President Barack Obama walked the walk Monday, hopping out of his limousine to hoof it down Pennsylvania Ave. with the first lady during the inaugural parade, to the delight of crowds who waited hours in the cold for a chance to see history in the remaking.

His second-in-command stole at least part of the show, though.

The Obamas didn’t press much flesh, waving and smiling from a presidential distance. But Vice President Joe Biden worked the crowd like he was stopping by the county fair, racing from one side of the road to the other to shake hands and hug kids.

When NBC’s Al Roker shouted out a question, asking Obama how the day was going, he got an answer: “It’s going great!” Biden did him one better, dashing over to pump Roker’s hand.

The voluble veep gesticulated wildly at spectators, whipping them into even more of a frenzy – quite a feat considering the ear-splitting cheers that followed the president and Michelle Obama as they made their way from the Capitol to the White House.

They began the journey – one that presidents have made since Thomas Jefferson – in a black Cadillac that left from the foot of the Capitol.

Cries of “O-bama! O-bama!” swept down the avenue in waves as the limo made its slow crawl along the street, its flags fluttering in the wind, Secret Service agents walking briskly on the flanks.

Crowds were substantially smaller than four years ago; no official estimate was given out, but half a million people used the Metro to get to the route.

Still, they stood five-deep or more, bundled against the 40-degree weather, holding cameras over barricades for a picture of the first couple looking out the limo’s tinted windows.

“It was beautiful,” Tara Lucas, 38, an administrative assistant from Pearland, Texas, told the Associated Press. “All I saw was a face in a window and it was remarkable.”

“You felt the love,” added her friend, Connie Griffin, 41.

About halfway down the route, the presidential vehicle stopped, the doors opened and the Obamas got out. Hand in hand, they walked for more than a block, following the blue line that is painted on the asphalt every four years.

Then they got back in the limo, only to emerge again closer to the White House. Michelle Obama blew kisses at the stands. Her husband, a smile plastered across his face, gave his constituents the thumbs up, every gesture greeted with more applause.

People in Obama hats and buttons – and at least one woman in an Obama beach blanket -- yelled to them from the sidelines. Wide-eyed children danced and flung their hands out, hoping for a chance to touch the newly sworn commander-in-chief.

People had flocked to the route before sunrise to ensure a good view of the president and the pageantry -- from a red-coated fife-and-drum marching, to kids on 6-foot unicycles who joined floats from across the country, to NASA’s famous mohawk-topped flight controller Bobak Ferdowski on a float with a model of the Mars Curiosity rover.

Some were showing their support for Obama, others just enjoying the spectacle and symbolism.

Vicki Lyons, 51, of Lakewood, Colo., told the AP she was "mostly Republican," but attending the inauguration was "like standing in the middle of history."

"No matter who the president is, everybody needs to do this at least once," she said.

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Will there be a parade down New York City's Broadway for returning war veterans? Not quite yet, says the Pentagon, even though the idea is gathering steam.

Thousands cheered the Super Bowl champion New York Giants as they made their way down New York City’s midtown thoroughfare on Tuesday in a massive celebration many veterans groups say should be afforded to U.S. troops returning from Iraq.

Even though military leaders say they support a parade for returning troops, they say now is not the appropriate time given that fighting is still going on in Afghanistan.

A ticker–tape parade, Col. Dave Lapan, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, “wouldn’t harm our efforts in Afghanistan, but we feel it would be inappropriate at this time given ongoing deployments and combat operations there.” Lapan said. He was quoted in both the The New York Times and Stars & Stripes.

Instead, a gala for returning Iraq veterans is planned at the White House.

Since American military involvement ended in Iraq in December, there has been increasing public debate about the lack of fanfare over the return of veterans of the Iraq war. Rather than national celebrations, individual cities and citizens have stepped up their efforts to honor troops.

More cities consider parades for Iraq War vets

Organizers of a St. Louis parade, which drew an estimated 100,000 observers and 20,000 participants on Jan. 28, said people attended from Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and Clinton, Iowa.

In New York, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has called for a celebration there focusing on veterans of the Iraq war.

"While military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere have not concluded, the fact remains that our military has made commendable achievements in Iraq," Quinn told NBC News last week. 

Still, no decision has been made yet on such a celebration. New York instead is working with the White House and the Pentagon on the best way to honor troops, Stu Loeser, a spokesman for New York City Michael Bloomberg, told the New York Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Participants in a parade to honor Iraq War veterans make their way along a downtown street Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Louis. Thousands turned out to watch the first big welcome home parade in the U.S. since the last troops left Iraq in December.

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis parade welcoming home Iraq War and other post-Sept. 11 veterans was such a hit that at least 10 other cities around the country are considering similar celebrations.

Organizers of the parade, which drew an estimated 100,000 observers and 20,000 participants in St. Louis on Jan. 28, said Friday that they have been approached by people from Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and Clinton, Iowa.

"The revolution for America to rally in support of our troops has just begun," said Tom Appelbaum, who along with his friend, Craig Schneider, came up with the idea for the St. Louis parade and pulled it off within a month.

Read more on NBCNewYork.com

In New York City, Speaker Christine C. Quinn and others on the City Council have been pushing for a ticker-tape parade for troops.

"While military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere have not concluded, the fact remains that our military has made commendable achievements in Iraq," Quinn told NBC News.  "To that end, a citywide celebration recognizing the incredible contribution these soldiers have made in the name of freedom is in order."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasn't backed the idea so far, because officials in Washington "think a parade would be premature while we still have so many troops in harm's way around the world," NBCNewYork.com reported.

"While we are very appreciative of the offer to host a parade to recognize the significant accomplishment of those who have served in Iraq, I have expressed the concern that I don't think it is appropriate while we still have forces engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan,” Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told NBCNewYork.com.

The St. Louis parade was the first major event honoring post-Sept. 11 veterans since the war in Iraq ended in December. Now, organizers in other cities are tapping into their expertise.

PhotoBlog: St. Louis hosts first big parade to welcome Iraq War veterans

Alan Toppel, a 79-year-old retired businessman from Tucson, was in St. Louis Friday to gather information on organizing a similar parade.

"When I saw that this parade was done, and the magnitude of the parade, I was thinking that this is something we can do in Tucson," he said. "This is something we need to do in Tucson."

Toppel said he has received a positive response from civic leaders. He will meet with city officials next week and is moving toward the goal of hosting a parade by the end of March.

The St. Louis parade drew a festive and often emotional crowd. Fire truck aerial ladders hoisted huge American flags over the parade route. Marching bands played "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful." Even the Budweiser Clydesdales clopped along the route.

The loudest cheers, though, were for the troops themselves, many marching in camouflage. Some had tears in their eyes as well-wishers reached out to shake hands or give them hugs.

Schneider and Appelbaum said the idea began in December with a simple conversation between the two of them about why there were no big celebrations to mark the end of the Iraq War. So they sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. The grassroots effort cost less than $40,000.

Some questioned if a parade was even appropriate given the ongoing war against terrorism and the continued deployment of 91,000 troops in Afghanistan. Many of the Iraq War vets interviewed at the St. Louis parade conceded they might be redeployed to Afghanistan.

Still, the response to the parade was overwhelming in St. Louis, and the response from around the nation has been the same, said Army Maj. Rick Radford, a parade participant now volunteering with the Welcome Home Foundation. The foundation, formed by the St. Louis organizers, encourages more parades and seeks funding to help veterans connect with resources as they return home.

Radford said he hopes to see even more cities get involved.

"If we can pull off a parade in 30 days, I believe every city should be able to honor our veterans with a parade," Radford said.

NBC News contributed to this report from The Associated Press.

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About 3.5 million people were expected to crowd the route of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York on Thursday while an additional 50 million watched from home.

A jetpack-wearing monkey and a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton are two of the big new balloons that will make their inaugural appearances, while Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne and the Muppets are scheduled to take the stage at the end of the route in Herald Square.

Slideshow: See the colorful cast of characters taking part in the parade

Macy's parade will feature more than 40 other balloon creations, 27 floats, 800 clowns and 1,600 cheerleaders.

The parade began at 77th Street and heads south on Central Park West to Seventh Avenue, before moving to Sixth Avenue and ending at Macy's Herald Square.

The tradition began in 1924 and included live animals such as camels, goats and elephants. It was not until 1927 that the live animals were replaced by giant helium balloons. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 because rubber and helium were needed for World War II.

Since the beginning, the balloons have been based on popular cultural characters and holiday themes. Returning favorites this year include Buzz Lightyear, Clumsy Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants and Kermit the Frog.

Bike-powered balloons
Also making their first appearances at this year's parade are a pair of bike-powered balloons, one featuring a bulldog character and an elf balloon designed by Queens resident Keith Lapinig, who won a nationwide contest.

All the balloons are created at Macy's Parade Studio, and each undergoes testing for flight patterns, aerodynamics, buoyancy and lift.

The helium giants were inflated Wednesday across the street from the western side of Central Park. Thousands of people, many families with children in tow, were drawn to the spectacle of the balloons lying as if asleep on the streets, held down by weighted nets.

Standing in front of the famed Snoopy balloon, lying on its side, 8-year-old Emilio Rios said he was glad that there was something to keep the helium giant from getting away.

"Otherwise, it would float up to space, and aliens would see it," he said. "They would be the ones with the parade."

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Nine-year-old Lindsay Ravetz said she loved seeing all the characters.

"It's just, like, cool," she said.

It was cool even for many of the adults. Leslie McCarthy, who said she's over 60, has been attending the parade since she was a little girl. And the excitement of seeing the big balloons hasn't worn off.

"I used to think this parade was put on for me," the Brooklyn resident said.