Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center — Attraction in Washington

WORST AFTER HOURS PARKING EVER

Yesterday I encountered one of the worst parking experiences at the RRB garage.  I Valeted on the third floor in the morning and that went exceptionally well.  I returned later around 8 PM to collect my car.  I went all the way down to the B3 level on the Penn side and saw a sign in the Valet box stating I needed to go to B1 to collect my keys.  B1 is NOT easily accessible from B3 on the Penn side, in fact I needed to have a guard escort me to find my way.  Upon walking up to the box on B1 I noticed the attendant was on the phone, looking to the left I saw a parking attendant and showed my claim ticket to this person.  They stated I was in the wrong place and I needed to go speak to the attendant on B4, I explained the sign in the box on b3 said come to B1, he said no, you need to go to B4 and I'll call that person and make sure they are there which he did.  So I then went to B4.  Spoke to the attendant there and he noted he didn't have my keys because they were where the sign said they would be, at B1 box...  He was incredibly kind, apologetic and walked with me all the way back to B1 to the Box, got me my key and walked me to my car on B3 and ensured I was taken care of.  This took nearly 45 mins of my evening. I am exceptionally frustrated because I was literally 6 feet from my key the FIRST time I was on B1.  I'm not sure who the attendant was working on B1 last evening, but I strongly suggest they are thoroughly trained on late shift operations because this was a miserable...

Best place to park if you are visiting the National Mall. Centrally located, affordable parking, open 24/7. Just be aware they'll do a security check on your car (trunk and undercarriage primarily) before you park. This is practically next door to the White House. If you want to do the Mall in one day, start here, swing through the ellipse to the West end of the mall to catch the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Monument, and Vietnam Memorial. If you start at about 9-10, this will get you to lunch time, and you can get lunch at the many street vendors, or, plan ahead and make a lunch reservation at Old Ebbitt Grill when you walk by it in the morning near the White House. After lunch, head East and check out one or two Smithsonian Museums. Air and Space and Natural History are popular. If you'd like to see the Constitution and Declaration of Independence you can wait in line at the National Archives or plan about a month or so ahead and get timed-entry tickets online to bypass the line. I recommend not eating at the Natural History Museum. However, if it's your bag, get tickets to the Bible Museum. It's just a few blocks South of the Mall and has excellent food. Trendy dinner fare can be had near Dupont Circle or East...

I will lay it out straight: there's a real problem at the food court in the Reagan Center, and it's time we addressed it head-on. Now, you know me, I don't mince words. This isn't just about a subpar meal but the downright dishonest practice of not displaying prices. That's not the American way. When families and schools bring their kids to D.C., they expect transparency, not to be blindsided by sky-high prices. For what reason? Mediocre food? It's simply unacceptable. Furthermore, the staff there could use a lesson in manners. For heaven's sake, we're talking about a place frequented by children. The level of professionalism is so low it's practically in the basement. And don't get me started on the overall atmosphere—overpriced, overcrowded, and just plain chaotic. It's a free-for-all where even the guards seem to have forgotten the meaning of hospitality. To top it all off, my experience ended with a distressing bout of illness on the ride back. That's no way to treat...