escort, to kids on 6-foot unicycles who joined 60 contingents from across the country.?
It was clear who the real stars of the show were, though. When the Obamas alit from their limo again as they approached the White House to take their spots in the reviewing stand, the ear-splitting cheers started anew.
Michelle Obama blew kisses at the stands. Her husband, a smile plastered across his face, gave his constituents the thumbs up, every gesture greeted with more applause.
They didn't press the flesh, but Vice President Biden worked the crowd like he was stopping by the state fair, hugging one little boy on the sidelines, running from one side of the street to another and shouting to spectators.
People had flocked to the route before dawn to ensure a good spot. Some wanted to show their support for Obama, others to enjoy the spectacle and symbolism.
Vicki Lyons, 51, of Lakewood, Colo., told the Associated Press she was "mostly Republican," but attending the inauguration was "like standing in the middle of history."
"No matter who the president is, everybody needs to do this at least once," she said.
Charles Dharapak / AP
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during the 57th Presidential Inauguration parade.
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