Community Forums

iquailhunter · 08-05-2012, 12:43 PM

Will be going to Arlington Natl Cemetary for a funeral on Sept. 10th---never been to our Capital---will be in an Entegra 44' with a toad and need to find a camp ground to base out of for 4-5 days. ANY help would be greatly appreciated (add on top of this--this will be our maiden voyage with our new coach--will just have taken delivery a few days before in Orlando, Fl.)---Oh well, have to learn sometime!!

Tom-NC · 08-05-2012, 01:00 PM

Hi,

First off congratulations on your new Coach, however taking it to DC is going to be a white knuckle trip unless you get a chance to drive it around before you leave. A 40' Rv takes a little getting used to if you haven't driven one before. I used to drive a charter bus and always revert to my bus experiences while driving and one thing I would pass on to you is that when in doubt stop and look over the situation. There is a lot of traffic on I-95 including truck traffic so please be aware of your surroundings.

As for a Campground the only one I can recommend is Cherry Hill Campground which is right on I-95. They also have bus shuttle service into DC but driving your Toad to Arlington Cemetery should not be a problem. One thing is that cars are not allowed in the cemetery and you will have to take a shuttle bus I believe unless other arrangements have been made for you.

It is a shame you have to go to DC under thiose circumstances, however if you have time spend some time taking in the sights.

Gary1965 · 08-05-2012, 01:16 PM

I second Cherry Hill. We stayed there last year and loved the resort. Good luck on your trip !

BFlinn181 · 08-05-2012, 01:48 PM

You can park your car at the Cemetery, but for the rest of DC use public transit. The parking around the museums and tourist sites is very limited, expensive, and traffic is a pain. You could drive to National Cathedral if that is in your plans, but most of the rest is best seen by using buses or subway.

jzick · 08-05-2012, 02:29 PM

Cherry Hill in College Park, MD is, IMO, your only logical choice. Handy to public transportation and a pretty nice park.

Melmoses · 08-05-2012, 02:29 PM

+1 for Cherry Hill. Best place to stay while in Washington & easiest to access.

woodfoot · 08-05-2012, 02:40 PM

The bus stops at Cherry Hil and will take you to the station downtown. From there you can get anywhere in DC. When you get to Cherry Hill they can arrange for just about anything you might need while your're there. very helpful.

jackrobinryan · 08-05-2012, 02:43 PM

Lived and worked in the area for 25 yrs, so I know it pretty well.

Cherry Hill is good IF you are planning on staying in the DC area and heading north afterwards. It is on the northeast side of the beltway and Arlington is southwest. The DC beltway with a new, big and unfamiliar coach is not for the faint of heart. But it is easy to get to the Metro.

If you were going to stay south of DC afterwards, I would consider staying south of the DC beltway, say, near Fredericksburg, and drive up to Arlington in your toad. A decent KOA just south of there. There is a county park campground near Ft Belvoir too. Mason Neck, I think.

All depends on where your travels take you from DC.

FWIW
jack

AGP · 08-05-2012, 03:57 PM

Cherry Hill without question.

cappelte · 08-05-2012, 04:00 PM

Cherry Hill is one of the best campgrounds we have stayed at. Highly recommend it.

User1011 · 08-05-2012, 04:38 PM

I concur with "jackrobinryan" - good advice. With toad you can drive around to where you need to be. Alexandria has metro service with parking that will take you into DC for tourist sightseeing. Mt. Vernon is a wonderful day.

danf7 · 08-05-2012, 04:43 PM

Cherry Hill

Dan

KJcachers · 08-05-2012, 05:50 PM

Pohick Bay Regional Park. Just off 95 south of DC. Have friends that stay there and love it. Metro station near also so you don't need to drive into DC. Probably okay to drive to Arlington though and not far at all. Cherry Hill is on the opposite side of DC.

diepenj · 08-05-2012, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iquailhunter

Will be going to Arlington Natl Cemetary for a funeral on Sept. 10th---never been to our Capital---will be in an Entegra 44' with a toad and need to find a camp ground to base out of for 4-5 days. ANY help would be greatly appreciated (add on top of this--this will be our maiden voyage with our new coach--will just have taken delivery a few days before in Orlando, Fl.)---Oh well, have to learn sometime!!

iquailhunter - Others have given you good advice about camping and getting around DC. I was there in June - hopefully the traffic will be a bit lighter since families will be headed back to school. The traffic was pretty heavy (just like any big city can be) but the tough part for me was simply not being familiar with the area. I relied on my GPS and it always got me where I wanted to go.

If the funeral in in the DC area and there is a processional to Arlington, you should be able to simply follow along to the gravesite.

If the ceremony will be just a burial service, I would phone Arlington and ask what your options are. Visitors can get a gravesite parking pass to allow you to drive to a gravesite of someone you know but I don't know if that works during funeral services. To get a gravesite pass, you have to park in the parking garage and walk to the visitor center. They will issue the gravesite pass and a pass to get out of the garage for free. Here is the site that explains about the gravesite pass but, again, I would suggest calling to get more information.
Arlington National Cemetery | Vehicle Passes for Gravesite Visitation

There is lots to see in DC. Enjoy your trip.