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First time doing RV Road trip with a trailer. Looking for best routes, campgrounds and beautiful sites. As well as best budget friendly areas. Any suggestions are very much welcomed. We are excited and look forward to unforgettable memories. Thank you in advance..
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Where in Arizona are you headed? It would be two completely different routes depending on whether you're headed for southern Arizona (Tucson or even Phoenix) or northern Arizona (Flagstaff or the Grand Canyon). We would need to know which to be of any use to you. Same with your starting point as you could spend almost two full days just driving in Florida (Key West to Pensacola) and that would certainly affect our recommendations, as would the length of time you have for this trip, whether it's one-way of round-trip, and most importantly what your interests are.
AZBuck
Yes, the more info you can offer the better the advice and suggestions will be, rather than us just randomly throwing out names of places and routes that would add up to thousands of possibilities. So tell us as much as you can, including stops you may already have chosen or thought about and then we can help put the pieces of the puzzle together. Is this your first RV trip, or just first with a trailer in tow ?
Welcome to RTA!
We have a whole forum focused on public campgrounds -- state and national forests and parks. The only thing I'd caution is to make sure you click on the links of those you are interested in. Some states are starting to open up their park campgrounds, while others (like the one I live in) are still keeping those things closed up tight. Private RV parks and campgrounds may be open, but what facilities will be available will depend on the state.
But I'll agree with the rest -- we can't be of the best help to you without knowing a few more details of your trip. You don't have to be specific with dates, but the starting and ending zone, approximate length, and whether this is a round trip would be helpful things to know so we can offer better suggestions.
Donna
I question the wisdom of taking a recreational trip with much of the country on partial lockdown.
Looks like Arizona State Park campgrounds are open.
https://azstateparks.com/coronavirus
There seems to be a widening disconnect between "open" and "safe." Our Governor made the decision to "open" the State, but the majority of Arizona residents (myself included) have no intention of diving back into the pool just yet, because we're not at all sure whether it's "safe." Many restrictions have been relaxed, the stay-at-home order has been lifted, but guess what? The virus is alive and well, and just as dangerous and just as invisible as ever. Those of us in a higher risk category (myself included) would be well advised to continue avoiding crowds until the full impact of these tentative moves toward normalcy becomes clear. Maybe the worst of it really is over. I hope so, but since I've only got one life to gamble with, I'm gonna play this hand very, very conservatively.Quote:
Originally Posted by travelingman
Rick
Thanks for the replies. So far we're starting in Orlando, FL. Then hitting Alabama-Arkansa-Oklahoma-New Mexico-ending in Arizona. Suggestions for best routes, stops/campgrounds, scenic stops, food and/or breweries. Thanks
Still need to know the approximate location of your destination in Arizona. A lot of difference between Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff or the Grand Canyon -- Tucson and the Grand Canyon are about 300 miles apart. There are many different routes to go.
What I would do is open an atlas and start looking at your starting and ending point. What routes appear to go the way you'd like to go? There's no one "best route". Plan your stops around 350-450 miles apart unless you are stopping along the way to see something. When you're towing, you probably won't be traveling at 75 mph, probably more like 60 or 65 mph, depending on the state regulations. In any case, you'll AVERAGE about 50-55 mph, which means a 450 mile day will take you around 9 hours. Your stops for gasoline, restrooms, etc., will take as long as it takes your slowest person.
Food ... well, some areas are still shut down with only drive-throughs and takeout available. In those areas, you will not want to tow your rig through a drive-thru, and many drive-throughs don't want walk-ups. With a travel trailer behind you, I'd bring as much of my own food as possible. Depending on what you like, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma have some great catfish places. If you end up on I-40 going through Amarillo, the Big Texan is a great place for steak, and there's an RV park nearby. Drop the trailer and drive to the restaurant, though. The night we were there, the place was packed and there wouldn't have been a place to park a long rig.
We could be more help if we knew where you were headed in AZ.
Donna
And how much time you have and your interests, it will help define what the best route might be. Are you a family with young kids, a group of teenagers, a retired knitting group ? Ok so the last one may be going a bit too far but you get the point, if we know nothing about you we can't give you meaningful advice. We want to know what you would like and not neccesarily send you some place that we would, it's your trip.Quote:
We could be more help if we knew where you were headed in AZ.
Have you looked at the RTA Maps in the green tool bar at the top of the page ? There are a lot of attractions listed along many routes that have been visited by our members. You can then start to build your own route around those attractions that appeal. If you scroll down you will find many more links, so have a good search around and when you have more detail we can help fill in the blanks.
I found an article a day or so ago, it's fairly recent and it's about what states have travel restrictions, and what type. Here's what it says about the states you mentioned:
Alabama - No travel restrictions. Restaurants only open for take out. State parks open for camping with some exceptions.
Arkansas - No travel restrictions. In-person dining at 33% capacity. Some state parks open. Campgrounds open to RVs that are self-contained.
Oklahoma - It's open for travel, and if you're a Florida resident, you'll be okay. (Some state residents are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. Kansas is one of them.) EDIT 1510 same day: By this I mean, Kansas is asking that travelers from certain states are expected to self-qiuarantine for 14 days when you get there. Whether that means for folks that are "just passing through", I don't know.
New Mexico - Most places have no travel restrictions, but there are some hot spots that they may not let you stop. Restaurants will be open in mid-May to 50% capacity. State parks are open. No mention of RV parks or whether the restroom/shower facilities in state parks are also open.
Arizona - Unless the information in this article has not the most up-to-date, it's saying that once you arrive in Arizona you must self-quarantine for 14 days. State parks are open, but the way the article is worded, it leaves me to believe their restroom facilities may be closed because "RVs must be self-contained".
Donna
Much as I hate to do it, I'm going to repeat my recommendation that this is not the time to take a multi-state recreational road trip.
I understand what glc has suggested, and most states ARE discouraging recreational travel. We don't really know the reasoning behind the OP's travel, though it does sound like a recreational trip. We also know that life has to go on. People move, are getting ready to move and need a "reconnaisance trip" to check out the new place, or just need to get away. Frankly, an RV would be a more socially distant type of travel, because you carry your own bed, your own food, your own bathroom and shower facilities. The only thing that would be a little concerning would be fueling up your tow vehicle, checking in to a campground or RV park, and then the big one...where you are sightseeing.
To fuel up, wear gloves. Bring your own gloves of some type, and also wear a mask. Try not to park in a lane that is too close to another vehicle filling up. It might be worth paying a few pennies more per gallon to use a station that isn't quite as crowded as the cheapest one in town. (Unless you have a diesel, then you WANT to use a station that sells a lot of diesel to make sure that it is "fresh fuel".)
To check in, try to stay 6' away from the campground ranger/host etc. If paying with credit card, you use your gloves or use hand sanitizer immediately -- just as you would do at home when you have to press buttons on a touch screen or keypad.
As stated, this really is not a good time for a sightseeing trip. Some of the national parks, like Grand Canyon, are seeing huge crowds already and that is NOT conducive to staying away from COVID-19. If sticking to lesser known places, you may have better luck, and it may be a memorable trip for a better reason. Our worst memories are dealing with crowds at places like that. If you'd like better memories, check out some of those smaller places. IF they are open.
Donna