Washington DC [Flexible Dates]

Hi.

During the pandemic these past three years, I was nervous about flying.

Two of my flights in 2020 were canceled, and I didn't fly until late last year (October 2022).

Totally understandable some might still be reluctant about flying.

I was paranoid about being confined in an airplane with other strangers, so I was scared of flying in 2020, 2021, and most of 2022.

I sympathize and understand if others might still feel trepidation.

But if anyone else feels comfortable to travel, and is looking for a travel buddy, feel free to visit DC too. :)

Plus, one group member is cordial and open to meeting others.

We met during a Zion camping trip in 2019, and he later moved to Washington DC.

He told me multiple times how surprised & impressed he was with our friendly group.

Marvis is so cool and amazing.

Even though he was busy working (with FBI), he still made time to meet up! I was so honored and humbled.

https://www.meetup.com/la_camping/photos/33118372/#509659593

https://www.meetup.com/la_camping/photos/33118372/#509660350

So yeah, if anyone else joins -- Marvis might be able to meet again. :)

Last year, my east coast trip was fun (i.e. Toronto, Canada; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and Virginia).

Photos:

https://www.meetup.com/la_camping/photos/33118372

https://www.meetup.com/la_camping/photos/33118068

This year, I'm gonna repeat that trip a little. But instead of visiting DC in early November, I'm aiming for mid October.

Last year's weather in early November was surprisingly good.

Others said last year was warmer than usual, so my guess is mid-October weather should be pleasant too.

And overall, fall season in the east coast is usually lovely, right?

American politics in recent years has been ugly, nasty, divisive, polarizing, and off-putting.

Things might devolve and regress as the 2024 election approaches, but for any others who love this country, and its history -- Washington DC is a pretty special city to explore imo.

I loved visiting the museums, monuments, and memorials.

And there were some I missed, so I want to return.

If anyone else has DC on their bucket list, feel free to join.

Despite how negative, disappointing, and frustrating government bureaucracy and politics is / can be -- we can still cherish and treasure our nation's capital and its rich history.

Last year, the two museums I definitely wanted to visit was the Holocaust Memorial Museum and National Museum of African American History and Culture.

If anyone else goes, those two are highly recommended imo.

I plan on arriving on Tuesday, late morning (Oct 17).

I anticipate helping at a children's bereavement camp on Friday afternoon, Oct 20, so I should have half of Tuesday and all day Wednesday & Thursday to explore DC.

So if anyone else wants to visit during the same time, feel free to research on your own regarding flights and lodging.

There are plenty of websites with advice about visiting DC...such as

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28970-i40-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc

https://www.visitwashington.com

https://travel.usnews.com/Washington_DC/Things_To_Do

https://washington.org

Public transportation (bus / train / subway) is convenient in DC and driving is not required (parking is supposedly hard to find and expensive)...so renting a car is not needed.

https://wmata.com

And ride sharing (Uber, Lyft, taxi, etc.) is common.

Also, travelers can fly into three airports:

DCA - Ronald Reagan Washington
IAD - Washington Dulles
BWI - Baltimore

Each airport should have public transportation access to a train station that goes to Union Station.

You are welcome to reserve your own hotel/motel. If anyone wants to share lodging with another group member, feel free to lmk...and I'll let you know if any other group member is serious about going.

I plan on staying at an Airbnb in Alexandria, VA -- which is south of Washington DC and Arlington.

btw, in addition to major airlines (e.g. American, Delta, & United), Southwest and JetBlue might also offer flights to at least one of the airports in/near DC.

Something I liked from last year, was renting a bike and riding around the National Mall.

https://capitalbikeshare.com

Since parking in DC is expensive and limited, riding a bike can be fairly economical, pragmatic, and efficient.

There also is an affordable bus that stops at popular spots in the National Mall.

https://dccirculator.com/explore/where-we-go/national-mall

Some suggested things to see / do are

Arlington National Cemetery
Capitol Building
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Jefferson Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
National Mall
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
volunteering at a food distribution, food bank, or homeless outreach
White House
Zoo

and other Smithsonian museums

If anyone else watched any documentaries of the January 6th insurrection -- then I highly recommend reserving a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building.

It's surreal to walk inside and see where some of the insurrectionists were...especially the famous rotunda.

Last year, I was a pseudo travel buddy because I knew there were certain things I wanted to see and do, along with some volunteering, so I preferred doing stuff alone on my time-table.

For this year, since I saw most of what I wanted to see last year, I'm more open minded and willing to be more of a "normal" travel buddy.

So if anyone wants to explore some museums, national monuments, and war memorials together in/around the National Mall, feel free to lmk.

I should have a rental car again, so I can also drive if needed. haha...but I definitely want to ride a bike again around the National Mall. It's so convenient and fun!

Maybe there are some people who didn't get to travel during the summer (or the past 2 - 3 years of pandemic), or who have extra PTO / vacation time and don't plan on traveling during Thanksgiving or Christmas, or someone who really loves tv shows like The West Wing, House of Cards, Veep, etc..., or someone who missed out on the January 6th insurrection, or someone who wants to protest the Supreme Court's decision related to abortion, etc...and if so, feel free to tag along.

I'll also re-visit Toronto, Canada in late October again, but tbh, the weather there isn't that pleasant imo, so I don't think anyone else would want to travel there during that time.

But Washington DC so should be nice...so if anyone has the time and interest, feel free to join.

Cheers!

Oh, btw, this trip idea is flexible.

So it's 100% okay to arrive on different day or leave on a different day than me. Our trip doesn't have to overlap.

You can choose what day to arrive & leave. Feel free to visit during the weekend or another date range.

For flights, I recommend checking

https://www.google.com/flights

https://www.kayak.com

https://www.skyscanner.com

https://www.southwest.com

https://www.jetblue.com

To reiterate, DCA, IAD, and BWI are all reasonable distance from DC...and all three have public transportation access (to Union Station in Washington DC).

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