4/24/2022
The drive to DC was a long one and I stopped in Smithfield, NC at a Cracker Barrel to rest for the night. My next destination was to Cherry Hill RV Resort in College Park, Maryland. My co-workers at Flat Creek recommended this park and I’m so glad I checked it out. I made reservations in advance, and though it was pricey, the convenience and amenities made up for the cost. There was a well-stocked store, bath houses, a café and laundry as well as other amenities. My back-in site was perfect! It was laid out on level gravel and had a picnic table, fire pit and grill plus full hook ups.

The best part about it and why I chose to stay there was the bus stop to the DC Metro was right across from the store. WOW! I didn’t have to drive at all while I was there.
Taking public transportation is second nature to me and the bus arrived at the College Park station into the city. I bought a senior pass and filled it up at the campground. I got a map and directions from the concierge who gave a little talk the night before and went on my way.

My plan was to see the cherry blossoms and was told at the seminar that they bloomed early this year. Was I disappointed as they only last a few days! However, there is so much to see in DC that I kept myself occupied for the 6 days I was there and had a great time anyway. I was only in DC 4 days because I was sore and tired after walking around all day, and stayed at the campground to rest and do some shopping. A person can easily walk 10 miles and not see everything. The National Mall itself is 2.5 miles round trip, so you can do the math about visiting the rest of the sights.

What’s to say about DC except that is fascinating and historical. I visited many of the memorials and spent most of the day outside wandering around and taking pictures. The DC Circulator drove to all of the major stops and gave me an idea about where everything was. This was a great introduction to the area. Here are some of the places that I visited:
The National Archives
The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
The Smithsonian Museum of American History (Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz)
The National Gallery of Art
The Holocaust Museum
The sculpture garden
Smithsonian visitor center, garden and Futures building (it was closed but there was a neat sculpture at the front entrance).
Some of the museums required advance tickets, and I avoided them for time’s sake. I also went on a night tour to see the memorials lit up and it gave me a different perspective. The Lincoln Memorial drew a lot of attention. People were looking at the back of Lincoln’s head at the side of the memorial. Apparently, it is thought that Robert E Lee is carved into the back of Lincoln’s head, but it is an urban myth. Check out what the National Park Service says here. It makes a great optical illusion! We also had a chance to visit Arlington National Cemetery and stopped at the statue (from Iwo Jima). Though we were on a tight schedule, it was a fascinating tour and our guide was awesome!

My dining choices included a food truck, Greek fast food place and the cafeteria at the Gallery of Arts, which was my favorite. Everything was expensive, as I suspected, but I had food back at the camp site that made up for the rest.

As I suspected, there was too much to see and some buildings were closed. That means I’ll be back again to visit this amazing city!