First Long Road Trip with the Camper in June 2017!

[faithhelen]

Hey all!

So since a lot of you are southerner's I thought I'd ask this here. We are traveling down to WDW with our camper this coming June for a week at the Fort. After that we want to travel around up the East coast for a bit before heading back home to MN. So do any of you have any recommendations on places to stay? We'd like to hit the blue ridge mountains for sure and the Georgia coast (Savannah). We have 2 boys (ages 9 & 8 when we leave for the trip) and 1 dog (Spike the Beagle) that will be with us. We can work from wherever so if you know of a place that has all day activities for kids that would be good. We'd like to work a few days so we don't have to take the whole time as vacation.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[Teamubr]

Wow, I can't help with any places to stay on the east coast or Blue Ridge Mts, but that sounds like a great trip. June should be a perfect time, except it will be pretty toasty at the Fort.

Keep us updated on your plans as June gets closer.

j

 

[peg110]

Sadly, I would have recommended the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg TN, but of course there was a lot of damage from the wild fires. There is still a lot of other stuff in the area as well including Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Lot's of camping in that area too.

 

[faithhelen]

Thanks guys! I should also state that Tennessee is on our plan list too. I know the devastation of the fires was horrible, but I think we can hit Pigeon Forge at least. Nashville is a must for me on the way down too. Even for a day.

 

[KristinU]

In Pigeon Forge we really liked the Up The Creek campground. A little off the beaten path, but a nice and quiet retreat from the busy-ness of Pigeon Forge proper. I'm on a few tourism email lists for the area, and the thing that they're all saying is to come back - the area thrives on tourism and they need people to keep coming in order to heal and keep going.

Aside from that, I could help with New England stuff if you need ideas up here. If you can make it all the way up, you could think about Acadia National Park. Gorgeous.

Oh, you could stop in Gettysburg and Antietam if your interested in Civil War history. Or Washington DC, for DC with the camper we like the Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA.

We were planning a trip down to FL last June by way of Savannah and back up by way of the Blue Ridge. We put the trip on hold to buy a house and move across town, but we're planning the same trip for 2017. So no experience, but my pick for the Blue Ridge area is Shenandoah State Park and for Savannah it is Skidaway Island. No experience with either yet, but that's where my research pointed me.

Happy planning!!!

 

[North of Mouse]

Hey all!

So since a lot of you are southerner's I thought I'd ask this here. We are traveling down to WDW with our camper this coming June for a week at the Fort. After that we want to travel around up the East coast for a bit before heading back home to MN. So do any of you have any recommendations on places to stay? We'd like to hit the blue ridge mountains for sure and the Georgia coast (Savannah). We have 2 boys (ages 9 & 8 when we leave for the trip) and 1 dog (Spike the Beagle) that will be with us. We can work from wherever so if you know of a place that has all day activities for kids that would be good. We'd like to work a few days so we don't have to take the whole time as vacation.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Sounds like you are planning a great trip!! Do you rely on 'full' hookup campgrounds, or just great campgrounds with no hookups?
We love camping inside the Smoky Mtn. Park itself near Gatlinburg, TN at Elkmont Campground. No hookups - but a beautiful campground on a large rocky stream (river). (ressies are required - can be made 6 mos. advance - 'very' popular).

Also, on the Blue Ridge there are great campgrounds run by the National Park Service that are 'free' - no hookups, but are beautiful and quiet. (no ressies required, first come)

Charleston, SC is a great destination on the E. coast. We stayed at James Island which is very close and a great campground.
Wilmington, NC is also very interesting on the coast. There is a nice KOA just out of town.

We camped in these areas this past year (and most years) and love them. Happy camping!

 

[peg110]

If you can make it all the way up, you could think about Acadia National Park. Gorgeous.

I concur with this. Me a college buddy, when we were in college, took a trip up there. We were basically just camping/backpacking out of the back of his truck. If you like beautiful country, then this is a place to check out. So beautiful and peaceful. We hiked some trails and the views were awesome.

My only advice/suggestion is if you go that way, be prepared... If you decide to take US-1 as opposed to I295/I95, be prepared for a MUCH slower ride. While it may be a short distance, it definitely is not quicker. It is, however, very scenic along that path though.

 

[faithhelen]

Sounds like you are planning a great trip!! Do you rely on 'full' hookup campgrounds, or just great campgrounds with no hookups?
We love camping inside the Smoky Mtn. Park itself near Gatlinburg, TN at Elkmont Campground. No hookups - but a beautiful campground on a large rocky stream (river). (ressies are required - can be made 6 mos. advance - 'very' popular).

Also, on the Blue Ridge there are great campgrounds run by the National Park Service that are 'free' - no hookups, but are beautiful and quiet. (no ressies required, first come)

Charleston, SC is a great destination on the E. coast. We stayed at James Island which is very close and a great campground.
Wilmington, NC is also very interesting on the coast. There is a nice KOA just out of town.

We camped in these areas this past year (and most years) and love them. Happy camping!

We've mostly only camped with electric. We have gone 2 nights camping without any hookups and we are definitely not prepared for boon docking. LOL! I think we need to get a better battery or two and learn how to really be able to camp without electricity in the camper. If we are prepared for it, I think it would be ok. We also tent camp with Scouts for our boys, so it's just a matter of planning.

I'm making a list of all the places you guys are telling me to research! I don't think we'll go much farther north than DC if we even get that far up. Still working things out!

 

[Barney Fife]

With the two boys, you have to go to Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach. But get reservations now. The more you wait, the more chance it is all 800+ sites will be booked.

Lots to do but the boys will probably enjoy the water park and arcade the most.

Daddy Joe's in Tabor City, NC is also a very family-friendly place with lots of kids activities.

 

[North of Mouse]

I agree with KristinU and peg110 about the beauty of Acadia National Park. We've gone twice and really are thinking of going next summer. It's the only part of the US Atlantic coast that is rocky. So mesmerizing to watch/hear the booming waves. (also a great sideline not to miss are the 'fresh' lobsters)

 

[FtW Mike]

Can't offer much info on Great Smoky Mtn. area but do have recommendation about Savannah Area. We didn't get there on our last and interrupted trip to WDW but the service we got from them was far beyond the Norm.
Camp Lake Jasper. We found them on Good Sam all the reviews we read were extremely complimentary and they have a dog park ( Important when traveling with 2 10 month old Savage Pups That need to run around) All they had for contact info on me was my name, cell number and arrival date. When we were a no show they called to make sure we were okay we can't wait to go there later this year and try them in person

 

[PaHunter]

The koa at St Mary's in GA is nice, only about 3 hours from Disney. There is a koa up around the 77-81 connection that was nice.