Your Guide to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

So, are you going to go to the Rally to Restore Sanity? Are you maybe going to go? Does it depend on a few different things you have up in the air right now and you can’t really make a decision yet? Well, for your convenience, we’ve put together a guide about where to go and what to do when you make the journey to Washington D.C.

Where It Is:

The far eastern end of the National Mall between 3rd Street and 7th Street, known as East Seaton Park and Henry Park. Comedy Central has a pretty “neat†map of the area up here. Also here:

When It Is:

Saturday, October 30, 2010, from 12PM – 3PM. This Saturday!

What It Is:

A rally to demonstrate that, although it may be hard to believe sometimes, reasonable people exist. And there are lots of them. But, come on, you knew what it was.

How To Get There:

The official site is taking bus reservations for major cities all over the country.

Or, if you had the foresight to register with the Huffington Post already, you can catch one of the Huffington Post’s “Sanity Buses†departing from Citi Field in Flushing, New York. Unfortunately registration has already closed, but you can find all sorts of information about what you’re missing on their official Sanity Bus FAQ page.

Otherwise, take a greyhound. Or find someone to carpool with on the Internet. But please don’t get murdered!

How to Get There Once You Get There:

From what I know about Washington DC, which is mid-to-high level not a lot, it is a hellish place to get around by car. So maybe you should plan on taking the Metrorail. The Metro starts running at 7AM and stops at 3AM. You can buy a day pass for $9 and can use cash or credit because it is 2010 now.

The National Mall can be reached by these Metro stations:

  • Federal Center SW at 3rd and D Streets, SW
  • L’Enfant Plaza at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street, SW
  • Archives-Navy Memorial at Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street, NW
  • Smithsonian at 12th Street on the Mall, SW
  • Federal Triangle along 12th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW
  • And, according to the official FAQ page, there will be Rally volunteers at each of these stations to help you find your way. That’s great!

    What You Can’t Bring:

    There’s lots of obvious stuff that you can’t bring, all of which is listed on the official website, but maybe a few of those things aren’t so obvious. So we’ll highlight those for you.

  • No Coolers
  • No Glass Containers
  • No Alcohol
  • No Animals
  • No Tents
  • Got it? Great.

    What You Should Bring:

  • Even though there will be vendors selling food and drink, I would suggest bringing a snack and a water bottle
  • Sunscreen
  • An umbrella or some other rain gear
  • A blanket or a foldable chair, if you’re going to want to sit on a blanket or foldable chair
  • How You Should Dress:

    Layers? I would suggest wearing layers. It looks like the weather should be nice, sunny and in the 60s. But weather is unpredictable. Also wear your most water-proof shoes, in case it rains! Soggy feet are the worst, especially when you’re trying to restore sanity. Also don’t wear anything LAME.

    Where To Stay:

    Probably, if you don’t have a reservation already, hotels in D.C. are going to be kind of expensive this weekend? But maybe not. Check Expedia or Trip Advisor.

    It might also be a good idea to check for hotels in surrounding cities in Maryland and Virginia and then take public transportation into D.C.

    Otherwise, you can try couchsurfing? But again, please don’t get murdered!

    What To Eat:

    I know we’re all web-savvy adults here who can use our iSpoons and NetPods to find the restaurants that serve exactly what we want wherever we are, but just in case you want to see a few average-priced options with Yelp reviews ranging from “pretty good†to “good†without leaving this guide right now, here they are!

  • Ethiopic Restaurant:  Ethiopian, 401 H Street NE
  • Founding Farmers: American, 1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW
  • Indique: Indian, 3512 Connecticut Ave NW
  • Mai Thai: Thai, 1200 19th St NW
  • Sushi Taro: Sushi,  1503 17th St NW
  • Tosca: Italian, 1112 F St NW
  • Acadiana: Cajun, 901 New York Ave NW
  • Blue Duck Tavern: American, 1201 24th St NW
  • What Else There Is To Do:

    Since the rally only lasts for three hours on the 30th, you’ll probably be looking for other things to do. Here are some things that are free!

  • National Gallery of Art
  • National Zoo
  • National Air and Space Museum
  • Museum of Natural History
  • National Arboretum
  • Also, Norm MacDonald is going to be at the D.C. Improv Comedy Club (not free) on both the 29th and 30th. Maybe that is something you are interested in?

    Things To Remember:

  • Be safe
  • Be good
  • Don’t be crazy
  • Please don’t be crazy
  • It will look very bad for all of us if you are crazy
  • Have fun out there!
  • So, great! If you have any questions we haven’t answered, you can check the official site or leave them in the comments.

    Kelly Conaboy writes a lot, but it’s never about anything.

    Your Guide to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear