York, PA to College Park, DC

August 29 – September 8, 2025

When we discovered that the trip from York to Washington DC is a relatively short drive, we knew we had to travel there. Before leaving for the Rally, we made reservations for Cherry Hill RV Campground located in College Park, Maryland for 10 nights.

We left York around 10:00am on Friday, August 29 and arrived at Cherry Hill in 2 hours. This is a large campground with many amenities including a pool, hot tub, sauna, miniature golf course, pickleball, and more. It is also a great location to visit DC since it has a Metro bus line you can get on to travel to the Metro Station in about 20 minutes.

We spent both Friday and Saturday getting groceries, doing laundry, and watching The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Texas! The Wi-Fi here is a bit spotty but overall pretty decent, and we haven’t had to use Starlink data. A nice perk at Cherry Hill is the educational seminars on navigating the Metro, which we found very helpful. The office even sells Metro passes, offering discounted rates for seniors. On our first trip into DC, we were a little unsure of ourselves, but everything went smoothly, and we didn’t get lost!

Visiting DC has always been on our bucket list, and after years of planning, we finally made it happen. As history enthusiasts, we’re absolutely loving every moment of our time here.

We started our day at the Mall area to visit many of the iconic monuments, including the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. The Korean War Memorial held special significance for us since Ron’s dad served in the war. The conflict, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, claimed the lives of over 54,000 Americans. Our final stop today was the Smithsonian Museum of American History, filled with fascinating historical artifacts ranging from early American inventions to more recent items we fondly remembered from our childhood.

The Mall area in DC is incredibly walkable, but after exploring the Memorials and touring the three-story Smithsonian, we were definitely ready to rest our feet and head back to the campgrounds.

On Monday, September 1, we took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery. Visiting this place was truly unforgettable, and it was humbling to see the vast expanse of white crosses, each engraved with the names of soldiers spanning from the 1800s to the present day. Both of us remember JFK’s assassination and seeing his burial site with the Eternal Flame was deeply moving for us.

We toured Arlington House, situated on the grounds. The home was built by George Washington’s step-grandson, whose daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, married Robert E. Lee. After Robert E. Lee became the Confederate General, the Union confiscated the house. It’s a stunning home filled with antiquities from the era, including many items used by its occupants.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Changing of the Guard left a lasting impression on us. We discovered how the first Unknown Soldier was chosen to be interred there and the significance of the site for families of soldiers who were never identified during overseas conflicts. Currently, the Tomb holds the remains of three unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The remains of the Vietnam War’s Unknown Soldier were exhumed in 1998 after being identified through DNA testing.

The Tomb is guarded continuously by highly disciplined sentinels for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard”. During the summer months of April 1 through September 30, a relief commander announces the changing of the guard every 30 minutes, when a new sentinel unlocks their M-14 rifle. The commander does a white glove inspection of the rifle before the new sentinel is granted permission to walk at a 90-step-per-minute cadence, across a 63-foot walkway in 21 steps. They face the tomb for 21 seconds, turn pause for another 21 seconds, then retrace their steps. The number 21 is repeated throughout the ceremony to symbolize the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor. A sentinel has been on duty in constant vigil for each minute since 1937.

It was an unforgettable experience that will stay with us forever.

We decided to take a break from the sightseeing and spend the day at Cherry Hill. Do you remember the ‘custom decal’ we bought from the vendor at the Rally? We applied it today and think it looks great. Give us a thumbs up if you agree!

In the educational seminar, they talked about the Spy Museum and on Wednesday we decided to tour it. While enroute, Ron noticed a man with an OSU hat and being a friendly Buckeye, Ron gave a shout out of “O H” to which the man replied, “I O”. We chatted with them on the way to the Museum, learning they lived in Grove City, Ohio most of their lives. When they learned that Ron retired from Bellefontaine PD, they told us how he had family in the Ridgeway area. They were also familiar with Indian Lake and swapped stories about the area.

The museum boasts an impressive collection of spy-related artifacts, espionage history, and technology, offering a fascinating glimpse into the world of spies, much of which was new us. Upon entering, we received a ‘secret identity’ to use as we explored the exhibits and tested our spy skills. While I don’t think either of us would make the cut as spies, we had a great time learning and engaging with the displays. From James Bond’s iconic 007 car to “The Turtle,” a replica of the Revolutionary War wooden submarine, and a pedal-powered one-man submarine from World War I, the three-story museum houses the largest public display spycraft in the world.