Thanksgiving trip ideas from Houston

[nsraja]

Folks I can travel 1000 miles one way and would like thoughts on 8 day trip from Houston. Family of 4, Class C RV with a godzilla driver that can do 800 miles in a day, but 600 miles per day driving preferred.

We have already been to

Most of Texas State Parks
Big Bend
Grand Canyon
Carlsbad
Santa Fe NM
Whitesands
All of Utah/Wyoming, SD/ND area
All of CA (except LA), WA, OR
All of Nevada
No NE states (darn congested too)
No ice driving

We decided against Smoky this years based on input from folks on this forum due to Helene impact and road closures.

Although against Disney (and its daylight robbery), kids are at the right age to experience that. May be the remaining few Texas parks, may be Chicago and surroundings???

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by nsraja

Folks I can travel 1000 miles one way and would like thoughts on 8 day trip from Houston. Family of 4, Class C RV with a godzilla driver that can do 800 miles in a day, but 600 miles per day driving preferred.

We have already been to

Most of Texas State Parks
Big Bend
Grand Canyon
Carlsbad
Santa Fe NM
Whitesands
All of Utah/Wyoming, SD/ND area
All of CA (except LA), WA, OR
All of Nevada
No NE states (darn congested too)
No ice driving

We decided against Smoky this years based on input from folks on this forum due to Helene impact and road closures.

Although against Disney (and its daylight robbery), kids are at the right age to experience that. May be the remaining few Texas parks, may be Chicago and surroundings???

Skip Disney and do Seaworld and Universal Studios. Maybe even make a stop in Tampa for Busch Gardens and Clearwater beaches. I think you can even get a Seaworld/Busch Gardens combo ticket. Fort Desoto Park is nice if you can get in.

https://pinellas.gov/camping-information/

[PS89]

C'mon up to St Louis! Lots to do... While slightly possible, bad weather is rare over that week.

Just a few..

Gateway Arch NP.
World class zoo (free, just pay for parking and activities).
Historic Anheuser Busch brewery. Take the tour. Free samples.
Grant's Farm, part of the AB dynasty. Free samples.
Multiple craft and micro breweries.
Numerous wineries in the area on both sides of the river.
Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers at Grafton.
Scenic Great Rivers Road between Alton and Grafton.
Car truck and train enthusiasts would like the Museum of Transportation.

We may snowbird for the first time this winter. Haven't decided where to go yet or for how long. Gulf coast somewhere between Brownsville and Tampa.

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by PS89

C'mon up to St Louis! Lots to do... While slightly possible, bad weather is rare over that week.

Just a few..

Gateway Arch NP.
World class zoo (free, just pay for parking and activities).
Historic Anheuser Busch brewery. Take the tour. Free samples.
Grant's Farm, part of the AB dynasty. Free samples.
Multiple craft and micro breweries.
Numerous wineries in the area on both sides of the river.
Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers at Grafton.
Scenic Great Rivers Road between Alton and Grafton.
Car truck and train enthusiasts would like the Museum of Transportation.

We may snowbird for the first time this winter. Haven't decided where to go yet or for how long. Gulf coast somewhere between Brownsville and Tampa.

I spent two weeks in St Louis on a business contract, too bad I missed these places. Thanks for the tips I will do some research, confluence of rivers at Grafton is looking like a place I should not miss. I spent 3 years on and off in KCMO. There is no downtown so lovely, quiet and friendly like KCMO's. We have seen three St Patrick's parade in Kansas City. I am sure St Louis DT is as lovely.

Florida is a great place to be for sure. State owned RV parks are very reasonable too.

[Lt Keefer]

I would suggest a change of pace. Quit hypermiling from tourist trap to tourist trap. Pick a theme, not a place. Maybe the Santa Fe Trail or the Wizard of Oz. Get off the interstate, slow down and experience what America actually has to offer.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

I would suggest a change of pace. Quit hypermiling from tourist trap to tourist trap. Pick a theme, not a place. Maybe the Santa Fe Trail or the Wizard of Oz. Get off the interstate, slow down and experience what America actually has to offer.

Exactly! 800 miles!! That's at least 12 hours of driving!! Where's the fire??

Our target for extended trips is 300 miles or 5 hours... sometimes a little less, but rarely more. That easily gets us into our next camp, setup, maybe some light hiking and a leisurely dinner.

I think of interstate highways as necessary connectors to the next scenic two-lane highway.

[dkoldman]

I am assuming the OP is trying to accommodate at least 2 kids? Not everyone with RVs are retired? It is not about being in a hurry because if it were; most all that can afford the gas for RV would fly.

Sometimes it is about minimizing how many times you have to hear "Are we there yet"

We took our kids off road to go see 4 corners (AZ, UT, CO, NM) and if it were not for the pictures they insist they never saw it. But they remember the Grand Canyon, Telluride and Durango like it was yesterday. For the most part, the entire trip was interstate or interstate like. Nothing wrong with back roads when you have nothing but time. But for me I limit the back roads to when it is required as part of a planned destination, or when Waze redirects us to save time. If there is something relevant along the way, our Garmin or those special brown signs on the Interstate system will alert us. I think we found Antietam like that, we were in (Maryland / WV / Pennsylvania ?) someplace when we saw the signs and took the unplanned trip. I say it that way, because it was kind of hard to keep track of what state you were in, seems like we saw entering Maryland twice on the same interstate

Anyway OP eliminated NE, so I vote for Colorado if trip will not be during the winter. If it is to be soon, my vote is for Pensacola Beach, FL or State Parks near Destin Florida.

[ducksface]

We travel that many miles is a day.
We don't need to
Ooohhh aaaawww
At billboards
Or
At hooker Oklahoma for our 49th time through there.

Moab utah has many spectacular siteseeing MEMORABLE areas.
You'll go through Denver if you want some city experience.
(Four corners is just miserable place to take a kid but you won't know until you've driven to that useless place)

If the kids are Disney age then do Disney. You'll do it someday anyway and it should be done as social experience for the kids and it is a worldwide institution/conversation generator no matter what many of us think of it..

A confluence of rivers is NOT a socially intigrating thing among child peers. Disney at Disney age(sentient...REALLY sentient)will be lifelong memory and conversation generator and shared.
(I'm not a Disney fan. I'm a sensical vacation for kids fan.)

Disney, or Moab and canyonlands and a jeep ride and arches and all that go with it is the choice I recommend.

[HMCSW]

Originally Posted by nsraja

Folks I can travel 1000 miles one way and would like thoughts on 8 day trip from Houston. Family of 4, Class C RV with a godzilla driver that can do 800 miles in a day, but 600 miles per day driving preferred.

We have already been to

Most of Texas State Parks
Big Bend
Grand Canyon
Carlsbad
Santa Fe NM
Whitesands
All of Utah/Wyoming, SD/ND area
All of CA (except LA), WA, OR
All of Nevada
No NE states (darn congested too)
No ice driving

We decided against Smoky this years based on input from folks on this forum due to Helene impact and road closures.

Although against Disney (and its daylight robbery), kids are at the right age to experience that. May be the remaining few Texas parks, may be Chicago and surroundings???

We can't get enough Utah. Natures Disney Land. Late November Southwest Overnight temps not too bad. If you have raised 4x4 the coral sand dunes and routes to slot canyons are a blast.

[The Gritz Carlton]

Have you been to Oklahoma City? I never thought much about that place until our western tour last year. That was a 3 night stop. Wish we had planned more nights. This years we did, spend 5 nights there. Crazy, amazing, clean city. The Western Heritage Museum is the grandest thing we saw the whole trip. It will take you 2-3 days to take it all in. Everything there is original and authentic. There's tons of museums and great things to do there. Google "things to do" along that route and you'll find more. We stayed at Twin Fountains RV Resort. Amazing place with a limo that gives you free rides to the attractions.

[Lt Keefer]

Yup, OKC is a nice spot. Weather is decent enough around Thanksgiving for outdoor activities.

[Lt Keefer]

Doesn't the $400.00 a day fuel cost of driving 800 miles take some of the fun out of a nice trip?

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

Doesn't the $400.00 a day fuel cost of driving 800 miles take some of the fun out of a nice trip?

Let's go inside the numbers and see.

If I spent $400 a day in fuel ( I know I never have) but let's say I did. It would mean that if I had driven my SUV, I would have spent $200/day.

Let's assume an 8 day stay so another $200 for gas at your destination and another $400 to get back so $1,000 for gas. Hotel costs would be on average $200/night so 7 nights is $1,400 if I drove the SUV. So I see $400 savings by driving RV.

[ducksface]

The
gas
Food
Antiques
Entrance fees
Incidentals
Clothes
Collectable hat pins
Phone data overage
Whether out set initial costs
Or return reorganizational costs
Are on a card on autopay.

We never know what a trip costs.
Don't care(to a reasonable extent)

But

$400 in a day or $200 in two days with the potential for a $59 campground between...I'm missing the maths

I think 1009miles is my longest day with about 700miles being just a day.
Spousal unit did 900+ day recently...and we can do them back to back.

In contrast when around Bennett Springs Missouri we had big mileage plans but made it an average of 55 miles a day for the best part of a week.(we don't schedule well). We stayed in motel parking lots for cheap(just ask. Night managers are reasonable).

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by HMCSW

We can't get enough Utah. Natures Disney Land. Late November Southwest Overnight temps not too bad. If you have raised 4x4 the coral sand dunes and routes to slot canyons are a blast.

Each and every Utah NP, State Park is a wonder and beyond words can describe. I did spend an evening in Coral Sand Dunes before heading into Zion this summer. I would not have realized the importance of Escalante or researched about it unless for this group. Escalante turned out to be the best of of our summer trip.

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

I would suggest a change of pace. Quit hypermiling from tourist trap to tourist trap. Pick a theme, not a place. Maybe the Santa Fe Trail or the Wizard of Oz. Get off the interstate, slow down and experience what America actually has to offer.

Agreed, after the 12 day early summer trip to Utah, Colorado, Wyoming (5500 mile road trip) we decided to take it slow. For Thanksgiving we were planning on spending all 8 days in Smoky until folks on this forum warned about road closures and the resulting gridlock in that area, which is why I started this thread asking for places from RVers perspective.

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

I am assuming the OP is trying to accommodate at least 2 kids? Not everyone with RVs are retired? It is not about being in a hurry because if it were; most all that can afford the gas for RV would fly.

Sometimes it is about minimizing how many times you have to hear "Are we there yet"

We took our kids off road to go see 4 corners (AZ, UT, CO, NM) and if it were not for the pictures they insist they never saw it. But they remember the Grand Canyon, Telluride and Durango like it was yesterday. For the most part, the entire trip was interstate or interstate like. Nothing wrong with back roads when you have nothing but time. But for me I limit the back roads to when it is required as part of a planned destination, or when Waze redirects us to save time. If there is something relevant along the way, our Garmin or those special brown signs on the Interstate system will alert us. I think we found Antietam like that, we were in (Maryland / WV / Pennsylvania ?) someplace when we saw the signs and took the unplanned trip. I say it that way, because it was kind of hard to keep track of what state you were in, seems like we saw entering Maryland twice on the same interstate

Anyway OP eliminated NE, so I vote for Colorado if trip will not be during the winter. If it is to be soon, my vote is for Pensacola Beach, FL or State Parks near Destin Florida.

Been to Florida many times, I am placing more weight on Florida this year too. Straight roads from Houston, no hotel expense, gas price is in our favor now, very reasonably priced state owned RV parks.

I would like to know if there is anything special in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama we are overlooking (been to Gulf Shores beaches twice).

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Have you been to Oklahoma City? I never thought much about that place until our western tour last year. That was a 3 night stop. Wish we had planned more nights. This years we did, spend 5 nights there. Crazy, amazing, clean city. The Western Heritage Museum is the grandest thing we saw the whole trip. It will take you 2-3 days to take it all in. Everything there is original and authentic. There's tons of museums and great things to do there. Google "things to do" along that route and you'll find more. We stayed at Twin Fountains RV Resort. Amazing place with a limo that gives you free rides to the attractions.

When I was contracting in KCMO I would drive through Oklahoma City every other week. One thing I know about Oklahoma state in general is, more level headed and nice drivers - because they are still decent enough to yield for fast moving vehicles, something that has completely disappeared from the culture over the last 15 years or so.

[ducksface]

The Louisiana Puchase marker in the absolute middle of absolute bayou is something I'll always remember. It was very nice spot and nice break from driving.

I haven't been through okc more than 30ish times since 1975 through just a month or so ago.
I've never ever been through there when the roads weren't under the worst ugliest most awful construction I've seen.

I truly did enjoy their newish downtown and the restaurants.
Kids would not.

[nsraja]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Skip Disney and do Seaworld and Universal Studios. Maybe even make a stop in Tampa for Busch Gardens and Clearwater beaches. I think you can even get a Seaworld/Busch Gardens combo ticket. Fort Desoto Park is nice if you can get in.

https://pinellas.gov/camping-information/

Busch Gardens looks very suitable for my kids, thanks for the emphasis. Even my 9 year old disagrees with Seaworld and the way they hold the mighty Orcas in a small tank. Two years back we spent little time in Clearwater. Inclining more towards Florida this Thanksgiving.

No one has said anything about NC or SC. Never been there. And I also think I am missing something about Louisiana (except New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama (except Gulf Shores) other than driving through the states countless times.