First Trip from MO to ?

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:helpme I wnat to make my first trip in my new to me "97 SD starting mid January from St. Louis to I dont know where. I'll have 10-12 days to play, travel by myself, and prefer no ice or snow. I'd welcome any destination suggestions. I dont want to spend the entire time driving, and would like to have more of a small town or wilderness experience.

Thanks in advance.
Pat

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Seems pretty obvious to me, Pat. Go south! As soon as it's warm enough for you, but before you hit New Orleans traffic, turn right or left. Look for national forest campgrounds. Have fun! :wave

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Suggestion 1 - Anywhere other than the state of Misery. :cry

Suggestion 2 - You gonna listen to that Hoosier?!? No need to turn at New Orleans... Glass trailers float just fine. :)

Serious question - I dunno. Kinda depends on what it is you really want to be doing/seeing. Weather-wise the south is your clear choice, but there's a big difference between the swamps of Louisiana and the deserts of the southwest. What do you like?

My other response (likely only useful one) would be to suggest not making this initial trip one that was all THAT far from home. If it's your first trip, it might advisable not to go to far just in case you have problems or run into anything unexpected.

Course - that being said - my first trip in my '72 Boler was to drag the thing halfway across the continent and back. :) Had to deal with a frame crack while we were in Seattle (good thing it didn't snap somewhere in wyoming or something...)


Mike
Watters


PS: Before anybody gets all offended - I was born in Missouri (St. Louis even!) and currently reside in Indiana. So that gets me off the hook for any cracks about either state! :)

mkw

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St. Louis is very much a strategic location and the home
of Miles Davis and Chuck Berry.

I would pick a destination within 8 hours of your present
location, perhaps a nice resort in AR or TX

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Pat, how fun. That's a hard decision. hummmm?? maybe all the way down to the gulf. I remember it as being warm. playing in the surf. that'd be great. Guess there would be a place you could camp close, but everyone else might already there. that would be bad.
Or I'd go to the edge of AR, but as they are haveing a get together there in June, I'd wait on that till then.

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You're kidding, right? Why would you want to go further than the Ozarks in the SE corner of MO?

Pete and Rats

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Could always hit Hot Springs National Park, near Little Rock.

Take in the baths ... get a massage ... several commercial campgrounds (but I don't know if they're open) ... The national park campground, nice but no services, is open year-round.

We've been snowed on there, however.

Then there is Gulf Island's National Seashore (one of our favorite campgrounds!), on Pensacola Island, Florida.

Really nice place ... with electricity and water at each campsite. Beautiful pristine unspoiled beach ... it will be too cool to swim but plenty nice enough to walk the beach.

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Yes, Hot Springs would be very nice...On the way, run over to the little town of Altus to check out the little Bavarian town and the local wineries...Then maybe over to Petit Jean Mountain (great state park camping on top of the mountain, beautiful hiking from the Mather lodge to wonderful waterfalls, and right next door to the Museum of the American Automobile)...Also check out Eureka Springs...

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Definetly a 'must do', but I think that it is better in the fall, spring, or summer. They do get snow up there and, although quite beautiful, not sure that I would want to pull my trailer up there that time of the year.

But, it is definetly worth a visit if you've never been there!

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Hey, nothing quite like a Hot Spring in snow, hail or rain (need a widebrim hat and a warm drink of course). :sunny

Pete and Rats

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Suz, We got caught in a nice snowfall while heading up Senic 7 in Arkansas in March (6 inches)! There is a great little RV park (I think it is called Wanderlust) on top of a ridge overlooking the town and very close to the Passion Play. We stayed there while camping in our conversion van (pre-egg)...So much happier now!:r

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I would endorse the Ozarks as well. It's beautiful country, and Hot Springs is awesome. I would risk the snow and do it this time of year. I went in May a few years ago (camping in a rental truck), and saw the meanest ticks I've ever seen. I've always wanted to go back in the winter when you don't have to worry about getting infested.

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As I have lots of relatives in AR. I have one thing to say about AR. ICE the weather doesn't know how to snow very well. most of the time it's ICE. fun if your a kid, but scarry going up and down hills with a trailer. (never done it, but sounds scarry to me) but if you stay put, and have you generator could be quite nice.