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Suggested by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association
With so many choices of destinations, events and adventures, RVers are always on the move, going almost anywhere at any time.
Many of them try to visit every state or attend special events across the country; others focus their trips on a hobby, such as outdoor recreation, Civil War re-enactments or just plain touring.
A complete list of destinations and events that are ideally suited for RV travel would fill volumes. Here is a kaleidoscope of favorites from east to west, mountain to prairie, desert to seaside, small town to metropolis, to suit any rover’s fancy.
Cooperstown, NY/Otsego County
The National Baseball Hall of Fame, plus: swimming, boating and fishing on Otsego Lake; National Soccer Hall of Fame; Corvette-Americana Hall of Fame; learning opportunities at Fenimore House and Farmers’ Museum. Approximately 1,200 total campsites at 10 nearby campgrounds.
Nashville/Brown County, IN
Nearly 300 arts and crafts shops make Nashville a browser’s paradise. Outdoor recreation sites abound: Hoosier National Forest, Brown County State Park and Monroe Lake, Indiana’s largest. Little Nashville Opry entertains music fans; numerous covered bridges beckon shutterbugs. Families can relax and enjoy nature at leisure; 700 campsites are within four miles of Nashville.
San Antonio, TX
Remember The Alamo, but don’t forget Sea World of Texas, Cascade Caverns (in Boerne), the Plaza Theater of Wax or Fiesta Texas theme park. The Institute of Texan Culture, Southwest Craft Center and Spanish Governor’s Palace offer historical and cultural enlightenment. Buy some local food specialties and experiment with “Tex-Mex” cooking in an RV’s modern kitchen.
Myrtle Beach, SC
On “The Grand Strand,” 60 miles of white sand beaches. Over 70 championship golf courses. Amusement parks, water parks, tennis, sailing, surf or ocean fishing. Marine life displays, including a “hands-on” saltwater tank, at Bellefield Nature Center. Brookgreen Gardens houses, American sculpture, thousands of plants, a wildlife park and aviary. Over 7,000 local campsites. Youngsters who have had too much sun can retreat to their RV for a comforting nap.
Sandusky, OH
Cedar Point Amusement Park has more roller coasters than any site on earth, plus the world’s longest and fastest, as well as four theaters, marine life complex, petting zoo, marina and beach. Nearby towns offer educational attractions: Great Lakes Historical Museum (Vermillion); Thomas Edison’s birthplace (Milan); African Lion Safari (Port Clinton). Swimming opportunities are plentiful.
Wind Cave National Park/Badlands National Park, SD
Stark natural beauty, rolling prairies and wild flora. Hiking at Badlands ranges from leisurely to challenging. Wind Cave offers standard guided tours, candlelight or spelunking tours. Abundant wildlife – bison, pronghorn, eagles, badgers and many birds. Other area attractions: Mount Rushmore, Jewel Cave National Monument; Crazy Horse Monument; Wall Drug. At Badlands National Park, an RV’s kitchen facilities come in handy – fires are prohibited.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN
Gatlinburg’s crafts people produce goods for more than 300 local shops. Other attractions: Mysterious Mansion and year-round winter recreation at Ober Gatlinburg All Seasons Recreation Park. In Pigeon Forge, Dollywood celebrates life Smoky Mountains-style. “Fly” (in a wind tunnel) at Flyaway, one of two such facilities in the world. Water sports at six nearby TVA lakes; pack an inflatable craft in one of the RV’s storage bays or tow a motorboat.
North Carolina’s Outer Banks
The Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates Orville and Wilbur’s 1903 flight. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is America’s tallest. Worthwhile attractions on Roanoke Island: Fort Raleigh National Historical Site; North Carolina Aquarium; Elizabethan Gardens, memorializing the first English settlers; Waterside Theater and America’s oldest outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony.” From Kitty Hawk to Ocracoke, 17 campgrounds provide 2,200 campsites. Many are on the ocean, where an RV can be your own private beach cottage.
Cheyenne, WY – Frontier Days Celebration
Nine-day rodeo competition with the world’s largest total purse. Parades, free pancake breakfasts, art exhibits, carnival rides and chili cook-off. Also: Wyoming’s Old West Museum; open house at Warren Air Force Base; Curt Gowdy State Park. Country musicians entertain. An RV is practically a necessity – hotel rooms are booked well in advance.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country/Lancaster County, PA
Known for its Amish and Mennonite communities and factory outlet shopping. Also: Strasburg Rail Road; Dutch Wonderland amusement park; Pennsylvania Farm Museum of Landis Valley, farther north, Hershey, where chocolate is king. RVers stock up on local produce at area farmers markets and keep it fresh in the refrigerator.
Alaska
Finally, it’s every RV traveler’s dream to visit Alaska, where one trip leads to another because there are so many miles to explore.
Thanks to a network of state-operated ferries plus private services that can accommodate RVs on luxurious cruise ships, the RV traveler can sample the salty sea life of Alaska as well as the rugged landscape, Native American culture, Denali National Park, panning for gold, big-game hunting, salmon fishing and much more.
Options are many. Travelers can drive their RVs up to Alaska and back, which takes longer than many families can manage in a vacation of two or three weeks.
To save time, they might choose to drive one way and take a package that includes return passage for the RV and passengers aboard a luxury cruise ship. A third choice is to combine a fly-cruise trip with a rental RV in Alaska.
The listings given here are intended to assist in the location of organizations that provide a special service and not as an endorsement of these firms. No liability or responsibility is assumed for the services rendered by any organization that is listed.