First long RV Trip - Where to stop/visit between GA and CO?

[kyle86]

My wife and I are making our maiden voyage in our new 5th wheel. Our first destination is Colorado. We are planning to leave Georgia early April. I've played around on google maps with the routes going through various states. What's there to see/do between here and there? Or should we just bookit straight to CO? Thx!

[Busskipper]

kyle86 wrote:
Thanks yall!! We are in woodland park which is near colorado springs in the mountains. We have been exploring all over. 3 days at territory days festival and we checked out cripple creek. We went to see garden of the gods today. Yesterday we hiked craigs trail at pancake mountain. There was a good bit of snow on the ground. It was beautiful. I'm not quite sure where we will be since I only paid for a week. Maybe stay here a couple more weeks. My wife wants to check out breckenridge and pike peak. I will let her know about bueno vista. I'm amazed at how much free stuff there is to do here.

If you liked Woodland Park you will love Buena Vista and the Collegiates, still a lot of snow there - you might even enjoy Independence Pass over to Aspen and Maroon Bells..........So much to see and do ... just so little time.

Enjoy,

[kyle86]

Thanks yall!! We are in woodland park which is near colorado springs in the mountains. We have been exploring all over. 3 days at territory days festival and we checked out cripple creek. We went to see garden of the gods today. Yesterday we hiked craigs trail at pancake mountain. There was a good bit of snow on the ground. It was beautiful. I'm not quite sure where we will be since I only paid for a week. Maybe stay here a couple more weeks. My wife wants to check out breckenridge and pike peak. I will let her know about bueno vista. I'm amazed at how much free stuff there is to do here.

[Busskipper]

kyle86 wrote:
Well, We made the trip!!! I took padredw's route almost to the letter.

Shreveport LA has some terrible road, but it made up for it with the best cajun food i've ever had at herby k's. Stayed in a few walmart parking lots. I stayed at spencer's campground in paris texas. Visited the jack's RV museum in amerello Tx. Also enjoied trennedad co. 190 gallons of premium fuel and 1500+ miles. What an adventure so far.

Going between witchTa falls tx and amerello we hit a nasty hail storm which forced us to pull over. Then an hour later I hit a flooded out road which was scary not being able to see or steer. Then a tad further down another flooded road with an emergency crew working. I had to drive about 1/4 mile of flooded road. Very sketchy because you could not tell what was road and where ditch was, just murky brown water and pitch black outside. About a foot deep maybe a little more. Passed a 1/2 sunk semi with driver trying to get someone to get him out of passenger side. Also a car so flooded in the ditch only headlights and bumper visible. It was nerveracking, thankfully the lord has been with us. Made it through with just brush and branches stuck up under the truck. Then some really nasty fog. I learned that you don't travel at night!

Hit some long hills going into NM which caused truck to hunt gears constantly especially pulling into the wind. Ended up dropping to 2nd gear and just going 45mph LOL. Raton pass was very hilly too. I learned to just let the truck do what it wants. If it had to downshift I just held that gear. Mostly 3rd the whole way. My weight was 15k total which was a lot go ask of my 6.0 chebby. I'm very thankful that I made it through my first long trip okay. One trailer brake went bad after the inner seal failed and slung grease all in the drum so I made the whole trip on 3 brakes. Also one spring eye bolt started rotating in the shackle which I will need to fix. Minor stuff thankfully!

Overall awesome trip for me so far. I am really enjoying colorado, especially the nice cool weather and beautiful mountains!

OH the Adventure.........

Where are you staying? I just flew out for a week with the Granddaughters - the weather was Perfect - pants/AM - shorts/Noon then Pants/After 6:00 - most of the high passes are now open/Trail Ridge and Independence, but still a ton of snow in the mountains - creeks are all full and it is just BEAUTIFUL.

If in Buena Vista look for K's right in the middle of the Rt 24 stip in town - good lunch and a nice park to eat in. then in Leadville look for Quincy's for the best buy on a steak dinner - we love both and always stop when in the area. Green Chilly is the dish to search for,DDD.

So much to see and do will love to hear about your adventure in the Rockies.

BOL,

[padredw]

Wow, Kyle!:E

You hit more weather on the way to Colorado that I have ever hit in almost 20 years of making that trip! But you seem to have handled it far better than most of us would have.

Enjoy Colorado. Where will you be staying there?

We leave on June 18 for our month in Colorado.

[2gypsies1]

Wow! What a trip you had to Colorado. It is very rare to encounter hail, flooding, fog and wind. Your attitude is great.

Your next trip will be a piece of cake. 🙂

[kyle86]

Double post

[kyle86]

Well, We made the trip!!! I took padredw's route almost to the letter.

Shreveport LA has some terrible road, but it made up for it with the best cajun food i've ever had at herby k's. Stayed in a few walmart parking lots. I stayed at spencer's campground in paris texas. Visited the jack's RV museum in amerello Tx. Also enjoied trennedad co. 190 gallons of premium fuel and 1500+ miles. What an adventure so far.

Going between witchTa falls tx and amerello we hit a nasty hail storm which forced us to pull over. Then an hour later I hit a flooded out road which was scary not being able to see or steer. Then a tad further down another flooded road with an emergency crew working. I had to drive about 1/4 mile of flooded road. Very sketchy because you could not tell what was road and where ditch was, just murky brown water and pitch black outside. About a foot deep maybe a little more. Passed a 1/2 sunk semi with driver trying to get someone to get him out of passenger side. Also a car so flooded in the ditch only headlights and bumper visible. It was nerveracking, thankfully the lord has been with us. Made it through with just brush and branches stuck up under the truck. Then some really nasty fog. I learned that you don't travel at night!

Hit some long hills going into NM which caused truck to hunt gears constantly especially pulling into the wind. Ended up dropping to 2nd gear and just going 45mph LOL. Raton pass was very hilly too. I learned to just let the truck do what it wants. If it had to downshift I just held that gear. Mostly 3rd the whole way. My weight was 15k total which was a lot go ask of my 6.0 chebby. I'm very thankful that I made it through my first long trip okay. One trailer brake went bad after the inner seal failed and slung grease all in the drum so I made the whole trip on 3 brakes. Also one spring eye bolt started rotating in the shackle which I will need to fix. Minor stuff thankfully!

Overall awesome trip for me so far. I am really enjoying colorado, especially the nice cool weather and beautiful mountains!

[4runnerguy]

kyle86 wrote:
Our first destination is Colorado. We are planning to leave Georgia early April. . . . should we just bookit straight to CO? Thx!

I'd take a little time getting here. Early April in CO can be middle of winter in the mountains.

Some places to consider on the way out:

The Ouachita Mountains. Early to mid-April is a delightful time to visit there. Plenty of lakes to camp around, caves to explore, Hot Springs, scenic drives (e.g. Talimena). Visit Eureka Springs, the Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, Pea Ridge NMP.

How about Big Bend in western TX? Big park with lots to see and do. Flowers might be out when you get there. On the way, stop in San Antonio to see the missions, eat BBQ, see the Bluebonnets. From Big Bend, head north and stop at Carlsbad Caverns, well worth a day of your time.

Spend some time exploring the Mississippi River. Once you reach the river from GA, head north or south and you'll find interesting towns and history all along the way. New Orleans isn't necessarily someplace to head with an RV, but a great place to visit if you camp outside and day trip into the city.

There are a variety of Civil War battlefields to visit along the way. Vickburg?

One way to find interesting stops is to visit the National Park Service website. Pick a state or pick a topic and see what lies along the way. Many NPS sites may not be as well known as Yosemite or Yellowstone, but we've found most to have something interesting to see or explore.

If you have a couple of weeks to get to CO, I'd explore some of the places in between.

[kohldad]

Make sure to check out the National Forest as their campgrounds are some of the cheapest no-thrills you will find. NF Campground Directory They have a link to a PDF map which will help you.

You should check the National Forest web page for each individual forest you get near and search their page for "dispersed" camping. Dispersed camping is usually along a road or designated spots and often are free. Just please, make sure you leave your camping spot cleaner than how you found it so you don't ruin it for others.

[padredw]

Busskipper wrote:
Depending on where you are headed - think about getting off I-25 in Walsenburg and Rt 160 or 69 or Pueblo Rt 50 and get into the wilder parts of Colorado early - not sure of your destination but the drive up through the Arkansas River Valley is well worth the drive, IMHO you will really enjoy it.

I could not agree more! This is what we almost always do. We follow Colorado 69 from Walsenburg to Cotapaxi. We cut off and go right down the hill to US 50, probably not a good idea for beginners!

We have been going to the Buena Vista area for over 50 years, and hope to go back this year.

[padredw]

kyle86 wrote:
Are there any free/cheap places to dry camp along this route like wal marts?

There would be WalMarts in all the larger towns. I am one of those who has never stayed in a WalMart, but I can make some comments.

Meridian, MS is about 320 miles from Macon. We have stayed at Bonita Lakes private RV park, nice, paved, near route, about $23 per night. You could travel a bit off the route and find Twitley Branch COE. For an old fellow like me that would cost about $10 per night, maybe up to $20 for younger people. COE parks are getting better all the time. I'll be staying in some on our next trip out.

Another 320 or so miles will bring you to near Shreveport. Lots of choices around. If it is late om the day and not good time to go through Shreveport there is the Lincoln Parish Campground north of Ruston, $25 or nearer the freeway the Antique Village RV Park near Gibbsland, LA $30. We have never stayed at Lincoln Parish, but it gets good reviews. We have stayed at Antique Village. We would use it again for overnight.

Many more choices if you drive through or around Shreveport and come on into East Texas. There is Miss Ellie's in Waskom, the first town in Texas (a great state welcome center as you cross over the state line). Miss Ellie's $25. There are great COE parks on Lake 'o The Pines, near Marshall.

Another 350 miles or so would put you near Vernon, Texas, past Wichita Falls. There is definitely a WalMart handy to the highway and two parks: A & A Park @ $20 and Rocking A @ $30. We have stayed several times at the ROcking A, but more recently we drive on up a few miles to Goodlett, TX and stay at the Ole Town Cotton Gin @ $30. Nice level pull throughs just for an overnight.

Another 350 miles will find you near Raton, NM and intersection with I-25. Raton Pass is a good "beginner's pass" for those new to mountain driving. At the top of Raton Pass there is a very nice campground @ $35, well worth it to stay high up for tonight. We stay there almost every time we go up to Colorado. Sure beats Walmart, though we see a lot of people going on to the WalMart in Trinidad, CO.

From there it will be an easy 150 miles on to Colorado Springs. We always TRY to get a reservation at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, but there are lots of other choices.

I share this as a realistic plan for overnights between Macon, GA and Colorado Springs, based on driving between 300 and 400 miles per day.

[Busskipper]

kyle86 wrote:

padredw wrote:
There are almost endless variations possible, but I will give you a "southern route" for comparison. I will use Macon, GA as a starting point and Colorado Springs as a destination.

Macon to Montgomery, AL mostly along US 80. Continue on US 80 to junction with I-20 near Meridian, MS. Follow I-20 across MS and LA into East Texas. Use either US 271 to Paris, TX or US 69 to Sherman, TX to get up to US 82. 82 is a good route along the Red River and avoid the traffic near Dallas/Fort Worth.

Near Wichita Fall, TX join US 287 to Amarillo then up to Dumas and US 87 on to Dalhart. Follow US 87/64 to Raton, NM. Pick up I-25 right into Colorado Springs.

I have towed every mile of this route (not all on the same trip) excecpt the first miles in Georgia. I have driven even that portion of the trip, but not towing.

There are campgrounds all along the way, several at Meridian and Vicksburg, MS. A nice state park, Roosevelt, at Morton, MS. Many public and private campgrounds in East Texas. Tyler State Park is not far off the freeway. We often stay at Ole Town Cotton Gin at Goodlett, TX, and there are several good campgrounds in Amarillo. We try to plan our trip to spend a night at the top of Raton Pass. A very nice RV park there now goes by the name Raton Pass RV. It would be an easy drive on to Colorado Springs.

If you are new to mountain driving, Raton Pass is a good beginner's experience, broad lanes to allow traffic to pass.

I just give this as one good example because I am very familiar with these roads. I do recommend US 82 and an alternative route across North Texas. It is the way we always go to Colorado now.

I'll be glad to respond to any questions and to give more specific suggestions about overnight stops along the way.

That is the perfect route. I just followed it on the map and it looks to be great! Thanks for taking the time to put all that on here. This looks much simpler than other routes we've looked at. Are there any free/cheap places to dry camp along this route like wal marts?

The advice given is right on - and if you follow the advice on the next post the CG's in the small towns and Lakes along the way will work well.

Depending on where you are headed - think about getting off I-25 in Walsenburg and Rt 160 or 69 or Pueblo Rt 50 and get into the wilder parts of Colorado early - not sure of your destination but the drive up through the Arkansas River Valley is well worth the drive, IMHO you will really enjoy it. Once here you can easily get to all your other locations, just the drive is a lot more fun than fighting the traffic in the Cities on the Interstate. Link to a similar post on Colorado

CDOT cameras this link will give you real time pictures in Colorado.

Wal*Mart Locations - good link.

My brother is starting out on his first big trip to California, will be fun to follow you two as you start to see the Rockies and the West.

Hope this info is of some use.

BOL,

Busskipper

[kyle86]

kohldad wrote:
A few things I've learned from my travels out west.

1) Don't let the mountains scare you. Folks will cry how much worse they are than our Appalachians. True they are higher and the climbs are longer. But what they call switchbacks are just turns to me. While their grades are longer, I usually found them not as steep as our, not saying they don't have steep grades, but you usually won't find things as bad as say 321 going into Boone from the east.

2) The main roads, such as you find in red in the Atlas, are more like our interstates. While they may be single lane, they usually have wide shoulders and huge right of ways. A lot of the small towns have been bypassed, so make sure you take the business route if you want to get a glimpse of the real west. Unless I'm really hooving it, I try to avoid the interstates west of the Mississippi.

3) Lots of the smaller towns will have fair grounds or other type lots you can park for a small charge or free. These are usually limited hookups if any, but some may surprise you. Just ask around the towns as you travel through them. The city office or police station is a good place to ask too.

4) Reservations are over rated and can be a real pain. You just get to a spot you thought you would drive through only to realize you want to stay a day or two or three. But darn, you can't because you have reservations. That is why I just about always travel reservation free. Exception is popular places or holiday weekends. For holiday weekends I try to be in the middle of no where without any attractions. For the popular places, I make reservations only a stop or two out. But then I always have an emergency backup plan of boondocking or going someplace else. This is also influenced by your rig size, the larger the more advance planning you may want to do. But I did this type of travel with a 35' FW and 30' TT. But now with my TC, I just need a parking space.

5) Don't overplan. The most enjoyable things I've seen as I travel are the ones that are unexpected. The biggest disappointments were the ones I really researched and everyone else enjoyed and said they were the must sees. Good example is we loved 5 days in Kings Canyon which we only stopped at because we had to kill 5 days before our reservations at Yosemite. We enjoyed it so much because we had to explore to find the gems and the place was almost deserted we did one of the more popular 2 mile loop trails and only saw one couple the entire hike. We had 4 nights reserved at Yosemite but left after only two nights because we were so disappointed because of the extreme crowds which we tightened into an even smaller than usual area because of late snows.

6) For long trips, we select a few major sites and wing it between them. Even with a 35' FW, we would often come to a cross road and look down each road to decide which way to go. We've also found some rough road and turned off of it to find a smoother road. Adds miles, but adds to the excitement too. Only thing that mattered was it was more or less heading in the right direction. We never would have picked Ft Robinson in Nebraska if our wild selection of roads to Custer, SD hadn't put us in the area. We stopped early enough to explore the fort, take a stage coach ride, swim in the enclosed pool, and enjoyed a morning horseback ride before continueing our adventure. That was over eleven years ago when our kids were just over 10, but the stagecoach ride is one of the strongest camping memories we have.

Remember just take your time and make the most of what you see.

Great advice, Much appreciated thank you!!!

[kyle86]

padredw wrote:
There are almost endless variations possible, but I will give you a "southern route" for comparison. I will use Macon, GA as a starting point and Colorado Springs as a destination.

Macon to Montgomery, AL mostly along US 80. Continue on US 80 to junction with I-20 near Meridian, MS. Follow I-20 across MS and LA into East Texas. Use either US 271 to Paris, TX or US 69 to Sherman, TX to get up to US 82. 82 is a good route along the Red River and avoid the traffic near Dallas/Fort Worth.

Near Wichita Fall, TX join US 287 to Amarillo then up to Dumas and US 87 on to Dalhart. Follow US 87/64 to Raton, NM. Pick up I-25 right into Colorado Springs.

I have towed every mile of this route (not all on the same trip) excecpt the first miles in Georgia. I have driven even that portion of the trip, but not towing.

There are campgrounds all along the way, several at Meridian and Vicksburg, MS. A nice state park, Roosevelt, at Morton, MS. Many public and private campgrounds in East Texas. Tyler State Park is not far off the freeway. We often stay at Ole Town Cotton Gin at Goodlett, TX, and there are several good campgrounds in Amarillo. We try to plan our trip to spend a night at the top of Raton Pass. A very nice RV park there now goes by the name Raton Pass RV. It would be an easy drive on to Colorado Springs.

If you are new to mountain driving, Raton Pass is a good beginner's experience, broad lanes to allow traffic to pass.

I just give this as one good example because I am very familiar with these roads. I do recommend US 82 and an alternative route across North Texas. It is the way we always go to Colorado now.

I'll be glad to respond to any questions and to give more specific suggestions about overnight stops along the way.

That is the perfect route. I just followed it on the map and it looks to be great! Thanks for taking the time to put all that on here. This looks much simpler than other routes we've looked at. Are there any free/cheap places to dry camp along this route like wal marts?