Maine to the Gulf Coast "Endless Autumn"

[Flyerpicker]

Hi Friends!

We are now planning our first 'major' post-retirement RV trip this fall, in our new-to-us '05 Newmar Dutchstar, pulling our Honda toad.

From Sept 15-ish to Thanksgiving, our mission is to keep up with the PEAK FALL LEAF COLORS from northern Maine to the Gulf coast, by traveling (zig-zagging) about 200 miles per week. At each "weekly" stop, we plan to stay campground parked for 4-8 days. If you know of any places that we might boondock or even plug into Aunt Helen's house, we'd like to know that too, but nice campgrounds will be our primary.

At each stop, we will take the toad sightseeing, attending fall festivals, and just plain goofing off.

I've learned to appreciate your inputs. This is a KEWL forum, and I'd really like to get your input for this trip.

The zig-zag touches Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

So if you have had (or know of) a special fall experience in these states, let us know. Sure saves a lot of internet research.

Thanks in advance!

Jim and Carolyn, and Clara- the killer yorkshire terrier.
Fisherville, Kentucky

[tomwalt]

Virginia - Skyline drive, National Park, has 4 nice campgrounds, no electric but they have dump stations. $20/ night at Big Meadow and there is a nice restaurant at the lodge; $15/night at the rest. Enter at Front Royal just off II-66.
Sherando State Park near the South exit of Skyline Drive (South side of I-64)
P.S. Check for the tunnel size vs. your RV on the Skyline Drive.

[Orchardhill]

If your plans are flexible to swing to Texas, check out Lost Maples state park near Bandera Texas in the Hill country area. Lots of snow birds and then a swing to Hummingbird festival at Fulton/Rockport texas. There try the Sandollar RV/resort.
Got a full hook up at the side of my barn (30)) amp in on a 140 acre ranch Kenney Texas, let me know. between Houston and Austin.
Fisherville, is that outside Louisville? GO Cards, 5 ot's, what a game.
Ken

[TN Blondie]

Originally Posted by Flyerpicker

Hi Friends!

We are now planning our first 'major' post-retirement RV trip this fall, in our new-to-us '05 Newmar Dutchstar, pulling our Honda toad.

The zig-zag touches Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

So if you have had (or know of) a special fall experience in these states, let us know. Sure saves a lot of internet research.

Thanks in advance!

Jim and Carolyn, and Clara- the killer yorkshire terrier.
Fisherville, Kentucky

Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid, Ausable Chasm & Lake George (NY) and Green Mountains & Bennington (VT) were places I went as a child, but I don't have any RV experience - we had a pop-up and that was a "few" years ago.

We spent two weeks in Charleston this past November and the weather was great! Lots to see and do, and lots of fresh seafood. Not much foliage, but it's one of our favorite places to go!

Enjoy your long awesome leaf peeper trip!

[michguy]

We did exactly what you're planning this past Fall. We started a little late, leaving Michigan on October 2nd. We found that many of the Northeastern States Campgrounds close mid-October, some as early as Labor Day. But, ya just gotta go. We found the finest colors were in The Poconos in PA and the Catskills in NY, and don't miss Cooperstown, NY even if you're not a Baseball Fan. We stayed at a little Campground in Oneonta, NY and then headed Northeast to Vermont (don't miss Bennington, VT) on up to Bristol, NH then across to a very remote but beautiful little campground East of Bar Harbor by about 40 miles (Sunset Point Campground in Harrington, ME). Then we worked our way down the East Coast, staying in the Portland, ME area. Warning: don't consider staying in Casco, ME unless it's at the KOA., and then down to the Boston area, on to Mystic, CT, Philadelphia, Annapolis, Williamsburg , ending at Myrtle Beach.We have a Blog where we have documented our trip with quite a few photos and some text. Just check out "On The Road With Dar 'n' Don" darwoj.wordpress.com Feel free to private message me if you like, I'd love to tell you of a couple "Don't Book" Campgrounds.

[RickO]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You're going to love the trip. Seeing New England in the fall has been on my wife's bucket list for a long time so this past summer, we did a 3 month, 8100 mile trip through 22 states and 5 Canadian provinces... all timed to be in NE at the right time.

I can only say it was incredible. We dropped down into Maine and hung around the coast until the reports started showing good colors and then we just bounced around enjoying the countryside.

We only went as far south as NY... with our last stop being Cooperstown and then Niagara Falls. Then it was a bee line back to Arizona because we were freezing!

Enjoy.

Rick

[Flyerpicker]

Hey, thanks to all that have helped us so far. GREAT ideas all! By using your ideas and suggestions, we have modified out trip, inasmuch as we will probably only go as far south as the Carolinas, before heading back to Kentucky. But that will still be about a 10 week trip. So.... we would really appreciate your inputs on great campgrounds to stay in for our weekly "homes". Here is a general idea of where we are PLANNING to camp:(remember, this is to stay in endless peak leaf colors)
Beginning September 15th....
Week 1: White Mountains
Week 2: Maine Coast, near Portland
Week 3: Boston/ Southern New Hampshire
Week 4: Albany/ Upstate NY
Week 5: Scranton/Eastern PA
Week 6: Lancaster/the Dutch Amish region
Week 7: Maryland's Eastern Shore
Week 8: North Carolina Outer Banks
Week 9: Appalacian Mountains of NC+SC
Week 10: Northern GA, East Tennessee
Back home to KY....

Thanks in advance everyone.
Jim and Carolyn Allen

[for36rd]

We did a trip like this the first fall of our retirement. We went up into Canada and then followed the leaf color down to the Great Smokes NP. The first thing I will say is that time goes to fast and the color changes quickly. I was after the best color to take photos so was picky. There are several places that I would definitely try and take in. Bar Harbor and Arcadia NP would be an area that I would like to spend a lot more time at. Thee trouble is that this area is on the coast and the color comes later. From there we traveled thru NH and ended up in central Vermont. If you go on to the internet the State of Vermont has a web site that tells you where the color is and gives multiple road trips that take you through some of the best viewing. From there we went to Amherst Mass and then down into NY. Did not spend much time there just visited family. Hit Gettysburg as we went south. Most of our travel was down I-81 which is along the mountains. We avoided most of the large towns as we traveled. In Vermont and north the problem was to find open parks in Oct. In Virginia both the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline drive are must to go over. Take your time and enjoy this area, there are plenty of hikes that are great. There are plenty of campgrounds off of I-81 that will be open and not very full. We stayed a week in Pigeon Forge to go through Smoky Mountain NP. This was just before Thanksgiving so it took us from the first of Sept to get there. Hope this gives you some ideas about the trip.

[cwj212]

Originally Posted by Flyerpicker

Hey, thanks to all that have helped us so far. GREAT ideas all! By using your ideas and suggestions, we have modified out trip, inasmuch as we will probably only go as far south as the Carolinas, before heading back to Kentucky. But that will still be about a 10 week trip. So.... we would really appreciate your inputs on great campgrounds to stay in for our weekly "homes". Here is a general idea of where we are PLANNING to camp:(remember, this is to stay in endless peak leaf colors)
Beginning September 15th....
Week 1: White Mountains
Week 2: Maine Coast, near Portland
Week 3: Boston/ Southern New Hampshire
Week 4: Albany/ Upstate NY
Week 5: Scranton/Eastern PA
Week 6: Lancaster/the Dutch Amish region
Week 7: Maryland's Eastern Shore
Week 8: North Carolina Outer Banks
Week 9: Appalacian Mountains of NC+SC
Week 10: Northern GA, East Tennessee
Back home to KY....

Thanks in advance everyone.
Jim and Carolyn Allen

If you can work it in, the finger lakes area of NY is beautiful in fall. And if you like wine, there are a zillion great wineries. Columbus weekend is their biggest weekend of the year. We go down there every fall. We have our sites booked already. They fill fast.

[Flyerpicker]

Wow, your post was EXTREMELY helpful. thanks very much!

Jim and Carolyn Allen

[Flyerpicker]

Thank you so Much!!!

[kathyp]

Wolf neck farm cg is a beautiful place right on the coast of Freeport, me. You actually turn down the road across from LL Bean Company Store and about two miles own you're there. No septic hookup but there is. Dump station. Electric and water. I volunteered there last oct. beautiful time, volunteering, well another story. Very poorly organized group, so I just played with the animals all day!

[Flyerpicker]

Thanks much! I will have my sticks!