Washington D.C.

[redwings]

Help! I would like to hear from travelers who have gone to D.C. The closest RV park to the White House, and all of the great attractions near there. Will be starting our fall vacation tomorrow and need help finding a good park.

Thanks in advance.

[redwings]

Help! I would like to hear from travelers who have gone to D.C. The closest RV park to the White House, and all of the great attractions near there. Will be starting our fall vacation tomorrow and need help finding a good park.

Thanks in advance.

[AL]

Hi redwings,

The two times I went to DC we stayed at Cherry Hill RV Park, and I will go back there any time I vist DC. I feel it is the place to stay and it is very easy to get to where all the stuff in DC is by taking bus from campground, also the staff can help you with info about DC!

[Barbara S.]

Hey Al,
I see the Texas area on your map is still blank. You need to come down and visit our wonderful state. We are hosting the 2008 National Rally in Perrin, TX. Come on down and have some fun!

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AL:
Hi redwings,

The two times I went to DC we stayed at Cherry Hill RV Park, and I will go back there any time I vist DC. I feel it is the place to stay and it is very easy to get to where all the stuff in DC is by taking bus from campground, also the staff can help you with info about DC! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Cherry Hill Park would be my first choice too.

[chasfm11]

We just came back from Cherry Hill and, IMHO, many parks should take lessons from them. They offered a no hassle refund policy for camping nights and sightseeing tickets purchased through them. The park was well laid out and, although our site was a bit small, it was great area. City buses and special tour buses come right to the park. We elected to use the Hop on - Hop off (they call it OTS for Open Top Sightseeing) bus. It has a 2.5 hour route around many of the landmarks that you can use as you please for two days for a flat fee.

You need to arrange a White House tour through your Congressman or Senator. We also arranged a Capitol Tour from our Congressman. The two of those took an entire day. Be prepare for a lot of walking. At Arlington Cemetery with the tour bus, for example, they drop you off in front of the visitor's center and it is about a 30 minute hike, all up hill to the Tomb of the Unknowns. There are some tours that offer tram like rides at various points including Arlington which can help but which are very expensive. Realistically, you could be in the city a month and not see everything so you need to pick and choose the things that interest you. The new air museum out at Dulles Airport was great but a long way from downtown. Whatever you do, I'd recommend not trying to drive in the downtown area.

[GaryKD]

My vote is also for Cherry Hill CG. I agree with what has been previously posted. The CG is in Maryland and has several reviews in the CG section of iRV2. Arrange for the White House tour, etc, a minimum of six months in advance. You'll need to get up early and stand in line for tickets to the Washington Monument and the Bureau of Engraving (printing money). I went to one and the wife went to the other so we got tickets for the same day. There is plenty of outside and inside things to do. So what ever the weather is, you'll still have a full day.

I recommend you take the bus/subway from Cherry Hill to DC. For me the main reason was at the end of the day there was always a subway station nearby. This way I did not need to walk back to where ever I had parked the car. I just had a short walk to the subway and a pleasent ride back to Cherry Hill.

[Tom N]

There is Greenbelt National Park in Greenbelt, Md. that has some large sites but has no electric. There is water and dump at the entrance. $14 a night without Golden Age. $7 a night with. Convenient to Baltimore-Washington Parkway and 30 min to the Capital Mall. 40 foot rig not a problem. Open all year round.

http://www.nps.gov/gree/

-Tom

[MonacoMama]

Redwings...
first of all...I am envious that you are planning to see our nation's Capitol! I am sure you will have a great trip and enjoy seeing our country's National Monuments. I would love to be back on the east coast right now ...so I could see the colors changing too. With that being said... I can tell you I have never made it to the east coast, so I can't answer your questions...
Secondly.... I would like to officially welcome you to iRV2!! you will find everyone here very friendly, knowledable and willing to help anytime they can!
May I suggest you visit this forum as often as you can...and feel free to post often with any questions and also chime in with anything you have to contribute...including how your trip goes!!
Again...welcome to iRV2!!!

[camper1b]

We went to DC last Spring. Great trip. We considered staying at Cherry Hill. We have heard great things about it. But I just couldn't justify the high cost of the campground since we don't spend any time at Campgrounds when touring.

We stayed in the campground at Prince Williams Forest south of DC off I95. Much better price and the drive in wasn't bad, since, by the time we were all up and ready, the rush hour(s) had cleared.

Some comments.....
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>The Holicaust Museum was much more interesting and intense than I thought. The kids were fascinated.
<LI>To get tickets for Engraving, White House or Congress, get them from your representative or get in line hours before they open.
<LI>Arlington was great. Spend for the tour bus. It's reasonable and gets you to the Tomb of the Unknowns, JFK and Robert E. Lee's house. We watched the changing of the guard 4 times - very moving.
<LI>National Archives to see D of I, Constitution, etc is worth the 30-60 minute wait.
<LI>IMAX Theatre at Air and Space is a must stop if you have kids. Check the schedule on line and you can plan to see the museum before or after your desired movie.
<LI>Parking is sometimes tough and sometimes OK. I prefer to have my car downtown for the flexibility but you may opt for the very efficient subway.[/list]
Have Fun!!

[ktp_guy]

One more vote for Cherry Hill. I don't know if we made a lot of use of the campground's facilities, but the staff was great. They give an orientation in the afternoon/evening on how to get around DC. We felt the cost was worth the value received.

As mentioned, both city buses and tour buses go right to the campground. City bus to Metro station, ride Metro right into the National Mall. You can even pick which side of the Mall to get off on.

Don't forget the Smithsonian museum's, either. I think we made it to five of them on our trip there, but there were more. They are located around the Mall.