Area Information
PDF Document Downloads > Hotel Information Meeting Schedule Bus Tour Information Sheet Memo to Members PDF Registration Form
The NABC Fall Board Meeting will be held at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 9:30am. The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council has scheduled committee meetings on the same day beginning at 1:30pm. For your reference, a tentative meeting schedule is included with this memo.
The NABC Tour (optional) will be on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. The tour bus will leave the hotel at 8:00am and return at 5:00pm. The tour will visit various Washington DC Monuments & Museums. The cost of the tour is $45. An information sheet is included with this memo.
If mailing in your registration, members are asked to complete the enclosed NABC Fall Meeting Registration form and mail it, along with your total meeting registration fee, to the NABC office. Meeting Registration is due by September 8, 2008.
If you prefer to register online, the website is www.nabcblues.org. Click Registration and follow the prompts. Payment is available through PayPal.
As noted on the registration form, you will book your room directly with the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel and you must contact the hotel no later than Friday, September 8, 2008 to reserve your room and receive the NABC room rate of $169 per night. Phone reservations may be made by calling 1-800-HILTONS- Group ID: BCF.
Online Room Reservations Are Recommended. Go to the direct website at www.mclean.hilton.com. Plug in the dates of stay in the Check Availability section next to the photo of the hotel and hit “go”. Complete the Stay Information and Room Type Preferences section. Under the Special Accounts section, plug in the group code “BCF” in the group/convention code box and hit continue. Click the circle under Blueberry Council FA dates and hit continue. Complete reservation as required.
The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner is located just minutes from the Capital Beltway (Route 495) and Route 66. Parking spaces are complimentary. Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) are within 14 miles from the hotel. Transportation to and from the airport is available via Super Shuttle, Rental Car or Taxi.
The NABC Member price for the meeting and dinner is $125. The price for a NABC Member Spouse/Guest Dinner Only is $85.
Please complete your registration form as soon as possible and contact the NABC office if you have any question concerning the October meeting.
Flights. Washington DC is served by three major airfields.
Washington Dulles (DUL)
Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI)
Train Service. Amtrak runs high speed train service all over the Eastern Seaboard.
Visa Requirements. Note that visitors from Canada are required to hold valid passports. (view requirements)
Local transportation. Washington DC features an advanced subway system (Metro) that connects suburbs in Virginia and Maryland. It is also a good way to get around the center of the District. (view)
Walking City. The central core of DC is quite safe for walking, but note that the city empties out of people after the work day. Use common sense as there are pockets of dangerous areas in the District that should be avoided at any hour. (interactive map of DC)
Taxis. Taxis from the Airports are on a fixed price system. Inside the system, the Taxis charge by a zone system which is a mystery even to district residents. Ask in advance how many zones will be crossed or look on the map that is located in the taxi. This type of system leaves even experienced travelers open to being cheated. (DG Govt. Taxi page) If you read this and understand the system better, you are doing better than me!
Visits to Government Buildings. Washington is an open city of the people, but in recent years, ore and more government buildings are restricting access. If you must visit a government agency such as the USDA, make sure to have a call in advance to the person you are to meet, and bring identification. Laptop computers may not be allowed.