Where would you go?

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by locomech

If you don't mind a 20 hr. drive from Houston I'd recommend Sister Bay, Wisconsin. It's a little more than 1300 miles. Sister Bay is on the Door County peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. Summertime temps up there are comfortable and there's plenty to do.

Besides hiking and fishing there are lots of places to eat, shop, drink, scuba dive, bike, drink, shipwreck museums and lighthouses to visit. They have full hookup campgrounds as well as a couple of State Parks.

The one big drawback is having to pass through or near Chicago . The traffic, construction, and crime are reason enough to plan a route that bypasses the Windy City.

If you have never been to Wisconsin it might be worth checking out, it's a pretty state with lots to do in whatever part you decide on. Upper Michigan is another good place to go to as well.

I just asked a friend aboutSister Bay. She also recommended Copper Bay

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by jasin1

It was my first time camping in WV …..didn’t realize how nice it can be in the mountains during the summer..i’m usually at the ocean or here on the bay

Try out by Coopers Rock near Morgantown. The Geenbriar I referenced is a resort (greenbriar.com). It's a great place to stay and quite the background history including the bunker underground that was built to house the entire congress in the event of a nuclear war.

[locomech]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I just asked a friend aboutSister Bay. She also recommended Copper Bay

We stay at the Hy-Land Court RV Park when we go up there. From there it's an easy drive to anywhere on the peninsula. I don't know of a Copper Bay in Door County Wisconsin, is it possible she meant Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan? That's another awesome place on Lake Superior, but it's a bit further north.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Try out by Coopers Rock near Morgantown. The Greenbrier I referenced is a resort (greenbriar.com). It's a great place to stay and quite the background history including the bunker underground that was built to house the entire congress in the event of a nuclear war.

Slammin' Sammy Snead was head pro and a legend and last time at the Greenbriar we stopped in at a tavern named after him.

When we stayed in the area, it was at a B&B (3 Star) called the Monterey Inn in Monterey VA (Highland County seat and population 147). A couple brothers built a 9 hole golf course (their private course) called Needles Eye and we played there when we stayed at the inn. Temps are in the 70s in Monterey. We only visited the Greenbrier to look around and they had another championship golf club nearby that we played at... (can't remember the name) near White Sulpher Springs.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by jasin1

It was my first time camping in WV …..didn’t realize how nice it can be in the mountains during the summer..i’m usually at the ocean or here on the bay

5+ years ago we were driving thru WV. Stopped for a one night stay at Flatwoods KOA. Pretty rugged country.

[notanlines]

We stayed at The Outpost New River Gorge a few years ago during the big base jump on Bridge Day, last of October. A great resort, and an even better event! This is a superb event to bring older kids/grandkids to see. They won’t be bored!

[jxnbbl]

We just did a large loop from the mountains of NH out to the fingerlakes in NY to northern Ohio to Nashville and then back to NH stopping in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Natural Bridge VA, Hershey PA and Newport RI.


What was interesting is we have decided we didn't like camping "south" during the summer and won't do it again due to the heat (south to us is below DC). The other item is that while we were gone the Northeast received rain constantly...we avoided that. And the worse part of the trip were the finger lakes area, Buffalo, northern OH....due to the smoke from the Canadian wild fires. Even driving through that area and not using 'recirculation' in the truck was not good on the lungs! I would take the heat any day and commented to my wife that thank goodness we didn't plan on Nigeria Falls this trip!

[Canonman]

Just a word from a friend of ours in Wisconsin
BTW, got eat'n alive our first night in Kodachrome Basin (middle of the central Utah desert) over the 4th by "no-seeums" or something but it was long sleeves and long pants for rest of our time there.

[JRTJH]

Also keep in mind that the Canadian wild fires are "sending smoke" south to the Great Lakes region as well as the east coast and most points south from there. Mt Airy, NC was "foggy with smoke" when we left about 2 weeks ago. Reports from people still there is that the "great smoky mountains have moved east"...

So, anywhere in the Great Lakes region and east/northeast may present less than clear skies.....

That said, it's currently 72F outside, sunny, clear skies and no rain expected the next 2 or 3 days..... High today was 76F and low tonight will be around 51F. DW mentioned that we haven't run the big A/C in the house but 2 days since we've been back from North Carolina. Forecast predicts 81F tomorrow and 80F on Sunday. The rest of the days are in the mid 70's with lows in the mid 50's. Fishing in Grand Traverse Bay is picking up and they're pulling in 10-20 pound Lake Trout out from the Petoskey Harbor.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Also keep in mind that the Canadian wild fires are "sending smoke" south to the Great Lakes region as well as the east coast and most points south from there. Mt Airy, NC was "foggy with smoke" when we left about 2 weeks ago. Reports from people still there is that the "great smoky mountains have moved east"...

So, anywhere in the Great Lakes region and east/northeast may present less than clear skies.....

That said, it's currently 72F outside, sunny, clear skies and no rain expected the next 2 or 3 days..... High today was 76F and low tonight will be around 51F. DW mentioned that we haven't run the big A/C in the house but 2 days since we've been back from North Carolina. Forecast predicts 81F tomorrow and 80F on Sunday. The rest of the days are in the mid 70's with lows in the mid 50's. Fishing in Grand Traverse Bay is picking up and they're pulling in 10-20 pound Lake Trout out from the Petoskey Harbor.

Oh just quit. You know what it’s like down here in a heat wave. LOL
For the past 2 weeks it’s been 80 in the AM and 100 in the day. We pray the A/C won’t die, it’s running its butt off. Forecast is more of the same. Weatherman is crowing about a 20% chance of rain for the weekend. It’s 7PM and 91 degrees. US HWY 90 buckled and the eastbound lanes had to be closed for repairs.
Probably 8 more weeks of this unless we get a hurricane.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Oh just quit. You know what it’s like down here in a heat wave. LOL
For the past 2 weeks it’s been 80 in the AM and 100 in the day. We pray the A/C won’t die, it’s running its butt off. Forecast is more of the same. Weatherman is crowing about a 20% chance of rain for the weekend. It’s 7PM and 91 degrees. US HWY 90 buckled and the eastbound lanes had to be closed for repairs.
Probably 8 more weeks of this unless we get a hurricane.

The grass "always looks greener over the fence"....

Remember how "terrible you've got it right now" and how you "look at how nice it is up here"... Then in January/February, think back to that while you're crappy fishing in the marshes and we're buried in 6+ feet of snow and below zero temps..... I know your weather right now, to put it mildly, "sucks"... But, when the tides turn in 6 months, we'll be on the "weather sucks" end of the spectrum....

No place has it all, all the time. Maybe that's why we own travel trailers ??? So we can escape the sucky parts ?????

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

The grass "always looks greener over the fence"....

Remember how "terrible you've got it right now" and how you "look at how nice it is up here"... Then in January/February, think back to that while you're crappy fishing in the marshes and we're buried in 6+ feet of snow and below zero temps..... I know your weather right now, to put it mildly, "sucks"... But, when the tides turn in 6 months, we'll be on the "weather sucks" end of the spectrum....

No place has it all, all the time. Maybe that's why we own travel trailers ??? So we can escape the sucky parts ?????

Yes sir that is why we have travel trailers.
Looking back I apparently was oblivious to the heat. All we had was an attic fan. Finally got a huge Frederick window unit A/C and it was installed on the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms. Dad was a structural Ironworker climbing hot I beams and Mom taught school with no A/C. I guess we didn’t know any different. Then me working in a hot butt refinery with cracking furnaces as big as an office building. Stand over a steam turbine tweaking adjustments. Drinking massive amounts of water and swallowing salt tablets by the gross.
Then came the office job and now the heat kills me.
All that to say..my hillbilly DNA is calling me to Virginia and N Carolina. Anyone been to Fort Chiswell RV Park in Virginia? Up the road a bit from Mt Airy. Temps look good, looks roomy, and the price is right. A

[gearhead]

Kinda kickin around UP THE CREEK RV CAMP near Pigeon Forge, TN. It's secluded out of the Dollywood madness but close enough for short drives to SMNP fishing spots. We have never stayed there but have driven through a couple times. Maybe split some time with Tanglewood Park in Clemmons NC., or Fort Chiswell VA.

[jxnbbl]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Kinda kickin around UP THE CREEK RV CAMP near Pigeon Forge, TN. It's secluded out of the Dollywood madness but close enough for short drives to SMNP fishing spots. We have never stayed there but have driven through a couple times. Maybe split some time with Tanglewood Park in Clemmons NC., or Fort Chiswell VA.

We stayed at the KOA for 4 nights...but spent most of the time in the mountains where our family had rented a house. We live in a touristy place and complain about the number of people in our back yard...but this area was crazy worse!

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Kinda kickin around UP THE CREEK RV CAMP near Pigeon Forge, TN. It's secluded out of the Dollywood madness but close enough for short drives to SMNP fishing spots. We have never stayed there but have driven through a couple times. Maybe split some time with Tanglewood Park in Clemmons NC., or Fort Chiswell VA.

Stayed outside of Gatlinburg years ago at a rv park that had a stream and the water level rose pretty high after a heavy rain…isn’t pigeon forge where the campgrounds flooded a few years ago?..i know i’d love to have a site next to a stream but would have an exit plan if bad weather was forecast…i do want to get back to the smoky mountains one day soon

[LadyCPA]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Yep been to Cody 30plus years ago.
Columbia too. Barnyard rv park? Rooster rv park?? Doing family research in the SC Archives. Whats your opinion of the Centinenial RV Park? Big rig??

Yes Barnyard RV Park, right next to the big flea market. No idea on Centenial RV. I would wait until the fall to come visit.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by jasin1

Stayed outside of Gatlinburg years ago at a rv park that had a stream and the water level rose pretty high after a heavy rain…isn’t pigeon forge where the campgrounds flooded a few years ago?..i know i’d love to have a site next to a stream but would have an exit plan if bad weather was forecast…i do want to get back to the smoky mountains one day soon

We stayed at Up the Creek about 6 years ago. We were 3 rows in from the creek and after a moderate rain our site had about 6" of water in it. It wasn't the creek flooding it was just poor drainage. The ducks swimming around and under our camper was quiant (not a joke).

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by flybouy

We stayed at Up the Creek about 6 years ago. We were 3 rows in from the creek and after a moderate rain our site had about 6" of water in it. It wasn't the creek flooding it was just poor drainage. The ducks swimming around and under our camper was quiant (not a joke).

Hmmm…I’m trying to visualize how you could be 3 rows in and not be next to the other creek. But, but, but, I can drop the 5th on the ball and be gone pretty dang quick.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by jasin1

Stayed outside of Gatlinburg years ago at a rv park that had a stream and the water level rose pretty high after a heavy rain…isn’t pigeon forge where the campgrounds flooded a few years ago?..i know i’d love to have a site next to a stream but would have an exit plan if bad weather was forecast…i do want to get back to the smoky mountains one day soon

I don’t remember any flooding but the DW just had to tell me what I had for breakfast.
We have stayed at 3 other RV parks in the area and it’s handy to grab fishing equipment and run to a spot on Little River.
The Townsend side is called the quiet side.
And…it’s not too far from my hillbilly roots on the other side of the mountains in NC.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I don’t remember any flooding but the DW just had to tell me what I had for breakfast.
We have stayed at 3 other RV parks in the area and it’s handy to grab fishing equipment and run to a spot on Little River.
The Townsend side is called the quiet side.
And…it’s not too far from my hillbilly roots on the other side of the mountains in NC.

i tend to worry about worst case scenarios…it isn’t the best way to go thru life but i deal with it as best as i can….i remember someone …maybe you? ..mentioned that campground a few years ago on the forum and i looked it up and thought about going but we haven’t got around to planning a trip there..working with a company that is doing graphics for my work truck and the rep and her fiancé are moving to Tennessee this week… …she said it’s close to the VA border.. Bristol maybe? and so many places they like to go. can go over to VA and also Asheville NC