I have not posted much on the site in a while but I still read through.
We made a 6100 mile trip two years ago and we are looking for anotehr great vacation without as big a gas bill.
We had a long vacation planned for this year but it has been cancelled so we are left with almost three weeks to go have fun. We are thinking of running up to Washington DC for a few days then driving/camping the Blue Ridge Parkway back home. Gas being at a premium now I wonder if a 3k camping trip is worth it.
Also, I need some suggestion, where to camp and what in particular to see along the way. We have been through all the states but not all camping. We will be staying 2-3 nights (maybe more) in each campsite and taking day trips out from there.
We only found time for two weekend camping last year. Sure do miss it.
Andrew 7yrs old, 49 States visited just Alaska to go!
Kim and David enjoying the ride with Andrew!
There are GREAT campground all along the parkway from Mt Pisqua (sp?) in the South to Roanoke Mountain in the North or if you have time head on through the Shenandoah also. Good luck / Skip
Be prepared for extraordinarily high gas prices. The last time I traveled the parkway, 10-15 years ago, gas was almost four dollars a gallon. When you pull up to a pump the price looks reasonable until you notice the price is for A HALF gallon. Nice view though, but I sure was glad to get off it.
This might be a little out of the box for some people, but give it a minute before you reply back.
We are planning the biggest camping trip for our family ever (Michigan to Washington state).
When we first started planning this trip, I calculated 7K miles round trip. At 9 MPG @ and $3.75 per gallon, I quickly realized that one of the kids would have to give up college.
Then a family that we are really close with suggested the following idea, and after a couple of days we agreed.
We will spend 3 weeks camping, sight seeing and driving out to west coast and then they will fly out and meet us in Seattle. We will then fly back and they will spend 3 weeks camping, sight seeing and driving our rig back to Michigan.
This gives us an extra week to slow down and see more as we cross the country. It will also save us around $1,800 in gas. The plane tickets to fly home will only cost the 4 of us $600. So we are $1,200 favorable with more sight seeing time.
Now we really trust our friends and I wouldn't do this with just anyone, but it works out as a big win for both families. The only down side is we can't go camping for the first 3 weeks after we get back because they will have our rig. We will drive their car home from the airport, so no long term cost there.
If you can work this out, then it can cut your cost of gas almost in half and allow you to get farther from home with your rig.
1968 Dad (me)
1969 Wife
1995 Son
1996 Daughter
2005 Ford E-350 - 5.4L 4-spd auto, 3.73 (new to us 2/08)
2000 Dodge Dakota QC - 4.7L 5-spd Man, 3.55lsd, Century Cap, air springs
2003 Starcraft Travel Star 21RB (Loaded,)Prodigy, Draw-tite WD & SC
Wow, great idea... I wish we could make something like that work. We really dont have a lot of miles to go through this one should be about 1600 miles plus side trips. I think tickets would outway the cost savings. A few years ago we drove 6100 miles in about three weeks and had a great time. Most of the miles were getting from here to the west and back.
We live in North Georgia and make it to the South side of the parkway and Love it. I dont mind getting off the parkway for campsites and gas here and there as long as we see what we want to.
Hope you get some good suggestions. I'm planning a similar trip from Florida this summer. Drive/camp the Blue Ridge Pwy, visit DC, make it as far north as Maine if possible. Four weeks time frame.
Come on folks, favorite campgrounds and sights along that route????
Best regards, DJ
Dennis
2008 Trail Cruiser C21RBH
2002 Toyota Highlander
We made it up to Maine a few years ago, it sure is beautiful up in that part of the country. That was back in our tent camping days. We ended up in a hotel, it was rainy and cold. Bar Harbor was nothing but construction. Yet, we would still do it again. We camped just south of Boston in a very nice campground. It was very centrally located and we were able to day trip to many different areas. I think it was Boston / Cape Cod KOA. It was a few years ago like 04 so things may have changed and there may be other options.
We live in the DC area. The greatest thing about DC is that the Smithsonian can keep you busy for a solid week, it's free, and it's AIR CONDITIONED! I can't say I am totally familiar with the camping up here, as we usually go further afield, but if you want hot showers, cheap rates, nice trees and not a lot else, Prince William Forest Park, about 45 minutes south of DC just off of I95, is a nice place to hang out. Also, if you are near Staunton, Virginia (this is off of I81), on your way down the blue ridge, look up Sherando Lake (this is a NFS park, extremely lovely and well maintained with a small lake and beach, but make sure to hit it midweek, or you won't be able to get a spot - I just checked it out on recreation.gov, and you can reserve only the group sites, so I assume the rest are still first come, first served).
If you are thinking of Williamsburg (maybe on your way north), there is a very nice clean city campground on the Chickahominy river called Chickahominy Riverfront park which has a couple of pools, fishing, nice facilities, and is close to attractions. Here's the website for you: http://www.james-city.va.us/recreation/parks-trails/chickahominy-park.html
Hope some of these ideas help. Take care,
Cyndikate
2001 Bayside PUP
2001 E350 extended 15 seat van
Me 41 YO Crazy Mother of 6 can't get enough of camping
Grumpy the Dad hates camping, can't sleep, stays home
4 DD 17, 10, 6 & 3
2 DS 15 & 13
Love camping in inverse relationship to assistance they can give
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We will drive their car home from the airport, so no long term cost there.
