boxkita Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I'm bringing my wife out to the East Coast for a 3 week tour. Other than the obvious spots of downtown DC and Williamsburg, what other places and attractions should we be looking into? We're arriving/leaving from Boston, and thinking of a counter-clockwise tour from Boston out to Cape Cod, up thru New Hampshire, down thru Pennsylvania (want to see the steel towns & Independence Hall), mountains of West Virginia and down the Blue Ridge Parkway to North Carolina, then across to the Outer Banks and up the coast thru Williamsburg & DC ending back in Boston. Questions: We have a compact car rental (should we upgrade to something bigger/sportier?) Are there any passes that get you into the various tourist spots? What's the best place to watch 4th of July fireworks? Travel times/places to avoid? Any ideas what DC is like in July? Can we expect to find hotels pretty much anywhere or do we need to book ahead? Not looking for fleabag specials. B&B are OK (popular on the west coast). Any roads worth detouring to drive on, besides Blue Ridge Parkway? Other things we should be concerned about? We've been to Boston and gotten used to the aggressive driving style, sort of. And the highway robbery at the tollbooths. Thanks, John/Boxkita Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted June 10, 2013 Moderators Share Posted June 10, 2013 What's the best place to watch 4th of July fireworks? Ladybird park. You can park near the pentagon I think and take a walking bridge over part of the potomac to the park. Come back out the same way and you're not stuck in stupid-ass traffic jams. The park is right on the GW parkway and the view is great. Any ideas what DC is like in July? Hot as balls. "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 My wife thinks Vegas is pleasant, so she'll love DC. My opinion doesnt matter, so we'll be fine. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted June 10, 2013 Moderators Share Posted June 10, 2013 My wife thinks Vegas is pleasant, so she'll love DC. My opinion doesnt matter, so we'll be fine. Vegas is dry, DC is humid--big difference IMO. Think Orlando, not Vegas. "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el5y Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Vegas is dry, DC is humid--big difference IMO. Think Orlando, not Vegas. This man speaks the truth, I grew up outside DC. July and August are 90+ degrees with 90+% humidity. it sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acumenhokie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Questions: We have a compact car rental (should we upgrade to something bigger/sportier?) Unless you need more room for your luggage or want to pay $ you won't find anything sporty or fun to drive. Are there any passes that get you into the various tourist spots? Most touristy places (Boston,DC, Williamsburg) have package deals where you get a lower rate for multiple sites. Check out the tourism sites of the various places What's the best place to watch 4th of July fireworks? Any of the big cities will have a good show. Travel times/places to avoid? Avoid the whole DC area during rush hour. Downtown (tourist area) is very walkable (or cab) so you might want to park way out and take the train in. Any ideas what DC is like in July? Already covered Can we expect to find hotels pretty much anywhere or do we need to book ahead? Not looking for fleabag specials. B&B are OK (popular on the west coast). Hotels will be everywhere but if you're looking for specific cities (e.g. DC for 4th of July) or close to specific attractions you'll want to reserve Any roads worth detouring to drive on, besides Blue Ridge Parkway? Tail of the Dragon but that's kind of inland and not real fun in a rental. Other things we should be concerned about? We've been to Boston and gotten used to the aggressive driving style, sort of. And the highway robbery at the tollbooths. Bring cash for tolls or see if the rental place also will loan a smart tag/ez pass for cashless tolling. Don't forget to look up local members for people to hang with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Vegas is dry, DC is humid--big difference IMO. Think Orlando, not Vegas. hmmm...this trip is gonna suck then. I hated Orlando in August. Oh well, if she's happy, I might get a few more track days. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJMC Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Everyone's responses pretty much covered your questions. Cash is good for tolls, but you should think about signing up for an EZPass if you can. Your patience will thank you if you aren't so good in waiting for traffic. You should make it a point to check out the Luray Caverns, http://luraycaverns.com/ I'm assuming your tours will take you through Georgetown, viewing some of the govt buildings and seeing all the free museums and monuments around DC. Tomb of the unknown solider and the changing of the guard is nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Philly stuffs: Philly puts on great festivities for the whole 4th of July week. Fireworks on the parkway caps it off. People only go to Geno's and Pat's b/c it's cool. If you want a good cheese steak, go to Jim's on South St. A Phillies game is also a fun place to go. Just do not wear any clothing from a non-Philly sports team!! The Franklin is an awesome museum. The Philadelphia Ghost Tour is also very cool. North Carolina: In the northern Outer Banks, the towns of Duck and Corolla are very nice. We stay in Corolla once every two years or so. There's a couple small inns and one or two hotels. If you stay at the Inn at Corolla, they let you use the Corolla Light amenities. Nags Head is the most touristy part of the island; most shopping, restaurants, etc Car guy stuff: June 23rd and July 14th we have autoxes in Atlantic City. I'll obviously be at both and Whitetiger is also scheduled to be at the 23rd event. Just sayin! There's a bunch of real karting places in the area. Speed Raceway (Horsham PA and Cinnaminson NJ), F1 @ NJMP, Lehigh Valley GP to name a few. F1 @ NJMP karts are rotrex karts and run on real kart tracks. There's always racing going on at NJMP on the weekends in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm25rs Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Philly stuffs: People only go to Geno's and Pat's b/c it's cool. If you want a good cheese steak, go to Jim's on South St. And if you want damn good, unique sandwiches, go to Paesano's in the Italian Market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 And if you want damn good, unique sandwiches, go to Paesano's in the Italian Market. that reminds me...Reading Terminal Market has a ton of great food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 I'll add Philly to the list...thanks for the hints about the 4th of July...that's looking like where we'll be. Nags Head, NC...that's the place I was trying to remember. Havent been to NC since I was a kid...so memory is pretty foggy. If I can make a stop at an autox, I'll try. June 23rd is too early. July 14 - we'll probably be in DC area Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cseagle08 Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 DC Metro is the easiest way around town. I used to park in Rockville or Bethesda, MD and take the red line in. I was coming from Maryland tho so it seemed easier. Check out Alexandria, VA too when near DC. Traffic around Baltimore and DC beltways sucks majorly, except a small portion of the middle of the day. +1 on EZ Pass If you pass through Baltimore hit up Andy Nelson's BBQ in Hunt Valley! So good! And the weather will be a continuous hazy, hot, humid. Man I miss humidity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 I lived in Fayetteville, NC in late 70's. I remember escaping to the coast or mountains was a requirement in the summer. I'm hoping its >100 degrees and 100% humidity. That ice cold beer will taste so much better after a day of sight-seeing. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted June 12, 2013 Moderators Share Posted June 12, 2013 Check out Alexandria, VA too when near DC. ^^Yup. Check out Old Town Alexandria for sure. On a side note, I occasionally work at a dive karaoke bar down there if you feel like swinging by on a saturday night--pretty interested crowd "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJBerk Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Most of the touristy places in DC are free. If you are at all into aviation - the Udvar-Hazy Center - National Air and Space Museum is spectacular. It is also 'free' but you have to pay to park. And as other's have indicated - July in DC is like walking through a swamp. The Blue Ridge parkway (Skyline Drive on the north end) is beautiful. There are fewer lodging options (unless you are bringing a tent ), so I'd recommend planning that trip a bit ahead. Safe travels!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Most of the touristy places in DC are free. If you are at all into aviation - the Udvar-Hazy Center - National Air and Space Museum is spectacular. It is also 'free' but you have to pay to park. And as other's have indicated - July in DC is like walking through a swamp. The Blue Ridge parkway (Skyline Drive on the north end) is beautiful. There are fewer lodging options (unless you are bringing a tent ), so I'd recommend planning that trip a bit ahead. Safe travels!! We'll book a place near DC and get the bus/train pass, as driving there seems less than fun. Are there any places in DC that you have to book ahead? We've heard conflicting stories about touring the fed gov buildings. Any places that have restrictions on cameras? We'll have a larger DSLR and a four-thirds. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cseagle08 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 We'll book a place near DC and get the bus/train pass, as driving there seems less than fun. Are there any places in DC that you have to book ahead? We've heard conflicting stories about touring the fed gov buildings. Any places that have restrictions on cameras? We'll have a larger DSLR and a four-thirds. I think the Ford Theater, and the Washington Monument you have to have (free) tickets to. You just stop at their respective national parks ticket counter early in the morning and get a time to come back. The white house is another sort of process that's listed online somewhere. I don't know of any camera restrictions in the museums / monuments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acumenhokie Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I think the Ford Theater, and the Washington Monument you have to have (free) tickets to. You just stop at their respective national parks ticket counter early in the morning and get a time to come back. The white house is another sort of process that's listed online somewhere. I don't know of any camera restrictions in the museums / monuments. White House tours are reserved through your home state's members of congress. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events They just finished a major refurb of the capital building. You'll want reservations for that too. http://www.aoc.gov/visit-capitol-hill/tours All the Smithsonian museums are free and don't require reservations. Holocaust museum is very well put together and very moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJBerk Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I'd never been to the Library of Congress until just recently - it is really amazing. It was our attempt to match the beautiful buildings in Europe. It is elaborate and fun to walk through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJBerk Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Georgetown Suites Hotel is run by a family member. All suites and clean. Free breakfast, great location. I think it's 3-3.5 stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.hicksta Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 You've Hicksta'd your vacation by not coming to Virginia Beach. PITY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 Georgetown Suites Hotel is run by a family member. All suites and clean. Free breakfast, great location. I think it's 3-3.5 stars. LGT discounts? Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 You've Hicksta'd your vacation by not coming to Virginia Beach. PITY Actually, my wife has been asking about going there every time we discuss itinerary. We're purposely not booking much ahead (other than July 4th weekend) to allow freedom for "ooh, shiny". Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.hicksta Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Actually, my wife has been asking about going there every time we discuss itinerary. We're purposely not booking much ahead (other than July 4th weekend) to allow freedom for "ooh, shiny". Well if you guys get down this way let me know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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