Florida bound

[paulwadley]

We leave this morning from Southern California heading to Florida where we stay for 7 days. We then head north to Virginia for 3 days before heading to Kentucky for 10 more days. From that point we will wonder around heading back west until we get back home in Southern California. We will be " Winging" it once we leave Kentucky. We will be visiting Disney World, Universal Studios, Colonial Willamsburg as well as kayaking in an abandoned mine in Rogers Kentucky. Planning on seeing a Reds Baseball game while in Kentucky(over the river in Ohio) as well as The Louisville Slugger Factory. We might go back into Ohio to visit a couple of Amish stores. We have campground reservations in Kissimmee Florida, Verona Kentucky and in Virginia. Everywhere else will be while travelling on the highways/roadways as we go. We will be flat towing our Ford Flex with us and will have our daughter and a couple or our friends fly into Florida to stay with us for part of our journey.

Paul

[GTM41261]

Sounds like a great trip.

[Hugh.vines@att.net]

Check out the bourbon trail in ky

[The Gritz Carlton]

What route across the country are you taking on your way to Florida?

[simidrm]

If you get a chance while in Florida check out gatorland in Orlando, was there last week, pretty cool place.

[cgeace29.3]

In virginia check out grays point campground in topping va.
Keep in mind it will be HOTT where you are going, have patience.
The amusement parks are no fun in the heat, go early morning, take a break during the heat of the day then go back in the evening, otherwise you will be doing the ac shuffle, going from one cool gift shop to another cool gift shop, no fun.

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by cgeace29.3

In virginia check out grays point campground in topping va.
Keep in mind it will be HOTT where you are going, have patience.
The amusement parks are no fun in the heat, go early morning, take a break during the heat of the day then go back in the evening, otherwise you will be doing the ac shuffle, going from one cool gift shop to another cool gift shop, no fun.

Very hot here. We bike hike early am, afternoon salad light lunch games movie people watch, evenings sit outside

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by cgeace29.3

In virginia check out grays point campground in topping va.
Keep in mind it will be HOTT where you are going, have patience.
The amusement parks are no fun in the heat, go early morning, take a break during the heat of the day then go back in the evening, otherwise you will be doing the ac shuffle, going from one cool gift shop to another cool gift shop, no fun.

Grays Point and Beth Page are now Thousand Trails campgrounds. Been that way for three or four years. Children sold them after the owner passed away.

[chunker21]

[QUOTE=paulwadley;383851]We leave this morning from Southern California heading to Florida where we stay for 7 days. We then head north to Virginia for 3 days before heading to Kentucky for 10 more days. From that point we will wonder around heading back west until we get back home in Southern California. We will be " Winging" it once we leave

Pack your air conditioning. Hot weather setting in. Down that way also will be very humid this time of the year.

[thisoldman]

Originally Posted by simidrm

If you get a chance while in Florida check out gatorland in Orlando, was there last week, pretty cool place.

I second the Gatorland recommendation. My wife is a Disney fanatic; me, not so much. Several years ago we flew down to the Orlando/Kissimmee area for a brief vacation without our (by then adult) children, one that I agreed to only if we would steer clear of the "House of the Mouse" for the entire time. I scoffed when my wife suggested that we go to Gatorland, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed our time there.

[thisoldman]

Originally Posted by paulwadley

We will be " Winging" it once we leave Kentucky.

This time of year, the further south you go the easier you will find "winging it" to be. However, you may regret not having reservations in some of the less scorchingly hot and humid areas through which you pass. The popularity of RVing has exploded since the COVID pandemic and vacancies can be hard to come by. If you're equipped for (and don't mind) occasional dry camping you should be fine, but if you want full or even partial hookups every night that you're on the road, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.


I've been RVing for over 40 years. What was once a laid back, feel-free-to-wander experience has become less enjoyable than it once was because of the competition for what in some areas are extremely scarce available campsites. Footloose and fancy free ain't what it used to be.

[chunker21]

In addition to Gatorland, look up old Florida attractions. Old Florida had many attractions, independent, small and often tacky. They date back to mid last century or earlier. As time went by many closed down and/or fell into decay. The state of FL bought many refurbished, restored and reopened them as state parks. Included besides Gatorland, is the mermaids at Weeki Wachee, Silver Springs and several others. The state did a good job on preserving iconic sites. There are others that are interesting, and a bit tacky such as sponge diving tour in Tarpon Springs. Do those things and avoid the disney crap. Disney has become the super tacky.

[thisoldman]

Originally Posted by chunker21

In addition to Gatorland, look up old Florida attractions. Old Florida had many attractions, independent, small and often tacky. They date back to mid last century or earlier. As time went by many closed down and/or fell into decay. The state of FL bought many refurbished, restored and reopened them as state parks. Included besides Gatorland, is the mermaids at Weeki Wachee, Silver Springs and several others. The state did a good job on preserving iconic sites. There are others that are interesting, and a bit tacky such as sponge diving tour in Tarpon Springs. Do those things and avoid the disney crap. Disney has become the super tacky.

I couldn't agree more! I have memories of going to Silver Springs with my family as a 4-year-old, taking a ride in one of the glass-bottomed boats and watching the "teams" of blue and gray fish fight over what I believe was a big chunk of bread. (To give you an idea of how significant that experience must have been for me to still recall it, that visit to Silver Springs occurred 65 years ago!) My wife, our kids, and I also went to Weeki Wachee when both we and our children were much younger. In addition, my wife and I went to Cypress Gardens in the mid-2000s not long before they shut down their normal operations.

[Beth#]

Williamsburg has more pancake houses per capita than anywhere else. We like "Not Another Pancake House"

What are your interests? It would help us give personalized suggestions. As someone else said, the KY bourbon trail is fun-unless you don't drink. Tennessee has a lot to offer if you go home that way, including a Corvette assembly factory tour. Don't go to the Ark. Depending where you are in Ohio, you might be in striking distance to Cooperstown, NY.

Help us help you...

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Beth#

Williamsburg has more pancake houses per capita than anywhere else. We like "Not Another Pancake House"

What are your interests? It would help us give personalized suggestions. As someone else said, the KY bourbon trail is fun-unless you don't drink. Tennessee has a lot to offer if you go home that way, including a Corvette assembly factory tour. Don't go to the Ark. Depending where you are in Ohio, you might be in striking distance to Cooperstown, NY.

Help us help you...

What’s wrong with the Arc?

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

What’s wrong with the Arc?

If you are an atheist, agnostic or easily offended but religious references you will be easily offended and not like it. The owners have a fundamental approach and and it shows in their explanation of the development of the original and their rendition. The Ark is a private venture, not a government project, and as such they are free to reflect their religious bearing without government "woke" intolerance.

That said the Ark is quite a feat in itself. My GF and I saw it a couple years ago and she didn't like all the religious references, I just didn't worry about it. If you have kids, it's going to be more entertaining. There's a zoo including camel rides and other things there. We spent one afternoon there but families with kids might want to allow 2 days. I think a ticket was for 2 days admission.

We stayed at an RV park in Corinth, 3 springs???, or such. Water, electric but no sewer. Dump station on the exit from the park. That RV park just a few miles south of the Ark. There is also the Kentucky Horse State park on the north side of Lexington. Very large, clean but again no sewer.

[Jimbo56]

One would think, since the Ark is a biblical topic, a true Atheist wouldn’t want to go anyway.

[Beth#]

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

What’s wrong with the Arc?

Mostly, we found it expensive for a superficial "museum". It was built to scale according to Bible specs so that's cool, but there wasn't the depth of explanation that we expected, no matter what your views are. Granted, we were there in the first few weeks, so it sounds like there might be more there.

[Beth#]

Oh, and if you go home via Indiana, you can visit the Thor factory. :-)

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Beth#

Oh, and if you go home via Indiana, you can visit the Thor factory. :-)

Wouldn't that be a visit with the devil???

Reference my earlier comments, I have read comments by groups decrying the "blatant religious message" at the Ark "demanding" they stop. You are right it's somewhat superficial with a definite lean by the owners. Since the original building specifications were rather sketchy, the developers of the Ark had to wing it with a lot of details. You can't miss the definite fundamental theological approach but I take that for what it is. The owners expressing their philosophy for their private venture. I had to tell my GF to can it after a few of her comments. Just enjoy what's there.

Be prepared for a lot of walking. It's big, no elevators or escalators and sloping ramps from one level to the next. The outside zoo, petting zoo, camel rides, we mostly skipped but if you have kids they will want to see it likely. Not cheap but it probably cost a ton to build. Don't know how seaworthy it is and hopefully we'll never have to find out.