We're planning our family cross-country mega miles trip this year.
Last time we did this, we went West to Yellowstone, Crazy Horse, and Cheyenne - had a blast.
This time, we are going to Charleston, SC, first (leaving St. Louis on 6/20) and staying a day and a half, then traveling on to Myrtle Beach for 4-5 nights, then on to Williamsburg, VA, for a day or so, then on to Washington, DC, for three days, with a stop over in Columbus, OH, for a day, and then on home after the 4th of July weekend.
This trip will be me, my anxious-about-leaving-work hubby, my 15 year old daughter, my 13 year old fearless son, my 11 year old "Surfer Dude" son, and our 6 year old Blue Merle Sheltie in our 9 mos spanking new 08 Ford Expy EL pulling the Jayco 27' TT. I'm used to having something fall off or being replaced during most of these trips, but I'm hoping to take routes that are LESS MOUNTAINOUS than others.
1) I have reservations for Lakewood AND Pirateland - Lakewood for only 4 nights, Pirateland 5 nights - means one less day in Charleston. Which one would you recommend? I like stuff for the kids to do, but being a teacher, I kinda get unnerved with kids driving golf-carts crazy kinda stuff.
2) Do you have any definite recommendations for campgrounds in Williamsburg? It might be nice to have a pool - but not necessary, as this is the history portion of the trip that I make mandatory in order to visit places like the aforementioned stop in Myrtle Beach :-).
3) Any recommendations for Washington DC area? We plan on spending a lot of time there looking at stuff, because, of course, the kids love history. Hubby also has a sister in Woodbridge, VA, but we're going to stay in the camper because we like doing things on our terms.
4) Any recommendations in Columbus? We're only staying there for the 4th and would like to be close to Dublin where hubby's 2nd sister lives (of course, can't visit one without visiting the other, but again, we like things on our terms, so we'll camp overnight).
5) Lastly, I have one of those Mountain Pass books, but can you give me any routes to BE WARY OF - like DON'T take them? Last time we did this, I had my old 90,000 mile van out west and we lost a radiator in Billings, MT, but I'd like to keep as much on this new Expy as I can!
:-) Sorry - can't adjust tow vehicle or trailer - I did upgrade tow capacity with this new tow vehicle, so we should be fine - I just don't feel like white knuckling everything in the mountains.
Appreciate all of your suggestions! This board has done me right every time I've traveled!
Thanks again!
Jill
~Jill~
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'08 Ford Expy EL (replaced the '01 GMC Savanna - may she rest in peace)
Middle School Teacher & 1 Hubby, 1 Teen Daughter, 1 Teen Son, and 1 Pre-Teen Son who drive us crazy
1 Sheltie Lots of energy and not a whole lot of time!
IMO, A day and a half is not enough time for Charleston. A must is a visit to Fort Sumter. Then you got to visit Charles Towne Landing, where it all began. A walking tour of downtown. A visit to a Plantation. A visit to Patriot Point to board the USS Yorktown, a WWW2 Sub. ( I think that you can also catch the boat to Fort Sumter from here). I could go on and on.
On your way from Charleston to MB a few miles out of town on US 17, you will come upon some roadside venders selling wares made from pine needles and grass. Stop and look at their handiwork even if you don't buy.
Like rv2go stated, you need more time in Charleston. Maybe I am bais since I grew up in SC, and Charleston has always been my second home. Heck, I even think the golf is better down there vs. MB. James Island State Park is a good place to camp, Kiawah is just around the corner for the golfing, and town is only about 20 miles from there. Don't forget Middleton Place, Shopping on Market St. And also King, I am not sure you want me to make you a full list.
Williamsburg area also includes Jamestown, both of which you will bevery hard pressed to see in two days. DC is also a trip that is more than a couple of days also, since there is SO much to see.
Best of luck and be safe out there.
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We'll probably stay overnight in Charleston and Williamsburg, but I can't make that the primary trip because Myrtle Beach and Washington DC are definitely the kids' selections (we have them pick states we haven't visited and help plan the route), so thanks for all those suggestions. Hubby and I have been to Williamsburg and DC before, so we're just hitting the highlights that we think the kids will like.
I heard one recommendation for a campground in Charleston...any more?
Thanks for those suggestions - we'll definitely put them on our itinerary - but believe me, we pack as much into a day as we can - with three teenagers, it's a must or we'll get whining and asking to get near email or cell phones!
And of course, I can't keep the hubby away from work longer than 2 weeks - and I begrudgingly get that! There will come a day where hubby and I can leisurely spend hours at places like this - but for now, it's a quick dash and we get to at least see it :-)
* This post was
edited 05/04/08 08:55pm by MomsL8 *
Am surprised you're leaving out Gettysburg since you'll be so close when you leave DC. I would try to add it as at least an overnight spot. We love history and found even 4 of our kids (11-17 at the time) enjoyed that visit. Plus it's the best Civil War history I think we've seen in our travels.
Charleston: James Island or Lake Aire. Myrtle Beach: my kids stayed a week at Ocean Lakes with young ones. Williamsburg: American Heritage
DC: of course Cherry Hill Park. Two good pools and other recreation on site, including a nightly outdoor movie. The park is gated and so at the ages of your kids, they can walk to clubhouse, pool and showers are spotless. Plus you can keep your vehicle parked at your site and take the family via bus/subway into DC.
Have a great trip!
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hitchup wrote: Am surprised you're leaving out Gettysburg since you'll be so close when you leave DC. I would try to add it as at least an overnight spot. We love history and found even 4 of our kids (11-17 at the time) enjoyed that visit. Plus it's the best Civil War history I think we've seen in our travels.
We've been there, too, when the kids were smaller. They decided they didn't want to go back. They haven't seen DC, so that was their primary request.
We've been to quite a bit of battlefields - I'm surprised they don't complain more. I was glad we got a chance to see the Confederate Headquarters on the Mississippi Gulf Coast before Katrina.
That really made them appreciate our history - that they saw it before it was leveled.
HeresLucy wrote: IMO - not enough time @ Charleston.
Lucy
Actually, we'd be arriving in Charleston on Sunday, June 21st, and we wouldn't be going to Myrtle Beach until June 24th...so we have a little more time than a day. But most probably one full day and half to two....we can drive later afternoon to get to MB.
And the same for Williamsburg....we have some flexibility to stay two days, but I don't want to cut short DC - I want at least 3 nights 4 days there. And MB only has that time frame available, so everything hinges around that.
Just don't have the luxury of spending more time with the kiddos....daughter leaving work and has to be back for band camp, and hubby can't take more than 2 weeks...and gas prices only allows me to go so far.
And every year, we try to get in as many states as possible. Next year, at the request of my daughter, whose last camping trip it may be, will be downtown NY, Niagra Falls, and Canada back through Sandusky, OH. The year after that, my son has requested San Francisco and the other coast.
Anyway - I figure this is a good taste for them - nice family vacation - and if they want to do what we plan on doing later - full-timing, then they can go back to see more, as well as can we! I never think of these trips as the only time I'll be at these places...but I do want to give them a taste of our history and blend it with fun, too.
James Island County Park is our choice for staying in Charleston. Clean, well run and very convenient to downtown. As the others have said, Charleston is more than a one/two day stop, but if that's all you can spare do see Fort Sumter and the downtown waterfront. Some really great houses. If you don't have reservations yet, better do so very soon.
redhawk23229 wrote: James Island County Park is our choice for staying in Charleston. Clean, well run and very convenient to downtown. As the others have said, Charleston is more than a one/two day stop, but if that's all you can spare do see Fort Sumter and the downtown waterfront. Some really great houses. If you don't have reservations yet, better do so very soon.
Finding that out! Looks like by the Grace of Our Supreme Being, I am lucking out in getting one of the last reservations places!
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