Moving to Seattle via Australia and Asia?

When most people decided to pick up and move they might do it by packing up all of their stuff, trying to fit it all in a U-Hall truck and head across the country to their new home. Well Kelsey and I thought that was kind of boring so we decided to make it a bit more exciting than that. ;)

Next year Kelsey is starting her first year of graduate school and I am going with her. So that means we are packing up or selling all of our things and moving across the country from Washington, D.C. to Seattle. I love Seattle, and it's where my parents live, so I can't wait to get out to the Pacific Northwest. I lived with my parents in the Seattle area for one year before heading off to school in Washington, D.C. But they live almost 30 miles south of the city so I can't wait to actually live in the Seattle proper area. I also can't wait to get involved with the frequent traveler group that is organized by Scottrick at Hack My Trip.

So what does that mean for our blog? Well....Do It For the Points! is becoming a bicostal blog. JD and I love this hobby, and we really enjoy writing this blog. Since we started writing it we have met so many great people in this community that we can't imagine not continuing with the blog. Plus we see it as a benefit. JD can give you the east coast perspective and I can give you the perspective of moving to a new coast, dealing with a new airport and deciding if I am going to switch my primary airline (more on that later).

But back to our new and innovative way to move! If you have been reading in the past few months you might have seen Kelsey's series on how we booked our trip in July to Australia. The route out is on oneworld partners and the route back is on Star Alliance partners. We have also managed to get an amazing routing on the way back that is going to allow us to stop in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver (via Beijing) before landing in Seattle. When we originally booked the trip we didn't know where we would be moving this summer so we planned a stop-over in Seattle to visit my parents. As it became clear that the Emerald City was calling our name we decided to just cut off our return to Washington, D.C. and settle back in our new home. So yes, we really are moving from Washington, D.C. via Dallas, Brisbane, Sydney, Cairns, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Vancouver...that's normal isn't it?




 But here's where I need your help. We have decided to pack up and sell most of our furniture and purchase new furniture when we arrive in Seattle so we don't need a moving company. But we are planning on shipping two cars from DC and shipping most of our clothes and other possessions...so I was hoping that some of you travelers out there might have suggestions on how you have moved in the past or companies that you could recommend?

Also...if anyone knows of anyone hiring for a public relations/social media professional in the Seattle area, please let me know!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

FTUDC Restaurants!

As FTUDC  approaches and millions (ok maybe a few hundred) frequent fliers and miles/points lovers descend on Washington, D.C. I figured it was the perfect time to use my seven years in DC to put out some of my favorite restaurants to enjoy while visiting that won't be swarming with tourists and won't be a chain experience that will leave you wanting more. (Thanks to Thrifty Tourist for asking for recommendations and inspiring this post!)

Before starting a list it's important to give you the lay of the land. The suggestions that I have will be specifically for the Washington, D.C. downtown area, not the area where FTU will be held, which is in Tysons Corner in Virginia. As you can see on the below Google Map the "A" is the Hilton where all of the FTU events will be held. If you look to downtown Washington, right under the words "Washington" on the map is the National Mall (Your Monuments, Smithsonian Museums and US Capitol). So as you can see there is quite a distance. 

But if you come into town early and spend some time in DC to do some sightseeing then you will need to eat and I have you covered. (PS If you need a dining companion or if anyone wants to get a pre-FTUDC DO meal going, let me know). 

1. Founding Farmers - 1924 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20006 (Metro: Foggy Bottom or Farragut West)

"Since September 2008, the award-winning Founding Farmers has been one of the country’s leading restaurants to offer farm-inspired American True Food & Drink in a modern, casual, andeco-friendly setting. From our modern farmhouse, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch menus include homemade and “scratch-made” traditional American classics inspired by the heartland.

A collective of American family farmers owns our restaurant. We source our fresh products from family farms, ranches, and fisheries across the United States. We celebrate and share the longstanding connection between farmers — the first to lead the “green” movement — and their historic stewardship of natural resources.

We believe that everyone benefits by knowing more about the sources of the food they eat; we work diligently to ensure our restaurants walk the talk on matters of sustainability. Take comfort knowing that when ingredients are available locally and it is sensible for us to buy them, we do so.

We look forward to seeing you — and to sharing the best of our True Food & Drink."

The food at Founding Farmers, located just a few blocks from the White House, is good for any meal, but I especially love their brunch and dinner. If you are going for brunch you have to try one of their farm fresh benedicts or their red velvet pancakes, which are made with half pancake batter, half red velvet cake batter. You also MUST order one of their Made-to-order beignets which are not made until someone orders them and take 20 minutes so order as soon as you sit down. If you are going for dinner you have to try their popcorn of the day for an appetizer or their cornbread which comes with honey butter that is literally honey mixed with butter. 

If you are someone who enjoys a good cocktail then Founding Farmers also has you covered. They infuse all of their alcohol in house and have an amazing set of cocktails. My favorite is to actually let the bartender choose what cocktail to make me. The server will ask what types of alcohol you like and which ones to stay away from and then the bartender will create something from that! 

2. RFD (Regional Food and Drink) - 810 7th Street, NW Washington, D.C. (Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown or Metro Center) 

"RFD is code for B-E-E-R and no place in town has a beer list quite like it. In face, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER proclaimed RFD's tap lineup the "Best Draft Beer Selection" in all of D.C." 

With over 300 bottles of beer on offer and a further 30-40 draft beers they most likely have what you want to drink...if they don't have the beer you like...well I just don't know what to tell you. The restaurant is located in the Chinatown area and is near the Verizon Center which is the home of the Washington Capitols, Wizards, Mystics and Georgetown University Basketball. Outside of the beer list they have tons of great food options, including my favorite the grilled cheese and tomato soup...or the tater-tots...you can't go wrong with either! 

Best news for Frequent Flyers...They are a Dining Rewards Member!!! 

3. Good Stuff Eatery - 303 Pennsylvania Ave, SE Washington, D.C. (Metro: Capitol South)

"HEREIN, WHERE GOOD PEOPLE 

...make good stuff, stands a restaurant committed to freshness, fellowship and friendliness: Good Stuff Eatery - quite frankly, the best way for Capitol Hill and surrounding areas to enjoy handmade burgers, hand-cut fries and handspun ice cream shakes that'll make you come back again and again.

We hope you're hungry" 

This Capitol Hill burger shop is a great place to look for DC Celebraties or Villains...depends on your opinion of Congress. ;) I've seen dozens of Congressmen and women here along with lots of Hill staff sampling their dozens of burger and fry combinations and pairing it with delicious milkshakes. It's so good that President Obama has visited. 

The restaurant was started by famous chef, Spike Mendelsohn and he has put together a great fresh menu full of many different kinds of burgers. My favorite is the free range turkey burger with avocado, munster, tomato and lettuce. I pair that with some fresh fries and a sampling of their different mayo dipping options including chipotle, old bay and sriracha. 

These are just a few of my absolute favorite options...if you need more suggestions just drop me a note! (chris@doitforthepoints.com) I can't wait to meet all of you at FTU and I really hope that you enjoy your time in the Nation's Capitol. It's a beautiful city with many things to offer outside of the National Mall. Get out of the tourist zones and explore the different neighborhoods and you will see the other side of DC. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

Insiders Guide to the National Cherry Blossom Festival

The Yoshino cherry trees, which were first given to the United States in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo as a gift to Washington, D.C. are well on their way to peek bloom levels and that only means one thing....the tourists are coming....oh sorry sorry sorry I put on my DC hat there for a second. No, it means that one of the most beautiful times of the year to be in Washington, D.C. is on it's way: The National Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from March 20 to April 14, 2013 in and around the Tidal Basin area of the city.

If you want the insiders guide to the Cherry Blossom Festival, we've got you covered. This year it looks like there is some disagreement as to when the trees will hit their "Peak Bloom" when over 70% of the blooms are open. The National Parks Service, which maintains the Tidal Basin and the Yoshino cherry trees, estimates that the Peak Bloom will occur between March 26-30. The weather forecasters over at the Washington Post say that the bloom might actually occur closer to April 5 due to a colder winter. But the first signs of the blossoms should be coming in the next few weeks so even if you aren't in town for the peak bloom days you will still get a good view of all of these beautiful trees.

 The bad part about the Cherry Blossom Festival is that it is one of the busiest times in Washington, D.C. for tourists. It's right around spring break time for lots of schools and that means families and 8th grad3 Washington trips as far as the eye can see. As a visitor to the city this may not phase you that much, but you will notice it at the Tidal Basin if you try and go in the middle of the day or on the weekends. If you go during those times be prepared to squeeze your way through everyone and having a difficult time getting a good shot of the trees without someone in the background.

If you want to live DC like a local and see the Cherry Blossoms without too much hassle you have to plan on going down on a weekday morning before everyone else has a chance to make it down and while Washingtonians are busy working.

The easiest way to get to the Tidal Basin is to take the Metro system to Smithsonian station. You will want  to go early, but on a weekday just wait until after 9:00 and you will be much happier because commuters will not be blowing by you or rushing you onto a train. But, make sure you follow the basic rules of the DC Metro system. On all escalators you stand on the right and walk on the left side. Safest bet is for everyone to just stand in a single file on the right side and you won't get grief from anyone trying to run for the train. Second rule is that once you reach the bottom of that escalator, keep walking! If you stop at the bottom that means everyone behind you will keep moving and run into you...you don't want this. Third rule is that the easiest way to figure out our Metro system is to look where you are going and find the color of the line that you need to take and the end station on the end of that line. All trains have their line color and the end station (with a few exceptions during rush hour) on them so you know you are on the right train. If you are going to use the Metro system for your whole visit, which I would recommend, consider getting a SmartTrip Card  which will cost you $10 per card, but it will get you $5 in Metro fare and you can reload it at any time and it will save you $1 per use over a paper card.

 When you arrive at the Smithsonian station you will exit on the Independence Avenue side and you will want to cross Independence Avenue and walk on the south side of the street until you cross 15th Street SW and you will take a left and walk down 15th St until you hit Maine Ave SW and you will see the Tidal Basin across the street. The cherry blossoms are all around the Tidal Basin but most people crowd around the area right by Maine Ave so make sure you walk around until you get rid of the main mess of crowds  and you will have a spectacular view!

There is one parking lot that has very very limited parking so unless you have someone with you that has trouble walking or has a disability I would suggest you save yourself the headaches and stress and just let Metro do the driving and work. In the end you be much more excited to enjoy this view as long as you want.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

1,000 Bonus Points for US Airways Shuttle Flights

HT Heels First Travel

Since we are a DC based blog, I wanted to pass along this offer to our fellow DC Business Travelers.

US Airways is offering 1,000 bonus miles for each US Airways Shuttle flight taken through February 28, 2013. This is in addition to the 500 Preferred-qualifying miles that you get already. You must register here, book and travel in the month of February to earn the miles. From the wording of this offer, previously booked flights will not trigger the bonus.

FYI: A shuttle segment is a nonstop flight from Washington (DCA) to New York City (LGA) or Boston. 

The nitty gritty, fine details:

"Travel on any US Airways Shuttle flight between February 1 - 28, 2013 and earn 1,000 bonus miles for each segment flown. A US Airways Shuttle segment is any nonstop flight operated between Washington DC (DCA), New York City (LGA) and Boston. Customers with itineraries that do not contain a US Airways Shuttle flight are not eligible for bonus miles. Customers with itineraries that contain a US Airways Shuttle segment will only receive the bonus for that segment. For example, if you fly from New York (LGA) to Washington DC (DCA) to Phoenix, you’ll earn the promotional bonus only on the New York (LGA) to Washington, DC (DCA) US Airways Shuttle segment. Bonus is earned on base flight miles only on flights operated by US Airways Shuttle. Miles bonus will not count toward Preferred status. US Airways will award bonus miles one to two weeks after you register and travel has been completed."

This is a pretty generous bonus. Normally, this is for stand alone shuttle flights. In this case, if a segment of your flight itinery has a shuttle flight, than the bonus is triggered. Not a bad promotion if you need to go to these cities from Washington, DC.

Important: You must register to get the promotion. Here is the link again.

Two Weekends and Two Trips to Portland...What Should We Do?

Last week United plugged in an amazing fare from Washington, D.C. to Portland ranging from $171-193 which average out to a great cents per mile that we don't usually see in DC on UA. I jumped on one fare last week for March with Kelsey and my parents are going to drive down from Seattle to visit us, which I could not be more excited about.

But today my friend Joe texted me and said that the deal was still around for the weekend before that and asked if I would want to go again. After going back and forth a few times and moved what I had scheduled for that weekend around I had the itch and I knew that I had to go...I couldn't miss out on this fare and I couldn't miss out on a trip with friends. Joe texted JD in the meantime and he jumped on it with us so we are going to have a nice guys weekend up in the Pacific Northwest!

Even though I lived in Seattle for a few years before going off to college I only made it down to Portland a few times so I don't really know what we should do (besides the obvious Powell's Books and Voodoo Doughnut) so we need your help! Do you live in Portland? Have you been to Portland recently? What can we not miss? Where should we stay? We are at your will and need your help!!!

Until then...I'll just be dreaming of a delicious doughnut and a nice cold glass of microbrew!

Merry Christmas from DC

Though JD and I are both headed out of DC for Christmas, I wanted to wish all of you that celebrate a very Merry Christmas. For those that don't, I hope that you have a happy, healthy and great holiday season with lots of family, friends and good travel weather.

Happy Holidays From Us!

DC Like a Local: Happy Hour

If you ask any Washingtonian what their favorite past time is, besides making fun of summer interns, they will most likely say Happy Hour. There is not many things that defines Washington, D.C. and brings people across party lines (had to make a political reference, it's in the rules) than a good Happy Hour in DC. Everyone had their favorite watering hole and there is a good chance that when you walk by a table at a high class K Street bar or a Dive down the street you will find everyone from Hill Staffers to upper level lobbyists and heads of agencies all sitting down for a drink.

So, if you are visiting DC and truly want to live like a local, you have to take part in Happy Hour and see the locals in their element after a hard day making sausage (or laws as most people like to call them).

I've picked my three favorite Happy Hour places in three different categories for three different budget levels (an DC titles to go with them) so you can hopefully find the place and atmosphere that is right for you.

The Intern

The Bottom Line 
1716 "I" (Or Eye in some places) St, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Metro Stops: Farragut North or West

This bar is my absolute favorite in Washington. I will use any excuse to go here, that may be because it's a University of Kansas bar, but I also love to go here for the no frills attitude and budget helping prices.

Most people would call this a "dive bar" but this is a dive bar that will find 20 year olds next to 60 year olds having a good drink.

Their happy hour specials and food specials can't be beat. If you are in town on a Friday they have a beer special that is $1 a bottle from 4pm - 7pm. On Tuesdays some of their appetizers are only $3 each. My friends and I will head here for our every other week standing Happy Hour and pick out one of each of their six choices and chow down and the bill will end up only being around $15 per person.


The Hill Staffer 

Capitol Lounge 
231 Pennsylvania Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Metro Stop: Capitol South

This Capitol Hill bar is a just steps from some of the House of Representative Office Buildings and is a frequent haunt of Hill Staffers looking to unwind after a long day of votes and political fights. The staff here is amazing and you can tell they really care about their customers and want them to relax. If the upstairs bar is packed, make sure to head down to the downstairs bar and find a place to hang out there.

They have a great beer selection and a set of specials every night that ranges from pizza to ribs to a chef's choice. My favorite is the Tuesday special of .25 wings all night!

The Lobbyist 

The Prime Rib 
2020 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Metro Stops: Farragut West or Foggy Bottom

If you are in town and want a drink in an upscale atmosphere with the high and powerful of Washington, one of your best bets is to head to The Prime Rib on K Street, what is considered the center of lobbying shops in DC.

The bar doesn't really have any drink specials, but you can find an expensive wine list and a full selections of spirits to fit your hearts desire.

Make sure you get a spot by the door so you can see who is coming in and out, you never know who you might see heading in for dinner.


Hope this list will help you have a truly Washington, DC experience. As always, if you are going to be in town, let me know and hopefully we can meet up for a drink!

Pete's Diner Washington, D.C.

This is cheating a bit since I live in Washington, D.C. but I realize that it's a very popular tourist destination and when people come to visit they sometimes want to live like a local and avoid all of the "tourist" options for dining and entertainment so I figured it was a great time to start a "Live Like a Local DC" section of the blog.

In these posts I will try to post great options for every meal, including brunch because in DC brunch is a meal...no an experience in and of its self. Then I'll move on to my favorite sites in DC that go beyond the National Mall and the typical tourist spots.

So....to kick this off I have to start with one of my absolute favorite places in DC to get breakfast. The weird thing about DC as a city is there are very few true breakfast places. As I mentioned, brunch places are very abundant, but a true breakfast place is hard to find.

My favorite breakfast place is just a 2 minute walk from the Capitol Building, Pete's Diner. Pete's is everything you are looking for in a good diner style place. When you walk in this place is tiny...there are about five booths, nine or so barstools and a longggggg table with benches on either side that you can sit at. All seating is first-come first-serve so you can just take a seat anywhere. If you come in on a Saturday morning around 8:30 you will find me and my friend Chris camped out in the second to last booth. It's been our Saturday tradition since our senior year of college and we've reached the point where they know our order and we don't even have to formally order anymore.

That's the beauty of Pete's, the staff has an amazing memory and knows all of their regulars. Their regulars are everyone from Hill Staffers to Capitol Policemen to Members of Congress. Speaker John Boehner used to be a regular every morning and still pops in every once and a while when Congress is in session. Just today there were at least eight new Members of Congress that will start work in january with the 113th Congress.

Pete's is really no-frills the menu is plastic but there are specials all over the wall which is where your eye should go. The specials on the wall have most of my favorite items like the the Pete's Number 2-B which is two eggs, home fries, bacon and toast...why it's 2-B I have no idea. The decor on the walls consists of a bunch of random paintings, letters from Members of Congress and police badges from all over the country.

When you order you better not blink because your food will be there in a flash and the coffee cup will never see the bottom. The food is nothing fancy, but it's exactly what you are looking for before a long day walking across the city.

I have no idea what the bottom of these cups look like

Random Wall Decorations 

Inside Seating 

Outside Seating 

Forgot to take a picture before eating again....

Bright Spot in the AA Debacle

It's been widely written that American Airlines is having lots of troubles with their staff, especially their pilots, using every tactic they can to delay flights in protest of their contract terms. The result has been two big write ups in Slate and The New York times with folks experiencing horrible delays and even a 30 hour trip from Paris to New York.

I had the unfortunate luck to be on one of the "delayed" flights on Friday night. The flight was from Washington National to Chicago O'Hare. The plan was for Kelsey and I to catch the 5:00 flight and be in Chicago by 7:00 to meet up with her friend and parents who were in town for her birthday (Happy Birthday Kelsey!). We left the office around 3:30 and after getting stuck in the traffic from a motercade (#DCProblems) we made it to National and we were through security by 4:15 only to find that our flight had been delayed until 6:15.

Luckily I had purchased a 30-day Admirals Club Membership at the beginning of September to try it out so we headed straight for the lounge. The crew in the lounge was great, they kept everyone in good spirits (using spirits mostly) despite the delay.

But as 6:15 drew close my phone rang and it was AA letting me know the flight had been moved to 6:40. That turned into 7:10, 7:45, and 8:10. The delays just kept adding up as our plane was still in Chicago and hadn't even left the gate. Finally a nice lady from the desk in the club let us know that the plane had left and 8:10 would be the leave time they were shooting for.

The plane did end up making it to DC in time to leave at 8:10...but with everyone carrying on their bag we didn't actually leave until 8:40 which got us to our hotel in Chicago around 10:45.

I had planned to write into AA to complain about the delay when I got back to DC last night....but on Saturday morning I had the following e-mail in my inbox:

Dear Christopher:
You are a good customer and we let you down when we didn't get you to your destination as planned. We are so sorry! In appreciation of your understanding (and to help minimize any lingering frustration you may still have), we've credited your AAdvantage® account with 3000 bonus miles. Take a look at your account via http://www.aa.com/aadvantage in a couple of days, and the adjustment will be there. Please continue flying with us. We are committed to providing our customers with the kind of outstanding service they expect, and deserve, from us. We hope to see you aboard American again soon.
Sincerely,
XXXXX XXXXXX
Customer Relations
American Airlines I appreciate AA reaching out proactively to apologize for the delay and offer something to help ease the sting a little bit. What do you think? 3,000 enough?