NH to FL in February

[RJ Howell]

Working out stops on the return now.

We will stay at Skidaway CG in Savannah, but before getting there I'm looking for a stop near Jacksonville.Looking at Huguenot CG. Anyone stay there?
https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks,-recreation-and-community-services/recreation-and-community-programming/huguenot-memorial-park.aspx

Could go into the Okefenokee National Wildlife or Osceola . Anyone been?

After Savannah I figure to stay again in the NF, maybe GA/SC as we work our way back.

[RJ Howell]

Update: Found my stay outside Jacksonville. Little NW and just over the Georgia line. Traders Hill CG. $20 a night with water/electric on site and hot showers in bath house! Had to call to confirm!
https://www.exploregeorgia.org/folkston/places-to-stay/campgrounds-rv-parks/traders-hill-campground-recreation-area

All I have left now is the Florida Water district sites that I can't reserve til after Jan 1. I'll post up the full itinerary in Jan, yet to say we'll be in Florida all Feb and 1st week of March in Georgia, really want to see Savannah! May be something you'd also like to see..

I did find another really cool place to camp just north of Charleston called Santee Coastal Reserve. Another free place yet like the Florida Water District's you have to reserve.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Santee+Coastal+Reserve/@33.1398821,-79.4095452,12.85z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x8901d81b17784469:0x294fb5d59b8baf55!8m2!3d33.1540365!4d-79.3674921!16s%2Fg%2F11fyzhxjnt?entry=ttu

[mary and bob]

We have been in Savannah at least three times, either from Skidaway or Rivers End campground that is on Tybee Island. Best option, in our opinion is to go to the visitors center and park there, then take one of the trolley tours. As I recall we have done both the White one and the Orange one. On one of them you first ride the whole route as the tour guide talks about everything you see, then they drop you off at a market area and you call them later to get picked up. The other tour we took was also a narrated tour but you could get off and back on whenever you wanted. It may have been the Orange tour, but whichever it was we liked that one the best. There are several different tours to choose from so do some research before you go. For a unique dining experience check out Mrs Wilkes, and be sure to get a free praline sample down on River Street. We haven't been in Savannah for several years, a friend was there a year or so ago and said there were a lot of homeless people everywhere. EDIT, also be sure to go to Leopolds Ice Cream shop.

[RJ Howell]

We have been in Savannah at least three times, either from Skidaway or Rivers End campground that is on Tybee Island. Best option, in our opinion is to go to the visitors center and park there, then take one of the trolley tours. As I recall we have done both the White one and the Orange one. On one of them you first ride the whole route as the tour guide talks about everything you see, then they drop you off at a market area and you call them later to get picked up. The other tour we took was also a narrated tour but you could get off and back on whenever you wanted. It may have been the Orange tour, but whichever it was we liked that one the best. There are several different tours to choose from so do some research before you go. For a unique dining experience check out Mrs Wilkes, and be sure to get a free praline sample down on River Street. We haven't been in Savannah for several years, a friend was there a year or so ago and said there were a lot of homeless people everywhere. EDIT, also be sure to go to Leopolds Ice Cream shop.

Thank you for this! I've been researching tours of Savannah trying to figure out how to. My first thought was to ride the on/off trolley full run to get an over view, then on the second round start jumping off at spots we liked. Or are all of them those kind of spots?

Have to google the Visitor Center to locate it. Was also curious where I'd park..

Again, thank you!

[mary and bob]

We would definitely recommend one of the tours where you can get on and off at the designated stops, NOT the one where you have to stay on for the whole tour and then get off at only the market area. They both are narrated, and if you do the one where you can get on and off at multiple spots the narration just continues as it would if you stayed on. As we recall it was paid parking at the visitor center, and you may have to cruise the lot to find a space. Then you'll find the various trolley tours in the lot, and they'll all try to get you to do their tour. One tour was in a hearse with the roof cut out as I recall. All the tours may have their own location and not in that visitor parking lot so you'll have to do some research so you know what will work best for you, not just jump on the first one that grabs you as you walk through the lot (like we did first visit). Some of Savannah is laid out in squares and the tours go around some of them and point out interesting stuff there. Couple things we remember is something about the cemetery that was referred to in the book Garden of Good And Evil, and the park bench that Tom Hanks sat on in the movie Forest Gump. Not sure if the bench is still there as it may have been moved because of vandalism. There are a couple small parking lots on River Street, we parked there one time after we had done a trolley tour and knew the area better. That downtown area of Savannah is nice, but typical of any big city there are the low end areas too. We also did a tour in Charleston and it was no where as nice as Savannah, but we did take the boat out to the fort (Sumter ?) and got to see the Civil War submarine Hunley. The fort out toward Tybee Island is very nice and there is another fort on Tybee and a lighthouse you can go in. EDIT It was Old Town Trolley that we liked, I just looked it up and it says unlimited on and off. Check it out, it's the orange and green trolleys.

[RJ Howell]

It was Old Town Trolley that we liked, I just looked it up and it says unlimited on and off. Check it out, it's the orange and green trolleys.

Thank you once again!

[RJ Howell]

Update: As of 10am this morning Dupris Campground in South Florida Water Management Area is booked! Seems a few stayed up or got up before and reserved! Surprised the heck out of me.. That's one of the popular sites due to the exposure on YT.. I got a site in Hickory Hammock just up the road. If you hope for one, do it soon!!

My other spot I'm hoping for comes available Jan 10th which is 30 days from 1st day of stay. That ones in Southwest Florida Water Management.

Water Management sites are very basic, yet clean. Did I mention free??

[foxontherun]

Note to all about Florida State parks, as of January 1st state residents get access to reservations first so they will likely be harder to get. We just got back from Topsail Hill SP; that is where we learned that beginning January 1st, Florida residents will get first dibs.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/reser ... nformation

Happy camping!

[RJ Howell]

Here's the final update till the trip.

Out of NH and a overnight at a hotel, cause it's freakin cold at this time of year and don't wish to deal.. Ya, I'm old and past that..

Thought next night is down in VA and within the Jefferson/Washington NF is this CG. Though is actually closed it still falls under the basic NF rules and the road is a access road to the CG which is maintained. Yes, I called and checked. Basic rules apply of 'completely off the road' and no trash left behind. The spot is a pull off at fishing/swiming hole, kinda a NF rest area so to say.
Jennings Creek Arcadia, VA 37°32'39.5"N 79°36'54.4"W / Parking area for fishing/swimming hole / Exit 168 onto Rt 614 E

Next overnight and 6 plus hrs down the road is Oconee River Campground, Oconee National Forest, Greensboro, GA 30642 This one actually will cost us all of $7 for the night. I can deal with it.. I'll update in my journal as to what it is, but for $7 and a quite night, I'm good!

Next stop begins the adventure! Newport Community Campground.
https://www.mywakulla.com/departments/parks/newport_campground.php
Yes I could have driven deeper into Florida, yet I like Community CG's and this is close to the first spring n the way south.
Wakulla Springs
https://www.floridastateparks.org/WakullaSprings
Okay your askin' why not just stay at the State Park.. Well timing..If you are ahead of me on booking, then you could.. I'm just not that quick I guess.. Besides, I like community parks!

Next stop is Gornto Springs Community Park (ya, it's an addiction I'm workin' on) and gives us a few State Park Springs to explore. This place a couple years back was free to stay, yet with all happening, they found they can charge.. so they do now. I figure since they're First come/first serve I'll hit them up on staying in the lot, she did tell tell me "No Worries" about a place to stay. Otherwise it's $15 a night.
https://www.naturalnorthflorida.com/things-to-do/gornto-springs/

If ya catching' the drift on ths part of the run, it's exploring the springs of Florida. If not, well I've told ya..

The we come to Potts Presevre. https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/potts-preserve
One of the great things about Florida is places lkie this! Shame it's mainly in the northern half, yet do try to enjoy what's there, while it's there and for us to!
These places are free to stay and you only have to reserve a place to enjoy. Okay the more pupular a place is the quicker you you need to be to get a spot, yet they are still out there and can be gained.
I'm here for 4 nights and exploring more springs near by.

From here I have relatives to visit and will put us below Vience, FL.

Need to go for now... I'll catch up with more in a bit.. Wifey is under the weather and I'm on Chef detail..

[RJ Howell]

That puts us into the beach portion of the run with the the next layover at Caloosahatchee Regional Park.
https://www.leegov.com/parks/parks/crp
$15 a night, trails near by and Manatee park just down the road. If we haven't seen them by now, here's another chance. This is just outside of Fort Meyers and hope to get out of Sanibel Island (damage allowing) and s we leave head down the coastal run to Naples and turn east along the Tamiami Rt 41

Then we land at Mitchell Landing CG https://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/mitchells-landing-campground.htm in Big Cyprus NP. Another $15 stay and more of an overnight than a destination though Shark Valley is just down the road.

Next few days is on the Keys. If you can get into a State park out there.. you've done real well! I grabbed at hot room with enough room for the camper and plan to use local transportation to get to Key West. We'll be on Marathon Key. Hotel of your choice, I picked Black Fin Resort. https://www.blackfinresort.com
Pricing is reasonable, for the Keys that is..

We'll overnight at Lone Pine Key in Everglades NP and move on to Hickory Hammock WMA. We wanted an overnight coming off the Keys before heading north on the east coast and this is the most convenient spot I found (slim pickings around there). Hickory Hammock is a good basecamp for sightseeing some east coast beach and some interior Florida. https://www.sfwmd.gov/community-residents/recreation Free camp, just need to reserve.

Next spot is in Tiger Bay State Forest, Bennett Field CG. At $13 a night makes it another great basecamp to tour nearby Daytona. https://floridastateforests.reserveamerica.com/camping/bennett-field-campground-tiger-bay-state-forest/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=FLFS&parkId=1120155

This brings us into March and heading out of Florida into Georgia to overnight at Traders Hill CG.
Found this one from YT and other folks doing what we will be around Florida and stayed here. $20 a night with electric and showers.

Last destination is Savannah Georgia. I picked Skidaway State Park for our stay. This is ~$50 a night, yet with amenities and decent sites.
https://gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland

We'll pretty much backtrack our travel north with the except of checking out another CG in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Desoto Falls Recreation Area. With the pass only $10 for the night. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recarea/?recid=10524

If we liked Jennings Creek on the way own we'll layover there again, hotel the last night and be home the following.

That's the basic itinerary without getting to deep into the nearby attractions of each stop. Hopes some of this helps another with planning a trip into Florida. There are several more points of interest I'm not working into this trip, mainly due to timing. I've hit the things we really want to do, some we hope to do and others that will attract us along the way.
Plan early going to Florida as so many others head there as well. Some places can close to a year ahead (none that I list), some are first of the year and others 30 day advance.

Safe travels all!

[mary and bob]

Silver Springs in Florida has the glass bottom boat tours, a museum, and other interesting stuff. Some of the TV show with Lloyd Bridges, Sea Hunt I think, some of the movie Creature From the Black Lagoon, was filmed there, and some other TV and movies filmed there. That part of the State Park is separate from the camping area. It was a fun day trip, we only spent a few hours there. We did not camp at Silver Springs SP but did at one other, might have been Rainbow Springs SP

[foxontherun]

Postby RJ Howell » Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:11 am
Working out stops on the return now.

We will stay at Skidaway CG in Savannah, but before getting there I'm looking for a stop near Jacksonville.Looking at Huguenot CG. Anyone stay there?
https://www.jacksonville.gov/department ... -park.aspx

Sorry, I am a little late on this now but we have stayed at Hugenot. It's nice campground with clean restrooms and very open (Dec 2019). The only downside (if you want to call it that) is you are next to what I will call a shipping canal and there is a military base across the water from you. There was a light rumble pretty much all night long that I was told it was probably the dredgers?? keeping the canal floor deep enough for the container ships to go in and out. I never knew there were square ships, ha! I looked out and there is a really tall and long square block moving by in the water; it was a humongous car carrier, guessing bringing cars in from overseas. We did see people fishing off the edges of the campground, didn't see anyone catch anything though.

Hope you enjoy your trip!
Harry

[foxontherun]

Another nice campground is a city park called Hanna Abbey. https://www.jacksonville.gov/department ... -park.aspx

We also stayed here in December 2019 and then moved over to Hugenot from there.
Harry

[foxontherun]

My wife has tent camped at Blue Spring state park this time of year. https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks ... state-park

While kayaking the St John river where Blue Springs comes out one manatee was real curious and popped up next to her on the side of her inflatable kayak. She says manatee breath gives new meaning to dog breath, ha! The water is very clear and warm so the manatees like to hang out in that water and you can see lots of fish as well.
Harry

[RJ Howell]

Thank you both for the info!

Hope to visit Rainbow Spring as we travel to Potts Preserve, yet I had not even considered Silver Spring and it's about an hour out of Potts Preserve, so why not!

Blue Spring is not too far from Tiger Bay State Forest where we'll stay on the way back north. Added that one as well!

Here's a screen shot of saved POI's Seems there's plenty to do! LOL