Washington awakens with inauguration buzz





WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington awoke Tuesday to an excited crowd that had long begun staking its positions for the noon inauguration of the nation's first African-American president.

President-elect Barack Obama, along with wife Michelle, arrived at St. John's Episcopal Church just before 9 a.m. ET for an inaugural morning prayer service. The church is located near the White House, next to Lafayette Park.
After the service, the Obamas will head to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.
As many as 2 million people are expected to crowd into the area between the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial as Obama takes the oath of office.
Some will be more than a mile from the swearing-in ceremony, watching on giant TV screens erected along the National Mall.
Thousands arrived before daylight Tuesday in standing-room-only trains. They carried blankets and wore Obama scarves to ward off the wind chills of minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

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