Visiting Big Cities
(From the book “Extended RV Travel”)
Copyright by Joe and Vicki Kieva
Dear Joe and Vicki: We are planning our first cross country trip. We especially want to visit the big cities (Boston, New York, Washington, DC, etc.) but I really don’t relish the idea of driving our transportation vehicle into congested areas. Are there campgrounds close enough to the major cities with easy connections to buses or trains so we can visit without having to drive our own vehicle?
Joe: Yes! And that is the only way you are going to get this wimp to visit the major cities. I have the greatest respect in the world for the truck and bus drivers who make their living by maneuvering their big rigs through narrow, congested city streets. Personally, I do not relish the challenges presented by hostile drivers, suicidal pedestrians, one-way streets (but officer, I was only going one way), hidden and/or misleading directional signs, and outrageously priced parking lots (I don’t want to buy it, I just want to park here for a few hours). When it comes to visiting the cities, my motto is “Take the bus, leave the driving to them”.
Vicki: Joe has a tendency to hold things in. What he is trying to say is that we have visited most of our country’s major cities by staying in RV parks and using public transportation. Actually, while towing our car with our 36 foot motorhome, he has done a remarkable job of negotiating the downtown areas of a number of big cities. Of course, he could have avoided those experiences if he had just paid attention to my directions.
When we visit a new city of any size we take a two or three day approach. The first day we take at least a half-day guided tour of the city. Professional tours take you to the city’s main attractions, point out interesting places to go, and give you an overview of the city.
On one all-day tour of New York City, for example, we went to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the United Nations, walked around Rockefeller Plaza, hiked a section of Central Park, rode the Staten Island Ferry, saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and had the homes of the rich and famous pointed out to us as we rode through a number of heavily trafficked streets. I doubt if we could have accomplished all of that in a week while driving our own car.
We use the tour day to scope out the city and determine the places we want to go on subsequent days. From then on we take public transportation into and out of the city.
Cities like Boston and Washington, D.C. have excellent commuter trains that take you into the heart of the city. Once there, you can buy an all-day ticket that allows you to get on and off a combination transportation/tour-bus system. One of these, in Boston, is called The Bean Town Trolley. A number of these trolley-looking vehicles travel a loop route among the tourist highlights of the city. Your all-day ticket lets you get off and spend as much time as you wish at any of the stops. When you are ready to continue, you get on the next trolley that comes by. The “trolleys” in Washington, D.C. make stops near all the Smithsonian buildings, National Monuments, and government buildings. They even go to Arlington National Cemetery.
There are some places, though, like Philadelphia’s Historical Area, or New Orleans’ French Quarter, where parking is not that difficult and most of the points of interest are within walking distance.
Joe: Use your Trailer Life Campgrounds, RV Parks & Services Directory to locate the RV parks and campgrounds that cater to the city tourists. Their advertisements will emphasize their proximity to the local attractions and point out how they can make your visit a pleasant one. A number of them will have public transportation at their entrance or within a short walking distance. Quite a few will provide shuttle service into town. Some will offer their own tours. Many of them will arrange for the commercial tour bus companies to pick you up at the RV park and drop you off at the end of the tour. And the campgrounds that want you to come back and/or recommend them to your friends will have maps, brochures, train and bus schedules, and will spend time helping you plan your visit.
When we visit Boston we stay at Normandy Farms in Foxboro, MA. They offer a variety of tours, and the commuter train station is just a few minutes drive away. In Washington, D.C. we stay at Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD. This place has its own bus station right on the grounds. The commercial tour buses and public transportation buses pull right into the RV park. What more could you ask for? And the commuter train station is just a couple miles away. The train goes directly into the tourist area of Washington DC. The personnel in both of these parks, by the way, go out of their way to be helpful, friendly, hosts. It’s obvious their managers know what it takes to be a success in the hospitality business.
Do a little research. Use your campground directory. Call the campgrounds. Visit their web sites. Take a tour. Use public transportation. You may find, once you are familiar with a city’s layout, that you’ll even try driving your own transportation vehicle into town.
