Q: Can someone point out the safe / not-so-safe areas of DC around the conference location?

A: Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan are heavily-traveled, tourist-rich destinations. Standard big-city advice applies: avoid alleys and trust main drags and you should be fine. Despite DC's fearsome reputation, much of its violent crime is limited to parts of the city (e.g. along the Anacostia) quite far from downtown.

One small Metro caution: watch out for your iPod. There have been a few snatch-and-grabs of that specific item. -DSalo

Q: After the conference is over I have essentially one day for sight-seeing. What would you recommend as a 'must see', given that I only have limited time available?

A: Depends on the weather, somewhat. The Lincoln, Jefferson, Korean War, Vietnam War Memorials are all nice to see in good weather. My first choice would probably be some of the galleries at the Smithsonian (Smithsonian, Capitol South, or Federal Center SW metro). If you haven't been to Air and Space -- it's great but very busy. The National Gallery of Art, Natural History Museum, and American History Museum are all great, and right next to each other, and surrounded by metro stations. If there's a long line at one, you can just hop over to another one. If you've seen all of these on previous visits, you may not have seen the American Indian Museum.-- Christina Pikas, DSalo

Also consider the Library of Congress! Capitol South or Union Station metro. -DSalo

I'll second that suggestion, and recommend the LoC official tour. There is so much symbolism and artwork in the building that you might miss without a guide. -JSchult

If you're going to the Museum of the American Indian, it's a short walk from there to the US Botanic Conservatory. They've got an orchid expo going right now that is absolutely stunning. -DSalo

The WWII memorial is rather stunning and easy to get to. -MCasey

This year the Saturday after the conference ends is the first day of the world famous Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC, March 25-April 9. The big parade isn't until April 8, but click on the day you are interested in on their calendar to find out what events will be happening on that day. Alternatively, the Festival may bring large crowds to the Mall area on Saturday - a disadvantage. With the conference a little later than usual, the trees should be blooming during the conference, too, so you can go down to the Tidal Basin during the conference and enjoy the trees, too. -JSchult

If the weather is good, I would recommend walking over to the Arlington National Cemetery after visiting the Washington Monument, war memorials, and Lincoln Memorial. Just walk over the Potomac on the Memorial Bridge. This is usually more convenient than walking back to the Smithsonian Metro station to take the train to the Arlington Cemetery stop because of time and/or transfers. Plus, the views from the bridge are great. Don't forget a camera! -Julian Clark

The weekend of the conference will be a huge tourist weekend for DC because well over 10,000 people will be coming to town later in the week for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Regionals. This crowd will likely roll into town on Thursday for games on Friday and Sunday. Expect the usual touristy spots to be slightly more congested than usual on Saturday, even for late March. -Julian Clark

The Phillips Collection is an excellent bite-sized art museum down the hill from the conference hotel a block-and-a-half west of Connecticut Ave. Weekdays there is no admission charge for the permanent collection. There is a special exhibit on Degas, Sickert and Toulouse-Lautrec, admission $12, on through May 14th. -JMoore

Q: In the area near the conference hotel and Dupont Circle, is it necessary to make lunch reservations or is it pretty easy to get a table?

A: It might depend on the size of the crowd. For groups up to 6, no reservations should be necessary for lunch. The restaurants around that area are used to the business people wanting quick lunches. - Christina Pikas

Q: It looks like the Hilton Washington is all booked up. Are there recommendations for other hotels that would be within walking distance of the conference?

A: About.com has a list. I can't personally vouch for its accuracy, and I don't know anything about the hotels themselves. Anybody else? -DSalo

A: Check out the Windsor Park [http://www.windsorparkhotel.com] about 2 1/2 blook from the Hilton. Bill Conniff

A: Check out Jury's Normandy Inn on Wyoming Ave (http://www.jurys.com/usa/normandy.htm). Small rooms, but pretty good prices. Give them a call--online booking shows nothing available--but it did the same thing last time I stayed there, and they had several rooms available. S. Case

Q: What kind of weather can one expect for D.C. in late March?

A: One can expect the high temperatures to be in the upper 50s to lower 60s (14-17c) on a consistent basis, with the occasional warmer day. Winter is definitely over by late March, but it can still be fairly chilly at night. -Julian Clark

BUT - this area is notorious for large temperature swings -- from snow to 60 degrees in one day -- especially this time of year. Try to wear layers so you can add or subtract during the day. Bring an umbrella, too. - Christina Pikas

CURRENT FORECASTS ARE LOOKING QUITE CHILLY. Low 50s daytime, 20s-30s at night. Dress warm! -DSalo

Q: How roller-blade friendly is DC?

It's not. Potholes, bad sidewalks, crazy drivers. Leave them at home. barrett

Q: I'm coming in from Canada. I've done sightseeing in Washington before so I'd like to devote my free time (half a day or so) to shopping. Would there be a large department store walking distance from the hotel? Is there a good indoor mall with a dept. store or two that I could easilty take the Metro to? Any advice appreciated.

A: The Chevy Chase Pavillion is located at the Friendship Heights Metro stop (Red Line), five stops away from the conference hotel, right on the DC/Maryland border. The Mazza Gallerie is also near this Metro stop. One stop further out is Downtown Bethesda, which features more specialty shops. -Julian Clark

Also check out the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, just over the DC/Virginia border on the Blue/Yellow Line (on the way to or from Reagan National Airport). -Kirby Plessas

Q: I would like to go ballroom dancing one evening while in D.C. I’ve already visited the DC Dance Net and most places listed are not accessible by public transportation. Does anyone know of a ballroom dance that’s close by?

A:

Q: Can any recommend a good local beer to try out?

A: Don't know if it the beer is really good or not, I enjoy the ambiance so much I don't really care, ... But just up Connecticul Avenue from the hotel is the zoo (free) and at the outdoor concession nearest the panda exhibit one can order a local nameless microbrew and drink it while watching the tourists watch the pandas. If outdoor drinking and the sounds of mating flamingos in March aren't your idea of fun, or if the weather is awful, go across Connecticut to the Zoo Bar.