all info gratefully received...

[chrisandtitch]

Hi folks, I am a new member looking for some advice please. We are thinking of coming to the US in Jan 2014 for an extended holiday and are thinking of hiring an RV for a 10/12 week period. There will be just 2 of us for the majority of the time. At the moment we are favouring a one way route along the Gulf Coast from FL to TX. Any advice on must see places , good sites etc . Is it always necessary to book camp sites in advance or is it possible to just 'wing it'?

[Jim_Shoe]

I agree with Trop-a-cal. I was stationed in Pensacola for two years. Jan-Feb gets chilly (jacket weather) when the sun goes down. That's why there's empty spaces in the CGs. If you haven't checked into rentals yet, you may find that dropping your rental off someplace other than where you picked it up, will incur a hefty surcharge.
Consider driving along the Gulf coast one way and the Atlantic coast the other. CGs will be more crowded, but most have spaces available for short stays (2 to 5 days) for folks that move around.

[tonyandkaren]

The best place to be in January is Florida. There are so many things to see and do that you can stay busy for the whole month but like trop-a-cal says campsites often have to be reserved ahead of time, especially in the most popular areas. That said we recently spent two winters in Florida without making reservations. The key to this is to seek out smaller county and community parks. They don't have many amenities like pools, WiFi and club houses but they're usually in more natural settings. This site is a good source for information about public campgrounds - http://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/uc/index.php If you want to reserve sites go here - http://www.reserveamerica.com/

By the end of January you can start heading west. The history of the south centers around the Civil War and plantation life of the 1800s. The national park sites are very popular - http://www.nps.gov/index.htm The history and culture of the Cajuns in Louisiana is interesting. You may be able to catch a Mardi Gras parade if you're in the area in early March.

Search the state tourist sites to help with planning and, if possible, send for brochures of all the places that you may be interested in seeing. http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel-Tourism/State-Tourism.shtml The Florida link isn't working. Try here - http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us.html

I have a blog with information on the places that we visit. Our trip from Florida to Texas starts here - http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html Have fun planning!

[fla-gypsy]

The Florida state parks along the northern gulf coast are some of the best in the world. Be sure to explore them from St George State park, St Joseph state park, St Andrews state park, Grayton Bch state park, Topsail Hill state park, Henderson Bch state park and catch Ft Pickens CG at the national seashore in Pensacola. Reservations are highly recommended.

[I_am_still_wayn]

During the Winter season on the Gulf coast, it will be mandatory to have reservations. For sites to see, check the National Park Service's website, www.nps.gov for many interesting sites.

[K_Charles]

We stay home for the summer and the holidays and go south in the fall and spring. This year we spent Feb and March going across the gulf coast and never found a full campground. I think you should start in Charlstown SC and Savanna GA, lots to see there also.

[trop-a-cal]

The best weather in January-February-March is in the south of Florida. Frost and freeze's happen even there. Key West, Florida area has a record low of 45 F but north of there tropical plants, used for landscaping have to be brought in,(if in Pots)or wrapped with frost blankets. This effects RV's as they are subject to freeze if a hard freeze of 28 F or lower occurs for four hours or more. The Gulf coast and Texas all the way to Brownsville,(southern most point), have freezes during those months. Spring brings storms in northern Texas but warms up most of points south. Many places to see are in the north USA as the colonies were developed with industry and therefore culture from prosperity. The southern areas are impacted with many from the north coming down to get away from the snow from October to April. They are referred to as "snow birds". This drives up the prices and availability of spaces become scarce. Many places are rented already for next winter. Traveling is restricted to finding places to stay ahead of time. Forget "Winging it", as it is done without much problem during better weather, but not in the Winter.