Day 12 Washington

Alright, I know that nothing is perfect including a GPS but bloody hell does it have to go wonky in Jersey? The trip out was no better than the trip in but for a very different reason. We left Liberty Harbour without a problem (I actually first wrote “without a hitch” but that means something very different when you’re in an RV). We were on the interstate and already through our first toll when it led us astray! When we got lost on the way in, the GPS told us to ‘take a slight left’. Faced with five lanes, three of them going left, we clearly did not sync on the definition of ‘slight’. So although it was too late to do anything about it, the GPS quickly identified the problem and we will take full responsibility for the mess. Today though, we followed the directions to the last detail. In fact at the time of the mix up, there was a superimposed screen that appears when lane changes are required on multi-lane highways, so it was very easy to follow the instructions ... and head straight back into Jersey on the wrong side of the tracks! Oh the merry chase to get back on the right path!

Sometime later, having made our way back to the interstate, we hit Delaware! Who cares that gas is cheaper here? It’s more than covered in toll charges! $45.00 later in road tolls that, let me tell you, are not going to road repairs, we parked at a roadside stop. We only went to the trailer for a drink and a snack. We hadn’t counted on spending the next hour picking glass from every conceivable surface in the trailer! On one of the many bumps, our Corelle dishes hit the cupboard door, opened it and went crashing to the floor. Anyone care to guess how many shards of glass a set of dishes can generate? We will be finding Corelle pieces for years to come. And we paid $45.00 for this pleasure!

Not big fans of Delaware we were happy to cross into Maryland. Still not a huge fan of the GPS either though, since its plan to reroute us around a tunnel that prohibits propane, was to send us through downtown Baltimore! And I do mean the heart of downtown. Life on the road is wonderfully unpredictable but not for the faint of heart! St. David once again to the rescue!

There is always a silver lining though, and we have arrived safely (if you don’t count the dishes!) in one of the most beautiful RV parks. Cherry Hill is apparently the park closest to the Capital. It is as beautiful, clean, and efficient as you could ever imagine. While David was registering I discovered Wi-Fi the way you hope it could operate – first time since we left home where it’s reliable! David came out raving about how friendly, efficient and helpful they were at registration. He came back with a package of information that should cover us for the week, along with an invitation to come to the community building at 4:00 for a session with one of their staff about all there is to see and do in the area and how to access everything we need.

After a rather detailed trailer clean (and I know there is still glass hiding) we went to their community space to discover they have everything here – from a pool, sauna and restaurant to an RV repair service and dog walking!  They have full-serviced wooded sites and cabins for those who don’t have an RV but would like to visit Washington! Barb, the staff member running this afternoon’s session, is a senior from California, but has been coming here for 14 years as a worker camper. Her daughter lives in one of the nearby towns and she spends her summers here, camping and working for the family that runs the campground. She mans the bus stop across from the front gate that offers every connection you could possibly want. She knew everything about everything, and offered information on full-service tours, subway tickets, maps and directions for parking for people like us who just want to explore. She gave a 40 minute presentation, with tons of time for questions, and gave tips on everything Washington! She offered tons of insider tips like pointing out that all of the government buildings in Washington have exceptional employee cafeterias. They are great, cheap places to have lunch with the movers and shakers in Washington and they are open to the public but you have to know to go there! She also talked to seniors in the group about how safe it is to travel in the city with the amount of security present! Of course as I write this, David is listening to the news about the high number of murders in Washington this year! Don’t worry Mom, I won’t go anywhere near those neighbourhoods and I’ll be home early!

With subway tickets in our pockets and more tourist information than we can read, we are ready for tomorrow!