By SANDY McGEE

ABOARD “THE BUS TRIP FOR CHANGE” — As we departed downtown Providence around 10:30 p.m. Monday, there was a fitting image in the distance, a billboard with a single word in large black type: “HOPE.” 

And so began this historic journey to Washington.
The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, which organized the chartered motorcoach trip, hailed it as the “Bus Trip for Change.” More than 50 people aboard paid $139 each for the opportunity to be in the nation’s capital for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American to hold the highest office in the land.
“I wanted to see history made,” said Claire Carnaghan of Cumberland. “I don’t know if this will ever happen again in my lifetime.”
Obama’s message of change appealed to three generations of the well-known Crawley family, who decided to brave the crowds and weather to see the historic inauguration together.
“It became a family affair,” said Joan Crawley, 70, who recently retired as Pawtucket’s director of senior services. Joan was joined by her son, 46-year-old Mike Crawley of Cumberland; Mike’s brother, Chris Crawley, 40; and Mike’s son, 19-year-old Patrick Crawley.
“I’m excited,” said Patrick Crawley, who is pursuing a double major in political science and economics at the University of Rhode Island.
His grandmother expressed optimism for the brighter future she hoped Obama’s presidency would bring. “Hopefully, after this, it will be a different country,” said Joan Crawley. “Things will hopefully change.”
After about seven hours on the bumpy motorcoach ride and three rest stops, the bleary, weary travelers arrived at Greenbelt Metro Station, in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
From there, the riders stood in what would be the first of many long lines in freezing temperatures. Once aboard the train, travelers were left to their own devices to reach the National Mall or find a spot along the parade route. 
Despite the massive crowds, there were many acts of kindness among the multitudes who came from coast to coast to see the inauguration of the nation’s first black president. 
And it wasn’t just Americans who wanted to be a part of the historic moment: People from all over the world converged on the nation’s capital to catch a glimpse of the new chief executive – from places like Brazil, the Isle of Man, Quebec.
A generally buoyant mood notwithstanding, there was disappointment and frustration among many who had traveled great distances only to be denied access to the parade route. The barricades were up by 10 a.m.
Many had stood in line for hours only to call it quits, after seeing exhaustive security checks slow admission to a dead crawl. One group aboard the Blackstone Valley bus had tickets to see the inauguration, but it was more than they could do to get there.
Given the potential for threats to the president and the crowd, security was extremely heavy. “The police were all over the place,” DeMello said. “There were visible snipers everywhere, even protecting porta-potties.”
He expressed frustration at the lack of planning for the event. “Every checkpoint only had four metal detectors,” DeMello said. “There were only four checkpoints around the parade and 14 metal detectors for thousands of people. There was a lot of frustration about the planning. How could they not know this many people were going to show up?”
The closure of L’Enfant Plaza Metro station forced attendees to get off at the Chinatown stop and find a spot on the escalators up to the street. But despite all the inconveniences, good humor prevailed..
And it seemed only fitting that the technology that played such a big role in connecting Obama’s supporters during the campaign came out to capture photos and video from the inauguration. As the president took the oath of office, almost everyone flipped out devices like i-phones, Envys and Sidekicks.
But it was the most basic type of technology that unified the crowds outside the barriers. As the president delivered his inaugural address, the transistor radio was king: Anyone who had one turned it to 10 as bystanders huddled around to listen intently.
While the inaugural balls were set to continue well into the night, this group was set to return to Rhode Island at 10 p.m. After a long, exhausting – and cold – day, travelers got closer to their journey’s end with unforgettable stories.
One passenger pushed arms with a celebrity: Starr Jones of “The View.”
Another got a glimpse of the new president walking outside his motorcade and shaking hands with supporters. “I will never forget being 15 yards away from Barack Obama,” said Matthew DeMello, 21, of Lincoln.
Other snapshots touched the heart and soul. “My most memorable moment was when Rev. Rick Warren started with the ‘Our Father’ and everyone said it,” said Joan Crawley. “Everyone had tears in their eyes. It was such a beautiful moment.”
For others, it was the culmination of months of hard work in a successful effort to bring change and a renewed sense of hope to the nation. “We’ve been so involved in the campaign, we wanted this final commitment,” said Joan Mellow of Attleboro.
Added her husband, Frank: “It is a celebration of the hope of the common man.”