BY VINAYA SAKSENA

PAWTUCKET — The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has announced that it is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness history, at a price of $139 per person.

The council is sponsoring a trip to Washington D.C. to witness the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and his vice-presidential pick, Joe Biden, for a price well below that of dinner at many Democratic and Republican fundraisers at the national level. According to Tourism Council President Robert Billington, the idea for the trip came up as the election season was drawing to a close, with council staffers, particularly those of a younger age, talking about the election with what he said was unprecedented enthusiasm.
And while it was a long shot, Billington said, this eventually led to the idea of attempting a trip to the inauguration ceremony in January.
“That was a topic of discussion every day,” Billington said. “So we said, ‘let’s try to go there (by) as affordable a method as possible.’”
That means hiring a chartered luxury motor coach, which will also double as lodging for the overnight trip, Billington said, noting that lodging in the metropolitan D.C. area appeared to booked to capacity for that night. The motor coach will depart from Providence on Monday, January 19 at 10:00 p.m. and arrive in Washington at 5:00 a.m. the following day. The return trip will embark from Washington at 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, with arrival in Providence scheduled for 5:00 a.m.
Billington acknowledged that the accommodations were not extravagant. However, he said he believed that the historic nature of the trip would make it worthwhile.
“It’s not for everyone,” he allowed. “(But) it’s probably going to be the biggest inauguration in history. People want to be there while history is being made.”
Billington noted that the $139 fare for the trip does not include an actual ticket to the inauguration, but will cover the costs of what could otherwise be an unfeasible trip. However, he noted that a limited number of tickets will be available at no charge from Rhode Island’s senators and representatives in Washington. He added that despite the excitement that Obama’s selection as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee had generated in his office, he was not concerned about the trip appearing partisan in nature.
“If we didn’t feel there was an interest in this from so many Rhode Islanders, we wouldn’t do it,” Billington said. “This is a historic (event). I don’t care if it’s Democrat or Republican. I’ve never seen so many people engaged and excited.”
More information on the trip can be found at www.tourblackstone.com or by calling the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council at (401) 724-2200.