You can add maybe 2 more names to that list. Marc had been keeping up to date on the gathering in Sept.

My sister lives in Baltimore, and I live in the valley below Camp David. JOY, JOY when Bush comes over for a visit. The jets were out in full force over the weekend.

Jan, Carole.

You would have made a GREAT DIL

Hi Jan,

I've added your names. I'm thrilled that you will be joining us!

I hope you are doing well!

Hi Denise,

Was in Hopkins for 10 long days.... with complications. Radiation is all done. Radical surgery will be in June- shall be ready for the get together when it is scheduled. Staying perky. Perfect timing for the DC get together.
Thanks for asking.
Jan

Jan,

So very sorry to hear of your complications. I am wishing you far better days to come! I hope you continue to be positive and stay strong! You have lots of LCT friends pulling for your complete recovery!

Please let us know how you're coming along. Once again, it will be a pleasure to meet you and your sister!

Jan: No better way for a good feeling when you are down then an LCT meeting - Have been thinking about you tons!! Joanna

Joanna,

You can give Jan a hug in person - on Sept. 30!

Jan, will be thinking about you and hope you are doing well.

Nancy

I can easily add your name to the list, Nancy! How about it?

I love all of you and you know it I hope!!!! I would love to be with you...Nancy how are you doing????

Joanna,
Sure do know it! :hug:

Denise, Add my SO, Randy to the list. I am sure he will want to come.

I bet Crystal will want to join us, too. I'll get in touch with her. Thx...

Hi Beth,

How great! Randy has been added and Crystal is on the ??? List. Hopefully, she will be able to join us.

Our list is growing and it's only April!! Anyone else? I bet we can out-do and surpass MIMOSA!

Oh Oh I can tell I've missed some thread somewhere!

Jan - sorry to hear of your complications, and I do hope all goes well. Keep those positive vibes....and I will send some positive thoughts your way to help!! :hug: :hug:

Nancy ????? how are you doing (I think I'v missed something here too). In any case, I will send some of those positivie vibes your way as well and hope things are better. :hug: :hug:

Here I am! Most assuredly, count me in. Since I'm on the ground here, I can do some of the planning, etc.

Hi Crystal

How wonderful to add you to the list!

I would really appreciate your assistance in this. Thanks so much!

Yeah, Crystal!!!!!!! So glad you are joining the group. What fun we will have.....

:pass:

The RSVP list is growing!

I am hoping to book our air in the next few days. Just received a free companion voucher from United in the mail today. Two-for-one air! YAY!

Great Denise - that certainly helps!!! A freebee is a freebee! right?

OK, well I can volunteer to help too - I'm just not good with restaurants in DC as we actually don't go there very often - now if you want Tysons Corner or Vienna, then I can help!! :D But there is plenty of time to work it out, and I am sure that we will come up with the best scenario!

Thank you, JoAnn. Lots of time to figure things out. We will not have a rental car, so if we can arrange a central location to meet, that would be ideal. We'll have everyone give their suggestions and opinions and come up with something truly fantasic!

Free is always good. Airfares are so high right now from SOCAL to DC. I've been monitoring the fares for a few months and noticed little, if any, change for the better. Now that I have the cert, I can move forward in a few days and book. Booking air always makes a trip a little closer to reality for me!

Although I am not going, I was in DC not all that long ago and we had a group go to dinner every night of the conference so we ate well.

One night we went to Old Ebbbit's Grill - Denise, if you do not go there with the group, go there.
It's near the White House, very reasonable and the menu was quite varied. We really had a lovely dinner there. They sat us out in the lobby/atrium the food was delish (I had Maryland Crabcakes)but we were a party of 16 that night. If price wasn't an object, I'd say go to Kincaids - THAT was a Signature's experience.

Thanks, Kathy. Actually, I saw a good review on Old Ebbit's Grill, I think in Zagat, and thought that would be a good place to try.

To be considerate to all budgets, I think someplace nice and moderate would be the direction to go for a group. Eat well, have fun and not destroy the budget.

Well the Old Ebbits has changed over the years, and it is now owned by the Clyde's group, so its actually not as good as it use to be when it was an independent - but that said, the food is good, reasonable and its got a lot of atmosphere - although I personally don't like the lobby atrium area, it definitely looses something from the main restaurant - thats where they tend to put larger groups since most of the tables inside don't accommodate more than 6 or 8, but if the group doesn't go there Denise, and you and Alan do by yourselves - make a reservation and ask for the main dining room. Anyway, thats a good possibility though, and is not far from your hotel actually, if I remember right. I'll do some research and see if I can come up with some ideas.

Hi JoAnn,

I trust the judgement of the "locals." Open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

I saw these in Zagat:

Georgia Brown's
www.gbrowns.com

Red Sage
www.redsage.com

Any thoughts on these restaurants?

We ate at Georgia Browns with our group. Very close to where we stayed The food was wonderful and service good. We had about 25 that night, but they had us seated at small tables of 4-6 - no bigger tables or private area. New Orleans/Southern fare.

Old Ebbitts Grill is a great place to eat dinner. And the bar area is excellent. Was down there awhile ago and close to the White House. Sister- Carole is down there all the time- she needs to chime in. I will see her tomorrow.
Jan

Thanks, Kathy and Jan.

Jan, I'd appreciate some input from Carole, please.

Hi everyone. I would make three suggestions for dinner restaurants near the Willard Hotel -- The Old Ebbitt Grill, The Occidental and 701 Restaurant. Here are their websites.

http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?Section=Main&Category=Menus

http://www.occidentaldc.com/index.php

http://www.701restaurant.com/

All are nice. All have valet parking since downtown DC is quite congested on weekends and street parking is limited. The Old Ebbitt Grill can be a bit noisy and crowded and has the least inspired menu. The Occidental is right next door to the Willard and also can be a bit crowded and noisy. My personal favorite is 701 which is at 7th and Pennsylvania Ave. It's more intimate and the food is very good and reasonably priced.

My recommendation for a dinner like ours would be to avoid the trendy restaurants which tend to be crowded and rushed.

Georgia Brown's is nice but a bit cramped. Red Sage has great food but is quite overpriced.

Looking forward to meeting all of you. Tom.

Thanks, Tom! I appreciate your input and suggestions. All look very appealing. We'll get a few more suggestions and then put it to a vote. Marc and Arlene are returning soon from ROAR, so we'll wait for them to offer some suggestions, as well.

We are really eager for this get-together! Just booked our air today!

We have our D.C. tix in our hot little hands!!

Tom's suggestions sound good, he certainly knows more than we do, as I said we seldome go all the way into DC for dinner, usually only when we go to the theater.

Glad you got those tickets Denise - now its "official" and I will put the date in ink!!

Look forward to meeting everyone, and seeing Tom and Mona again, whom we've already met.

It's so appreciated when "locals" can make some great suggestions. I'm just the "instigator" of the get-together. I'd much prefer to leave dining suggestions to those in the know. Hopefully, others will chime in and we can take a vote and get a reservation for our group going, wherever that may be. Everything looks really wonderful, as far as the selection of restaurants.

Getting airline tix really does make a trip more of a reality for me. Tix and hotel reservations are in place...we're very good to go!

Mark the date in ink, JoAnn. I all ready did on our calendar!! :D

Denise that is excellent that you got your airfare booked and ready to come to the DC area.

Can't wait. Can we add another name- Barb- mother. She loves cruising and misses the Diamond ship.

Jan

Hi, Jan!

A pleasure to add Barb to our guestlist!

When I want to do something, I don't waste time! Airfare and seat availablity pushed me to get our tix sooner, rather than later. Glad we did!

Looking forward to being with so many wonderful LCT friends!

Back to the Washington, D.C. LCT get-together drawing board. Bumping this up so all who are going can continue the conversation and make some plans for dinner on Sept. 30.

Tom made some very good suggestions:

The Old Ebbitt Grill, The Occidental and 701 Restaurant. Here are their websites.

http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?Section=Main&Category=Menus

http://www.occidentaldc.com/index.php

http://www.701restaurant.com/

All are nice. All have valet parking since downtown DC is quite congested on weekends and street parking is limited. The Old Ebbitt Grill can be a bit noisy and crowded and has the least inspired menu. The Occidental is right next door to the Willard and also can be a bit crowded and noisy. My personal favorite is 701 which is at 7th and Pennsylvania Ave. It's more intimate and the food is very good and reasonably priced.

My recommendation for a dinner like ours would be to avoid the trendy restaurants which tend to be crowded and rushed.

Georgia Brown's is nice but a bit cramped. Red Sage has great food but is quite overpriced.


Anyone else want to offer up some great ideas?

Thanks, Denise. I keep remembering the get-together and hoping I won't accidently plan something else for that weekend. I'm sure we can get some the locals to find some great restaurants.

Hi Beth,

Sorry, but you're booked for the get-together. No other plans allowed!!!

Tom offered some interesting choices. Just want to begin the dialogue for others to voice their opinions. We can then put it to a vote.

Really looking forward to meeting you, as well as the others joining us.

Anyone else care to be added to the RSVP list?

Hi Denise,

I am looking forward to my first get-together, meeting you and Alan and the rest of the east coast LCTers!!

Just a little more than three months away. Looking forward to it. Tom.

Hi Tom,

Would you happen to know or can you find out if any of these restaurants are able to provide us with a prix fixe menu? It would make paying far more simple doing it this way, if at all possible.

Thanks! Looking forward to meeting you and Mona!