Ha! Stop by any of the clubs or bars near where your car may be and for sure you'll never find it again. Just make sure you write down the cross streets somewhere and take it with you.

Not sure about Monday...but you will most likely be okay. The worst you'll get is a $25 tix. Sometimes they're really lax about checking. Anyway, I don't know if they'll track you down in Canada if you don't pay up...maybe not good advice...

Since you're going to the zoo, your best choices for a camping-out neighborhood would be the Woodley Park (intown/downhill from the Zoo) or Cleveland Park (uptown/ uphill from the zoo) areas, near the Metro stops of the same names. There are plenty of bargain markets, low-end restaurants, etc. etc. in the area, including a nice little grocery market right across the street from the Woodley station.

There's a lovely Marriott hotel right at the Woodley stop, too, with lovely landscaping. It is a big conference-type hotel where there are so many people coming and going that they never check IDs of people who are dressed respectably and the restrooms off the lobby are very nice . . .

Zoo tips: The grounds open very early, 6 AM, and that's when the animals are most active, especially in hot weather. By the time the buildings open at 10, they're ready for naps. Be prepared to spend time watching the pandas, who (IIRC) come out around 9:30. Lots of fun!

Very interesting question, first I've seen it on this board. Strongly agree with everything Anonymous had to say. Especially basing yourself and your car near the Woodly Park Metro stop. Don't forget to read the parking signs along the street to make sure you'll be OK for the duration. Here's a map of the area:

http://www.stationmasters.com/System.../woodleyp.html

Like Bardo, I live here and I just can't imagine sleeping in the car parked in D.C. Interested in cheap options? There are Fairfax County Parks, 10 miles outside DC (Burke Lake Park comes to mind but there are others) where you can camp overnight very cheap, drive your car around the next day to the metro at Springfield (free parking at Springfield Mall for that metro stop) or drive into DC (metro is preferred for 4th of July crowds), and return to camp the next night in your same spot. Does this interest you? I will give you details, These are nice parks, wooded campsites, camp stores, some have electrical hookups at the sites.

We'll be in a real honest-to-goodness geniune motel!! in Maryland on the Monday night ;-) We'll be in a hostel in Charleston on the Friday night before coming up to DC. So it's just the Sat & Sun night we'll be sleeping in the car.

Last time (several years ago) I stayed in the metro parking lot all night after July 4th fireworks - just can't remember which one it was. No problems, no questions.

Thanks again for so many replies and suggestions. Thanks for the website to find the map. I'll have to just drive around & find a spot once I get there.

While I am impressed that someone will be sleeping in their car (I'm too old for such things!) - my husband and I will be visiting the east coast next May for the first time and will be staying in hotels. We plan on visiting New York and Washington, DC. and want to see all the typical tourist attractions (using the metro/subway). Any suggestions for clean, safe, reasonably priced and centrally located hotels in either of these areas? Also, which airport would be the best to fly in to? We will be flying in fron Northern Nevada. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You might want to start a new thread and people may miss your question as it is somewhat unrelated to the question of the original poster.

I would definitely look into an "open jaw" ticket that will allow you to fly into one city and out of the other. I would do DC first so you don't have to deal with the hassle of getting bag and baggage into NYC tired after a flight, etc, eps if you have not been to NYC before.

In DC, I think flying into Reagan airport is better than Dulles. You can take the Metro from Reagan into downtown DC in under half an hour. Dulles is far out in Virginia, and while there is public transportation, it would take a while to get in (no subway at Dulles, it would be bus to the subway most likely). A cab would be expensive to DC from Dulles.

There is an airport in Baltimore called Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) which you will probably show up when you are looking for flights. You can often get discounted flights to BWI. The airport is about 50 plus miles from DC. I believe there are buses and maybe a combination of Amtrak trains and buses to get to DC. Unless the price was hugely different to fly into BWI versus Reagan or even Dulles, I would not go to BWI, its just a little too inconvenient for getting to DC.

I would take Amtrak between DC and NYC. A good way to see the countryside, and the train stations are in the center of town (not quite so central in the case of Union Station in DC, but better than going out to the airports.)

Any of the NYC airports would be OK. La Guardia would be the closest and easiest to get to by subway/train. Newark and JFK are a toss up, IMO. You can take the train to Newark via some changes. I personally dislike JFK, but at the end of the day if you got a better price there that would be fine.

Go to worldairportguide.com for links to the websites for all the above airports. They airport websites will give you info on public transpiration options for getting to and from the airport, as well as an estimated taxi cost for various points.

For hotels, can you give us an idea of budget and whether you want to be in downtown DC or the suburbs, and if you have a preference for an area in NYC.

I live in DC and haven't ever heard anyone call it the subway and never call it that, myself. I don't think anyone would give you funny looks, though, as that's a term used in some parts of the US.

I agree you don't have to be on the far end of a subway line, and I wouldn't recommend the far ends at all for a tourist. I think Silver Spring, Bethesda, or some in Arlington area would be fine. I don't really know how easy it's going to be for you to find on-street parking around Woodley Park, that's a very congested area with a shortage of parking for local residents, as are many other areas.

I think you are mis-interpreting the garage spaces. Silver Spring has a huge garage with hundreds of spaces, and that might be a good idea, although there aren't really that many hotels there -- only a Hilton and Holiday Inn that I can think of within walking distance. Those 44 spaces are "short term" spaces meaning a very small lots with meter right near the entrance for people not staying long. There is a huge garage right next door for all-day parking (I think 700 or so spaces) and it is free on weekends and holidays, as all metro lots.

Woodley Park is an area of DC just south of the Zoo. It is very safe, green, right on a subway(one stop from Dupont Circle)and quiet. There is a hotel right at the subway stop but I am not sure who owns it now.
Another choice would be the Rosslyn area of Arlington. It is right across the river from the Lincoln Memorial. On July 4th the subways are impossible, you will be able to walk home to there.

I'd have to agree with Cic and say Woodley Park metro. I like the ethnic restaurants, the supermarket, and more woodsy atmosphere, along with being near the zoo. The only thing with the King Street stop is that you have to connect with a bus which can be a drag at the end of the day, although a taxi wouldn't be too bad. Another good option is the Rosslyn stop (Blue Line). There is a nice Holiday Inn across the street (I stayed there is the late 1980s) and many restaurants nearby. Also, it is right across the Potomac from D.C. if you wanted to walk to the sites. You could also stay at the West End stop (G.W. Univ.) and walk to Georgetown easily and you'll have an endless variety of restaurants and shops.