Guides travelers to Washington's best cultural and historic sights-and offers helpful hints on how to beat the crowds and avoid long waits More than 75 in-depth restaurant reviews explain where to find a good meal Incisive hotel ratings show how to find the best lodgings at the best prices Shows how to get around, how to see the government work, and where to find parks and outdoor activities.

Eve Zibart, AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS, INCLUDING The Unofficial Guide to New Orleans, The Unofficial Guide to New York, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for Grown-ups, and The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion, is a feature writer and restaurant critic for the “Weekend” section of the Washington Post; as the former nightlife columnist, she drew on her intimate knowledge of D.C.’s diverse after-hours scene as well as the area’s vast array of dining spots when writing our entertainment and restaurant sections. Eve also scoped out where to find the best deals for our chapter on shopping and gently reminded Joe that biking is only one form of exercise.

THE CONTRIBUTOR OF MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL WORK on this guide, Joe Surkiewicz has coauthored five titles in the Unofficial Guides series and written two guides to the best places to ride a mountain bike in the Mid-Atlantic states. Joe is communications director at the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland. He lives in Baltimore with his best friend and counselor, Ann Lembo. When not traveling or bicycling, they enjoy evenings curled up on the sofa with their black-and-white feline companions, Molly and Trixie, to watch blackand-white movies starring 1930s film divas Kay Francis, Norma Shearer, and Miriam Hopkins.

List of Maps	p. x
About the Author and Contributors	p. xi
Preface	p. xii
Introduction	p. 1
Welcome to Washington	p. 1
About This Guide	p. 4
Why "Unofficial"?	p. 4
Creating a Guidebook	p. 5
How Unofficial Guides Are Different	p. 5
Special Features	p. 6
How This Guide Was Researched and Written	p. 6
Letters, Comments, and Questions from Readers	p. 7
How Information Is Organized: By Subject and by Location	p. 8
Planning Your Visits	p. 11
When to Go	p. 11
Going When the Weather Is Good	p. 11
Avoiding Crowds	p. 12
Trying to Reason with the Tourist Season	p. 13
Calendar of Events	p. 14
What to Pack	p. 25
People with Special Needs	p. 26
Getting to Washington	p. 28
Driving	p. 28
Taking the Train	p. 29
Flying	p. 30
Accommodations	p. 33
Deciding Where to Stay	p. 33
Some Considerations	p. 33
Getting a Good Deal on a Room	p. 34
Where the Hotel Discounts Are	p. 35
Helping Your Travel Agent Help You	p. 38
If You Make Your Own Reservation	p. 39
How to Evaluate a Travel Package	p. 40
Tips for Business Travelers	p. 41
Lodging Convenient to Washington Convention Center	p. 41
Convention Rates: How They Work and How to Do Better	p. 41
Hotel and Motel Toll-free Numbers	p. 42
Accommodations: Rated and Ranked	p. 43
What's in a Room?	p. 43
Room Ratings	p. 47
How the Accommodations Compare	p. 48
Good Deals and Bad Deals	p. 52
Hotel Information Chart	p. 60
Visiting Washington on Business	p. 77
Not All Visitors Are Headed for the Mall	p. 77
The Washington Convention Center	p. 82
Lodging within Walking Distance of the Convention Center	p. 82
Parking at the Convention Center	p. 83
Cabs and Shuttles to the the Convention Center	p. 83
Lunch Alternatives for Convention and Trade-show Attendees	p. 83
A Convention Calendar	p. 84
Arriving and Getting Oriented	p. 87
Coming into the City	p. 87
By Car	p. 87
By Plane	p. 89
By Train	p. 93
A Geographic Overview of Washington	p. 94
City and Two States	p. 94
D.C.'s Street Plan	p. 94
Finding Your Way	p. 95
Things the Natives Already Know	p. 97
Where There's Smoke, There's the Feds	p. 97
The Metro: An Introduction	p. 97
Taxis	p. 98
Traffic	p. 98
The Neighborhoods	p. 98
Customs and Protocol	p. 101
Tips for the Disabled	p. 103
Telephones	p. 103
Restrooms	p. 103
How to Avoid Crime and Keep Safe in Public Places	p. 104
Crime in Washington	p. 104
Having a Plan	p. 106
Personal Attitude	p. 108
Self-defense	p. 108
Carjackings	p. 109
Ripoffs and Scams	p. 109
More Things to Avoid	p. 109
Help May Be Closer Than You Think	p. 109
The Homeless	p. 110
Getting around Washington	p. 113
Driving Your Car: A Really Bad Idea	p. 113
Traffic Hot Spots	p. 113
Parking	p. 117
Riding the Metro: A Really Good Idea	p. 117
A Clean, Safe Alternative	p. 117
How to Ride the Metro	p. 118
Metro Foibles and How to Cope	p. 127
Discounts and Special Deals	p. 128
Metrobus and Other Bus Systems	p. 129
Taxis	p. 130
Sightseeing Tips and Tours	p. 133
Plan Before You Leave Home	p. 133
Thinking in Categories	p. 134
Putting Your Congressperson to Work	p. 138
Operating Hours	p. 140
Rhythms of the City	p. 140
If You Visit During Peak Tourist Season	p. 141
Washington with Children	p. 142
The Best Inside Tours in Town	p. 146
Taking an Orientation Tour	p. 148
Get on the Bus, Gus	p. 149
Get Your Feet Wet	p. 151
Wheeling around Washington	p. 153
Wheels with Horsepower	p. 154
Hoofing It Yourself	p. 154
Get Up Close and Personal	p. 155
Optimum Adult Touring Plan	p. 156
Touring Strategies	p. 159
Attractions Grouped by Metro Station	p. 159
Seeing Washington on a Tight Schedule	p. 162
One-day Touring	p. 162
Excursions beyond the Beltway	p. 165
Helpful Hints	p. 167
A Worst-case Touring Scenario	p. 167
Travel Tips for Tourists	p. 168
Washington's Attractions	p. 175
Where to Go	p. 175
Time-saving Charts	p. 175
Attractions by Type	p. 176
Attractions by Location	p. 180
Attraction Profiles	p. 186
Dining and Restaurants	p. 261
Experiencing Washington Cuisine	p. 261
The New Washington Cookery	p. 261
Places to See Faces	p. 270
The New Downtown Dining	p. 272
The Restaurants	p. 273
Our Favorite Washington Restaurants	p. 273
Up and Coming at Press Time	p. 275
The Best...	p. 275
Restaurants by Cuisine, Then by Star Ratings	p. 276
Restaurants by Location	p. 280
Restaurant Profiles	p. 287
Shopping in Washington	p. 345
Mall Shopping	p. 345
Suburban Malls	p. 345
Malls in D.C.	p. 347
Flea Markets	p. 347
Great Neighborhoods for Window-Shopping	p. 348
Georgetown	p. 348
Adams-Morgan, U Street, and Logan Circle	p. 349
Chevy Chase	p. 351
Dupont Circle	p. 352
Bethesda	p. 353
Capitol Hill	p. 354
Old Town Alexandria	p. 354
Specialty Shops	p. 354
Entertainment and Nightlife	p. 363
Washington Nightlife: More Than Lit-up Monuments	p. 363
Legitimate Theater	p. 366
Comedy in Washington	p. 371
Live Pop, Rock, and Jazz	p. 372
Swing Your Partner	p. 376
Espresso and Eight-ball	p. 377
True Brews	p. 378
The Sex Thing	p. 378
More on the Safety Thing	p. 381
Profiles of Clubs and Nightspots	p. 382
Exercise and Recreation	p. 397
Working Out	p. 397
Walking	p. 397
Running	p. 398
Swimming	p. 403
Fitness Centers and Aerobics	p. 403
Tennis	p. 404
Rock Climbing	p. 404
Recreational Sports: Biking, Hiking, Kayaking, and So On	p. 405
Bicycling	p. 405
Hiking	p. 408
Canoeing and Kayaking	p. 409
Ice Skating	p. 410
Skiing	p. 410
Horseback Riding	p. 411
Golf	p. 411
Spectator Sports	p. 412
Appendixes	p. 415
Accommodations Index	p. 415
Restaurant Index	p. 417
Subject Index	p. 420
Unofficial Guide Reader Survey	p. 431
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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