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DIRECTIONS TO OUR WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE:
750 1ST St. NE, Suite 1070
Washington, DC 20002

Our office is located on the “Senate side” of Capitol Hill, near Union Station.

We recommend that you catch a cab to visit our Washington, DC office. Or if you’re taking Metro, ride the Red line to the Union Station stop. We are on the west side of Union Station on the same street as the CNN Headquarters building. See map below.

MAP OF W2A DC OFFICE
Directions to our Bellevue Office:
10900 NE 8th Street, Suite 1520
Bellevue, Washington 98004

From Sea-Tac Airport:
  • At the airport follow signs for I-405 North
  • Travel 13 miles north on I-405
  • Take exit 13B for NE 8th Street (and follow signs to go westbound on NE 8th)
  • Go two blocks and we are on the right, 10900 NE 8th Street, in the Plaza Center Building
From Seattle, via I-90 Bridge
  • Once you’ve crossed Lake Washington and Mercer Island on the I-90 Bridge, you will see signs for I-405 North
  • Go 2.8 miles north on I-405 and take exit 13B for NE 8th Street (follow signs to go westbound on NE 8th)
  • Go two blocks and we are on the right, 10900 NE 8th Street, in the Plaza Center Building
From Seattle, via 520 Bridge
  • Once you’ve crossed Lake Washington on the 520 Bridge, travel 2.7 miles until you see signs for I-405 South, toward Renton
  • Go one mile on I-405 South and take exit 13B for NE 8th St., going westbound
  • Go two blocks and we are on the right, 10900 NE 8th Street, in the Plaza Center Building
MAP OF bellevue OFFICE:

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There are two Washingtons ... and we love them both.

To assist our traveling friends and colleagues, we've developed this list of our favorite spots in both Washington, DC and the Northwest.

 

Visiting Washington, DC

Accommodations // Restaurants // Entertainment // Tours

Washington, DC is a wonderful city with a lot of great things to see and do. This section of our website includes our suggestions and insights on some of the most frequently asked question we receive about visiting Washington, DC. We hope this information is helpful to you and that you enjoy your next trip to the nation’s capital.

DC Hotel Accommodations
Staying in Washington, DC is expensive.  In general, you will pay more for transportation to and from the city if you decide to stay in Virginia or Maryland than you will save for staying outside the District. One exception is the Crystal City area just across the river in Virginia. Hotels in the area cater to conventions and visitors on a regular basis, and access is easy by Metro. Most other hotels outside the District should not be considered.

It is best to stay near a Metro stop downtown or along the National Mall. The Georgetown area is definitely worth a visit, but visitors should avoid staying in hotels there since the neighborhood has no Metro access. When we travel to Washington, DC, we often just use Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, or one of the other Internet travel pages to check out hotel rates and book a room. A few places we have stayed and have found comfortable and sometimes reasonably priced are: The Topaz Hotel, the Hotel Washington, the Capitol Hyatt Regency, and the Capitol Hilton.

DC Restaurants
Washington, DC has a long list of great restaurants to choose from. Below are the names and locations of places we go when we want to have a special meal. You should try at least one or two while you’re here.

To get a great feel and sense DC, try the Old Ebbitt Grill across the street from the White House, The Willard, or the Hay Adams. These are all Washington, DC institutions. To spot Senators and other members of Congress, try The Monocle or the Capitol Grille – all popular places for the Capitol Hill crowd because they are very close to the Senate and House offices.

Name Cuisine Telephone Address
701 American 202-393-0701 701 Penn Ave
116 Club 202-547-6800
1789 202.965.1789
Asia Nora 202.797.4860 2213 M St. NW
Barolo Italian 202-547-5011 223 Penn. Ave., SE
Bistro Bis (Hotel George) French 202-661-2700 15 E Street, NW
B. Smith’s Southern/Creole 202-289-6188 Union Station
Capital Grille Dry/Aged Steakhouse 202-737-6200 601 Penn. Ave., NW
Capital Hill Club American 202-484-4590 300 1st SE
Capital View American 202-783-2582 400 New Jersey Ave, N
Caucus Room Steak & Seafood 202-393-1300 401 9th St. NW
Charlie Palmer Steak 202-547-8100
Chez Froggie Mediterranean 703-979-7676 509 South 23rd Street(Crystal)
Citronelle 202.625.2150 3000 M St. NW
DC Coast American 202-216-5988 1401 K (Corner of 14th & K)
Dubliner Irish 202-737-3773 520 N. Capital St, NW
Equinox 202.331.8118 818 Conn Ave NW
Firefly 202.861.1310
Galileo 202.293.7191 1110 21st St NW
Georgia Browns 202.393.4499
Gerards Place 202.737.4445 915 15th St. NW
Hay Adams 202.638.6600 Sixteenth & H St’s NW
I Ricchi 202.835.0459 1220 19th St NW
Jaleo Spanish 202-628-7949 480 7th St., NW
Kinkeades 202.296.7700 2000 Penn Ave NW
La Brasserie French 202-546-9154 239 239 Mass. Ave., NW
L’ Auberge Chez 703.759.3800
Landini’s 703-836-8404 Alexandria, VA
The Mayflower 202.347.3000 1127 Conn Ave NW
Monocle, The American 202-546-4488 107 D St, NE
Mortons Steak & Seafood 202-955-5997 1050 Conneticut
Mr. Kay’s Chinese 202-331-8868 2121 K Street
MS Grill 202.347.1500
Nora 202.462.5143
Oceanaire Seafood 202.347.2277 1201 F. St. NW
Old Ebbitt Grill Steak & Seafood 202-347-4800 675 15th St. NW
Olives Mediterranean 202-452-1866 1600 K St.
Oval Room American 202-463-8700 800 Conn. Ave., NW
The Palm 202.293.9091 1225 19th St. NW
Portofino Italian 703-979-8200 526 S. 23rd Street (Crystal City)
Primi Priatti Italian 202-223-3600 2013 I St., NW
Poste 202.783.6060
Rupperts 202.783.0699 1017 Seventh St NW
Sam and Harrys Steak 202.296.4333
Sesto Senso Italian 202-785-9525 1214 18th St. NW
Signatures 202.628.5900 801 Penn Ave NW
Smith’s & Wollensky Steakhouse 202-466-1100 1112 19th Street (btwn L & M)
Tabard Inn 202.785.1277 1739 N St NW
Tenpenh 202.393.4500 1001 Penn. Ave. NW
Tiatro Goldoni Italian 202-955-9494 1909 K Street, NW
Tosca 202.367.1990 1112 F St NW
Vidalia 202.659.1990
Willard 202.628.9100 1401 Penn Ave NW

 

DC Culture and Entertainment
It’s just as easy to find free or inexpensive entertainment in the nation’s capital as it is to spend a lot of money to have fun. The group of Smithsonian museums on the National Mall is free, easily accessible, and has a broad range of exhibits to suit a personal interest of nearly every visitor. Advance reservations or tickets are not generally needed for these museums. Some exhibits may require you to get in a line but admission is usually free. The Holocaust Museum, the Corcoran, the Women’s Museum and several other museums are not official part of the Smithsonian and, therefore, may require advance tickets. We recommend you check with your concierge or try the Internet to obtain tickets for the days you are interested. The Spy Museum is the city’s hottest new museum and is probably worth a visit, although there is a small admission fee. Also, first-time visitors should go to the national monuments and memorials, which are all free and accessible at any time. The Lincoln and Washington Memorials, the Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and several others are located along the Mall. The Jefferson and Roosevelt Memorials are a little further out and may require a taxi ride but are worth doing if you have the time. Finally, the Arlington National Cemetary and the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial) are across the river in Virginia.

The TourMobile is an excellent and inexpensive way to see the whole city. Buses depart from Union Station and all other stops every fifteen minutes. Passengers pay a flat fee for a day and may board and re-board buses at all stops around the city for free. While en route, tour guides provide relevant historical and tourist information about the neighborhoods being visited.

The Kennedy Center is a wonderful place to see a concert, play, opera, etc. We recommend checking the Internet or your concierge for performances, times, and availability.

DC White House Tours
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours/
Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, excluding federal holidays. Requests for tour tickets/appointments must be made with your Member of Congress and can be accepted up to six months in advance. We highly encourage you to submit requests as soon as possible since a limited number of tours are available and tours are scheduled on a first come first serve basis. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.

DC Capitol Tours
The Capitol is normally open for tours Monday through Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. However, this may change due to security concerns. You are encouraged to call the Capitol Guide Service Recorded Information Line at 202-225-6827 for the latest tour information.

Many congressional offices offer staff guided tours of the Capitol building. This is generally the best and easiest way to get in to see the Capitol. Just contact your Member of Congress or Senators’ office to request a tour during your visit. Please contact offices well in advance of your trip (at least 30 days in advance) to improve the chances that they will be able to schedule a tour for you.

To take a guided tour of the Capitol, which will allow you to see the Old Supreme Court Chamber, the rotunda, the crypt, and Statuary Hall, you can line up to get tickets at the ticket kiosk at Garfield Circle Southwest (near the Botanical Gardens) starting at 8:15 a.m. until all that day's tickets have been distributed. You will want to the ticket kiosk early (between 6 - 7 a.m.) to get a good space in line. Tickets tend to run out between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Your ticket will be for a specific time later in the day when you can tour the Capitol. All members of your group need to be present when you are picking up the tickets in the morning.

If you would like to visit the galleries of the Senate and/or the House of Representatives please contact your Member of Congress or Senators’ offices for gallery passes. These passes are required to visit the galleries. The galleries are open to view whenever either body is in session.

The line for entry to the Senate Gallery is at the North side of the Capitol. The line for entry to the House of Representatives Gallery is found at the South side of the Capitol.

 

Visiting the Northwest

Restaurants // Accommodations // Tourism // Entertainment

What can we say – it’s the best place in the whole wide world. The list below proves it.

Two tips:

1) Don’t pack an umbrella. Either your hotel will have one to borrow, or it will not rain enough to need one. Instead bring a light coat with a hood.

2) Unless you are coming for a specific business reason that necessitates it, don’t pack a suit. The Northwest is very casual. There is not a single restaurant or place that requires a coat and tie (that we can think of). A sports coat, at most, will suffice.

NW Favorite Restaurants
  • Cafe Juanita - One of the best restaurants in Washington. Located in Kirkland, the five star food and wine make it worth the drive.
  • Dick's Drive In – A Seattle fast-food institution, home of the hand-made shake and the Dick’s Deluxe burger.
  • Dusty's In-and-Out – Cheap old burger place in Wenatchee. Located at 1427 N. Wenatchee Blvd.
  • The Hub – Pizza, pasta and pints in the Tacoma stadium district.
  • Il Terrazzo Carmine – Fine Italian dining in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district.
  • Lola – Greek and North African in downtown Seattle, with a well-regarded breakfast. We alsorecommend other Tom Douglas restaurants such as Dahlia Lounge and Etta’s.
  • Matt's at the Market – Stop salivating looking at all the beautiful produce and seafood at the Pike Place Market. Go to Matt’s to actually eat some of this great stuff prepared in the freshest ways possible. With a great view of Elliott Bay and the Olympics.
  • Metropolitan Grill/El Gaucho – Want a big cut of red meat in a classic steakhouse setting? Flip a coin between the Metropolitan Grill and El Gaucho. Both do a great job with cocktails, awesome wine lists, great steaks, and they absolutely kill your American Express card, too. Isn’t that what a great steakhouse does?
  • Pacific Grill – Fine dining on downtown Tacoma’s restaurant row.
  • The Palace Kitchen – A nother Tom Douglas restaurant. This one is casual, and more like a big bar where you can get first-rate food in a fun atmosphere. Also, one of Seattle’s later eating establishments if you are looking for a late night or post-theater dinner or snack.
  • Pink Door – Quaint Italian-American in Post Alley in Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
  • The Pump House, Bellevue – The Eastside’s burger joint. Great food, freshly made tartar sauce and dressings, and loads of beers to choose from. A favorite gathering place for years.
  • Purple – Sophisticated, metropolitan food in Seattle and Kirkland
  • Ray's Boathouse – Solid salmon and fun bar, plus a good NW-centric wine list. A+ views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
  • Salumi – This is Mario Batali’s father’s place. If you can get in/or don’t mind the long line that wraps around the block around lunchtime, it’s worth the effort. When the weather is good, get your food to go and walk one block north to the beautiful, charming Waterfall Park. One of our all-time Seattle favorites.
  • Volterra – Italian in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. “One of my favorite restaurants in the world,” says Rachel Ray.
  • Wild Ginger – A Seattle classic, with a brand new Bellevue restaurant, as well. We have yet to find a place that does this concept (pan-Asian) better.
  • Xinh’s Shellfish Restaurant in Shelton – A former champion oyster shucker is now putting out amazing shellfish-based meals in the small town of Shelton.
NW Favorite Hotels/Accommodations NW Favorite Tourist activities in NW NW Favorite Entertainment Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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