2015 summer vacation details: PA, MD, VA, DE, NJ, NY

[michigansandzil]

Hi all,
Sorry for the long post. This is our proposed vacation for 8-2015.

Our details: We are a family of 5. Adults are late 30s and kids are 12, 10, and 6. We like kid type activities, history, nature, military type things; but no art or sporting events. The two boys are scouts and my husband is the scout master, military stuff is very exciting.

Anyone familiar with these areas have insight for this plan? A great kid opportunity or route to avoid? Really anything at all to help us plan before we secure all the sites would be helpful.

We have 16 days for 1800 miles, 4 campgrounds, and 6 states. Yes, we're ambitious. 😉 I'm sure several will chime in about how I need more time at a specific location and I'm likely to agree but I have limited time and want to get it all in. I won't nail down exact schedules, spontaneity has lead to the most fun adventures for us, but I do need to book sites in the next couple of months, so I need a set route and dates at least.

We're coming from southern Michigan and are planning our vacation around a site I got on Assateague Island SP from Friday 8-14 until Wednesday 8-19.

Our tentative itinerary:
Friday 8-7. Leave MI after work and drive for a few hours.

Saturday 8-8. Gettysburg late afternoon. Visit as long as kids can tolerate, (they didn't like Chickamauga this spring). After Gettysburg, continue to Cherry Park campground in MD.

Sunday 8-9 and Monday 8-10. Tour DC via on off trolley. See touristy stuff: National Mall, Smithsonians, Archives, Washington Monument (too early to get tickets yet. Are tickets necessary or can you get tickets easily that morning?). What did your kids love about DC?

Tuesday 8-11. Baltimore- Fort McHenry, USS Constellation. What other activities are good ideas here? Is the aquarium a must see?

Wednesday 8-12. DC to Williamsburg Virginia. Visit Historical Jamestowne after dropping off the camper. Is the Williamsburg KOA a good location?

Thursday 8-13. Open day. The kids aren't coaster enthusiasts so we're not visiting Busch Gardens. How's the waterpark? Also considering Colonial Williamsburg. This seems very similar to Greenfield Village and Mackinac Island here in Michigan, and we may skip this entirely if it's a repeat of our usual events. Anyone familiar with Greenfield and Colonial Williamsburg and are they very different?

Friday 8-14. Williamsburg to Assateague Island. Stop at Norfolk Naval Base en route for a tour. Can we take the camper to the base? Anything else in Norfolk?

Friday 8-14 to Wednesday 8-19. Assateague Island. Do beachy stuff, (who knows how to go crabbing?). Hoping to see some dolphins and ocean animals new to the kids. Should we bring our bikes? Go to Delaware and take ferry to NJ. Visit the boardwalk so kids can go on rides and eat carnival food. Are Ocean City MD and Wildwood boardwalks very similar? Is it worthwile to visit both? Is there anyway to go deep sea fishing that doesn't cost 2k?!

Wednesday 8-19. Assateauge to Liberty Harbor NJ. Stop in Philly en route. Potentially leaving camper at Campus park and ride off route 76. Visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and drive across to see Battleship New Jersey.

Thursday 8-20 and Friday 8-21. Tour NYC via on off bus. How do we get to the bus? How's the ferry from Liberty Park to the statue of liberty? This entire part of the vacation is confusing to me. We want to see the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island, 911 Memorial, Times Square, and .....the American Girl Store. Everything else is up in the air. I think we'll be so overwhelmed that just sitting in the bus might be enough.

Saturday 8-22 to Sunday 8-23. Drive home.

Thanks in advance. Sorry for the novel, I understand if some fell asleep half way through.

[TomB_]

I grew up in DC & got outta that rat race back in the 70's. Been back a couple of times, & would suggest that you park at one of the suburban Metro stations ( subway )along I495 (Greenbelt station is a good one) & travel into DC that way. Head to Union Station & you will find several tours that start from there. Check out DC Ducks for a fun tour.

Check out Americamps in Ashland, VA. Great place to camp & staffed with friendly folks. Right across the interstate is McGeorge's Rolling Hills RV if you have any supply or service needs.

Have a great trip, & post photos! :B

[michigansandzil]

Looks like I can get timed tickets for Independence Hall pretty easily, and a year in advance so I can do it now. It never occurred to me that you'd need advance tickets. I should have read the national park site! Duh! Another reason this network is helpful.
Lots of ticket planning to do for this trip:
Independence Hall
Washington Monument
White House
Statue of Liberty-to get to the crown

Realistically, I know we won't get to every single place, but I will at least be prepared so we can pick and choose. Typically we go do something every day on vacation, but we sometimes have a hard time getting moving in the morning. We might lay in bed til 10. 😉

[DrewE]

michigansandzilla wrote:

DrewE wrote:
Do be aware that getting into the constitution house, seeing the liberty bell, and a few other things in Philly require obtaining a (free) timed ticket in person beforehand. It's probably unrealistic to expect to get into those areas if you're only stopping for a few hours.

Really? That's disheartening. The only reason we're even going to Philly is to see the Liberty bell. If we're there around noon we won't be able to get in all day?
I don't mind getting a ticket and waiting as we will get lunch and see Battleship New jersey or find something to do.
Do you have to be in line by 8?! How do tourists manage to see this?

After a bit of research, I see I misremembered a few details. Tickets are required for Independence hall, but apparently only a security screening is needed for the liberty bell and congress hall, but not a timed ticket. Most of the other things to see in the area are self-guided sorts of things. Tickets for independence hall may be obtained for free in person on the day of the visit, or may be reserved ahead of time online or by phone for a $1.50/ticket fee.

How long you have to wait and how quickly the tickets disappear would presumably depend on how many other people are there at the same time, on your arrival time, etc. According to the national park website, on busy days the walk-up tickets for the whole day may be gone before 11 AM (the booth opens at 8:30).

[michigansandzil]

DrewE wrote:
Do be aware that getting into the constitution house, seeing the liberty bell, and a few other things in Philly require obtaining a (free) timed ticket in person beforehand. It's probably unrealistic to expect to get into those areas if you're only stopping for a few hours.

Really? That's disheartening. The only reason we're even going to Philly is to see the Liberty bell and go to independence hall. If we're there around noon on a Wednesday we won't be able to get in all day?
I don't mind getting a ticket and waiting as we will get lunch and see Battleship New jersey or find something to do. And I understand waiting in line is a probability, but I didn't realize it's not a guarantee.
Do you have to be in line by 8?! How do tourists manage to see this while driving through?

[NoVa_RT]

If you have to choose, the Capitol Building is a better tour than the White House, less waiting & more open to the public, although I haven't been through the process since they put in the underground Visitor's Center. The Air & Space Museum is kid-friendly. See the IMAX movies there, gives everyone a chance to rest out of the heat, which might be oppressive in August, or maybe you'll be lucky. Some of those days seem a little ambitious - lots of travel while touring on the way, but maybe you're from hardier stock. Good luck, I've enjoyed all the places you mentioned, although never on a single trip.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/ns_norfolk/about/installation_guide/visitor_inf...

[sdianel_-acct_c]

The kids should like Gettysburg. They have the welcome center with movies and lots of info. May not like the entire driving tour so select the most interesting parts and not the entire route.
While in DC. Don't miss the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. Also the one in DC. Use the hop-on hop-off shuttle all day pass.
If you want another option for NYC. We stayed at Newburgh NY KOA and took their tour bus into the city. Pricey but worth it as it includes some tickets like ferry to Liberty Island and to the Empire State Bldg. Look up the tour bus prices on the KOA website under facilities.
Getting your RV on the naval base might be a challenge. You will have to get a visitor's pass, provide insurance and proof of registration and they may search the vehicle. Also parking might be a challenge. They have a tour bus outside Gate 5 where you can park your RV and take the tour bus. Will post the link in another message.

[DrewE]

Do be aware that getting into the constitution house, seeing the liberty bell, and a few other things in Philly require obtaining a (free) timed ticket in person beforehand. It's probably unrealistic to expect to get into those areas if you're only stopping for a few hours. (I do not recommend attempting to drive your RV in Philly, perhaps even more so than some other cities. Many streets are narrow, some extremely so, with quite tight intersections.)

In DC, besides the many excellent Smithsonian museums, you may want to check out the FBI museum/tour (which is interesting, but not up to Smithsonian standards IMHO) and the National Geographic Society museum (which is not free and a bit out of the way). I understand the holocaust museum is also excellent though I haven't seen it myself. There is a whole lot to see in DC; you won't have any trouble at all filling two days and then some.

Nighttime in New York (and elsewhere)—I might be tempted to stop by the TKTS reduced-price theater ticket booth and see what was available for the night. If you want more control, you can of course get non-discounted tickets further in advance online to just about all shows. Many of the shows unfortunately are not entirely appropriate for younger children, so naturally some discernment is needed. That said, seeing a good live show is a wonderful memorable experience.

If it's a clear day, the Empire State Building is an appropriately touristy thing to do and does have a magnificent view of the city from the observation deck.

[michigansandzil]

You guys are great. Thanks for the responses.
How about nighttime?
I'm thinking the boardwalks would be best at night? Cooler temps and all the lights.
How about DC? I've heard visiting the monuments at night is beautifuL. Is this better than during the day?

It might just be that nature decides for us. If it's 100* I think I'll have a mutiny if I tell everyone to go walk miles on the hot sun to look at statues. It might be night out of necessity. 🙂

Same with colonial Williamsburg. I can see that my husband and I would like to go just us, but not happening. If it's 100*, nobodies going to want to go walk on hot pavement in Williamsburg, so going to the waterpark instead will be a no brainer. That's where the kids will want to be regardless.

[mdcamping]

We've done Busch Gardens twice, lots more to do at Busch gardens besides the rides, good entertainment/events, cool zoo... and the rides are more Disney like... not the crash & bang type rides you find at six flags.

Been to the water park also... has a lot of the same Disney like type rides. :C

Mike

[Merrykalia]

In DC, no, I don't think the bus off/on is the way to go. No matter when you get off/on, you are still going to have quite a bit of walking to do because of the locations where they can stop and let you out. Go with the METRO, I think you will be glad you did when you see the people getting in and out of the buses at the SAME places you will be arriving off the METRO.

Just my $.02 worth here, so my opinion may conflict with others.

[RVcircus]

Sounds like an awesome trip!!! The kids should have a blast for sure.

michigansandzilla wrote:

Thursday 8-13. Open day. The kids aren't coaster enthusiasts so we're not visiting Busch Gardens. How's the waterpark? Also considering Colonial Williamsburg. This seems very similar to Greenfield Village and Mackinac Island here in Michigan, and we may skip this entirely if it's a repeat of our usual events. Anyone familiar with Greenfield and Colonial Williamsburg and are they very different?

We just went to Williamsburg a few weeks ago. We have 4 kids and none really enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg, but tolerated it for a few hours. The wife and I decided it would have been fun without the kids, but we weren't that lucky.

We did do Busch Gardens and had a blast. The roller coasters were closed fir Christmas and weather, but there was still plenty to do.

michigansandzilla wrote:

Friday 8-14 to Wednesday 8-19. Assateague Island. Do beachy stuff, (who knows how to go crabbing?). Hoping to see some dolphins and ocean animals new to the kids. Should we bring our bikes? Go to Delaware and take ferry to NJ. Visit the boardwalk so kids can go on rides and eat carnival food. Are Ocean City MD and Wildwood boardwalks very similar? Is it worthwile to visit both? Is there anyway to go deep sea fishing that doesn't cost 2k?!

We're making our first Assateague camping trip this June. We've been there for day trips and had a great time. We have several friends that go every year and love it.

As for boardwalks, go with Wildwood for sure. It's worth the ferry trip. My parents live in Wildwood Crest and we spend a lot of time there. Take a morning bike ride on the boardwalk, get ride Mack's pizza for lunch, rides in the afternoon, and then hit the beach around dinner time as the crowd is leaving. Trust me;-)

As for fishing trips, there are some Jersey Shore fishing websites. Keep an eye open for someone looking for someone to split gas with them. It's a good way to get on a boat with someone that knows what they're doing. Many of them go out from a marina at the Canyon Club between Cape May and Wildwood.

michigansandzilla wrote:

Visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and drive across to see Battleship New Jersey.

We're just outside of Philly and took my 5 year old for a train ride into the city a few weeks ago. He had fun walking around and checking out the buildings, but the train ride way the highlight. We hit the liberty bell (area...didn't wait in line) and Independence Hall. Don't forget to get a cheesesteak.

[gcloss]

I'm exhausted just reading your itinerary. I've been to all of the places you want to visit and they are all GREAT. You and your family will really experience many of the great places to visit in our great country. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[Mike_Taverniti]

Williamsburg KOA is nice. Also consider American Heritage RV park, this is also a nice RV park. Water Country USA is a nice water park. Colonial Williamsburg is also nice. Consider taking "The Ghosts of Williamsburg" night time tour, tickets online or at the Williamsburg General Store. well worth the cost. You will enjoy Jamestown.

[eb145]

Here are my NYC suggestions:

- don't drive into The City. Park at one of the PATH stations in New Jersey and take the PATH (Port Authority Train/subway) into NYC. One of the PATH stops is right under the World Trade Center site. The PATH train is an experience by itself.

- taking the NYC subway (the subway system connects with PATH trains but they are different train systems with different tickets) is another cultural experience you should consider. It might be more educational than a tourist bus. Take the subway to times square. Walk to Central Park and/or Rockefeller Plaza.

- There are many choices for taking Ferry Boats between NJ, NYC, and other places. For the price of a commuter ferry boat ticket you can get a great water ride with views of NY. If you avoid rush hour you can have a quiet boat ride.

Ed