So. CA to St. Joseph Mo.

[RREngr]

I am going to take a trip in the 1st part of August from So. CA to St. Joe Mo. via US40 then go to Branson Mo. and then back home. Any ideas on where are the best parks to stay at along the way and which RV Park in Branson is the best to stay at. This will be my 1st time going to Branson.

Any info will help.

Thanks, Rich & Kay

 

[rhmahoney]

Meteor Crater RV Park
http://www.meteorcrater.com/rvpark/rvpark.htm
Big rig friendly, pull throughs quiet easy access from I-40, east of Flagstaff AZ
A favorite overnighting spot.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

.....which RV Park in Branson is the best to stay at. This will be my 1st time going to Branson.

Any info will help.

Thanks, Rich & Kay

If you're an Escapee member there is a nice SKP park there.

 

[Shayne]

In Branson I always stay at the MusiclandKampground.com  It's directly behind the Titanic.  Very hilly but clean and decent.

 

[Shayne]

Also when traveling 40  I usually stop in Santa Rosa at the 277 Exit for fuel and then head north on business 40 about a  mile and a half and stay at the RV campground on the north side of the road. Forgot the name but its a GS CG.  Decent place. It's also accessible via exit 275  Have stayed there several times. Also there is a large Rest area and McDonald's  and truck stop on the Will Rogers Turnpike that we stop at overnight.    Hope this helps.

 

[RREngr]

Thanks, I will be checking them out.

 

[RREngr]

Just made my reservation at Musicland and going to check out Metor Crater on the web.

Also this being my 1st long trip is it best to plan the trip out to where you are going to stay along the way or just look for a place to spend the night as you go?

Rich & Kay

 

[Ron]

We generally just drive till we get ready to stop for the day then start looking in Passport America then trailer life directories for a place to stop for the night.  One advantage to stoppin between 3 and 4 in the afternoon vacancy isn't usually a problem.

 

[ArdraF]

is it best to plan the trip out to where you are going to stay along the way or just look for a place to spend the night as you go?

Rich and Kay,

One of the best aspects of RVing is deciding what to do along the way, so we don't usually make reservations ahead of time.  Exceptions are if you have to be someplace where you need full hookups the night before, such as at a rally, and want to make sure you get them.  But most of the time we just decide where to stop about an hour ahead.  After consulting our campground directory, if it doesn't look like there are a lot of campground choices, then we call to see if they can fit us in.  There isn't usually a problem unless it's a holiday weekend or some other function like a large rally that's going on in the vicinity.

I would say don't tie yourself too much into a schedule because then you lose the flexibility that RVing provides.  What if you make all those daily reservations and decide to change your route.  We've done that so many times over the years that I couldn't begin to count them.  Heck, one time we were with Ron on the way to Montana when it snowed in Wyoming (it was May) so we said too cold here, got on I-25, and went south all the way to El Paso.  Had a great time stopping at neat places along the way and saw things we didn't expect to see on that trip.  So leave yourself open to changes caused by weather or whim.  You'll have a lot more fun that way! 

ArdraF

 

[Shayne]

You will enjoy Musicland due to the proximity of all the things near it.  If you hear the big blast of an Ocean liner  Head that way =  It's the Titantic and Musicland is Directly behind it.  Good luck

 

[RREngr]

I think I will not make any reservations ahead of time, I am leaving myself 5 days to get to St. Joe so I can do some site seeing along the way. This trip will let us know how long we can stay away from home before I or Kay needs to get back home. I retire next July and plan on RVing most of the time.

Rich & Kay

 

[Barb]

We found the Next Exit Book very useful.  It gives you all the services on all the exits on any interstate in the country.  Including campgrounds and fuel stations.  Rv friendly services are in red, so their easily spotted.  If you don't have access to a laptop while traveling this is a great book.  It's listed by state.  So you find the state your in, than the interstate, and than the mm where your at.  Than you can work from there.  So that gives you some idea of what is ahead of you.  Sometimes it's nice to know that you can fuel, eat, and plug in all from the same exit.  We have been very successful with this book.  And find it to be up to date.

Barb
Enjoy your trip

 

[RREngr]

We left home (So. CA) on Aug 3rd and got to St. Joe on Aug 8th stayed there until Aug 20th and went to Branson MO. We are staying at the Musicland RV Park nows and will leave tomorrow for home. It has been a very interesting trip in the PV since this was are 1st long trip in the RV with 2 dogs.

The 1st night after leaving home we stayed at the Crater Meteor RV park which was a very nice place to stay for just 12.48 a night w/passport. The 2nd night we stayed in Dalhart TX then on to Wichita KS. Being in KS and MO in August is not the best place to be if you like cool weather, but both A/C's have been working fine.

Since I am retiring next year this was to see how living in the RV for 24 days would be. I must say that we will be able to RV must of the time after Aug 1st next year. I will make a point of staying out of the Mid West and South in July and August (something about it feels like 110 will keep me away)

The Next Exit book and Passport has really come in handy on the trip.

Rich & Kay

 

[Wendy]

Sounds like you're having a good trip although I could have told you to stay out of Branson in July/August (we were there for a week in the middle of July).....sort of brings a new meaning to "hot and humid" for those of us not used to that kind of weather, including (especially?) the dogs....any time I took Sam for a walk, all he wanted to do was pee and go back to the A/C.

Will we see you at Quartzsite?

Enjoy
Wendy

 

[Shayne]

Rich and Kay  other than price how did you enjoy MusicLand?  It's right in the midst of everything-- that's why why stay there all the time.  Just up the Hill at the theater was the Gaylords  Great entertainment.  That last time we were there last year the Titanic was just opening  It was so packed we stayed away.  Heck that ain't warm there.  How you knowwhy I don't think this Phoenix Weather is so bad.  I worked outside in that every Summer.

 

[RREngr]

Wendy, yes we will be at Quartzsite I am going to get a Sat internet system then for when I retire next year so I will have internet most places I go.

Shayne, yes we liked Musicland when we go back to Branson (not in July or August) we will stay there again. The squirrels their drove Dusty my older Golden nuts, one claimed up the tree right next to our windows and I through he would go thur the window. To me I found the prices for the shows to be high.

It was nice to get back home and out of the humid weather, when I retire and start traveling more it will be North in the summer and South in the winter. I put 3400 miles on the MH and found out that I like seeing new sights but did not like the ride of the MH it bounded up and down in the front so much it knocked the cruise control off many times.

Rich & Kay