Alexandria resident Gant Redmon attended the inaugral reception at Bernstein Alliance Brokerage firm with his wife, Fran. "Having worked on five Inaugurals, it's quite different to simply attend an Inaugural Ball as one of the guests. It's like having played football — it definitely is not the same to attend as a spectator when you've been in the middle of the game," described Redmon.
"For most, attending the Inauguration and an Inaugural Ball is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm sure the excitement overcomes the 'challenges' posed by long lines everywhere, magnetometers at every turn, and the crush of seven to eight thousand fellow ball-goers. That said, Washington after all is the quintessential political town, and being present for the swearing-in of the leader of the Free World is being where the action is — that has to be inspiring, even for the most jaded Washingtonian."
Redmon went on to describe his transportation to the event, "[The Metro] was a unique experience — never has Metro had so many couples in black tie. The couple from Fairfax and the lady from California made it quite a cosmopolitan ride. And kudos to Metro; things went very smoothly and the ride
really added to the festiveness of the occasion," Redmon noted.