The Douglas family headed down to Washington D.C. two days before the inauguration ceremony. They made the trip with their son Alexander’s best friend and his mother. Sean Douglas, the vice president of the District 13 Board of Education, said the trip was amazing.

The group got tickets from Congressman Gregory Meeks’ office to attend a luncheon at the Rayburn House Office Building across the street from the Capitol to watch the inauguration.

“I think this is a historical event,” Sean said. “It’s the final inauguration of the first African American president. We really wanted our child to experience that.”

Alexander, a fourth-grader at Howell Road School, said the experience was a lot of fun. His favorite part was a trip to the International Spy Museum, but he also liked meeting Meeks and taking a photo with him.

John Campbell, a South Valley Stream resident for the last nine years and a board member of the Mill Brook Civic Association, attended the inauguration with his wife and three sons.

The Campbells saw the president get sworn in from a distance but had a much better vantage point for the ensuing parade. “Just being on the [National] Mall and seeing the energy was great,” Campbell said. He added that no matter which party’s nominee is elected, attending the presidential inauguration is a great experience.