We really enjoyed our stay in Williamsburg, Va, but after a week it was time to move further north to our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. This next leg was exactly the miles that I like to travel in a day at 167, but I was dreading the drive around the DC beltway on I-495. The DC traffic can be a nightmare.
We actually came to DC last year for July 4th holiday week and the traffic on a friday before the holiday was hideous. We planned a little better this year coming into town on a Wednesday and earlier in the day at 1pm. There was heavy traffic, but it kept moving for the most part. So not nearly as stressful as last year. Last year we were stuck in stop and go traffic for two hours driving the big rig that neither stops nor goes that quick!
Our good RV friends Suzanne and Calvin also made this trip to DC from Williamsburg, but a day later than we did. It was very sad, but one of their 16 year old miniature Dachshund pups became very ill and they needed to say goodbye. They stayed behind to take care of the details. We just had to go through this with our 18 year old cat Tigger. It was much tougher than I had thought. They really latch onto your heart as Steve Brown commented.
Our RV park is the same as last year located in College Park MD, Cherry Hill Park. This is a first class RV park that is close to a DC Metro station in College Park Maryland. And does this park have the amenities! It has everything imaginable including a daily visitors talk on how to get around DC and what to see. And pricey at $75 per night.
You can actually take a bus from the park to the Metro (subway) station, but we chose to drive and park in the lot, so as not to have to wait up to 30 minutes for the bus. The Metro is super easy to use. Just buy a card for $2 each and then apply cash to it at any Metro station. The rides into town were about $4-5 each way.
Our purpose for stopping in DC again was to see our son Bryan, his fiancee Jennifer, her mom Linda, and our son Ross also drove out to see us. We had a great time visiting with them and we threw in several days of sightseeing as well.
We also made a trip with Sue and Calvin to the Vietnam Memorial. Calvin is an Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era. It was great to see the recognition and respect that our vets now receive. We saw many veterans while at the wall and many family members looking for the engraved names among the 58,000. It was incredibly moving.
A couple of days later we went to Arlington National Cemetary on Memorial Day. There were thousands of people on hand to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed. In addition, President Trump came to lay a wreath on the Unknown Soldiers tomb.
There were so many people that we could not see him at the wreath ceremony, but did see him waving as his motorcade left later on. The secret service were out in force making sure things went smoothly. We had to go through two security checkpoints to get into the memorials.
We also took a day to tour a few art museums, the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshorn. The highlight for me was the large collection of Cezanne’s on display.
Bryan and Jennifer also treated us to a home cooked pork roast with all of the trimmings while we watched the Indy 500 on TV. Being from the Indianapolis area years ago, I attended many races, quals, and practice sessions at the track. Many stories there! But that was another era in my life.
On our last day in DC, we all went out to an Ethiopian restaurant for a first time experience. Bryan and Jenn had of course been here before, but for the rest of us it was certainly different.
We opted for a large sampler platter of many different foods. Many foods, but no silverware. What? I was thinking that I should have snuck in my fork at one point, but it actually worked out fine. They provide these thin, spongy shells. You tear off a strip and pinch a mouthful of the food. Very interesting. I guess I am expanding my culture at my advanced age. 🙂
Bryan lives in an inner city DC neighborhood that is being updated all the time. They are almost all the tall, narrow, row houses and many that are remodeled can be priced near $1 million, but many have others that are in very poor shape next door.
Bryan and Jennifer’s place has been very nicely updated. To get there were took the Metro Green Line, changed to the Red for a few stops, then we walk about 1.5 miles through some developing neighborhoods. Another interesting experience for this small town guy.
Before we left town, we stopped for groceries and a diesel fuel stop. I kid you not, the price for fuel is starting to increase exponentially. It used to be increasing $.10 per week. It was $3.20 per gallon in the DC area. $75.00 for a half tank to fill it up. Yikes.
Our week in DC is now over and we now relocate an easy 110 miles to Lancaster, Pa, in the heart of the Amish Dutch country. Please leave a comment if you wish and be sure to sign up for email updates. Nothing commercial, no ads, we promise.
Take care and God Bless.
Looks like a great visit.
Yes, another interesting place in this great country!