Gordon Brown has won the race to be the first European leader to travel to Washington, DC to meet with Barack Obama. He flies out on Tuesday, 3 March and here is just a taster of the city�s restaurants, cafes, cultural attractions and sporting activities which Gordon may enjoy during his time in DC.

No doubt the state of the economy and the credit crunch will be top of the agenda for discussion between the two leaders. Gordon Brown could try visiting the �money factory� where he can watch dollar bills being printed on behalf of the United States Department of the Treasury at the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Entry is free with tours every 15 minutes. www.moneyfactory.com

Gordon will surely see inside the Oval Office of the White House and be up for a photo opportunity with the new President. If you wish to see �Obama�, you can visit Madame Tussauds Washington and have your picture taken with a lifelike figure of the US President behind his desk in a replica of this famous room. Michelle Obama will soon be immortalised in wax when her new figure is unveiled next month (March). www.madametussauds.com

Our Prime Minister will most likely fit in a visit to the Library of Congress where he can see Lincoln�s Bible on which Barack Obama took his oath of office, which is on display in the Library�s special Lincoln Bicentennial exhibition With Malice Toward None, on view until 9 May. www.loc.gov By now he may be feeling a little peckish and may wish to grab a quick chili half-smoke at Ben�s Chili Bowl, which hosted Obama just before his Inauguration. This 1/4lb pork and beef smoked sausage on a steamed bun, is the restaurant�s signature dish and whilst the Obamas and Bill Cosby are the only celebrity diners to eat here for free, this hot dog costing just $4.95 won�t break the bank! www.benschilibowl.com The day may continue with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, where Shephard Fairey�s famous art collage depicting Obama with the word �hope� is now on display. www.npg.si.edu And finally, whilst Gordon Brown may prefer not to take on Obama on the basketball court, he may wish to take in a game at the Verizon Center, home to the Washington Wizards, so that he knows the score. Tickets are priced from a wallet-friendly $16 per person. www.nba.com If this inspires you to follow in Gordon�s footsteps to Washington, DC and the Capital Region USA, Virgin Holidays (Tel: 0844 573 2707 www.virginholidays.co.uk ) offer a three-night package to Washington DC, staying at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City on a room-only basis, inclusive of scheduled flights between Heathrow and Washington from �515 per person, based on two adults sharing a room. Valid for departures between 3 � 31 March 2009.

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For further information on visiting Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland visit www.CapitalRegionUSA.co.uk or call 0208 339 6048 For media enquiries please contact: Eugene Roberts or Kylie Whitfield at KBC PR on 01825 7636 36 Eugene.roberts@kbc-pr.com / Kylie.Whitfield@kbc-pr.com www.capitalregionusa.co.uk