Heading for FLA-Recommendations for overnight stays

[Silver Burrito]

Reaching out for some sage advice from some year round Gypsies out there. Heading down to FLA via I-75 from northern Michigan. I am sure no campgrounds are available during this time of year so thinking we will have to boondock in truck stop or Rest Area along the way. I suppose Wal-mart is an option but I thought they may have changed policy on this.

I am afraid to put water in tank and plumbing until we hit warmer weather. Hope I don't find any surprises when I do fill water lines.
I don't think we will do more than 350-400 a day so will need a couple of stops before we hit warm weather and open campgrounds.

Thanks

[dznf0g]

I'd look to southern Indiana latitudes for dewinterizing. Just watch forecast. I didn't get mine done till second night out, in northern GA...only because the water was shut off in the campground in southern Illinois. We used gallon jugs of water for the toilet and kitchen essentials.

[AirMiles]

I've done this trip frequently and typically stay at a Cracker Barrel, or two, at comfortable intervals along the way. I would definitely stop one night at the Airstream Factory Terraport in Jackson Center, OH with Electricity and dump for $10/night just six miles off I-75. Maybe you can make that your first stop? Take the factory tour if time allows. I have stayed at Cracker Barrel in Berea, KY along this trip. I always stop at one of the county parks on Lake Tobesofkee in Macon, GA (Clayston Park or Arrowhead Park) for $25 per night with Electric, Water and Dump, three to five miles off I-75. I would fill my water at the Lake Tobesofkee county park. I recommend staying at the Cracker Barrel in Lake City Florida for its large RV parking lot. From there you can probably get to any destination in Florida the next night.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Do you have the allstays app? Best $10 I’ve ever spent. Has all rest stops, camp grounds, and truck stops listed (and more). Great tool for traveling without reservations.

Do you have reservations in FL somewhere as well? Some places can get tight. I enjoyed a camp ground off of i75 just south of Gainesville FL. Grand Lake RV and golf resort.

[JayTheCPA]

Michigan residents should already have good exposure to what those innocent looking white stripes sprayed on the road ahead of a winter storm can do to a vehicle. So if you do drive along a brine treated highway, at the earliest opportunity, consider buying a lawn watering sprayer to completely soak the trailer's underbelly and mitigate the corrosive effects.

For a destination along the way, take a look at Pigeon Forge in Tennessee which is not far off of 75. It is mostly a summer family tourist attraction type of place, so check to see what is open this time of year.

[Rich W]

Not sure if you're looking for free parking or one nighters in a campground. I can give you a few off I-75, starting in Lexington, KY. I suggest you get the phone app RV Parky. It's a free app that is excellent for finding places to stop, distance from where you are, reviews, prices, etc. Download and search around you for places in your area so you get a good feel for the app.

Next week we will have more rain but temps in the mid-60s. Late this week the night time temps will be in the teens. It's starting the springtime roller coaster of temp extremes.

Cabelas in Lexington, KY has overnight parking. Nice area with tons of shopping nearby. Costco is next door, Hamburg shopping and restaurants on the other side of I-75. To get to Cabela's, exit at mm 115 and go east over I-75. Large Meijers gas station on the west side, lots of restaurants on both sides of Man 'O War. If you want a campground the Kentucky Horse Park is a very nice place to stay. They are open year around

ATLANTA - We drive straight through Atlanta, but we either travel on Sunday or outside of rush hour. You don't want to be on I-75 during rush hour, lots of delays, especially around 4-6. Late morning, 10-11 has been pretty good.

The Pines RV park, Tifton, GA., right off I-75 I have a brother in Marietta so we usually overnight there but we have stayed at The Pines on our way back. Small but quiet RV park, WIFI, easy access, clean restrooms. $30-33.

Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA., a few miles off I-75 on a good 2 lane road. Not much else close by, however. This SP sits on the edge of a small lake, very scenic and quiet. We've stayed here several times on our way down. Call for a reservation, especially if traveling on a weekend. One of our favorites.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Lillian Sanders Drive, White Springs, FL. If you can't make Reed Bingham, this is another excellent overnight or even longer stay. They do have non-reservable walk-up sites on a first come basis. Call ahead and make a reservation or get on the list for a walk-up. Very nice place, we've always wanted to go there and stay a while.

Further south - We have had good luck with calling regular full time RV places. Most of them want you to stay 2 months or longer but many have a single row of hookups in the front and you can stay for a night at a decent rate. We even got a very private spot on a corner lot under a huge moss covered live oak tree for 2 nights. The local tandem bicycle with refreshment cooler on the back welcomed us, definitely an interesting stay. We've stayed in the Zephyrhills area, which is on US 301. There are several RV places and it's a HUGE winter snowbird area, lots of restaurants. There's a gunshop on the main drag that has a sign out front "Pistols and Panties". I have no idea what that's all about.

We have usually made reservations and stayed in the state park system but we've spent a month in a regular RV park too. Florida is interesting in the winter and reservations a year in advance are best, but you can definitely find places to stay, especially for a night or two. Most of the state parks have walk-ups available, just be there by early afternoon to claim a spot.

[Alanwms]

Top of Georgia Airstream Park, just outside of Helen, Ga. Great campground to hang around on your way to FL.

[Silver Burrito]

Thanks to everyone!! Great suggestions from all. Definitely plan on bring many jugs of water to get by until we hit warmer temps. Never thought to stop at Jackson Center. That is a very good idea. Lots of great suggestions, lots of details. Thanks to all of you for sharing. Now I must make notes for the trip. Whoo Hoo, Getting excited!! See you all on the road somewhere.
SB

[GettinAway]

Don’t know if you’ve heard of Harvest Host. We joined an have used them a few times. Have enjoyed the stays, but it’s made us quit earlier in the day. Before retirement we would push each travel day til just about bedtime then pull over. Walmart or CrackerBarrel for six or seven hours, then get up and go. HH kind of gets us off the road a bit earlier, see the place where we pull in actually before dark. Stayed at a farm near Tallahassee and a winery down by Orlando.

[Larry52m]

Our favorite places include Top Sail State Parkand Fort Pickens (NPS) in Florida's panhandle, and Salt Springs, where in winter you can kayak with the manatees. Florida has a lot of State Parks that are worth traveling to.

[airstreamder]

Silver Burrito, we are heading to Florida from Petoskey in March, maybe you can post a few reviews? We stayed at Kentucky Horse Park, south of Lexington and enjoyed it very much. A side trip to Chattanooga is worthwhile, but we have never stayed in an RV park, just hotels. In the Panhandle is an Airstream-only park, never been there but it has great on-line reviews.

[oldwagon]

Hi while traveling down I 75 stay at Starke, FL KOA was Great! Safe travels always

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by airstreamder

Silver Burrito, we are heading to Florida from Petoskey in March, maybe you can post a few reviews? We stayed at Kentucky Horse Park, south of Lexington and enjoyed it very much.

KY Horse Park is a nice CG, but it's on the east (ENE) side of Lexington, just before I-75 joins I-64 the first time (northern split is what we call it)

Just south of Lexington, off I-75, is Fort Boonesborough, a state park. It too is a nice place to stay, been there a few times. Open year around

[coblio]

You are correct about Walmart being hit or miss. Some of the rest areas on I75 allow overnight parking as do some Cracker Barrels. We use an app called RV Parky and it is fairly accurate, probably because it allows feedback.

As to campgrounds, if you are only planning to stay one or two nights on your travel down here you may one to check anyway. There may be a last minute cancellation. We are retired and live in Tampa so are very flexible and have found some great last minute deals.

Good luck.

[AKmtnpilot]

just came up from Florida. All KOA campgrounds are open. Also the campground at the factory is available. All KOAs had water on.

[Mollysdad]

There are lots of campgrounds for one night in South Georgia, just north of the FL. border.
BTW, on my way home last September, I called the Jennings KOA (North Florida) and was told their rate was $61
I found a nice pull through in South Georgia for $30

[kposey]

Holiday Park in Chattanooga, TN is just off of I-75. And you can visit Chatt Town while here. Full hookups too.

McKinney Campground in Acworth, GA (right above Atlanta) is also a nice campground on Lake Altoona. Just off I-75. Easy access too.

Enjoy the ride!

[northfayston]

We live in Vermont and are heading out in a few weeks. We motel it until we have warmer weather. We do have the option of staying at A Cracker Barrel or Cabellas since wE do carry water in a 5 gallon container, have a composting toilet, solar, and Wave catalytic heater.

[SailorSam205]

We also like the KY Horse Park, stayed there several times. On a trip to Floriday last April/March, we stayed at Harvest Moon RV Park in Adairsville and at Reed Bingham St Park. Both were nice. I followed a version of the following to get around Atlanta. No worries about traffic. Much of the time we had a city block or more ahead and behind us to the next vehicle. Not really much farther than going thru Atlanta.


We exited 75 at Adairsville on GA 140 and took it to GA 53 to 1-loop around Rome to US 27 south of Rome. Then south to LaGrange and catch I-185 south to Columbus. Then take US 27 to US 280 to GA 520 at Richland then 520 to US 82 at Dawson, use the bypass in Albany to 133 to Moultrie then 37 to Reed Bingham. Good route to make steady but relaxing drive time. LOts of easy access gas stations.

Mostly 4 lane. Pretty good speeds around 65 most of the way, 55 and 45 around towns and there is hardly any traffic.

[blkmagikca]

Just 5 miles south of the GA state line (and 30 miles north of Pensacola FL) is Mystic Springs Cove, the AS park in McDavid FL.