New To RV'in.... Traveling From AZ To MA....

[debbydif]

Just wanting some advice from veteran RV'er who have traveled across country.      We will be traveling from Western AZ to the coast of Mass...

Any do's or don'ts??

Thanks bunches!!

S & D

 

 

[tbutler]

You haven't given us much to work on.  Do you have a schedule that you must follow?  Are you retired and able to spend as much time as you want on this trip?  Are you traveling with children?  Do you have special interests?  Science?  History?  Car racing?  Fishing?  Or are you just planning to drive there as fast as you can and return the same?  I'll give you several options and share the thngs we consider and look for when we travel.

If you have time, take time to do some touring on the way.  Plan two routes, one on the way out and a different route on the return.  You might take I-40 & I 44 east. Stop in Albuquerque or Pueblo for a few days.  In Oklahoma City there is a cowboy museum with great cowboy art among other things.  If you have children along, this is a must.  There is also the memorial in Oklahoma City for the victims of the domestic terrorist bombing that occurred there.  The Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, OK is fun for adults and great also for children.  Both the cowboy museum and the Will Rogers museum have dress-up play areas for children. 

Springfield, MO has the original Bass Pro store.   In St. Louis you can visit the Jefferson Expansion Memorial and the Arch.  You can also tour the original Busch Brewery, there is a great zoo and science museum, botanical garden and much more.  Switching to I-70 east to Indianapolis is easy in St. Louis.  Indianapolis has a magnificent children's museum, there are lots of hands-on experiences for children, young and old.  Stop in Dayton, OH to tour the Air Force Aviation Museum.  You get the idea.

I would recommend continuing to the northeast and coming tn to Massachusetts from the west rather than the south.  Then you might plan a return trip south along the east coast and back westward on I-20 or I-10.  I always plan a different route in each direction when we plan our trips.  It doesn't always work out but when possible we'll vary the route.  If you have enough time, get off the interstate and make it an all summer and fall trip.  There is so much to see, you will never run out of interesting stops along the way any way you go. 

[MichaelCanode]

Hello, Debby!

While Tom's reply did draw forth some important questions, one issue which comes to my mind is, "how big of a motor coach are you using?".  If you're traveling in a "big-rig" type-A coach, your choices of routes to travel would fit with -- basically -- where your coach can fit.  As a long-time type-B coach owner (that's a van-based coach less than 20 feet long), I might suggest heading north from your starting point into Nevada, Utah or Colorado, and connecting with US Route 6 -- the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.  Its current route runs from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts, right at the tip of Cape Cod.  This was the United States' first project to create a single transcontinental highway, built to honor the veterans of the mid-19th century war of secession (it still goes by different names between "north" and "south").

Lots of small towns to see and explore along the way, and a generous sprinkling of FMCA Chapter Rallies, depending on the seasons.  That step alone would make the trip worthwhile: chances to meet with fellow FMCA members from some twenty States where they're having the most fun and fellowship!

"Happy Cybercamping!"

Michael Canode, F13059S / NZMCA #19250 -- Webmaster, FMCA Ohio Nomads Chapter

[wayne77590]

We have made the trip from Texas to Mass several times. I don't know how much time you have but there are places along the way that are so very interesting.  We have headed up to 40 and picked it up in Arkansas. Headed East and picked up 81N. Here is where we vary because the one place we visit just about each time we go that way is Gettysburg, PA. Unless you have an inclination of visiting DC and travel the much dreaded by us I-95, I-81 is the better route.

If you have no intention of visiting Gettysburg then I-81 to the Scranton area and the I-84E.  I-84 will take you all the way to Sturbridge, MA.  Regarding campgrounds in MA, not many good ones and they are very seasonal so prices go way up in the summertime.  There are the weekend campers and reservations are necessary ahead of time - way ahead.

Happy trails

Edit: p.s., if you do go to Gettysburg you can pick up Hwy 30 off of I-81. From Gettysburg we take Hwy 30E to US-222N, I-78 for a little ways to Hwy 33N to I-80E for a little ways the US-209 up through the Delaware Water Gap to I-84.  We traveled in a 40ft MH towing and previously a 40ft 5th wheel and did not have any navigating problems. The Water Gap is a two lane, like country, road ut the ride was enjoyable.

[tireman9]

I drove my 22' Class-C from OH to Redmond, OR for the 2014 FMCA Reunion. Set the cruse on 62, watched the scenery go by and enjoyed the ride.  Got 10.1 mpg too.

 

I will be at W. Springfield giving 3 seminars on Genealogy so stop in if interested. Also 2 on tires. IMO everyone should attend at least the "Tire Knowledge for RV owners" as tires on an RV are not the same as tires on your car.

[desertdeals69]

I live in Lk Havasu City, Az and went to Sturbridge Ma, to the Thousand Trails campground (Outdoor World) then drove the toad to Boston.  Went across I70 and back on I40 when we could.