Idiot’s Guides: RV Vacations

Visiting Washington, D.C., is awe-inspiring, whether you’re seeing it for the first or the fifteenth time. With so many captivating monuments, museums, buildings, and gardens, you could return again and again and see something new each time.

Read the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s second inaugural speech on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial.

Go in early spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Early autumn is also nice.

1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston, VA 20190. fairfaxcounty.gov; 703-471-5414. $45 to $50. Fishing, swimming hole, boat rentals, picnic areas, hiking trails.

The campground at this state park is quiet and pretty, offering water and electric hookups. A dump station also is on-site.

The campground itself doesn’t have many amenities, but the rest of the park has plenty of recreation options, including the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole with tubing along the Rattlesnake River. There’s also a skate park, trails, and fishing (state fishing license required).

768 Cecil Avenue N., Millersville, MD 21108. capitolkoa.com; 410-923-3709. March 1 to November 23. $49 to $77. Pool, basketball court, inflatable jump pillow, playground, outdoor billiards, table tennis.

This well-managed KOA is conveniently located between Washington, D.C., and Annapolis. A shuttle runs to major tourist destinations in the capital between April 1 and September 30.

Although located near a major highway, many parts of the campground are rustic and wooded. The sites in front of the camp store are spacious and big-rig friendly. The sites behind the store offer more privacy. The campground offers many options for outdoor recreation, including a guarded pool, playground, inflatable jump pillow, giant chess set, and outdoor billiards and table tennis. A nature trail is next to the property, and there’s an on-site pet playground.

The staff is very friendly and willing to help you plan an itinerary for your visit in the area.

9800 Cherry Hill Road, College Park, MD 20740. cherryhillpark.com; info@cherryhillpark.com; 301-937-7116. $63 to $73. Heated pool, spa, fishing, game room, playground.

This highly rated family owned Good Sam RV Park is the closest campground to Washington, D.C., and is only 40 minutes to Baltimore and Annapolis. You can leave your RV at the campground and take advantage of the guided tours and shuttle service.

The spacious sites are known to be big-rig friendly, and the price offers an especially good value for the location and amenities. The café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with indoor and outdoor seating. Hand-dipped ice cream is available for dessert. After a day of exploring the nation’s capital, relax in the beautiful pools, hot tub, and sauna. It’s a perfect place to reenergize for your next day of sightseeing.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Founding Farmers is very popular, and the wait time can be long. But many customers are happy to stand in line to eat traditional American classics served with a twist in a beautiful farmhouse atmosphere.

The menu has a diner feel to it, offering lots of options, including fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs, pot roast, burgers, salmon, pastas, and risotto. Chicken potpie is a favorite here.

480 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. jaleo.com/dc; downtown@jaleo.com; 202-628-7949. Sunday 11 A.M. to 10 P.M.; Monday 11:30 A.M. to 10 P.M.; Tuesday to Thursday 11:30 A.M. to 11 P.M.; Friday 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 A.M.; Saturday 11 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. $11 to $30. Spanish.

This tapas restaurant owned by José Andrés has something for everyone. The trendy atmosphere combined with a casual clientele make this the perfect place for a lunch date, drinks and appetizers, a family dinner, or a late-night snack.

The best time to visit is late afternoon, after you’re worn out from exploring the monuments and museums on the Mall. The place will be calm and quiet at this time of day, and you can enjoy some flatbreads, cured meats, and raw cheeses. Tasting menus start at 4 P.M. and are served until closing. These are a great option if you want to sample Jaleo’s favorites.

303 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003. goodstuffeatery.com; 202-543-8222. Monday to Saturday 11 A.M. to 10 P.M. $5 to $15. Burgers.

This is celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn’s popular burger joint in the heart of the Capital.

Service is quick, and prices are reasonable. You’ll definitely want to stick to the winning formula of burger, fries, and a shake. Try the toasted marshmallow milkshake, and you won’t even miss the s’mores later that night back at your campground.

1000 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, DC. si.edu; info@si.edu; 202-633-1000. Open every day of the year except December 25; hours vary according to museum and season. Free admission to Smithsonian museums and galleries.

The Smithsonian Institution includes 19 museums and galleries, plus the National Zoo. Entry to all the museums and galleries is free, so you can experience the highlights at each location without a great cost.

Start your visit at the Castle, where employees can help you plan out your itinerary.

Between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW. nps.gov/nama; national_mall@nps.gov; 202-426-6841. Open 24 hours a day; rangers available 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. Free admission to the monuments; however, there is a service charge for reserving Washington Monument tickets in advance.

If you want to go to the top of the Washington Monument, reserve a timed ticket online before you travel. Otherwise, you’ll have to line up very early, and your chances of climbing are slim during peak visiting times.

Plenty of free parking is available around the reflecting pool and up by the Lincoln Memorial, if you arrive early before the tour buses show up. At the ranger booth at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, you can get a map and plan your visit. For many, highlights include the Lincoln Memorial, the Roosevelt Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. The DC Circulator buses run a loop around the National Mall, and the fare is $1.

100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024. usbg.gov; 202-225-8333. 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

These gardens surprise and delight visitors and offer a wonderful respite from the crowds that gather at the museums and monuments. Tour the different climate zones, and discover plants from the jungle and deserts. The gardens house orchids, endangered species, and a collection of medicinal plants. Explore the rose garden, butterfly garden, and conservatory, too.

If you’re visiting with kids, pick up a Plant Explorer’s Field Journal so they can record observations and complete activities as you travel the gardens. The children’s garden offers an outdoor play space as well.

Forty-five-minute guided tours are available on most days at no cost. You also can take an audio tour using your cell phone.

ITINERARIES

If you have 1 week …

Visit the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and White House. Explore the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History. Wander around the Botanic Garden. Shop in Georgetown.

If you have 2 weeks …

All the above, plus visit the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and tour the Capitol Building. Explore the National Portrait Gallery, the National Zoo, and the National Museum of the American Indian. Drive into Annapolis and take a guided tour of the Naval Academy. Then enjoy the many great shops and eateries.

If you have 3 weeks …

All the above, plus visit the National World War II Memorial and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Explore the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Freer Gallery of Art. Tour the Library of Congress and the Washington National Cathedral. Take a day trip to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington.