Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / April 2007
Noob planning a trip from Ottawa to Orlando
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plegault@plic.ca - 10 Apr 2007 03:28 GMT Please excuse me as I am totally new to RV traveling...
Tech details: 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Laramie, 5.9 Diesel Cummins Jayco Jay Flight 31BHS trailer (31 feet)
I am planning a trip to Orlando with my wife and three young kids (3-5-7) from Ottawa, Canada to Orlando, Florida this Summer. I already booked at Forth Wilderness in Disney World. Now I understand that this trip will take me about 3-4 days to get there. What I need to know is any recommendations on where I could stop on the way. Nice camp sites for my kind of RV and maybe a few things to do for the kids. This is going to be our longest trip ever, so I really want my family to enjoy, not only the time in Disney, but the trip all together.
We used to be carebears and camp at the same location year after year. My wife got tired of it and wanted to start travelling a bit more. Plus, my oldest daughter has a dance competition in Orlando, so I figured, why not test this new venture by bringing the RV over there.
Any help, pointers, recommendations are more than appreciated. Regards, An innocent Canadian friend who is looking to have a good time
John Andrews - 10 Apr 2007 05:58 GMT > Please excuse me as I am totally new to RV traveling... > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Regards, > An innocent Canadian friend who is looking to have a good time Looks like you will be heading down I-81 to Philadelphia, then I-95 to Raleigh, Savannah, to Orlando in 4 days of about 300 miles each more or less. Thats an all day drive, even on the interstates.
There are few stopping points or camp grounds in metro Philadelphia. Make sure you have a destination reserved there. You might aim for West Chester, west of Philly. There is a KOA nearby. West Chester is a neat old town, with a university. Send me a private email if you do this and I will give you a contact there.
I would take a detour over to Ithaca for lunch. It will add a couple of hours to your day. It is a neat university town with a nice downtown area for shopping and finding lunch.
Consider going south from Philly on US 13 from Wilmington down to Norfolk and see the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. Plan to stay in Kiptopeke State Park at the tip of the peninsula. Make sure you eat blue crabs while in this area. Crabs and beer heaped on a table covered with newspaper will not be forgotten. OK, so the kids don't get beer. Coke will do. Onancock is a neat town about 25 miles south of the Maryland/Virginia border.
Cross the long bridge/tunnel and continue south on US 17 and US 13 to Myrtle Beach. Reserve a place there. Lots to choose from. Do go to the Huntington Sculpture Garden. Do not miss this! Take your camera. Plan a half day.
Plan on stopping in Savannah next. There is a state park just south of town. http://gastateparks.org/info/skidaway/ Plan to stay there. It is a short drive into Savannah from there. Neat town to visit.
Next day stop for lunch in St. Augustine. Visit the old city. Then make your way to the artificial world of Disney.
Good luck. Have a great trip. Don't try to drive too far or too fast.
John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee
GBinNC - 10 Apr 2007 12:06 GMT >Any help, pointers, recommendations are more than appreciated. >Regards, Strongly recommend you plan to come down I-81 and I-77 and pick up I-95 south of Columbia, SC, if possible. I would do ANYTHING to avoid driving I-95 down the Phila-SC corridor.
As long as you avoid Charlotte, NC, anywhere near rush hour, you'll be fine. (That's the only real hangup.) And the scenery is breathtaking in places, especially around the VA-NC border.
Trust me on this. Do NOT take I-95 down the northeast coast. Go inland instead, until at least south of Richmond.
GB in NC
HDinNY - 10 Apr 2007 15:19 GMT >>Any help, pointers, recommendations are more than appreciated. >>Regards, [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > GB in NC Good advice GB. An alternate route is the one we use. I-81 to I-66 to 17 to I-95, take I-295 around Richmond. The worst part is the stretch between 17 and Richmond on I-95. Hugh
Veliki Pyotr - 10 Apr 2007 15:37 GMT Thanks for all of your advices.
Here is the new plan:
Day one: Ottawa to Pine Grove KOA (PA) via I-81 Day two: Pine Grove to Natural Bridge KOA (VA) still on I-81 Day three: Natural Bridge to Yemassee KOA (SC) via I-77 Day four: Yemasse to Orlando on I-95
On the way back, I will probably drive over night (sleep during the day while kids play) and make it in 2 to 2 1/2 runs depending how well everybody sleeps.
This way should be in car about 6 hours a day more or less an hour depending on traffic.
GBinNC - 10 Apr 2007 17:27 GMT >Day three: Natural Bridge to Yemassee KOA (SC) via I-77 Again: Your worst part there will be Charlotte, NC.
Do NOT approach Charlotte from the north between 7 and 9 a.m. Wait north of Mooresville at a great rest area (MM 39) until 9 before even hitting the Mooresville area (Exits 36 and 33), if possible (big Super Wal-Mart at 36, if you need to kill some more time <g>). Congestion usually begins just south of there.
Your best time to pass through the greater Charlotte area is in mid-morning to mid-afternoon -- or at night, after 6:30-7pm. Rush hour hassles can extend up to 40 miles or more in all directions.
LTDT. (Lived there, did that.)
GB in NC
HDinNY - 10 Apr 2007 21:44 GMT > Thanks for all of your advices. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > This way should be in car about 6 hours a day more or less an hour > depending on traffic. May I suggest a route to Disney? When you get close to Jacksonville, you encounter 295 around Jacksonville. We take 295 to 17 south to 19 south and it intersects with 27 south. You can stay on 27 until it intersects with 195 east. If you're staying at Disney this takes you right to the entrance.
The "advantage" to this route is the lack of congestion on the 17/19/27 leg. Check it out on the map first. You can get stuck on I-4 for a loooooong time if there is a backup and they happen regularly. Hugh
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 10 Apr 2007 19:36 GMT >I am planning a trip to Orlando with my wife and three young kids >(3-5-7) from Ottawa, Canada to Orlando, Florida this Summer. I already [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >Regards, >An innocent Canadian friend who is looking to have a good time stan.birch@hotmail.com - 10 Apr 2007 20:11 GMT >I am planning a trip to Orlando with my wife and three young kids >(3-5-7) from Ottawa, Canada to Orlando, Florida this Summer. I already >booked at Forth Wilderness in Disney World. Now I understand that this >trip will take me about 3-4 days to get there. What I need to know is >any recommendations on where I could stop on the way. Sheesh!! What bad advice you've received from a whole bunch of RVers who've never before made trip . . . And the advice they have offerred is universally all bad. :-(
Having done the i-75 route dozens of times, to the point where we are familiar with EVERY overnight stop-off, from Flying Js to Wal-Marts on an hour-by-hour basis from Toronto to Florida along I-75.
>Nice camp sites for my kind of RV and maybe a few things to do for the kids. >This is going to be our longest trip ever, so I really want my family to enjoy, not >only the time in Disney, but the trip all together. Having already done the kid-thing; and considering how awesome they turned out to be; you might be amazed at what actutually turns yer kid'z cranks!! Really!!
With all of the absolutely boring campground scenarios aside, our kidz . . . like from way back around 1972, *ALWAYS* revelled in spending an evening in a K-Mart parking lot, with a few dollars in their pockets to spend as they wished!
JerryD(upstateNY) - 10 Apr 2007 21:16 GMT stan.birch@hotmail.com wrote: Sheesh!! What bad advice you've received from a whole bunch of RVers who've never before made trip . . . And the advice they have offerred is universally all bad. :-( Having done the i-75 route dozens of times,<<<<<<<<<<
Your opinion is worthless !!! You are 400 miles West of where he is, so which route you take is of not benefit to him.
 Signature JerryD(upstateNY)
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 11 Apr 2007 00:22 GMT >stan.birch@hotmail.com wrote: Sheesh!! What bad advice you've received from >a whole bunch of RVers who've never before made trip . . . And the advice [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >You are 400 miles West of where he is, so which route you take is of not >benefit to him. Hmmm . . . good point; but I'm only about 190 miles west, with the total distance to Fla being only about half that difference.
HDinNY - 11 Apr 2007 13:12 GMT snipped
> Hmmm . . . good point; but I'm only about 190 miles west, with the > total distance to Fla being only about half that difference. But then you should have warned him about Atlanta. Best time to go through it is the middle of the night. Hugh
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 11 Apr 2007 18:16 GMT >snipped >> Hmmm . . . good point; but I'm only about 190 miles west, with the >> total distance to Fla being only about half that difference.
>But then you should have warned him about Atlanta. Best time to go >through it is the middle of the night. Actually, other than around 5 pm, Atlanta, isn't all that bad. Like . . . only a total idiot would attempt to take I-75 through the centre of Atlanta!! Figuring that most people aren't total idiots; that would mean that all the smart ones are in one of those endless by-pass traffic jams. Been there . . . done that. :-( In recent years, we've been taking the idiot route right through the centre of Atlanta; and it's usually a clear shot all the way through!! :-)
As for the OP, I've taken into consideration that:
1. He's somewhat of a newbie at this sort of stuff;
2. He's travelling with at least two or more females.
On point #1: I would figure that for his first multi-day excursion to the south, although incurring a couple hundred extra miles by choosing the I-75 route, it's unquestionably the path of least resistance. On an hour-by-hour basis, I-75, there's always a place to pull in for the night on an hour-by-hour basis.
On point #2: i.e travelling with two or more females, will challenge the capacity of the largest of holding tanks. So, the abundance of Flying Js along I-75 with their water and dump stations, is a significant consideration.
Over the years, we've tried the shortest and most direct routes between Toronto and Tampa; and apart from crappy roads, overnight boondocking opportunities are severely limited compared to the I-75 corridor. If the OP chooses to do the Corridor, compared to our 60 mile offset, it will cost him an extra couple hundred miles! In weighing the benefits, for these particular RVer, the s I-75 route might be the best option.
Veliki Pyotr - 11 Apr 2007 20:29 GMT Well stan, both of your assumptions are correct. We are noobs and there will be three ladies and a boy with me. But we have a pretty big tank under that RV.
I have been considering I-75 in my plans, now with this new information, it is gaining weight in my decision. But, having done that route a few years back (Ottawa to Cincinnati), there are a few uncertainties as far as traffic: Toronto, Detroit-Toledo, Cincinnati, and Atlanta. The first two are worrying me the most. And the Detroit- Toledo corridor isn't the safest in the world.
I have also considered travelling by night so the rest of the family miss most of the waiting in pickup time. The downside is that they also miss the sight-seeing. Input on safety is appreciated. I mean, is it safe to travel at night in some States (especially Georgia)?
We could also do both routes. On the way there through I-81 and coming back through I-75. This could give me an idea for next time.
For whatever it's worth, thank you all of you for giving your opinion (good or bad). I am just glad to see RVers help each others, and I can't wait to start this new venture with my family. I guess I can call that Quality Time!
Frank Tabor - 11 Apr 2007 22:29 GMT > I have also considered travelling by night so the rest of the family > miss most of the waiting in pickup time. The downside is that they also > miss the sight-seeing. Input on safety is appreciated. I mean, is it > safe to travel at night in some States (especially Georgia)? Why wouldn't it be?
 Signature Frank Tabor Q: What's hard going in and soft and sticky coming out? A: Chewing gum.
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 11 Apr 2007 23:52 GMT >I have been considering I-75 in my plans, now with this new >information, it is gaining weight in my decision. But, having done >that route a few years back (Ottawa to Cincinnati), there are a few >uncertainties as far as traffic: Toronto, Detroit-Toledo, Cincinnati, >and Atlanta. The first two are worrying me the most. And the Detroit- >Toledo corridor isn't the safest in the world. At the outset, you need a couple of guide books:
1. The Wal-Mart Rand McNally mapbook that lists the addresses of all the Wal-Marts and Sams Club stores in USA and Canada;
2. A Flying J Travel Plaza (truck stop) guide from FlyingJ.com. It's also a good idea to pick up one of their RV Gas Cards. Although the cards save you a cent a gallon on gasoline, and 5 cents on propane, the primary advantage is that the card identifies you at the pump, so you don't have to go in and prepay before you pump. Nothwithstanding, that Flying J prices are usually the very best.
Flying J travel plazas welcome overnighting RVers, with a somewhat more quiet area set aside for RVers, away from the trucks. Pretty much all of them in the eastern US have RV dump stations.
Toronto sort of stinks, but mostly when heading eastbound during rush hour (3 - 6pm), along the four mile stretch immediately west of hwy 400. That stretch could cost you 2 hours to do four miles!! :-( Other than that, no big deal.
As for crossing at Detroit, we don't stop until we reach the Flying J at Beaverdam (Lima) Ohio.
The easiest way through Cincinnati and Atlanta, is the direct route through the city. The bypass around either, is less than wonderful. Around Cincinnati, you could easily disappear into a pothole, and never be heard from again. In Atlanta, it's just traffic, traffic, traffic. And BTW, stay out of Morrow, GA. Just stopping your RV in Morrow will earn you an $800 fine!
After leaving Beaverdam, our next stop of preference is the Wal-Mart/Sams Club at Knoxville, located on:
300 Walker Springs Road Knoxville, TN 37923
You can't see it from the highway, so you have to remember to get off of I-75 at the 379a exit. Great spot to provide the women folk with their shopping-fix. This is one of the biggest Wal-Marts we've ever visited; and have stuff you can't find anywhere further south. Being patrolled 24/7, it's quite secure.
>I have also considered travelling by night so the rest of the family >miss most of the waiting in pickup time. The downside is that they >also miss the sight-seeing. Input on safety is appreciated. I mean, is >it safe to travel at night in some States (especially Georgia)? Whether you travel at night, is a personal travelling-style decision. Some folk tend to drive an arduous 24/7 until they reach their destination. Like . . . we once did Atlanta to Toronto in a single stretch; and that was way back when I was young! After taking two days to recover from the experience, we never tried that again! :-(
Our current travelling philosophy is that the trip starts from the very moment we leave home; and each and every day on the road is fully enjoyed in it's own right. Getting off the road around 4 to 5 pm, and enjoying the evening, is intrinsic to our chosen style of travelling.
Suwannee River State Park, is inevitably our first stop in Fla; but come 6:30 pm, it's locked down for the night. So, if you expect to arrive late, a phone call ahead of time will provide you with the combination that will enable you to open the gate after hours.
As for travelling safety, I can understand your concern in Detroit; but Georgia?? Other than the infamous Georgia Police who represent a greater threat to decent citizens than all of the criminals in the State; they seem to have been reigned in at least a little bit. Notwithstanding, Georgia cops are just as sleazy and slimy as cops anywhere else in North America. Having been stopped by one of those infamous Georgia cops for speeding ten years ago while my son was driving; having constantly watched the speed my son had been doing, i.e. 70 mph instead of 60; the sleazy Georgia cop had ramped it up to 80 mph!!
The only highlight within the Georgia scenario, is that they no longer toss you in jail for 60 days for speeding while awaiting trial!
GBinNC - 12 Apr 2007 00:00 GMT >And BTW, stay out of Morrow, GA. Just stopping your RV in >Morrow will earn you an $800 fine! Details, please.
Thanks. GB in NC
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 12 Apr 2007 00:38 GMT >>And BTW, stay out of Morrow, GA. Just stopping your RV in >>Morrow will earn you an $800 fine!
>Details, please. Not that stopping off at Morrow could be considered a legitimate RV destination; but from the moment you enter town, the local cops will be following you big-time! The moment you stop anywhere in town, you can reasonably expect to receive a $800 citation.
While we've heard many reports from RVers who have been royally screwed by the Georgia constabulary, just try Morrow if you have a desire to be screwed to death!!
GBinNC - 12 Apr 2007 01:38 GMT >Not that stopping off at Morrow could be considered a legitimate RV >destination; but from the moment you enter town, the local cops will >be following you big-time! The moment you stop anywhere in town, you >can reasonably expect to receive a $800 citation. I'm not trying to be difficult, but what would the citation be for?
GB in NC
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 12 Apr 2007 15:57 GMT >>Not that stopping off at Morrow could be considered a legitimate RV >>destination; but from the moment you enter town, the local cops will [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >I'm not trying to be difficult, but what would the citation be for? >GB in NC I assume it would be for an infraction of an RV parking bylaw. Instead of a speed trap, Morrow operates a parking trap with hefty fines for out of state RVs.
The RVer who experienced this, reported it on one of the forums. He parked his RV in a shopping mall to do some shopping; it wasn't an overnight kind of scenario. The police had him nailed within minutes of stopping his rig. That's all I recall about the situation.
It's common knowledge that it's illegal to park a vehicle longer than 20' on Key West streets. But there are a couple towns out west, that post "No RV Parking" *anywhere* within town/city limits.
John Andrews - 12 Apr 2007 03:45 GMT >> I have been considering I-75 in my plans, now with this new >> information, it is gaining weight in my decision. But, having done [quoted text clipped - 80 lines] > The only highlight within the Georgia scenario, is that they no longer > toss you in jail for 60 days for speeding while awaiting trial! If you go through Atlanta, get in the HOV lane as you approach the city. Stay in that lane on I-75 all the way through the city. It will loop around on of the big tangles at the I-75/I-85 merge.
John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 12 Apr 2007 16:16 GMT >Other than the infamous Georgia Police who represent a >greater threat to decent citizens than all of the criminals in the >State; they seem to have been reigned in at least a little bit.
>The only highlight within the Georgia scenario, is that they no longer >toss you in jail for 60 days for speeding while awaiting trial! Guess I spoke too soon on that one! Headline news in Canada this morning, concerns a young female Canadian Carleton (Ottawa) University student who was arrested by Brunswick, Georgia Police, strip-searched, and thrown in jail for running a stop sign while leaving a shopping plaza!! The reason given for putting her in jail was that she is a Canadian!!
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070412/strip_search_070412 /20070412?hub=TopStories
So I tangling with the Morrow anti-RV police isn't a good idea for Canadian targets.
JerryD(upstateNY) - 11 Apr 2007 22:19 GMT plegault@plic.ca wrote:.... I am planning a trip to Orlando with my wife and three young kids (3-5-7) from Ottawa, Canada to Orlando<<<<<<<<<<<<
stan.birch@hotmail.com Wrote......As for the OP, I've taken into consideration that: 1. He's somewhat of a newbie at this sort of stuff; 2. He's travelling with at least two or more females.<<<<<
Mapquest says from Ottawa to Toronto is 280 miles and 5 hours. I can't see how starting you trip by going 280 miles out of your way is the best way to go. He could be on interstate 81 in PA, in 5 hours.
 Signature JerryD(upstateNY)
stan.birch@hotmail.com - 12 Apr 2007 00:46 GMT >stan.birch@hotmail.com Wrote......As for the OP, I've taken into >consideration that: [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I can't see how starting you trip by going 280 miles out of your way is the >best way to go. He could be on interstate 81 in PA, in 5 hours. While it sometimes seems that Ottawa is a mere suburb of my hometown, its just a tad further away than that.
While you ran the scenario through Mapquest, I ran it through S&T, with a mere 200 mile penalty!
Sometimes, the shortest distance between two points is . . . .
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