Search results for 'asheville, nc'

Sometimes first impressions are misleading. Such was the case with our visit to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. This is a huge campground with direct beach access, and lots of amenities to please everyone. However, the check-in process was so confounding that we nearly gave up.

At least once a year our destination is a landmark National Park. Since we live in the middle of the US, this usually means traveling a long distance to get to “A Park That’s a Place”. And that results in looking for a Place to Park for overnight stops.

The Badlands is leftover volcanic terrain, strange and beautiful, but most inhospitable. There’s hardly a living thing out here except rattlesnakes and prairie dogs. But it’s a wonderful place to tour and camp on your way to South Dakota’s Black Hills.

Why would you want to see a big rock?

Because Devils Tower is more than just a geological oddity.

There’s something deep and profound here that led Native Americans

to hold this as a Sacred Place.

At some point in your travels you’re bound to traverse Missouri. And what a treat that will be! Smack in the middle of the country, Missouri is a major corridor between north-south destinations, and a gateway for east-west routes.

When we are way up in the mountains, in high altitude and thin air, our GPS decides to set itself on Sherpa Mode. It carefully maps a route that is Longest, Obscure, and Steep Terrain - L.O.S.T.

Such as the day we travelled from Asheville, NC to Renfro Valley, KY. When we left camp in NC, a simple turn to the right would have led to the highway in a couple of easy miles, but instead the GPS sent us to the left. So we traversed the Appalachian Mountains on the back roads for two hours: though hill and holler, over dale and dell, around switchbacks and hairpin turns. All in the motorhome.

If you want a great Florida get-away for you and your dog at a reasonable price, check out the Low-Key Hideaway at Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key is an island off the west coast of the Florida peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico. Cedar Key is 57 miles southwest of Gainesville and 143 miles north of Clearwater and Tampa.

We had a wonderful camping experience at Campfire Lodgings, just north of downtown Asheville, NC. This privately owned campground is located at the top of Goldview Knob, and is worth the steep climb to get there. The owners have thoughtfully provided encouraging signs along the way to keep you moving, like “Just a little further” and “Ya made it!” But do take the time to unhook your towed vehicle before you ascend their gravel road.

Whether you’re in a Luxury Class A or towing a Vintage Pop-Up, here are some nifty tricks to make your RV trip more enjoyable.

On the advice of well-traveled friends, we headed the motorhome to New Harmony, Indiana last fall. This special town is located in the south-western tip of Indiana along the Illinois border, and is well worth the trip.

One of our great national treasures, Yellowstone National Park is wild and untamed place. And, as the Park Rangers are fond of telling tourists, this is also a place fraught with peril and danger. Wildlife in Yellowstone can be unpredictable, especially when spooked or provoked, and this element of risk adds an extra zing to your camping experience. 

Remember the beach during the 60’s & 70’s?Simple and  unhurried, colorful snack shacks, and a day of family fun. It’s all still here in Canada!

We’ve come to realize that bigger is not always better. Sometimes it’s the little places that offer the most charming experience. Greenbrier State Forest is one such gem, hidden deep in the West Virginia mountains. This is old-school camping at its finest. Small and slightly primitive, the campground offers only sixteen electric sites, tucked into lush and shady groves.

There’s plenty of reasons we love RV’ing, and the list got a little longer in the weeks following Hurricane Sandy. Many RVers offered their rigs as temporary shelter to embattled East Coast residents. Power, heat, refrigerator, and sleeping quarters all in a rolling relief package. Bravo to the kind souls who lent out their campers to those in need!

Isn’t it funny how somebody’s peculiar hobby can introduce you to a whole new world? Such was the case when I attended a blacksmithing convention in Troy, Ohio with family members.

All eyes are on the skies as 50,000 fans wait for the rain to stop. The start of the Madison Regatta H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series race is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 pm, but officials are keeping an anxious watch on the Ohio River. For several days a steady line of rain coming from the Gulf of Mexico has dumped inches on a wide area, and the river keeps rising.

Last summer we arrived at Yellowstone National Park from the Grand Tetons via the picturesque South Gate. The approach from the south is an easy and enjoyable ride. This well-maintained road winds through a thick forest of slender Lodge Pole Pines, occasionally offering a view of lively streams and crystalline lakes.

You’ve seen the bumper stickers. You’ve seen the billboards. Now it’s time to see Wall Drug in person!

I love a good drug store, and Wall Drug is way beyond anything I’ve encountered! Seems funny to be recommending a pharmacy, but this is a true destination stop whether you’re in an RV or not.

Nestled in the woods of southern Indiana, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park are a surprising combination of great camping with a fascinating history lesson. These parks commemorate the area where Abraham Lincoln grew from boy to manhood, and where he earned his moniker as a Frontier Statesman.

Blend the pearly sands of Florida with a dash of Atlantic City and a pinch of Gatlinburg and you’ve got the delights of Myrtle Beach.

The beautiful thing about traveling in an RV is that you’re always at home. Sleeping in your own comfy bed, a pantry full of favorite foods, clothes hanging neatly in a closet instead of crammed into a suitcase. And when you move from place to place, you never have to unpack.

Have a go-to place that you love returning to year after year? Jackson, Wyoming is one town we never get tired of.

Jackson retains its Wild West roots in grand style, and offers shopping and entertainment for every budget and season. We’ve visited in both spring and summer, but there’s also plenty of skiing and winter sports in the area.

Its Memorial Day weekend and we’ve traveled a couple of notches south to vacation near Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, KY. The national park offers only primitive campsites (which means no electric service) so we are staying a few miles down the road at an RV resort. In this part of the country, the term “RV Resort” is loosely applied and commonly means a giant family playground with lots of places to plug in a trailer. 

Like pocketknives? Love a good bargain? Then Sevierville, TN is the place for you!

Sevierville hosts a bevy of factory outlets, has several campgrounds, and is a good starting point for touring Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, and Gatlinburg.