RVing to Washington DC
Need some advice and suggestions, please. We're visiting Washington DC April 6-13. We have a 1/2 ton pickup and 27' TT, nothing out of the ordinary. We're retired but active, no pets or kids, BTW. ...
Forum Discussion
rfloyd99 wrote:
Thanks for all the tips, I'm still paying attention! We definitely won't be driving into the city, will be taking the time to plan our days and will study the metro system.
Still curious, has anyone been to Greenbelt CG in the last few months? I'm aware of its pluses and minuses, but can't find any recent reviews to see if there've been improvements. Also, many have reported ticks there in the past, any change to that issue? Are they a lesser problem in mid April than in the summer?
I am not sure what improvements you are looking for. I have not been there in several years but the campground was well laid out and maintained.
Yes, for sure ticks are a problem throughout the country but especially in the Eastern US. April is not too early for ticks. In fact they can be a problem year around in relatively warm areas such as the D.C. area. Do not rely on DEET. In fact I don't use it at all. Treat your camping clothes with Permethrin. I spray shoes, socks, pants, shirts/jackets and hats with permethrin. It is relatively safe but avoid getting the spray on you and wait for the clothing to dry. Permethrin bonds to the clothing and will be effective for weeks even if the clothing is washed a few times before re-treating. I would also spray chairs and picnic tables.
Don't take chances with ticks. Lyme is a nasty disease and worse it is often not detected early. There are even worse tick-borne diseases. Babesia is becoming more prevalent. It can be a debilitating disease that is often overlooked and can takes months to treat with a cocktail of drugs. I was recently tested for a battery of tick-borne diseases and turned up positive for a previously rare disease, relapsing fever, B. miyamotoi. The test is not very good and the result could have been a false positive, but I still needed doxy for a month. My wife had a tick bite last month here on Long Island where we have had some nasty winter weather. Anyway, she is just finishing a month of doxy. You don't have to venture into dense woods to be bitten by a tick. It is likely my wife was bitten sitting on the backyard patio, on a 50 degree relatively warm winter day.
