Hawkesbury, Ontario. Canada

[Romy1234]

We are going to Texas this winter leaving on October 25/2011 we are leaving from Hakesbury Ont, to Florida then to Texas Corpus Christi passing 4 month in a camping ground, would like to know the best attraction on the way to Florida, and on the way to Texas and the RV parks best to stay with reasonable price.

Anyone done this trip? Will appreciate is comment and route and direction,

Sincerely Yours

Romy1234

PS We have a Class A 32 feet Monaco towing a jeep.

[Guest BillAdams]

Since you are going to be driving I-95S all the way there are likely a million things along the way. The same applies to I-10W to TX. What kind of things do you like to do that you would like to stop for? Historical sites? Fun in the Sun? Casinos? Educational? As much information about what you want to do on this trip will help get you a better answer. Considering your trip one way will be around 2500 miles you will cover a lot of ground and have a lot of opportunities.

[Romy1234]

Would like Historic site mostly,and new site like update new monument or symbol.

Another thing Camping place with action, it still exist, dancing, games, etc

Like to know the best road to go back to Canada from Corpus Christi going across

the States, and point of interest there also historic sites.

Thank you again.

Romy1234

[tbutler]

Romy1234,

Your route south along the east coast of the US will take you right through all of early US history. There are many sites related to early settlements, the revolutionary war, the civil war and the US capital in Washington, DC as well. A good place to start would be The National Park Service. I chose just one state, Massachusetts and it lists 15 National Parks, 4161 National Register of Historic Places, 5 Natural Heritage Areas, and 185 National Historic Landmarks. You could browse through these and pick out a few things that look interesting. A must see for us was the Freedom Trail in Boston. A day of walking through Boston from one Colonial and Revolutionary War site to another. From old buildings and cemeteries (names from history books on the tombstones) to battlefields, this is a fascinating journey back in time.

I would also recommend a stay in the Washington, DC area for several days. There is good subway service throughout the city so you can stay an hour away and park at the end of one of the subway routes and see the whole city without having to drive and park. There are more monuments than you can see in a week and the Smithsonian Museums would be another week! At least a day on the Capital Mall and another at one of the Smithsonian Museums would be recommended here if time is limited.

If you are interested in scenic roads this site will guide you along some beautiful drives and to interesting places. I chose Virginia and it features five routes including the Blue Ridge Parkway (parts may not be suitable for your motor home), the 23 mile long Colonial Parkway, The George Washington Memorial Parkway, the 180 mile Journey through Hallowed Ground Byway through Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. It also lists seven other routes in Virginia. Take your pick or see them all.

For offbeat interesting things to see and do, I recommend Roadside America which is a site dedicated to the unusual and sometimes bizarre tourist stops.

For campground information along the way, RV Park Reviews will help you find suitable places to stay. I can't make recommendations regarding campgrounds in Florida but we winter every year in south Texas. We've stayed in Corpus Christi on occasion and there are good campgrounds there, see RV Park Reviews for descriptions of the many in the area. If you are looking for activities, dances, performances, etc., you can't beat the campgrounds in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The RGV is about 135 miles south of Corpus Christi and the temperatures are much warmer. US Highway 77 South will take you to Harlingen where you intersect US Highway 83. Going east/south from there is Brownsville and South Padre Island which has Isla Blanca State Park with campsites a short walk from the beach. Going west takes you into the heart of "Winter Texan" country. There are lots of campgrounds, some small, some huge. Some have their own dance halls with dance lessons and regular dances, others are located right next to World Birding Centers where you can see exotic birds from Central America along with a host of migratory birds from North America. You can find any chain restaurant and many unique restaurants in the area. The natives are friendly which is a huge difference from what you find in Florida. There are theater and symphony performances, a minor league hockey team, basketball team and baseball team in the RGV.

We stay in a park near Edinburg, Texas and our park has so many activities that no one can keep up with all of them. With a heated pool and hot tub, there are water volleyball games throughout the winter. We have an organized golf outing each Monday morning, a bicycle ride on Tuesday morning, a bowling league on Friday mornings and karaoke, dances, performances on weekends. There is a book club, a quilting group, a motorcycle group, ladies luncheon group and much more. You can find most any card game you are interested in and there are evening activities such as bingo, Mexican bingo, dominoes, poker, etc. We have tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, petanque courts and a new activities building is being constructed this summer. It will house the ping-pong, air hockey and other games as well as the card games mentioned above. We have happy hour at 4:00 and friends will get together for dinner any evening of the week. We have a part time restaurant in the park with occasional meals prepared by a chef. I wouldn't say our park is typical but it represents some of the things you will find in parks in the area. If you can't find these activities in Corpus Christi, you might move a little further south.

Since you are near Montreal, I would mention that there are no shortage of Canadians in the RGV and many of them speak French. I suspect that most parks here have many French speaking residents through the winter.

Your return north in the spring (don't leave too early!) could include some time in San Antonio where you could explore the River Walk and see the Alamo. Houston has the NASA Manned Spaceflight Center which you could see in either direction of travel. Stop in Amarillo for the Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum or in Oklahoma City for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. On east on I-44 in Claremore, Oklahoma is the Will Rogers Memorial Museum which has a great deal of information about this cowboy philosopher. You'll leave with a smile on your face! Stop at the original Bass Pro Store in Springfield, Missouri if not to shop for outdoor gear, just to wander through the amazing displays. In St. Louis there is the Gateway Arch and Riverfront. Continue on north on I-55 to Springfield, Illinois and the land of Lincoln. There are a number of historic sites in Springfield related to Lincoln including the Lincoln Home, the Presidential Library and the Lincoln Tomb.

Then, go on to Chicago with the Chicago Art Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, the Shed Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, The Navy Pier and a host of other attractions. On to Detroit and the Henry Ford Museum. Continue Over the Ambassador Bridge and you're back in Ontario!

Enjoy