Local Information
Weather
People who live here expect August in the Washington, D.C. area to be hot, humid, and horrible. It often is. Daily high temperatures above 90°F are common, relative humidity above 90% is also common. Nightly lows above 80°F are not uncommon. However, on average you should expect high temperatures in the 80s and lows in the 70s with a slight breeze. In other words, hot but far less horrible than the folklore would have you believe.
Washington sometimes has dramatic thunder storms in August, and a hurricane is possible (although unlikely). For more details, see What is Washington, D.C.’s weather like in August?
Indoor Weather
While it will probably be hot outdoors it may be chilly indoors. Air conditioning is used both to cool and to dry the air. This means that it is sometimes too chilly indoors for people dressed for the outdoors. Bring a light sweater or jacket; you may want it.
Places to eat
There are quite a few restaurants within walking distance of the conference hotel. Here is list of restaurants in the downtown Rockville area. Local favorites include: Giuseppi's Pizza, Lebanese Taverna, and Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant.
Things to do in Washington
Start with an overview at washington.org
Getting Around in Washington
Ordinarily, we would recommend that you take the Metro. However, the Metro is undergoing extensive maintenance, which means extensive disruptions to service. In general, the Metro will be running during the day on weekdays, and will be very slow weekday evenings, and stations near the conference hotel will be closed on weekends. There will be bus service to connect the closed Metro stations, but it will be slower than the train. We suggest using the Metro Trip Planner. If you are looking for information for a future trip, click on "MORE OPTIONS" and tell the system when you want to travel.