Community Forums

Roll · 02-11-2014, 06:47 AM

The trip to Pensacola is off and now we are looking at making a circle from Ohio to Atlanta, then on to Huntsville and then Nashville before heading back to Ohio.

Any suggestions would be appreciated for:

Campgrounds in Atlanta area

Campgrounds in Huntsville area

And "don't miss" sightseeing activities in both.

DW wants to visit Stone Mountain and the Atlanta aquarium.

I hear there are some interesting space flight things to see in Huntsville.

We've been to Nashville but only visited a couple of areas so sightseeing tips there would be appreciated too. We have a place we are familiar with to park the rig while in Nashville.

Thank you in advance for suggestions.

Gary and Cindy

slick60 · 02-11-2014, 06:53 AM

Not much to recommend in ATL. Maybe Stone mountain SP. Desoto SP in Ft. Payne Ala. is worth the stopover.

GaryKD · 02-11-2014, 09:57 AM

Hi Roll,
CGs in the Atlanta area and the area around Stone Mountain:
1. Welcome To Jones RV Park Home Right off I85, close to the beltway and cheap. This place is nothing to write home about, but the sites are large and the propane fill is an easy in/out.
2. Stone Mountain Park - Atlanta Camping This is a very nice place to stay. It is expensive, right in the Stone Mountain Park land. Be careful passing though the range entrance station. Side to side clearance is very tight. Last I knew, this was a Passport America park.

KT4Wextra · 02-11-2014, 12:04 PM

Since DW wants to go to the aquarium you may want to go to the World of Coke right next to the aquarium. Take a late lunch at The Varsity (worlds largest drive in restaurant) Don't go at noon time but rather after 1:00pm to miss the lunch crowd. Great hot dogs, greasy onion rings and greasy fries. Don't forget the fried pie and a coke. A landmark institution. Get out of town by 3:30pm or get ready to sit in traffic. As bad or worse than LA. Go in to town after 9:00am. The aquarium an world of coke both open at 10:00 so no hurry.
You don't give your route from Atlanta to Huntsville. If you go west on I-20 to Anniston Al and north on US 431 (4 lane) there are campgrounds around Gadsden. There are some nice camp sites around Guntersville Lake which is the Tennessee River both private and state parks. I saw a listing for a rv campground at the Space Center in Huntsville you may want to check out.
You will have a couple long upgrades on US 431. One is just north of Gadsden and the other going into Huntsville both about like Jellico Mountain in Tennessee on I-75. One long fairly steep downgrade as you come into Guntersville to the Tennessee River.
Happy Trails

3catstravel · 02-11-2014, 01:04 PM

Huntsville - to visit US Space & Rocket Ctr is their own RV park. U.S. Space & Rocket Center RV Park | Space Camp
We have stayed there twice when just passing thru and would stay again.
We walked over to the Space Ctr from the park.
On one of our visits one of the summer camps were doing small rocket launches. It would be a great location for a family with a youngster in one of the programs.
Bathhouses are clean.
Easy access to the interstate.
DH is retired military but we choose to stay here instead of on the base due to this park's location.

RKNOLA · 02-11-2014, 01:22 PM

The Atlanta Aquarium has beautiful Beluga Whales and 3 Whale Sharks! Not far from the Aquarium is the Coca-Cola Musuem where you can taste different Coke products from around the world. (The "Coke" from India was strange!)

hayhauler · 02-12-2014, 05:50 PM

The only place I've stayed in Atlanta is the campground at Stone Mountain, but it was very nice. Stone Mtn. and the Coca Cola museum are my favorite things in Atlanta. There are lots of better aquariums, in my opinion. My favorite is the one in Chattanooga, TN.

In Huntsville, the best thing to see is the Space and Rocket Center. I haven't stayed in that campground but I don't think I'd like its proximity to the interstate. There is a campground in Decatur, about 20 miles from Huntsville, at Point Mallard, on the back waters of the Tennessee River and a nice style of camping. You could also go a little further west and stay at Joe Wheeler State Park, we like it there.

Bamabago · 05-19-2014, 09:38 AM

The best camping site in Huntsville is at the Monte Sano State Park. Check it out on the web. It's serene, wooded, quiet, and very clean. The area is beautiful with picnic, lodge, pavilion, and historical sites. It has great walking trails and convenient to downtown and restaurants. I highly recommend the Space & Rocket Center, about 10 miles from Park. The Park is actually located atop the mountain where most of the German scientists decided to reside....reminding them of Germany. I recommend it over the RV park behind the Space & Rocket Center, even though it is much closer.

Roll · 05-20-2014, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamabago

The best camping site in Huntsville is at the Monte Sano State Park. Check it out on the web. It's serene, wooded, quiet, and very clean. The area is beautiful with picnic, lodge, pavilion, and historical sites. It has great walking trails and convenient to downtown and restaurants. I highly recommend the Space & Rocket Center, about 10 miles from Park. The Park is actually located atop the mountain where most of the German scientists decided to reside....reminding them of Germany. I recommend it over the RV park behind the Space & Rocket Center, even though it is much closer.

We made that trip in late March and that is were we stayed. It was nice but cold. It got down to 27 one night. I worried since we don't have a heated basement but the coach handled it just fine; no frozen pipes or tanks. The doctors house also on the top of that mountain was a very interesting stop. Most unusual home I can recall. And of course the Space and Rocket Center was most of a day.

Roll

Bamaman · 05-21-2014, 08:10 AM

As someone that's lived in Atlanta, Huntsville area and Nashville, I can say you will not get bored in these places. There's so much to see in each.

Campgrounds in Atlanta area--Stone Mountain Park is as beautiful a park as you will every see, and their campgrounds are great. Lake Lanier Islands has great waterfront campsites, and a huge waterpark. There are a number of Corp of Engineer campgrounds on the lakes too.
Others have mentioned things to do in Atlanta.

Campgrounds in Huntsville area--Point Mallard Park in Decatur has great waterfront campgrounds, and a large wave pool/water park. When you see a 300' tall rocket beside the interstate, you're at the space museum. The city also has fine gardens and art museums.

Don't forget that you'll probably be going home through Nashville. Campgrounds are down the road from Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and there are more at Percy Priest Lake like NashvilleShores.com. There are enough tourist attractions in the city to keep you busy for a week, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, tours of the stars' homes and The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home.) The Frist Museum of Art and the Parthenon are fantastic art museums. It's a happening place.

Bobb.25 · 05-21-2014, 08:21 AM

When we stayed at a campground on Music Valley Drive in Nashville, the tour bus ( Grey Line , I think ) picked us up right at the campground. It is a stress free way to see the sights.