|
The
Registration Form and preview article about
"Capitol
Cruising"
were published in the March issue of The
Self-Starter (download
registration form).
You may read details about the Tour
below.
News Briefs
June 2009:
-
Do you like baseball? A minor league
affiliate of the Washington Nationals, the
Potomac Cannons, will be playing a few games at their home park during
the week of
"Capitol
Cruising".
On Tuesday, August 11, they will be playing an afternoon game beginning at
12:05 PM, against the Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles affiliate). The
series continues with evening games (7:05PM) on Wednesday and Thursday.
G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium is in Woodbridge, Virginia, just 25½ miles
from the hotel. That’s about a 35 minute drive on an easy route (mostly
on two major roads).
May 2009:
-
If you would like to
arrive a day early or stay a day later, we have arranged to extend our
fabulous $99/night rate for Mon, Aug 10 and Sun, Aug 16. See Question #5 in
the FAQs below.
April 2009:
-
Congratulations to Donald & Carol Magee of Abington, Pennsylvania. They
are the first registrants for
"Capitol
Cruising".
As a token of our appreciation, a gift will be sent to the Magees.
-
Wolf Trap National Park for the
Performing Arts has announced its Summer Season. Wolf Trap features
an outdoor performing arts amphitheater with in-house (covered, fixed) and
lawn (uncovered, grass) seating. A little over half of the seating,
nearly 4,000, is under cover with open sides that look out onto the tall
trees and rolling hills of the park. The remainder of the seating is
uncovered on a sloping lawn where patrons can bring picnics to enjoy
before and during the performance. It’s about a 12 mile/20 minute drive
to Wolf Trap from the hotel. The performances scheduled during the week
of "Capitol Cruising"
are:
Tuesday, August 11: Hippiefest (Mountain, Badfinger, Flo & Eddie, Rascals)
Thursday, August 13: Bill Cosby
Friday, August 14: Crosby, Stills & Nash
Saturday, August 15: The Four Tops & The Temptations
Sunday, August 16: Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) How do I get
directions to the hotel?
Visit the hotel website to get driving directions from your respective
starting location. A window will appear (see below) where you will
need to type in your starting address.
2) What maps will I
need?
We
recommend that you consider the following maps available from AAA to its
members:
-
Delaware/District of Columbia/Maryland/Virginia (one map)
-
National Capital Area
-
Washington D.C. Beltway
-
Washington D.C. West, Fairfax County Virginia
-
Washington D.C. Area, Loudoun & Prince William Counties Virginia
3) Where can I get
traffic information?
WTOP
Radio (103.5 FM, 103.9 FM, 107.7 FM, 820 AM, 1500 AM – depending upon the
location) have traffic & weather reports “on the eights,” i.e. every ten
minutes at 8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 58 minutes past each hour. The station has a
website with traffic information also:
www.wtop.com.
In
addition, the Commonwealth of Virginia has a website with traffic
information.
www.511virginia.org. On the site, select “Northern” as the Region
applicable to the area surrounding the hotel.
4) If we were interested
in hitching a ride with someone on one of the day trips – in particular
Thursday of that week – how do we make that request?
Feel free to send your
request via email or telephone to either of our Tour co-chairpersons. In
the article about "Capitol Cruising" published in the March issue of The
Self-Starter, we wrote: “If you are reluctant or unable to bring your
Cadillac or LaSalle to Washington, DC, we encourage you to come anyway.
There are CLC members who will share seats in their cars for you to enjoy
our 'Capitol Cruising'." Also, on the
Registration Form, we included a line: "Check this box if you are willing to
accept a passenger." It is our intent to try to get CLC members who need
rides with those members who are willing to accept passengers.
5) We would like be
refreshed for the tour and arrive the day before [Monday]. Also, we may want
to stay check out the day
after
the banquet [Sunday]. Can we get the $99 rate for Monday August 10 and
Sunday August 16th?
Yes.
6) What is the
difference between the two motor coach tours of Washington, DC? Could
you please elaborate on them?
Tuesday evening's tour will feature the highlights of DC by night. We will
see the monuments lit up for evening viewing, which is especially
beautiful. There will be a professional tour guide to narrate the tour.
Friday's tour is a more extensive tour of DC, with ample time to stop at the
monuments and allow people to get off the bus and tour around. Again, we
will have a professional tour guide. The group will have lunch at Union
Station, which is a renovated historic train station. The tour will drive
by other notable places in DC, such as Embassy Row, the Watergate complex,
Georgetown, the Tidal Basin, and more.
For
someone who hasn't seen our Nations’ Capital, the Tuesday evening tour may
be likened to an appetizer, with the Friday tour being the main course.
7) Please describe the
“light meal,” listed as part of the Welcome Reception on Wednesday, August
12, 2009?
The
menu for the reception includes a Summer Berry Salad (Bibb Lettuce, Maytag
Bleu Cheese, Maple Bacon Crisps, Raspberries, Strawberries and Blueberries
with Berry Vinaigrette), Warm Crab Dip with Bread Crisps, Roasted Red Pepper
Hummus Dip with Pita Bread, Crisp Carrots and Celery Sticks, Bread Basket,
Penne Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Parmesan Alfredo Sauce, Cheese
Tortellini with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Cubed Fruits and Berries with Warm
Chocolate Fondue.
8) We will not be able
to bring our Cadillac; can we participate in another type of automobile?
Although we would
prefer that you bring your Cadillac or LaSalle, we will allow a CLC member
to participate with a different brand of car if there is a good reason for
it (such as someone who will be driving to the Washington, DC Metropolitan
Area from a considerable distance, or who will be combining the driving tour
with some other travel, or who has special needs). However, we ask that if
there happens to be a caravan of Cadillacs or a photo opportunity in which,
for example, a line of Cadillacs will be photographed, that you be
respectful and not place your non-Cadillac car in the middle of the
Cadillacs.
9) We are interested in
visiting The Cammack Collection in Old Town Alexandria, but we would prefer
to drive there instead of using the motor coach. Can we do this?
Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot offer a tour of The Cammack
Collection to those tour participants who have not registered for the “Old
Town Alexandria & Tucker Museum, by bus.” Certainly, though, you may drive
to Old Town Alexandria on your own. The driving tour route to Mount Vernon,
scheduled for Saturday, August 15, will travel through Old Town and may be
used to guide you.
10) We are a small group
of Cadillac aficionados, some of whom are members of the CLC and some others
are not. May we participate in the National Driving Tour?
The National Driving
Tour is an event for CLC members only. The members of your group who are
CLC members are welcome to participate. We encourage the members of your
group who are not CLC members to consider joining the CLC to share in the
CLC’s many activities and services for enthusiasts of all Cadillac and
LaSalle automobiles worldwide.
11) What do we wear?
Will a jacket and tie be needed for any event?
We recommend casual
summer attire for the entire event. This applies to all of the tours and
activities including the Welcome Reception and the Farewell Dinner.
Specifically, for the men, no jackets or ties will be needed for any event,
unless you choose to go to a fancy restaurant on your own.
Generally, the weather in August is warm and humid in the Greater
Washington, DC Area and the areas in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia in
which we will travel. The average high temperature is 87°F and the average
low is 70°F.
You
will be spending a lot of time driving your car so if you have air
conditioning, then you will be cool. But some of our activities will be
outdoors, so dress for warm summer days.
Tuesday:
For the Evening Motorcoach Tour of Washington, DC, you will spend more time
on the bus than walking about, so plan for air-conditioned comfort.
Wednesday:
The Antietam Battlefield features an introductory movie in the visitors
center and a driving tour of the battlefield. So it’s not necessary for you
to walk through the battle grounds to learn about this historic site. On
the other hand, at Harpers Ferry, you will be walking around the streets of
the 19th century “Lower Town” among the restored buildings and
exhibits. Consider a pair of comfortable shoes for this tour.
The
Welcome Reception will be held indoors at the hotel. As we noted above, you
may wear casual summer attire.
Thursday:
For the most part, you may spend most of this day inside. The sights from
the Skyline Drive can be seen from your car, although we suggest stepping
outside at some of the overlooks to enjoy the views. Walking in a cave is
an indoor activity certainly. And please note that inside Luray Caverns the
temperature is 54°F year round.
Friday:
Contrasted to the Evening Motorcoach Tour, Friday's bus tour is a more
extensive tour of DC, with ample time to get off the bus and tour around. A
layering approach to clothing works best – something for the walks outdoors
and a “layer” for the air-conditioned bus.
The
Picnic Supper will be held outdoors at the hotel. Dress for a warm summer
evening and (dare we suggest it?) insect repellent.
Saturday:
Both tours, the driving tour to Mount Vernon and the motorcoach / walking
tour of Old Town Alexandria will have a mix of indoor and outdoor sights, so
plan accordingly.
Our
Farewell Dinner will be an informal affair, light-hearted and fun. Casual
summer attire is also recommended.
TYPES OF TOURS
GUIDED
TOUR
There will be two
types of driving tours for our
"Capitol Cruising"
guests. One type is the Guided Tour. This
type of tour consists of a lead car and support vehicles with Potomac Region
members along the way to ensure safe and accurate travel to noteworthy
sites. The Guided Tour includes pre-arranged rest stops and lunch.
Generally, the Guided Tour comprises participants who enjoy the collegial
character of driving tours. We will hold three Guided Tours during "Capitol
Cruising". All of the Guided Tours will depart and return to the
hotel.
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
The
other type of driving tour that we have prepared is the
Self-Guided Tour. By contrast to the Guided
Tour, the Self-Guided Tour is for the independent minded and self-assured
tour goers. The Self-Guided Tours that we will provide are driving tours of
various lengths to places of interest that have been thoroughly mapped and
which can be driven entirely “on your own.” Although the Self-Guided Tours
will have recommendations for rest stops and food stops, there are no
pre-arrangements for either and there will be no direct support (lead cars,
tail cars).
 The
"Capitol Cruising"
Self-Guided Tours consist of driving tours to
Manassas
National Battlefield Park,
Great
Falls National Historical Park
(Virginia), Middleburg (with an optional add-on of the Long Branch Estate),
Meadowlark Gardens, Whites Ferry, Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
and the
National
Museum of the Marine Corps.
These will be provided in the Capitol Cruising tour book and will be
available for any participant to choose to drive at any time during the
week. All of the Self-Guided Tours are designed to depart and return to the
hotel.
MOTOR
COACH TOUR
In addition to the
driving tours, we are offering Motor Coach Tours
to enhance your "Capitol Cruising"
experience.
ITINERARY
TUESDAY
AUGUST 11
 For
those of you arriving on Tuesday, August 11, we have arranged for a motor
coach evening tour of Washington, DC. This tour will give you an overview
of Our Nation’s Capital. We will drive past the Lincoln Memorial, the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the Korean
War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the
Jefferson Memorial, the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court,
and the Washington Monument. These memorials are beautiful in the evening
hours. Visit
The National Mall & Memorial Parks
for more information.
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12
On Wednesday, August
12, we plan a Guided Tour to
Antietam National Battlefield Park
in Maryland with lunch at The Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
and continuing travel to
Harper’s
Ferry National Historical Site
with the return
to the hotel past several of Loudoun County’s noted vineyards.
THURSDAY
AUGUST 13
 The
Guided Tour for Thursday, August 13 will head west to the scenic Blue Ridge
Mountains. We will drive a portion of the
Skyline Drive and visit Luray
Caverns, including the Luray Caverns Car and Carriage Caravan Museum. A
Lunch Buffet is planned in the Luray Caverns restaurant. Our return trip to
the hotel will follow roads through the rolling hills of the Virginia
Piedmont.
FRIDAY AUGUST 14
We
have scheduled a motor coach tour only on Friday, August 14. The motor
coach tour destination is Washington, DC and its many famous
memorials-- the Lincoln Memorial, the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the Korean
War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the
Jefferson Memorial. You will have the opportunity to get off the bus and
walk around at several of these locations. Also, the motor coach will
travel past the White House, the
U.S. Capitol, the
Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, the Watergate Complex, Embassy Row
and the Potomac River. Lunch will be on your own at the restored historic
Union Station (train station) food court.
SATURDAY AUGUST 15
 The
third Guided Tour will take place on Saturday, August 15.
This Guided Tour will
start early in the morning with a drive straight into Washington, DC. We
will follow Constitution Avenue past the White House, the Washington
Monument and many other landmark buildings on our way to the base of the
West Front of the U.S. Capitol building. After a brief period of
picture-taking, we will leave the city, crossing back into Virginia via the
Memorial Bridge. We will
proceed on the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway
along the Potomac River to Mount Vernon. We
will spend the day at Mount Vernon, including lunch and a side trip of three
miles from Mount Vernon to two other historic structures, both of which are
located on the same property: the
Woodlawn Plantation (colonial era) and the Frank Lloyd Wright designed
Pope-Leighey House. We will return to the hotel via the G.W. Parkway, since
it is such an enjoyable road.
Lastly,
we have planned an alternative to the driving tour on Saturday, August 15.
For a limited number of participants, we have arranged for an all-day
excursion via motor coach to historic
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
with its historic attractions, 18th and 19th century architecture, art and
antique galleries, boutiques and retail shops. Lunch will be on your own at
any of the many restaurants. Included in this outing will be a tour of The
Cammack Collection, a museum featuring three Tucker automobiles and a large
array of Tucker engines, parts, original blueprints, and many more Tucker
related items of interest.
Check this site periodically for more information.
|
