A long, long, boring drive, ideas?

[PaulnGina]

On old 98 in Destin ( in that "other" panhandle &#128512 is The Back Porch. Well worth a stop for lunch or dinner.

Henderson Beach State Park is nearby. There used to be another RV park in that same area, but I think it was bulldozed in favor of retail space or condos.... Not sure which.


PaulnGina
1987 Avion 34W
1995 Ford F250 7.3L PowerStroke

Blessed and highly favored

[smlbob]

I second what mimiandrews said above. Davis Mountains (Ft. Davis, Alpine, Marfa) and Balmorhea State Park...all in West Texas near I-10

[SpitFireRX]

Audio books for when your driving too, audible will give you one free book if you sign up.

[Native143]

And all the state parks along SR 98 in Florida Panhandle are well worth a look/stop. Florida parks are the best value. If you can get in. :-) And if the beaches are full, look closer to I-10 for those parks too. Don't miss Perdido Key, St. Andrews, St, Joe and St. George parks.

Originally Posted by tsunami

South of I-10, in the Florida panhandle of is SR 98. It's a great drive. Look for a road called 30A. It's a great drive along the coast and make sure you stop in Seaside FL. Have lunch from of of the 8 or so old Airstreams converted into lunch wagons. The foods pretty good too.


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[mrdfred]

Done this trip too many times to count! We tried to find as many different ways to go thru Texas as you can. One of our favorites is to go thru the Hill Country and make stops at Fredericksburg (sp), and Pres Johnson's Ranch/home/Western Whitehouse. While in Fredericksburg (sp), don't miss the Nimitz Museum. Fredericksburg (sp) is his home town, and the museum is huge and unusual for a town this size. By the way, the town has been built like a German town, interesting. Also, Great Texas BBQ!

[Seagull]

Good drive. You don't want to travel too fast. Highly recommend Triangle T Ranch, Dragoon AZ, for beautiful, quiet overnight. Enjoy the fantastic boulder formations; And the neighboring Amerind Native American Art Museum and Research Center. Drop south to Douglas AZ, then NE to New Mexico Hwy 9. East to Columbus N.M.; visit the old depot Historical Society (Pancho Villa raid March 9, 1916). Pancho Villa State & RV Park is very nice (Shower House [SH]+++), but I think you'd like Rock Hound Rock State Park ($18.00/nite)[SH+++], just 35 mi. north of Columbus. Then, NM Hwy 9 East thru El Paso (it's pretty easy). West of Ft. Stockton, Hilltop RV Park was barebones, but nice.
US 290 thru Frederiksburg and Johnson City TX. Nice RV sites at Bastrop State Park [SH+++], TX Hwy 71 SE of Austin. Lake's dry, dam burst.
Stay away from I-10 when possible. Travel US 290, US 190, US 90. Riverside RV Park [SH+++], NE of Robertsdale AL, on the River Styx, is nice (AL I-10 exit 53). Topsail Hill State Park [SH+++], Santa Rosa FL, is topnotch; between Destin and Panama City FL.
On US 98, east of Apalachicola, Coastline RV Resort [SH+++!](Very Nice, New). Continue US 98 thru Perry FL, right on down US98/27. US 98 is smooth, open, sailing until you approach Tampa.
Wish I was making that drive, again, soon.
I missed the "Thing". Dang it!

[m.hony]

Many campgrounds on the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida-
Very nice campgrounds in the Florida panhandle with some of the most beautiful views of the emerald green water-
You can see dolphins playing-

[Kilroy]

Originally Posted by SpitFireRX

Audio books for when your driving too, audible will give you one free book if you sign up.

You can also download audio books free through your local library. Check with them before going.

[MarkFinATX]

First of all, if you swing off of I-10 at Van Horn and take 90 So. you could stop in Marfa TX- very cute. Also Fort Davis north of there is Davis Mnts. State Park.
Louisiana- ah yes. Cajun country. Have taken 90 So. from Lafayette into NOLA. At New Iberia you can take a short jaunt to Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce. Fun tour, cute General Store and not so busy in April.
My old GPS would automatically show elevation. As we went along the gulf it was strange to see minus 10 feet or so below sea level😎

[SuzyHomemakr]

Well, I can discuss Florida a bit... Taking the 98 across the Florida Panhandle means you can stop in Apalachicola for their famous oysters, yum! The Spirit of the Suwannee park near I-10 and I-75 is a great park, huge beyond belief. Gainesville has great restaurants, and is a cute college town. If you cross Florida going from Ocala to Daytona, you can stay at Silver River SP, one of our favorites. Manatee Hammock in Titusville is also nice. Long Point Park is a great deal, you camp right on the water, on A1A outside of Sebastian. I would probably stop at Jonathan Dickinson SP in Jupiter, to be able to blast through Miami to the Keys with no stops. Try to avoid rush hour in the Miami area. Locals see turn signals as a sign of weakness!

King's Kamp in Key Largo is a good spot in the Upper Keys. As to Key West camping... I'd avoid it. Much better to stay at someplace like Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge, and feed the wild key deer by hand... wow they're cute! Bahia Honda is awesome, much more the Keys experience that you're dreaming of. Do day trips into Key West, or rent a (expensive) room for a night or two.

If you're ex-military, you might be able to get a spot at NAS Boca Chica.

I have a bunch of Google maps of Florida that feature fine dining and craft beer all over the state, PM me if you want the links.

[Jarrod White]

So many good places to eat in New Orleans but my favorites at Cochon and Mothers or Johnny's for poboys. After New Orleans, buccaneer state park in waveland, Ms is nice and you can take 90 across Mississippi Coast and until cutting back up to 10 in Ocean Springs. Mary Mahoneys in Biloxi is a great classic seafood and I also like La Bakery got fresh vietemese poboys. In Mobile, you can visit new Gulfquest Maritime museum and there are also excellent city and Mardi Gras museums. Good seafood on the causeway near Mahear State Park - including R&R and Ed's. Dumbwaiter downtown is excellent. I agree with all of the recommendations to take highway 98 from Pensacola to perry, Fl. Great state parks along way (Henderson, Topsail, Grayton, St Joe and St George). McGuires in Pensacola is good but if you want seafood and view, I recommend the Fish House. I like Red Bar in Grayton, Captain Andersons in Panama City, and Boss Oyster in apalachicola. In perry, I would take 19 south. Cypress Inn near Cross City is good spot to eat along this stretch. Rainbow Springs is a good overnight spot. The mermaid show at Wechie Wache is worth catching. You can either continue south to Tarpon Springs and into St Pete - in which case I recommend staying at Ft Desoto or cut east over to hit highway 27. If you go through St Pete, I recommend Havana Cafe for Cuban. From there you can hit Ft Meyers and visit Edison's winter home and then continue south to cut over on Tamimiami Trail. There are a couple of good state parks on this route. I also recommend visiting miccosukee reservation to see gator wrestling. Don't miss the great fruit stands on Chrome Avenue in Homestead. In the keys, I like to eat at Keys Fisheries in Marathon.
If you cut east and avoid Tampa, site seeing stops along 27 include Bok Tower near Lake Wales and there used to be a great old fashioned gator ranch south of Sebring.
It's a great trip. Jarrod

[Amay]

South Llano river texas state park just a 5 or 10 miles south of I-10! junction TX might be a good stoping point for a day or two. Check out pictures on allstays.com or other sites. Lots of birds and wild life. Been there twice for a week or so. 9 hole city golf course close if your are a golfer.
Where are you staying in Key West? Planing to go there in late Fall.

Have a great time

[ole81]

Stop at Schulenberg, TX and check out the Painted churches of Texas...about 6 100 year old Catholic churches that were built by the Czech communities.
Then plan on spending several days in Galveston. The city has a great RV park, Dellanera RV Park, RIGHT ON THE BEACH!!!!

[GatorDave]

CD book the Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester.
Will enlighten/educate one on how the United States came about by trails, rails, waterways, Interstate Highway system ( Eisenhower didn't invent it, will be suprised who did) airways. 14 hours long, will have to listen to it more than once to grasp it all.

[Dingo Girl]

If you want to see the "oddities" around this great country of ours check out Roadsideamerica.com
You won't be disappointed!
They list everything by state.

[Sunnysideup]

XM in the tow vehicle makes the miles go quicker. We listen to a channel called "Radio Classics" which plays old radio programs. Johnny Dollar is our fave. Please stop in TX and have some fine brisket for me. I had it long ago in a place outside Austin that had dirt floors. Then stop in New Orleans and eat in the French Quarter. Then go to Pensacola and eat raw oysters. Hope I have not lost you here. Oh, so long ago and far away...

[Phoedis]

Lots of great ideas and tips, now to do the homework and planning. Key West is easy though, staying at my father's place on Cudjoe Key so no big park fees, only lots of cooking!