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So where to go for fall?


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OK we got our start full timing in late May and are now about back home after roughly 10,000 miles. FL to ID and back, including 13 COE cg and a month or so of boondocking.  My wife has to finish three weeks at her job in order to retire. Then we'll head out in late Sept/early Oct for another7 weeks or so. My wife insist on the holidays at home with the kids and grandkids. So we have to return for late November to late December..

So where to go, back to CO for the aspen color change? Or right now I'm toying with the idea of North and South Carolina maybe Tennessee, where we have had only slight experience. I thought about it for a summer trip but they were still in the midst of their lockdown.

Any suggestions?

Edited by agesilaus
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1 hour ago, agesilaus said:

OK we got our start full timing in late May and are now about back home after roughly 10,000 miles. FL to ID and back, including 13 COE cg and a month or so of boondocking.  My wife has to finish three weeks at her job in order to retire. Then we'll head out in late Sept/early Oct for another7 weeks or so. My wife insist on the holidays at home with the kids and grandkids. So we have to return for late November to late December..

So where to go, back to CO for the aspen color change? Or right now I'm toying with the idea of North and South Carolina maybe Tennessee, where we have had only slight experience. I thought about it for a summer trip but they were still in the midst of their lockdown.

Any suggestions?

Blue Ridge Parkway?

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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check out tellico plains, tenn & Cherohala skyway into western NC (robinsville), beautiful area! personally, I'm thinking of heading to Amarillo Texas (mid sept,) , check the weather in Colorado & New Mexico,  then decide whether to head north to SE Colorado or drive south to northern New Mexico.

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Blue Ridge Parkway?

We've done that up to the end in Virgina years ago.

Colorado/New Mexico? I'm tempted but NM is still in full panic mode the last I heard. 14 day quarantine. We spent almost a month in CO this summer, two weeks at South Fork, the main thing that deters me is the long drive out and back from Florida. 

We've been to GSMNP several times but that area and east is interesting.

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You just returned to Florida from 10,000 miles to Idaho and you're thinking of heading West again for fall color?  You really need to slow down. 😉  Stay East or even to northern Michigan where the colors begin last week of Sept & first 2 weeks of Oct.  Traverse City area is the place!

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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I'm with 2gypsies. There are so many places in the east to see the colors without traveling so far. We have seen the fall colors in the Smokies (in fact, anywhere in the Apalachians), New England, and all up and down the coast - beautiful! We're hunkering down for the fall and winter at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland near grandkids. The fall colors around here can be beautiful, too. We spent a fall in Cincinnati near another grandkid a few years ago... that was beautiful. Shall I go on?

Rob

2012 F350 CC LB DRW 6.7
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
Full-time since 8/2015

 

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Three months of travel and covering 10,000 miles sounds very much like "I'm on vacation and need to get back" pace, and not "I am retired and enjoying the full-time RV life" pace.  Many of us started at that pace, and it does take a while to slow it down.  We now take 4-8 weeks to travel from our winter volunteer gig to our summer volunteer gig (1000 - 2500 miles, depending...) and try to take a different route each time.  Everywhere you go there will be interesting things to see, no matter what your interests are. 

So I wouldn't go racing off toward Colorado or New Mexico for a seven week spin.  Seeing the aspens turn is nice, but they do it every year, and it is no more spectacular that seeing the mixed hardwood forests of the eastern US turn.  There is certainly 7 weeks of excellent exploration closer to where you are.  

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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ah you guys are right and the reason I was hesitating, I really don't want to do a long drive to CO and then turn around and come back. NC/TN/SC it is I think, not just for the color but to explore the area. We've been thru there but have not spent any time there except for a three day stay in a TN state park last June. There is that NP that we haven't seen in SC (I think) Congaree that I want to visit too.

 

Looking at the nps.gov site there are actually a lot of sits in SC, mostly battle grounds. I'd like to see FT Sumpter anyway. And another national trail. Overmountain Victory.

Edited by agesilaus
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Start in Upper Virigina and move south ending in Northern Georgia or Alabama.  

You do need to slow down though, with your wife retired, find a comfortable pattern of travel.... 

2-2-2

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2017 DRV Memphis 

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You do need to slow down though, with your wife retired, find a comfortable pattern of travel.... 

2-2-2

Pretty much what we did, we spent 2 or 3 days at most places, looking to increase that actually and tried to keep moves to less than 200 miles. The travel days stretched out a little at the end since we had appointments we needed to make next week and needed to get back. Looking at the RVTW log we stayed at 35 cg on 87 days or an average of 2.5 days at each. And some of those were one day transist stops, we stayed at 13 COE cg and di 2 or 3 days at each and did some boondocking spending 3 or 4 days at least at each spot.nd there was the 2 week stay at South Fork CO

CG to CG we actually did 6649 miles the rest is travel out of those cg. That averages 189 miles a move.

 

Edited by agesilaus
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22 hours ago, agesilaus said:

You do need to slow down though, with your wife retired, find a comfortable pattern of travel.... 

2-2-2

Pretty much what we did, we spent 2 or 3 days at most places, looking to increase that actually and tried to keep moves to less than 200 miles. The travel days stretched out a little at the end since we had appointments we needed to make next week and needed to get back. Looking at the RVTW log we stayed at 35 cg on 87 days or an average of 2.5 days at each. And some of those were one day transist stops, we stayed at 13 COE cg and di 2 or 3 days at each and did some boondocking spending 3 or 4 days at least at each spot.nd there was the 2 week stay at South Fork CO

CG to CG we actually did 6649 miles the rest is travel out of those cg. That averages 189 miles a move.

 

If possible, when we are able to start smelling the roses again, we're going to go for a week or 2 stay at a time.  

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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Well we were somewhat limited this time out, we had to be back for the start of school so my wife could retire. Next time with working solar I think we will aim for 4 to 6 days boondocking if our water discipline will sustain that..heh.

My wife liked the two week stay at a cg in South Fork so we will likely doing more of that sort of thing too. I wasn't all that fond of South Fork itself tho, we'll look for a spot further west next time I think.

And maybe we can even try out an Escapee park or two.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

One to two weeks in each location will give you a chance to relax and also see the area.  There are a ton of COE campgrounds in the southeast that will be open in the fall and through winter.  One of my favorites is Old Federal in Lake Lanier, but it is closed until some high water repairs can be made, but there  are a lot of lakes in the southeast.  And there is always the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Ditto for Tennessee and Georgia.

And cut your travel between campgrounds to 100 miles as part of your slowdown!

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Draft plan right now is to drop down south to one of FL few COE cg for 4 or 5 days to visit a sister and maybe get some beach time in. The work our way north and up i-95 in GA/SC to the Charleston area for another 4 or 5 days to explore the area. Then west into the Carolina/Tennessee mountains for some undetermined parks/COE or otherwise. Maybe a bit of boondocking into November.

I see GSMNP cg are finally open. But we've been there several times.

Depends on weather of course. I see the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a early and hard winter in the east if you believe that sort of thing. Better off putting your faith in woolly caterpillars . Tho the NWS doesn't seem to do any better on long range forecasts. They are getting much better on the 4 or 5 day stuff.

Edited by agesilaus
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13 hours ago, agesilaus said:

I see GSMNP cg are finally open.

I think that federal agencies are going by the rules of the state which they are located in when it comes to being open, and also occupancy rates. At least the COE is doing that in most areas. We are thinking of making a trip to one of the COE parks as the temperatures finally drop, just to get away for a week or so. My poor travel trailer is starting to think that we abandoned it!

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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COE seems to be going by state rules, the NPS is not. Both TN and GA parks are open and have been since June 1. But at the end of May AL COE were open but GA COE not a mile away  were closed until June 1. We camped at both around then.

But NPS parks vary inside a state. Colorado NM was open and Black Canyon and Great Sand Dunes were closed at the same time, the visitors centers I mean. You could drive thru the parks. Niobara River open but Niobara Preserve was shut on the same day when we were there. We found Niobara a let down BTW unless you wanted to go tubing on the river. We would have done that but were not prepared.

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This may not fit your Thanksgiving -Christmas schedule but for us having a spread out family. We stopped about 10 days at Bardstown KY .. Lots to do and my wife loved the Christmas atmosphere that was provided. Depending how far you travel for day trip but lots to see with an hour's drive.

Clay

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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That's something to think about. We haven't spent that much time in the east except for FL/GA and have plenty to explore. We mostly headed west of the Mississippi.

About the only place we gone to in KY is Mammoth Cave where we have made several visits. Mainly because it is right on the way to the northern Mountain States for us.

 

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1 hour ago, ms60ocb said:

We stopped about 10 days at Bardstown KY ..

We were campground hosts at My Old Kentucky Home State Park for 2 months and had a great time. The campground was very nice when we were there and if you play golf, the park has a very nice course. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Colorado town east of Pagosa Springs on the other side of Wolf Creek Pass. That town had more RV parks in a small town than I've ever seen elsewhere. I'd guess at least or or maybe 12 RV parks within a few miles.

There is quite a population of folks spending long periods there during the summer.

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