9 replies to this topic

[tomcypress]

Am planing a trip this summer from Florida to Chicago and Wisconsin and back!

What are the best country routes and RV parks?

We are new at this. We have a 37-foot Forest River.

Thanks!

Arlene and Tom

Florida

[tomcypress]

Country routes? You are going to give us some more detail about what you would like to do and see. Hobbies, sightseeing, historic sites, avoid all Interstate traffic, time frame available, etc. The more information you give the more information users will be able to provide.

Am looking for the best route, no towns, sightseeing, country, & wildlife! best RV parks!

Thanks!

Tom -----

[tomcypress]

Well, I have no idea how you are going to get anywhere without going through or to towns, but my route would take me through Atlanta to visit Stone Mountain, Nashville, TN for the Grand Ole Opry and area, St. Louis, MO for the Gateway Arch, Springfield, IL for the Lincoln Museum, Madison, WI for the FMCA rally this Summer!

I know we have to go through some towns but will try to avoid them as much as possible, Just had enough city life, want to see the outdoors country! Tom ---

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

I would recommend the Natchez Trace Parkway. This is a part of the National Park System and is a 400+ mile stretch where no commercial vehicles are allowed. It is not a divided highway but with no commercial vehicles allowed that is no problem. There are numerous stops at historic sites. It is maintained and patrolled by the National Park Service. The 50 MPH speed limit is rigidly enforced as I saw numerous violators stopped along the way. There are no sign boards and absolutely no trash along the right of way. You have to enjoy scenery and if you are traveling with kids, they will be bored to tears. You could get on at Natchez (there is a great state park there) or get on at many points North ending at Nashville. I love it!

[XTOGO]

Hope you enjoy your Forest River, we just bought in 2009 George Town 373 model and love it. I've traveled for years Atlanta to Chicago. If you take I-24 to I-57 you will avoid alot of the major city's. Buy the book 500 Things To Try Before You Go it will tell you about the best places to stop for the area food favorites. We've found the best places to stop from the Carolina's, New Orleans, Florida, everywhere. You won't be disappointed. But I-57 is the best the probably head out I-74 to I-39 if you want to avoid Chicago.

[trekker01]

Tom,
Kinda sounds like a catch 22 situation. You want country, but don't want towns. Taking the Interstates will get you past plenty of towns, but take you through big cities. They will mostly bypass the country. If you want to see the countryside, you need to get off the expressways and take the US and state (and local) highways, taking you by the farms and small communities that fill the vast majority of this country. You could take advantage of one of your membership benefits and get FMCA to route you, but you will have to be able to tell them how you want to go (scenic/direct/fastest). Or you could get a mapping program (Delorme's Street Atlas or Microsoft's Streets & Trips, for examples) and plan your own route, going to places you want to see and doing things you want to do. Both of these programs allow you to change your routing and give you the ability to see what points of interest are along the way so you could plan stops.

Sometimes the adventure of stumbling across something you had no idea was there brings more enjoyment to the trip than the actual destination ever would. We live in Florida and visit relatives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho most years, and have been running cross country often enough that we look for different ways to get there. This year we have a new route planned, so our trip to Madison for the FMCA is about 5,000 miles to that point, with another 3,000 miles after that to get back to Florida. And Madison is only 1,400 miles from home. Take your time. Explore along the way. Make each trip better than the last, and above all else, enjoy yourselves. You are making memories, doing something only a very small segment of the population ever experience.

Gary

[royinflorida]

Tom,

We are leaving on a similar trip in late May.

1st Stop 2 nights at Ft Clinch State Park near Jacksonville, FL

230 miles to 2nd stop 4 nghts at Santee St Park, Santee, SC

254 miles to 3rd stop Ft Tatham Camping (Carefree Resorts) Sylva, NC 5 nights

314 miles to 4th stop Diamond Caverns near Mammoth Cave Park City, KY 14 nights (visiting friends)

291 miles to 5th stop Horseshoe Lakes, Clinton, IN 5 nights

265 miles to 6th stop Shady Creek Park, Davenport, IA 3 nights

177 miles to 7th stop Des Moines, IA area (wife wants to see bridges of Madison County) Prairie Flower Rec 5 nights

132 miles to Forest City, IA (home of Winnebago Industries)

Don't know yet when or route to get back home. This is the sleepyiest route and lowest cost camping I could find.

Hope it helps!

Roy & Lois

[pfhays]

I avoid Atlanta at all costs. If I wanted to do mostly interstate driving, I would try taking I-10 across FL to US231 and up to Montgomery, AL. Then I65 north. Once at Nashville you can take I-24 over to I-57 in IL to I-74 over to Bloomington, IL. Or at Nashville, continue on I-65 to Indianapolis and pick up I-74 to I-39 in Bloominton, IL and then straight shot up to Madison and points north. I39 comes into IL at Rockford so if you want to go to the Chicago area you will need to head back east. If you are going to the Milwaukee area then stay on I65 at Indy and go up to Chicago.

There are some nice COE campgrounds just south and east of Nashville as well as a couple of COE's in S. IL around the Rend Lake area. If you are going to the western part of WI, try the river road from the Quad City area up and along the Mississippi River and take advantage of the COE campgrounds on that route.

If you aren't in a hurry, look at the COE campgrounds. I've found them all nice and they are all on water of some sort.

If you do go up I57 in IL you can jump over to St. Louis on I64 and visit there.

If you go up through Nashville and stay on I-65 you will go through Bowling Green, KY, and can stop and see the Corvette Museum and just north of there is Mammoth Cave. You can head west on I-64 at Louisville and go to St. Louis or pick up I-57 and go north in Illinois at Mt. Vernon, IL.

Almost too many ways to go but my experience in the "mountains" of the southeast are to stay on the interstates unless you know the local roads or have a great deal of time.