Do we need really to go to the consular office in San Francisco, CA?

My parents (my dad is an American citizen,my mother a Permanent Resident in the US) who lives in Seattle,Washington are going to China for vacation. Do they need to be physically present in the consular office in San Francisco, CA? Is there an office here in Seattle where they can present the pertinent documents they needed or do they really have to go to San Francisco where the consular office is?Thank you.