Travel Suggestions

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AFRetired35

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Dec 12, 2005
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Finally retired from the Canadian Air Force after 35 years.  We are soon (January) going to embark on our first long distance adventure.  We will be going from northern New Brunswick south on I95 to Jacksonville FL (to get to some warm weather) and then heading west possibly as far as Arizona, but definitely Texas.  Now here's the big question :)  Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay and what to see?  Told you it was big.  Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
BTW looking to keep expenses down (places to stay/see) as this will be a multi month trip..
Thanks again......
 
Welcome to RV Forum, AF.

Now, give us some clues to help answer your question.  What do you like to see & do?  Like "camping" among the trees or at lakeside, or would you prefer a nice open park with paved pads and good cable or satellite tv?  Is your idea of a good time fishing on a river bank or having dinner at a cozy Italian restaurant?  Do you enjoy museums, car shows, wildlife, or what?  Also, big rig or mid-size?
 
Hi AF,

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of things to see and do but I'm sure you'll be wanting to get pretty far south before stopping to visit. Since you retired from the Canadian Air Force you might be interested in our Mighty 8th Air Force museum in Pooler, GA. It's off exit 102 on I95. I haven't had the opportunity to stop there yet but hope to one day. I have been told it is worth the visit.

If you have the time to spend a few days near Jacksonville, FL you might take in St. Augustine. It is the oldest city in the U.S. Lots of shops but there is a fort built by the Spaniards in the 1700's. If you are going west via I10 a stop in San Antonio is well worth it. There is a campground in the city, Traveler's World, that makes visiting the Alamo and the Riverwalk very convenient.

If you would let us know more about your interests it will be easier to suggest destinations.
 
Both gentlemen, Gary and Jim, hit the nail right on the head.  your interests must be known inorder to guide you to the desired results.  Each and every state has it's wonderful features and far too much to consume even in a lifetime.  No one I know of has ever seen it all.  Same as in Canada, There are places in this country that even yet, today no one has stepped foot on a given piece of ground.  That's just one thing that makes these 12 fantastic countries so great. JMHO  Enjoy your trip and We think Arizona is pretty darn nice.
 
Thank you for the replies.  We will be driving pretty much directly to FL, (Jacksonville is just a rest stop for a week or two so we can change that).  St Augustine sounds good.  Both my wife and I are history buffs, for me military for her civil war era, plantations and stuff.  I also like old architecture so that fits in.  I like fishing, my wife bingo and casino slots (but only to dabble)  One thing I didn't mention was I would like suggestions on what areas/campground to avoid.  Having been attached to the navy, I know there are areas of Jacksonville/Mayport best left undiscovered :) I am looking forward to my wife seeing New Orleans as I was there with the navy also.  Basically, I would rather avoid problems than deal with them.  Jim, thanks for the tip on Traveler's World, I definitely want to visit the Alamo.  We really have no set itinerary or destinations, we will just be travelling TX, NM and AZ for a couple of months or so.  Again thanks everyone...  Looking forward to more suggestions...
 
Hi AF,

Sounds like you just might like the 8th AF museum. :) As you know St. Augustine isn't far from Jax so you could stay there. Not familiar with the campgrounds in the area but I'm sure someone is.

Traveler's World is very close to downtown and you can easily drive to the Alamo area, and park in a parkiing garage, or take the city bus that stops right across the street. I prefer to drive so I don't have to be dependent on the bus schedule. Also within a mile or two of the campground are 4 or 5 Missions which are easy to get to from the campground. We enjoyed that very much. Met a Monk at one of them and had a great conversation about his life. Funny guy with some neat stories.

On your way out of San Antonio you might want to swing by Fredricksburg, TX. They have the Admiral Nimitz museum and the George Bush Pacific War museum. Both are very interesting.

If you don't mind boondocking for a night or two a stop at Steins, NM can be entertaining. It's an abandoned railroad town that a couple has purchased and is preserving the history with what's left. The wife is a very good guide and will take you around the small town for $2.50. You can stay the night but only if you like trains. There are supposed to be 25 trains in 24 hours. I love them so they don't bother me. You are about 100 yards from teh tracks. There's a dirt road crossing so they have to blow their whistle when coming through. :) It was a water stop for steam engines and became a ghost town overnight once they started to run diesels.

If you plan on moving frequently you might want to look into Passport America. It's a group of campgrounds that provide sites for half price. Cost is around $45/year or so. We make that back in three nights lodging! They are not always the best campgrounds but we have found them more than adequate for a one night stop and, sometimes, even longer. One in Benson, AZ is a resort which would have cost us $32/night if we weren't PA members.
 
From one AF to another AF!

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The Admiral Nimitz museum mentioned above is fantastic!  We thought we'd spend an hour or so there and spent a day and half.  If you go, the museum follows the chronology of the war in the Pacific and there's a timeline up at the ceiling that tells you what was happening elsewhre in the world at the same time as the Pacific event.  It's a nice perspective.  Also Tucson has a huge collection of aircraft and museum.

While you still have time to plan, I suggest going to each state's website and looking for their tourist section.  Before every lengthy trip we ask them to send us their latest state map, a list of campgrounds (not all are in the big directories), and their annual trip planning guide.  The latter guides generally tell you what there is to see in each area of the state.  They usually send more than we can use, but they're very helpful.  If you have the Trailer Life Campground Directory, there's a page in the front of that listing all the state tourist phone numbers.  Also, as you're driving along our highways you'll see lots of brown signs that indicate nearby historical places and parks.  There's so much to see in the western U.S. that you'll just barely begin to see what we have.  Which means it's a good excuse to come back for another visit!  ;D

Hope you enjoy your first big retirement trip.

ArdraF
 

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