Local Wash D.C. Info Please....

[bassman]

Going to the Sept 12 Taxpayer March in Wash D.C.   Staying in College Park, MD.  Would you recommend public transportation back and forth from College Park to the Freedom Plaza or drive in a car.  Any parking tips around Freedom Plaza?  How is the public transportation?  Would also like to visit the Vietnam Wall and World War II Memorial.  The "group" ages are from mid 40's to mid 80's.
Any info / tips / recommendations / pitfalls would be appreciated.

TIA !

[hubcapsc]

I love the DC metro, if you fly into the right airport, you never have to set foot in a car or a taxi.
Some of the outlying metro is buses, not trains, but it is all good, and will take you to all the places
you want to go.

-Mike "haven't been there in 10 or 15 years..."

[bassman]

Thanks Mike...we're driving in from Michigan so we'll have a vehicle with us, if needed.  We're curious about the public trans - how effective and practical it would be from College Park.....

[Skinhead]

Hey bassman,

Give 'em hell while your there!

BTW, I loved the metro while there.

[Paul-M]

I was in DC last year in June ... what an amazing place! I spent a week and would love to go back and spend a month! Public transportation and walking are all you need. It is a fantastic city and one of the easiest there is to get around in my opinion. I can't say where you should park. I parked at my hotel and left the vehicle until it was time to head home.

Hope this helps.

[Strider]

When Hard6 and I went there last year, we trained up from Fredericksburg to DC.  If there is a train from where you are to the main station - it is right by the capital.  Or if any public transport takes you there - again, right by the capital.  I don't know what parking is like in central DC, but if you take the public transport in, may be better.  From central DC, there are tons of these Hop-On, Hop-Off tour buses.  That way you can get off, see what you want and hop back on again.  There are a bunch that do the circle around the monuments and stuff.  Another will take you over to Arlington if you want to see the cemetary and all.  The Lincoln Memorial, WWII and Vietnam are all right there so you can walk to them all.  The ages you gave, I would suggest the tour bus thing to get around.  Everything is close, but a lot of shoe leather if you know what I mean.  We were by the White House and took a cab because we were tired of walking back to the train station and it wasn't bad at all.  The hop on-hop offs are nice.  The buildings are so large that if you try and walk to things, it is a LOT of walking.

[shortleg]

   Neil
    Give me a call when you get in. I will try to meet up
with you and give you a tour of D.C.
      I worked down there for 30 years.
   Also if you get to the Wall go across the street to
see the statue of Albert Enstine, you will have look for it
as it is behind some srubs but large enough to sit in
his lap. It,s a hoot.
        301  801-5980

[shortleg]

  And how many people are you with?
 You shold be able to take the ride-on buses to the
Metro. The hotel might have a shuttle bus, give them a call and ask.
     There is alot to see in that area, all the free museums and such.
                 Shortleg[Dave]

[Jess from VA]

Going to the Sept 12 Taxpayer March in Wash D.C.   Staying in College Park, MD.  Would you recommend public transportation back and forth from College Park to the Freedom Plaza or drive in a car.  Any parking tips around Freedom Plaza?  How is the public transportation?  Would also like to visit the Vietnam Wall and World War II Memorial.  The "group" ages are from mid 40's to mid 80's.
Any info / tips / recommendations / pitfalls would be appreciated.TIA !

Take the Metro, don't drive; traffic is bad, parking is steep, hundreds of speed and red lite cameras are waiting, and you won't like the jury you get if you are in an accident and are sued in court.  Pee before getting on trains, there are NO restrooms anywhere in the system

There is a Metro Station right in College Park/U of MD on the Green line (4931 Calvert Road
College Park MD 20740).  

Go there, price your tickets and buy them, travel on Green line toward Branch Avenue, get off at Gallery Place/Chinatown and switch trains to Red line toward Shady Grove (you probably have to go up or down stairs here), and get off the Red line at the very next stop at Metro Center, exit and go upstairs and follow signs to Freedom Plaza.

You can easily walk from Freedom Plaza to WWII memorial and the Vietnam memorial (assuming all can walk).

Advise you leave firearms at home (or in the car).  No permits in Peoples Republics of MD or DC.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=s&lat=38.88723&lon=-77.032817&zoom=16&q1=Freedom%20Plaza%20in%20Washington%2C%20DC

[KerryNolan]

September 12 is also the day for the "Rattle the Runway" memorial ride. Bikes from all over the metro area gather at the Air and space museum at the Dulles Airport, and ride (escorted by police) to the Pentagon to honor those who lost their lives on 911. Info can be found here
http://www.rattletherunwayride.com/eventinfo.htm
They always open the museum for the riders to walk through while the event waits for the scheduled departure time.
Kerry

[bassman]

Thanks for all the input guys....very informative and helpful....much appreciated !