Trip from West Coast around the US

[Gazelle05]

Link | Quote | Edit | Print | Notify Moderator
Planning a trip from Wash St to the East coast then south to Florida return the Southen coast and up thru Ca to Washington. Driving 40' Pusher with toad. Any suggestions on best way to see the eastern states ( park the coach and explore in the toad)? Want to see Niagra Falls, Nova Scotia. Maine and states south. Concerns are size of coach with congestion don't want to add to the problem. Tunnels appear that may cause a problem with propane on board. Not apposed to parking the Motorhome and doing B&Bs for short stays. Any suggestions on how to make the most of the trip will be greatly appreciated. Plans are to leave Wa Labor Day weekend. Thanks in advance

[diplomatdon]

When you enter eastern Canada make sure you visit Hopewell Rocks Park just outside Moncton NB. 50 foot tides, you actually walk on the bottom of the Ocean. Also reversing falls in St John NB. We spent 3 weeks in PEI, NB, and NS last Sept. 38 foot MH and toad. Could have spent 3 months. Great seafood. Enjoy.

[oldcarfun]

We have done similar trips many times. I also think it's late to start that trip but you've already heard it. My suggestion is to look at commercial RV tours (Fantasy, Adventure Caravans, etc) to see where they stop, in what cities. There will be large campgrounds there that can accommodate big rigs. That's what we did when we went to Eastern Canada Providences. Our trip was Quebec, PEI, NS and Newfoundland back to NS and New Brunswick and enter back into the US mid- Sept. for Fall Foliage. Sounds great, we made our last cross country trip in 2017, maybe...

[tiffy2000]

listing of campgrounds in then NE open all year
http://www.snowbirdrvtrails.com/offseason.htm

Also don't be afraid of driving your MH to the NE, get a truckers atlas to list low clearances ...also good listing here, print it out
https://member.coach-net.com/members/pdfs/LowClearanceBridgeInfo.pdf


Enjoy your trip

[Lancslad]

In eastern VA, the tunnels make you turn the propane off, no other restrictions. In Baltimore you are not allowed in their tunnel with a propane tank installed.
Williamsburg is a great place to visit, also the NC Outer Banks and the barrier islands all the way to FL. Don't forget Charleston Sc and Savannah GA. Plenty of good campgrounds on the whole east coast.

[DrewE]

x2 on the closing dates for (northern) campgrounds. If you're leaving on Labor Day weekend, you'll likely be arriving around when many campgrounds are closing up for the season.

In northern New England, at least, Columbus Day weekend (or whatever it's been renamed to in whatever state you're in) is usually one of the busiest weekends of the year for tourists with many people coming to look at the foliage. It may or may not be the peak of the foliage, but it's the peak of the leaf peepers. Reservations would likely be essential for that weekend.

Don't be overly afraid of driving the motorhome on roads; we get our stuff delivered by tractor trailer trucks, the same as the rest of the nation, and so there are plenty of roads that are wide and high enough for you to go along. Generally speaking, most any US highway will be acceptable for large vehicles, as are most (but not all) state highways. Low clearances are usually signed reasonably well, particularly on the main routes, though one does have to pay attention to such things.

Most of the tunnels that have propane restrictions are on routes you'd probably prefer to avoid anyhow: through the middle of Boston and New York, for instance. In general, it's the tunnels that go underneath something else (as opposed to through something, like a mountain) that have restrictions, since they are lower in the middle than at the portals and propane, being heavier than air, tends to collect in the trough rather than dissipate out.

Normandy Farms, as Devocamper suggests, is not a bad choice for the Boston area; but definitely take public transit in Boston itself rather than trying to drive your car. You'll likely save time overall and definitely be less stressed out and may end up ahead in terms of money, too, as parking is hardly inexpensive. The same applies to New York City and Washington, DC, at the least.

For Washington DC, if you don't need a fancy campground with hookups, Greenbelt National Park is convenient and very affordable and has plenty of room.

[Devocamper]

For Boston area Normandy farms may be a nice campground to use as your base for the coach , from there Boston , Cape cod, Newport RI , Fenway Park and the Red Sox are all easy drives with your car , Normandy Farms is a resort type of campground very nice but pricy and you probably need reservations in advance even in the fall !

[Gazelle05]

Thank you for your iiput. We have seen all the parks you mentioned also Stutgis on the motorcycle. Looking for input on East coast travel. Little fearful of East of Cooperstown NY. Want to take coach east as far as we can before using toad to sightsee. Need to avoid getting to Far East that 95 is our only way south without a back track. Looking at rv parks that close early Oct. do not want to fight Mother Nature. Have to see Nova Scotia, Portland Maine,Boston.maybe even a baseball game in October.
Thank you for all your interest.

[Acampingwewillg]

Leaving Labor Day....best to hit as many National Parks up North first before weather keeps you out...Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons would be my first thought. Wow, so many things to see and do...Mount Rushmore, The Badlands, The Sturgis motorcycle rally will be over but its still worth a look. It seems campground wise, that if you find an area you want to spend some time in, then reservations may be in order...on the other hand, your traveling after school is back in session and the weather is cooling, so availability for sites without reservations would be favorable. I think I'd wing it!

You can do your research on down days of your trip for upcoming towns, cities, states depending on your route...I guess that means internet access via cell phone or Wi-fi. Easy enough to check each states highlights by doing a google search. I'd also suggest traveling some of the back roads as long as you have proper maps/GPS telling of restrictions on certain roads. Stay off the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Parkways....don't ask why I know! Sounds like a Great trip...have room for me? LOL

[esyers]

Depending upon how fast you plan to come East, check Winter closing dates for camapgrounds in the Northeast. Around here, most close by Columbus Day.

Liberty Harbor for NYC is open all year, but will most likely require a reservation. It's the closest to the city with spectacular views and easy public transit access.

[Gazelle05]

Planning on being on the road for 7/8 months so time will be ok to see a lot.
Thanks

[Dick_B]

This plan reminds me of the visitor from Europe that wanted to have breakfast in New York City, Lunch in Chicago and supper in Los Angeles. That visitor didn't realize how BIG is the US. Adventure Caravans has a guided tour of the Western Parks that occupies the entire month of September and doesn't make it to Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons!
I would modify the plan to see the East, as much as possible, in the month or two or three; however much time is available. Next year tackle the Midwest; the next the South.

[Devocamper]

Avoid 95 through Ct , most of the larger cities have loops around the city and most times there are no propane restrictions on the loops , inner loops are best for Washington and Baltimore . Definitely know your height and be aware of low overpasses there are many many more in the east to watch for once off the interstates and stay off parkways with the coach . Basically 95 north to south is a mess from north of Boston until you get south of Richmond VA always hit and miss with accidents or construction and traffic. That time of year is great for Vermont, New Hampshire , Maine and upstate New York. Have a safe trip !

[sehunter]

I did that same trip in 1998 except in the opposite direction but I started about the second week in May. I took 3 months and covered 10K on the motorhome and later wished I had taken at least another month. We zig zagged around the southern states quite a bit which accounted for extra miles.
I visited Vancouver Island one year in labor day week and planned to head over to Yellowstone park and got halfway there and had to turn south too much snow.

[kknowlton]

If you are taking your toad, don't worry about public transportation except if you are visiting larger cities (Boston & NYC especially, also Chicago). Rural roads and small towns are a great way to get acquainted with different areas of the country, and there is precious little public trans there. 🙂 Be aware that roads and streets in the East are very much narrower than you might be used to out here. You will probably want to park the MH in a campground in each general area and do day trips from there. B&Bs and hotels are certainly an option, but the B&Bs especially may have limited parking space.

Also be aware that state parks there often don't have hookups, and sites may be much too small for your MH. As already suggested, do some research and figure out where you will want to stay. I do suggest reservations near cities and in popular tourist areas, especially on weekends and around holidays. (Columbus Day counts as a holiday too.)

Incidentally, be sure to have your passport or passport card with you for this trip, if you plan to visit the Maritime provinces. (But then, you probably already know that.)

I hope you are planning on spending a good number of months for this trip! It's quite extensive (but sounds like a great one!)