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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.
Salton Sea, Salvation Mountain & Bombay Beach, Imperial
County, California
The Salton Sea is an inland
saline lake in the Sonoran Desert of extreme southeastern California. It
is
California's largest lake and
occupies the Salton Basin, a remnant of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla.....
Quartzsite, Arizona "RV Boondocking Capital of the Southwest"
Located on Interstate 10 about two hours west
from Phoenix towards LA, almost at the border line between California and
Arizona. Quartzsite is a seemingly sleepy little town with barely 2000 full time
residents....
Desert
Circuit Horse Show, Indio, California
Known as the largest
hunter/jumper event West of the Mississippi. Each January, riders and
horses from all over the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe flock to Indio
to compete at the Desert Circuit.
California Speedway, Fontana,
California
Located in Fontana
on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill,
approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles,
this 2 mile oval track features events by
NASCAR, CART, Grand American Road Racing Association, IRL and US
Superbike.
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.
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