gs60wa Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi. We are 3 couples who usually spend 4 weeks every year riding the USA on Harleys, but this year have decided to rent RV's (Class C from Road Bear) and drive from New Jersey to Orlando in August for 20 days. Unlike our Harley rides we have only set 2 dates ... the dates we pick up the RV's and the date we drop them off. We did this with a view to be able to just stop if we find somewhere we would like to spend some time and not have to be at a booked hotel every night. Hoping the well experienced forum members can provide any guidance and advice on a few questions : (1) any suggestion/advice/enhancement on our route. We intend to drive these byways : Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Great River Road, Alabama's Coast Connection, A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, and Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway. (2) we want to head into Washington to do a tour of the White House. Any traps for young RV players in that city ? (3) the only "cities" we intend to visit are Washington, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah (if time permits) and Orlando. Any suggestions on RV parks or campgrounds to use in those locations (4) best/recommended apps for finding free locations (preferred) or paid campgrounds to stop at night (4) any general points and traps for young players we should take into consideration Appreciate your help in advance Cheers Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulagray1 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi and congrats on your new form of transport. I am sure you are going to love it. My OH and I are West Aussies and have spent quite a bit of time in the US in our 5th wheel and F250 over the last 5 years. Don't forget the Natchez Trace as you head south. It is a wonderful drive with some fabulous 'first come first serve' rv parks along the way and very easy to access from Memphis. In Orlando I would strongly recommend Moss Park State Park. http://www.floridarambler.com/florida-best-camping/best-camping-near-disney-moss-park-orlando/ We have stayed there on two occasions and just love it. If you have time around N'awlins visit Abbeville and try to stay at Betty's RV Park. An absolute treasure of an rv park and a fabulous place to base yourself to visit some astounding places including Avery Island (the home of Tabasco). Between Nashville and Memphis there are a number of really wonderful State Parks. T O Fuller State Park is just out of Memphis and although some of the suburbs your travel through to get t it seem a bit questionable, we found the park really lovely with wonderful staff and handy to most attractions. Tims Ford State Park http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/tims-ford was another fantastic park that we stayed at on our way across Tennessee. We visited Lynchburg to see Jack Daniels only distillery in the world. LOL While in N'awlins we stayed at Pontechetrain Landing RV Park. Not right in the middle of the city but they do have a shuttles into the city and return. Hope you have fun. If you would like to PM me I can provide other information if you would like. Cheers Paula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulagray1 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hey again, On going back over your post I realize that there is no way you are going to be able to do anywhere near what you would like to do in just 20 days. Perhaps the most important advice I could give you would be to decide what is the 'must see's' and plan around them. Anything else is just going to be a bonus. Enjoy Paula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertraveler Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!! I would agree with Aussie1 that you planned route is very ambitious for 20 days. From NJ, I would suggest taking the Cape May Lewis Ferry acroos the Delaware Bay and heading South on the coastal route US-113/13. Assateague Island National Seashore or Assateague State Park may be of interest. After crossing the Bay Bridge Tunnel, we enjoy taking US-17 South. This will tale you through Williamington, NC; Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA on the way to Florida all of which have things to see and do. In my opinion going as far West as the Great River Road (US-61) will add a lot of miles and greatly reduce the time you will have to see and enjoy your trip. For sources of information on free campgrounds checkout the Free Campsites website and Escapees Days End Directory. National Forest campgrounds are often low cost and some are free. In Florida, some of the Wildlife Management areas and Water Management Districts and camping and or boondocking. Again, Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!! Hope you have a Great Trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Welcome to the Escapee forums! After a review of your planned trip, it is clear that you are still thinking in terms of motorcycle travel and of doing your sight seeing while driving rather than stopping and walking through things. The route that you have planned will cover more than 2500 miles, which is easy to drive if you don't mind spending all day driving, but it allows very little time for seeing anything. A visit to Washington DC requires several days if you wish to do more than running about to get a photograph of each thing and rush on to the next for more pictures. In Washington it is very easy to spend several days just in seeing the Smithsonian Institution. Motorcycle travelers tend to rate success by miles traveled, while most RV travelers do that because they wish to slow down and see more detail. (4) any general points and traps for young players we should take into consideration It would be my suggestion that you reconsider the plan for this trip from a different viewpoint. Motorcycles are most fun when you travel over crooked but scenic roads at relatively high speeds while RVs are designed for a slow mode of travel and are not fun to drive on such roads at high speeds and your ability to see is much more limited. The RV is intended to be enjoyed most while sitting still, while the bike is most fun while driving. In addition there is time involved in setting up and taking down an RV for most comfortable living, compared to just walking into a hotel and eating in a restaurant. I believe that you can have a great trip but you need to change your method of planning from one that covers many miles to one that allows you to see many sites in greater detail. Motorcycles are intended to be most fun when driving while RV travel is a slower way of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxCowboy Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Just a quick review of the route and noted you are planning to include Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. From personal experience on both, driving an RV on these two roads will be a challenge, if not down right dangerous. I've covered both of these routes on a Harley and in my Corvette multiple times. The roads are very twisty, have low speed limits (which are frequently not adhered to by many drivers), have lots of rock and tree encroachments into the driving lanes, and are very unforgiving of any driving mistakes. I recommend NOT including these two roads in your travels, at least not in an RV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaeton10 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi. We are 3 couples who usually spend 4 weeks every year riding the USA on Harleys, but this year have decided to rent RV's (Class C from Road Bear) and drive from New Jersey to Orlando in August for 20 days. Unlike our Harley rides we have only set 2 dates ... the dates we pick up the RV's and the date we drop them off. We did this with a view to be able to just stop if we find somewhere we would like to spend some time and not have to be at a booked hotel every night. Hoping the well experienced forum members can provide any guidance and advice on a few questions : (1) any suggestion/advice/enhancement on our route. We intend to drive these byways : Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Great River Road, Alabama's Coast Connection, A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, and Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway. (2) we want to head into Washington to do a tour of the White House. Any traps for young RV players in that city ? (3) the only "cities" we intend to visit are Washington, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah (if time permits) and Orlando. Any suggestions on RV parks or campgrounds to use in those locations (4) best/recommended apps for finding free locations (preferred) or paid campgrounds to stop at night (4) any general points and traps for young players we should take into consideration Appreciate your help in advance Cheers Greg You might want to do a search for this one. I don't think you can just show up at the front door and expect to go on a tour. I believe that a background has to be done in advance and maybe more. Check this site out for more info: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce t Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Welcome to the library of knowledge!! We are also Australians who have driven/Rved in the USA since 1982! About seven years in total in an RV. As Harley owners/riders you absolutely have to visit the Wheels Through Time motorbike museum in Maggie Valley North Carolina. Sort of on your route. (This is IMHO one of the USA's best museums. http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/ ). The Blue Ridge parkway is doable but slow in an RV. Asheville and it;s attractions are well worth the effort. Savannah and Charleston are but diamond worth every effort to see. Not RV friendly though!!!!! (PM me if you would like specific details on WTT. Some of the displays can be seen on my 500px web site. https://500px.com/brucetreloar ). regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariner Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Although I'm sure you know that while Aug. down under is your winter, it's the dog days of summer here. It's going to be hot & humid throughout your trip. And the further south the hotter it will be. But one of your choice is a good one...the Cherohala skyway is a great drive with sweeping turns. I've ridden it on my Harley. Not as twisty as the dragons tail(Not reccommended for an RV) which has 318 curves in 11 miles, but fine for an RV. New Orleans will be a great stop. Find a place that has real Cajun food & music and you'll have a great time. Aug. isn't my favorite time of year for Disney because of the crowds and the heat, but here's hoping you have a great time. Maybe next year I'll be asking you for suggestions in your part of the world since we'll be selling our coach and doing some world traveling. AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouserl41 Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Having done that trip many times in 2 and 4 wheels I'd skip the Skyline drive altogether as its not that scenic and its a toll road with very low speed limits. I prefer to drive to Luray West Virginia and take 340 south to Waynesboro then get on the Blue Ridge Parkway(BRP) there. Lots of nice places to stop like Luray Caverns, Sherando Lake is a nice place to camp. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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