Aussies first RV roadtrip in the USA

[gs60wa]

Hi. We are 3 couples who usually spend 4 weeks every year riding the USA on Harleys, but this year have decided to rent RV's (Class C from Road Bear) and drive from New Jersey to Orlando in August for 20 days.

Unlike our Harley rides we have only set 2 dates ... the dates we pick up the RV's and the date we drop them off. We did this with a view to be able to just stop if we find somewhere we would like to spend some time and not have to be at a booked hotel every night.

Hoping the well experienced forum members can provide any guidance and advice on a few questions :

(1) any suggestion/advice/enhancement on our route. We intend to drive these byways : Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Great River Road, Alabama's Coast Connection, A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, and Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway.
(2) we want to head into Washington to do a tour of the White House. Any traps for young RV players in that city ?
(3) the only "cities" we intend to visit are Washington, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah (if time permits) and Orlando. Any suggestions on RV parks or campgrounds to use in those locations
(4) best/recommended apps for finding free locations (preferred) or paid campgrounds to stop at night
(4) any general points we should take into consideration

Appreciate your help in advance 🙂

Cheers

Greg

[ken56]

Ambitious it is. Anywhere you stop should be at least 3 nights long or you wont see much. Not sure why you need to go all the way to Orlando but ..... its your trip. Nashville is great with nice parks to stay in and some are near the Opry so an evening show should be on the list, look up their schedule online. Memphis on the other hand, Elvis Presley is the only attraction worthy of a stop. It can be a dangerous city too so caution is needed should you go anywhere but Beal street and Presley's home. If you aren't a big Presley fan then don't bother with Memphis. If you have never seen the Biltmore house in Asheville, its on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you should put this on the list too. Then from Asheville head over to Pigeon Forge and see Dollywood and Gatlinburg. Lots of dinner shows and fun things to do. I personally think its beats the heck out of Orlando area. I am not a fan of Disney. My advice is don't drive so much that you can't stop to see the things in any one area. Give yourselves the time to actually see the sights and enjoy the trip.

[edm3rd]

Your list of places to visit is very ambitious considering the 20 days available. Knoxville-Nashville-Memphis-New Orleans is 800 miles alone. New Orleans to Ormond/Daytona is 650. Consider saving Nashville-Memphis-New Orleans for a future trip ? Camping-wise, google individual state parks (by state), national parks and recreational areas, Corps of Engineer campgrounds, and national forest campgrounds, plus the RV Parks/Campgrounds forum on this site.

[Veebyes]

We have been in the Smokey Mountain area for the past 10 days.

A one way NJ to Orlando 20 day trip sounds very ambitious given the list of road attractions. Revising the route to contain it to basically the Appalachians & eastward might be more doable but still a push.

The Blue Ridge & Skyline are doable with class C rentals. We plan on doing the Cherolhala tomorrow, truck only.

Keep in mind also of time loss at the begining & end of the rental needed to stock it & also the return. Yeah, it is possible to do 4-500 miles a day but how many days can you keep that up & how much will you actually see besides highway?

[Germania]

As far as finding campgrounds I like RVPARKY the Android Ap works very well

[Crowe]

Now that I'm not running late to work, here are a few more suggestions. If you can time it right, you MUST visit the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The show is actually now held at the Ryman Auditorium, but if you like American country music (including Keith Urban :)) it is a must do. If you can spare the time or if you can't tour the White House, I'd visit the Smithsonian Museum, the National Cemetery, and/or the National Zoo (the Smithsonian alone can take days) or at the very least stroll the National Mall for a view of the diversity this country has to offer. Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway are gorgeous. Shenandoah National Park has multiple campgrounds (not sure how many will fit RVs), lots of wildlife and many activities. Gettysburg is also a must-see IMHO and you should be able to visit if you are taking the Journey Through Hallowed Ground. Once you get a better handle on where you want to visit, I'd post in the Campground forum for ideas on where to stay.

[gs60wa]

Thanks for the feedback folks, much appreciated ... love your country and it's people 🙂

[profdant139]

Will you be passing through or near Asheville, North Carolina? There are some terrific bluegrass music clubs and some world-class barbeque restaurants. My guess is that you will find the same thing in much of the Appalachian mountains. Have fun!

[agesilaus]

Do not drive your RV's into Washington DC. Most people camp at Cherry Hill RV park and take the metro into DC. Since you are going to be on the Florida east coast you may want to stop at Cape Kennedy and take one or more of their tours of the space center.

[jplante4]

If you're doing the Atlantic seaboard - Carolinas on down - be aware that it's hurricane season. Keep an eye on The Weather Channel and leave anyplace where Jim Cantore goes to.

[Crowe]

Myrtle Beach is nice but may be busy that time of year.

MB usually quiets down about mid-August. There are many campgrounds, so finding a site around that time shouldn't be a problem, expect for maybe weekends.

Your best bet for DC is to stay at a campground outside the city and take the Metro in. The preferred campground is usually Cherry Hill Park in College Park MD but there are others located outside the perimeter of the city. White House tours require you to apply through your embassy as outlined on this website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events. Due to the current state of uncertainty in the US at the moment, I would not get my heart set on a tour.

[fitznj]

On your return back to NJ - hug the Atlantic Coast, some GREAT beaches and perfect that time of year. The Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk (Wright Brother memorial). Take the Bridge across the Chesapeake ans stay at Asseteague.
Virginia Beach is worth a visit. , Drive up the Delmarva Peninsula - visit the small fishing villages on the West coast. Stay at State or National parks/forests - I prefer these to commercial campgrounds.

Oh - Charleston is quaint and Myrtle Beach is nice but may be busy that time of year.

Gerry

[gbopp]

Here are a couple sites for free/cheap camping.

Free Campgrounds

Casino Camper

When traveling, I like to use Roadside America. Maybe you can find something interesting along your route.

Enjoy your trip.