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West Bend to DC

sheridesabeemer

I Used to Be Someone
I have a week to get back to New Hampshire from West Bend. I am giving thought to going to DC to see the sights for a couple of days.
I'm interested in peopleÔÇÖs experiences traveling in the DC area with a bike. I'd like to find a hotel with restricted access parking and basically park the bike for the couple days we stay. I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that it's going to be safe to do this with my 12 year old!
 
You might get a few more responses if you post this on the BMWBMW website. That stands for BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington. I live in Baltimore which is close to DC but I don't go down there often.

www.bmwbmw.org
 
I have a week to get back to New Hampshire from West Bend. I am giving thought to going to DC to see the sights for a couple of days.
I'm interested in people’s experiences traveling in the DC area with a bike. I'd like to find a hotel with restricted access parking and basically park the bike for the couple days we stay. I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that it's going to be safe to do this with my 12 year old!

You'd be better off (you and your bike would be safer) if you went a little South, and stayed outside of the beltway, and I say South because it is the least built up.

You can probably be within 20 miles of downtown DC and be in a nice small community that would be safe to leave your bike out at night, and save a bundle of $$$$. From there you can chose to do the tourist thing and ride your bike back up to DC every day, OR catch the metro and use it to get around day to day.


That and if you are going to be in the area.. don't skip Annapolis, and/or coming south to the southern most point in MD.. Beautiful areas, and the sailboats should be in full bloom that time of year!


If you want I can research some places and prices for you, or you and your daughter can come camp out in my yard...
 
You might get a few more responses if you post this on the BMWBMW website. That stands for BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington. I live in Baltimore which is close to DC but I don't go down there often.

www.bmwbmw.org

And several of us have already met her.. we might be hospitable even..
 
DC Summer Biking

I did this a few years back.

DC is essentially a tropical destination. Getting off at the 'wrong' exit - which I did - and sitting in stalled traffic in a bad neighborhood in 98 degree / 98% weather is a bad idea.:bolt

What we wound up doing was staying across the river from DC proper, locking up our bikes and cabbing over to this very walkable city.

Enjoy!
 
Repeating previous advice, you may wish to stay outside of DC on a Metro (subway) or MARC (commuter train) route. Both are pretty reliable and better than dealing with the traffic in the heat of DC summers. That being said, there are many DC hotels that would likely have safe parking availble for you. But they ain't cheap.

And Bob's advice about Annapolis is dead on. Great town with plenty of shopping, restaurants, sightseeing, etc. Home of the US Naval Academy.

Let us bmwbmw folks know if we can offer any other help.
 
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Falls Church, VA

When I did the DC area several years ago I stayed at the Homewood Suites in Falls Church, VA near I-495 and I-66. Not cheap but cheaper than downtown, and handy to Metro (Dunn-Loring). Security was adequate and the metro was convenient for visiting downtown without fussing with bike gear, parking, etc.
 
Thank you for the specifics. I've tried registering on bmwbmw to ask there, but no one seems to be home to approve my request...or they think I'm a spamer (hard to say with my username)

Anyway, I could still use more info, I've decided we are going to DC, so now I need to know if I should forgo staying in the city in lieu of commuting on the rail. How much time/money is the rail? I could really use specific hotel recomendations.

thank you!
 
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