I have been remiss. I was asked to post info for travelers coming into the DC area for the annual rally of the Intevec-Phoenix Travel Club in September. I am now giving it a shot. I included some ideas and links because there is way too much to cover here. I encourage others to post here with suggestions.
Washington DC boundThere are so many things to see and do in the DC area, you could spend months here and just scratch the surface. Civil War sites abound (
http://www.civilwartraveler.com/) as well as monuments and museums and natural spaces. You can drive from the cool splendor of the Appalachian Mountains, across the rolling hills of the Piedmont with wineries, farms and gardens, to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay with all its wild and wonderful estuaries, then on across the bay bridge to our flat and sandy Eastern Shore with more farms and more history then roll on until you reach the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean… and you can drive all that in under 5 hours.
There are beautiful campsites all around, but few really close to DC. If you plan to wander DC, stay at Cherry Hill so you DO NOT have to drive in DC or around the beltway. Traffic here is evil and many people drive aggressively. Metro is safe and clean and gets you around quickly with little fuss. They have a trip planner so you know how to get from point to point
http://www.wmata.com/ and the Metro map can be printed online or picked up at the stations.
http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm NOTE: on Metro escalators the unwritten rule is “walk left, stand right”. This means you stand on the right side so those in a hurry can race up the escalator past you on the left side. There are lots of people in a hurry in DC. Also, NO food or drink on Metro – this includes water. You may carry it closed but don’t eat or drink on the trains or in the stations. You will get a ticket.
Finding your way around the highways: John rolls his eyes on this but the way I describe the area above DC is this: Think of DC as the head of an alien. The beltway around DC is the alien’s head. It has two antennae: One goes north-east and is I-95 with Baltimore at the top of the antenna. One goes North-west and is I-270 with Frederick at the top of the antenna. The two antennae are connected east/west by I-70, thus forming a triangle. Item to note: there are no tolls traveling east to west on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or the bridges over the Susquehanna River (northeast MD). You’ll pay $8-24 going west to east depending on number of axles.
We are on the Atlantic Flyway so birders can find numerous spots to watch the migrating flocks
http://www.visitmaryland.org/list/top-spots-nature-watching-and-birding; http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/birdingmd.aspx. If you are into bald eagles, we recently stayed at Elk Neck State Park and hiked Turkey Point (1.5 miles round trip, easy walking on gravel road). We had 20 eagles in the sky overhead at one time. We then drove over to their boat ramp (Rouge’s Landing) to check out an Osprey nest just 12 or so feet over our heads on a light post on the sidewalk… with three little chicks watching us over the edge… and one parent watching us even more closely. We had a beautiful campsite there with full hookups and the sunsets looking across the bay from the swim beach were spectacular.
Dinosaurs once walked this land. A real dino dig is going on not far from DC in Laurel MD.
http://history.pgparks.com/sites_and_museums/Dinosaur_Park.htm The park is free and open daily with interpretive signs but paleontologists demo their work on the first and third Saturdays of each month (just in case you are arriving early or staying after the rally since the rally aligns wit the SECOND Saturday of the month). The public helps hunt for dino bones during these open houses.
For a nature day trip try Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/patuxent/ with a tram ride (check days and times), visitor center, and lots of nature to see.
Washington, DC – far too many things to list so I’ll just put in a few links so people can browse:
https://washington.org/things-do-washington-dc; https://washington.org/topics/free-attractions; https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28970-Activities-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html; https://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Washington_DC/Things_To_Do-Washington_DC-TG-C-1.html; NOTE: references to the DC beltway are “inner loop” and “outer loop” – this refers to the two parts of the same highway(s). The inner loop is the half going clockwise around DC. The outer loop travels counter-clockwise. Rush hour starts before 5:30 am and doesn’t really end until after 7:00 pm. Depending on where you are, there is a slight let up between morning rush and lunch rush (maybe 9-10:30), then again between lunch rush and evening rush (maybe 2-3)… but still busy. Government gets out at 3:30 and the rush is truly on.
Arlington, Georgetown and Alexandria – all good places to see while in DC
Baltimore, MD – beautiful harbor, science center, aquarium, street performers, shops, and more. Check out Little Italy (lots of Italian restaurants AND Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop), visit the Taverns and Shops in Fells Point, wander the Inner Harbor (MD Science Center, National Aquarium, Phillips Seafood, McCormick Shop, USS Constellation, Pirate Cruises), get some history at Fort McHenry (where Francis Scott Key penned the Star Spangled Banner), and so much more. The circulator buses are free so you can park then tour
http://www.charmcitycirculator.com/.
http://baltimore.org/events Frederick, MD – used to be known as a “hick” town but now a vibrant city with free concerts and events throughout the summer and fall. Beautiful Baker Park runs through the City with Carroll Creek Park lined with benches and trees and fountains for a beautiful walk right down town. City center has historic buildings and lots of lots of great shops and restaurants. Frederick has a very walkable downtown and your four legged friends are welcomed at many venues.
http://www.visitfrederick.org/ Gettysburg, Antietam, Harper’s Ferry – All great stop overs on the way in to DC from the north.
Williamsburg, VA – Colonial Williamsburg is definitely worth a few days if coming or going in that direction. Besides the living history in the colonial area itself, there are numerous other things to see and do: Merchant’s Square, Yorktown Victory Center, Jamestown Settlement, Busch Gardens (European Village Theme, including a beer garden)
http://www.williamsburgva.gov/Index.aspx?page=5; http://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/; There are also tons of outlets up Rte 60 all the way to Lightfoot, VA.
Virginia Beach – popular destination with ocean beaches, a long paved boardwalk, shops, resorts
http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/visitors/things-to-do/ Norfolk, VA – Naval Station. There is usually a ship in harbor open to tour as well as the base tour.
http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/ns_norfolk/about/installation_guide/visitor_information.html http://www.norfolkvisitor.com/norfolknavy/ Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, Monticello, Fredericksburg – all great stop overs on the way to DC from the south or southwest.
Annapolis – Maryland state capitol, Naval Academy, boats, historic shops and more. Good place to book a tour on the Chesapeake.
http://www.annapolis.gov/visitors; https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29494-s409/Annapolis:Maryland:First.Time.Visitors.html; http://www.visitannapolis.org/; http://www.usnabsd.com/for-visitors/ Chesapeake Beach, MD – fishing charters on the bay. While I’m sure they have them in Annapolis also, this is where the locals go to book a fishing trip.
http://www.chesapeakefishingcharters.com/ Trophy bass (rockfish) season is in the spring so the fall limits are 2 per day, minimum 20”, only one can be over 28”. You can also go out on “head boats” here and fish for spot or other smaller fish.
