I especially enjoy the lovely historic Willard Hotel in DC. Guests include many of our presidents including Lincoln when he was smuggled in by detective Pinkerton, as well as PT Barnum, Mark Twain, Buffalo Bill, Harry Houdini, Jenny Lind, etc. It's on Pennsylvania Ave (can't beat that!), 2 blocks from Metro Center (can't beat that!), and is central to just about everything in DC. I enjoy Georgetown but as others have noted, many of the shops are chain shops, and it's not easy to get to. There is a circulator bus which you can get either at Dupont Circle or the Rosslyn metro stops and that will take you to Georgetown. Check out some of the old stand-by eateries in DC. Bistro du Coin is wildly popular, and I especially like it in warm weather because when the entire front of the restaurant to the street, but try Ben's Chili Bowl, Old Ebbit's Grill, 1789 (Georgetown), or the Tabard Inn (Dupont Circle) for some local flavor. Also, I recommend Cafe Saint-Ex (as in Saint Expury, the writer). It is situated near the U street corridor, a wildly popular area in central DC. The Studio Theater is nearby, and I've seen some great plays there.

The trip itself shouldn't be too bad. How does your cat react when you take him to the vet? Try to figure out if he enjoys looking out the window or if seeing everything going by freaks him out. Some animals get more car sick if they can't see out, others if they can. For a long trip I use a crate large enough for the cat and a small litterbox. About an hour before you get ready to leave, feed the cat and give him time to use the litterbox before placing him in the crate. You can offer food/water during the trip but most animals are too nervous to eat or drink. You'll have to figure out what works best for your pet but I've found elevating the crate and then covering half of it gives my pets the security they need. My DM's cat meowed a lot when we had to travel with her but when we put the small, soft carrier up in the rear window and opened one end she was happy as could be. She never left the carrier and never meowed again. (We opened one end because she'd been in the carrier for 8+hrs after air travel) Since you'll be dealing with moving during this time, I would suggest you board the cat during the whole moving process if you don't have a secure room to keep him in. Many animals disappear on moving day. I usually give my animals free reign in the motel room and if I have to leave I put a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door. I also don't allow maid service unless I leave the room and take the pet with me. Before the move, one thing you may want to try is to get your cat used to wearing a harness.....then later attach a leash and let him drag it around to get used to it. That will give you control of him if you ever need to let him out within the car or elsewhere. Depending on your pet, you may be able to give him the whole back seat if you can secure him with harness and leash.

I am the author of the book you mention, Pet E.R. Guide Wow talk about coincidental! Nice to meet you Melinda! And congradulations on such a helpful guide for all pet owners. Ironically I didn't know about your book till a friend of mine told me about it when I got back from our trip. The only advice I had than was to stop at Hotels and or gas stations on the way if an Vet ER situation occurred and ask for a phonebook! HELLO, I probably would have had a heart attack myself under that kind of stress. Here I was thinking I was doing such a good job by screening ahead for Vets in my final destination ( and luckily it did pay off big time) but didn't prepare for the road trip itself except for my first aid and bloat kits. Let's just say your book is on my list for Christmas gifts for all my friends and family that travel with their animals.

Personally, I would keep the cat in a crate or carrier at all times while driving. You don't want to have to deal with the cat possibly climbing on you while you're navigating traffic, or trying to get under your feet and the gas pedal (I've heard of it happening!) Also, it's very risky trying to shove a cat into a carrier once you've got the car stopped -- you risk the cat getting out the door and losing them forever. I moved from Michigan to California, and my two cats were fine with it. They stayed in their carriers for the 8 hours that we drove during the day, and they simply slept or looked a little sad. I chose not to give them water or food during those 8 hour drives, because I didn't want to have to deal with bathroom breaks or possible vomiting. You could easily deal with that, though, by putting the cat in a larger crate with a kitty box within it, if you really wanted them to have water, and access to a litter box (probably a good idea for an older cat). If you have blankets or anything that your cat normally sleeps with, try putting them in the carrier with your cat, or maybe something that smells strongly of you. After the first few hours, though, they really do resign themselves to being in hell, and just curl up and fall asleep.