east coast trip

About 30 mins or so north of Flight 93 Memorial is Altoona area. Home of Railroaders Memorial Museum (http://www.railroadcity.com/), the world famous Horseshoe Curve (http://www.railroadcity.com/visit/world-famous-horseshoe-curve/)

You would be in the Allegheny Portage Railroad area, home to Staple Bend Tunnel (first RR tunnel in US), the world's steepest vehicular inclined plane in Johnstown, PA (also a great flood museum).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_Portage_Railroad

Of course, there is Fort Ligonier in Ligonier, PA Old Bedford Village in Bedford, PA Amish country in Lancaster, PA

All kinds of interesting history here in PA. Depending on when you come, I may even be available to play 'Tour Guide' for some of these areas ;)

Just keep in mind, Pennsylvania is over 300 miles wide!

Washington DC
Gettysburg, PA
Harpers Ferry, WV
Fort Sumter, Baltimore, MD
Springfield MA - Armory Museum
Also in Springfield, the Smith & Wesson Co. gives free factory tours. Very interesting.
Boston,MA/Plymouth, MA
Assateague Island, MD - the wild horses run free
Hershey, PA (chocolate)
Philadelphia PA (Liberty Bell)

So many places, so little time. I'd suggest you pick and choose what interests you the most and go from there. You don't want to be rushed everywhere you go.

We were at Plymouth Rock last year - sort of neat to stand where it all started.
There is a beautiful park area there to walk around and shops. The rock itself is smaller than expected. Someone else told my husband not to waste his time stopping there, but we really enjoyed it. So everyone is different in what they perceive or are interested in.

We had friends in the area who drove us in to Boston. We did the Duck Tour since I can't do a lot of walking. That was a great way to see the city without driving. I would not recommend driving your MH in to the areas where the heavy city traffic is. Use your toad.

Lancaster County PA (Amish)is a tourist trap - and it's way too commercialized for my taste.

I agree, fall is the best time. The fall foliage is beautiful through the Northeast and the weather is good.
We went to MA April 2012 and we were too early. Most things don't open up until May. Hard to find campgrounds.

I've not been but have considered going to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

You may also enjoy various things along the C&O Canal like the C&O Canal Mule Drawn Boat Ride

packnrat wrote:
well things are looking to where i just might be able to do the trip of my life time.

to do a trip back east and see the beginings of America.

but it can not take place for four years yet.
this is due to vacation time and money.
in three years i will have four weeks vacation. a weeks worth of ph days and can turn 40 hrs of sick into a weeks time off.

so doing resurance now. as to time of year, weather, etc
for those of you who live there or have spent time there what is a good time to visit.

seeing as how i live on the left coast in Ca.

.

WOW that will be a trip to remember and having lived just outside of D.C. for the last 30yrs we have done just about and visited about everything there is from Fl. to Maine with the exception of Fl. south of Daytona to the Keys and that trip is planned for next spring. I agree with others Apr and Oct followed by Sept are the best times to visit. There is way too much to mention and it just depends what your interests are. If you're into history three or four things standout ...

1. Washington's headquarter at Valley Forge where you can climb and use the same handrails in the farmhouse that was his headquarters.

2. The Museum and White House of the Confederacy where the artifacts are simply amazing like the actual clothes that Jeff Davis was wearing when he was captured and the detail in the White House where Jeff Davis's wife actually visited and gave some artifacts and provided the curators with the details of how it was when they lived there.

3. The Va war Museum in Hampton Roads where you can see such things as Colin Powell's Uniform from Desert Storm and General Pattons Uniform from WWII.

4. Historic Jamestown and make sure you get the tour of the archeology work and the museum there ... this is the NPS site and not the commercial site which is right next door.

5. Of course there are the standard things like the Smithsonian and Mt. Vernon, but we just got back last week from 10 days in the Charlottesville area and really enjoyed Monticello and Montplier.

We often spend a lot of time in one place and try and hit the really out of the way places like the Quartermaster Museum at Ft. Hill near Richmond where they have the actual trailer that Gen. Eisenhower used as his field headquaters in theater during WWII.

I could write pages and pages of things so please feel free to PM me and I would be happy to give you whatever additional information that I can and answer you specific questions.

Larry

I grew up in DC, lived in the area about 30 years and agree on timing. Mid-April to Mid-May is a wonderful season. The cherry blossoms bloom in the spring, though it is hard to time the right week, because it depends on each year's weather. October is great, with autumn colors. Summer is hot and humid.

The Smithsonian is wonderful but there are many museums, so do a little research in advance to decide what you want to see. The Air & Space Museum and Holocaust Museum are very popular, for example.You may want to look into a tour to get an overview of the city and monuments for starters.

History wasn't my favorite subject either, and now when we travel, I am finding the sites make it come alive. You might like Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, all in Virginia.

I live and work in the DC area. Don't come to the DC area in June, July or August. Way to crowded, and way to hot and humid. As the others have said, April and September/October are more tolerable. The last few days were pleasant. I go to Ocean City in early November and get some nice warm days. Mid November to start of April - not so much.

Bring your walking shoes, because you will be doing a lot of hiking around the Mall. Most of the stuff around the Mall is free. Go over to Arlington and catch the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The pilgrims seem to like the Cherry Blossom Festival in late April. Guess I am not sentimental or romantic enough to get it, but they say it is something to see.

There is the B&O train museum clicky just up the road in Baltimore.

The East Coast is a big place. And the drive across the country is pretty long. Don't get to ambitious. There is enough in the DC area to burn up your whole vacation.

If you're really into American history, consider a couple days in Philadelphia (clicky)...Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross' House, National Constitution Center, and a great deal more. It's only a couple of hours north of D.C., so the weather is about the same. I also agree with the previous poster that April and October are the best times to visit.

http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/

X10 for September in New England! Best month of the year.

Train buff? Check out New York Central train museum in Elkhart, Indiana might enjoy RV museum there as well.