Multi-day go there and come back.

[digimark]

I'd like to take my 8, 10 yo sons on a multi-day go "somewhere" and come back over 5-7 days. To do this -- we'd pick a destination, load up our cargo trailer camper and start driving, no more than 4-6 hours per day. We'd camp overnight in the trailer, and keep going until we get there. Spend a day there, then reverse back.

I'm guessing we'd eat in (at the trailer) half the time and go out (restaurant, fast food, etc.) half the time. I'd want to stay overnight in relatively safe places with a power outlet.

Are there websites with lists of appropriate campsites along a driving path that I could use to plan this kind of trip? For people who do this in their TDs, are there any links or appropriate postings on trips like this, things I should know, etc? I'll keep searching for more posts on T&TTT.

I really don't know where to start, but I'd like to take the boys on a (seemingly) spontaneous trip in the next couple of weeks before school starts again. Thanks in advance.

[bve]

Google Earth, the free application from Google could be of good benefit.

While I am not at all familiar with Bowie, MD I was able to find it in GE and locate National Parks and what not close to you. I can see you are close to Wolf Trap and Shenandoah National Parks seems to me from the pictures HickerChick has posted of Shenandoah that would be a nice trip - maybe it's too close?

Either way the nice thing with Google Earth is you can add your own point of interest and if you have a GPS unit you can tie it to waypoints too, although I have yet to try it.

Here is Shenandoah with some points of interest in GE.

[hiker chick]

With boys that age and for that length of time I very strongly recommend Virginia's Douthat State Park.

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/dou.shtml


Douthat is 220 miles from Washington, D.C. (3.5 hours zooming out I-66 to I-81 to I-64). Douthat is 8 miles north of Clifton Forge, Virginia and 30 miles west of Lexington, Virginia.

River-fed Douthat Lake is in the mountains, 50 acres of pristine water and stocked with trout. Below the dam (CCC-built in the 1930s) is a fishing area on the little river that is reserved for children under 12.

The park has a white sand beach with a lifeguard on duty and roped-off swimming area. There are rental canoes, rowboats and paddle-boats. There is a restaurant on the lake and small camp store. 40 miles of hiking-mountain biking trails.

Campground "A" is right on the lake so you can tie your boat up near your campsite and leave it there. Campground "A" is reservable but specific sites are not. If you time it right you can get the old camp host site, which is humongous and has an unimpeded view of the lake.

There is a Kroger's supermarket in Clifton Forge.

It's a beautiful drive and a gorgeous state park with lots to do for kids. The park is family-oriented with no power boats allowed on the lake (makes it nice and quiet and diverts the Jet Ski crowd to Lake Moomaw).

Douthat has repeatedly been selected as one of America's Top Ten State Parks. Virginia overall has a wonderful state park system, there are many terrific destination parks.

I do also camp at Shenandoah National Park, a lot. Big Meadows campground. Less to do for kids though, unless they'll be content to hike, bike and run around the campground and perhaps fish in some streams that you hike to.

Gidget was a bit of a diva with the boat. She much preferred water to land.

[hiker chick]

...and gratuitous Gidg-pics (all at Douthat). In that second pic is a 1970-something Serro Scotty.

[hiker chick]

I just re-read your message -- you don't want to go somewhere and camp for a few days?

You want to drive a few hours every day and camp someplace different every night?

Ugh - especially with kids.

But if that's what you want to do I'd look at Night #1 at Douthat and then loop around Virginia or West Virginia state parks. Or perhaps get on Skyline Drive and do the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina and come back up the coast, with a stay over at Accoteague-Chincoteague.

[len19070]

If you have a Canoe? If not you can rent one. (believe me it will be worth it)

I would suggest Promised Land State Park. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/ ... dland.aspx

It is a State Park and is Patrolled and Patrolled often, so it is safe.

Its a beautiful old CCC campground.

There is a Village in the center of the Park with 2 nice restaurants, a general store, bait shop...And a Bar for Dad. Just in case things get to overwhelming.

Its within your driving range. 4.5 hrs

It has 3 campgrounds on the same Lake. 2 accessible by water.

My son, a buddy and I would go to one campground area and set up a base camp, usually The Pines. Spend a day or so around that campground, enjoy the swimming area all the commercial stuff.

Then load enough gear for an overnight (or 2) in the Canoe and paddle around the lake...fish, fall over board, stop on islands and explore and eventually get to the other Campground, Pickerel Point (Very primitive, water front sites). Set up camp from the Canoe. Spend a day or so. Swimming, fishing, throwing rocks at things, catching things that make girls scream etc.

Then break Camp early and paddle over to Conservation Island. Spend some time there, and then back to the base camp.

its real nice and your basically going on a Camping trip while your on a Camping trip.

It really makes it interesting when Dad pretends to get lost and tells everyone that we'll have to spend the night out here.

And then the stories Dad can tell to scare the crap out of them are endless.

I guarantee a behavior improvement from this that will last for at least 6 months.

Happy Trails

Len

[digimark]

Thank you for the ideas -- checking them out now. I need to rethink my idea of a different place each night. That might be tough to do, and especially doesn't allow the boys time to do anything. I was thinking that the destination would be the place they do things at, but I'm beginning to see that's not going to work at all.

Forgot all about I-84 in Virginia and the Shenandoah NP. I think I'll check out Harper's Ferry and Skyline Drive also.

I'd really like to take them out West to the NV/AZ/UT desert, but that will probably have to wait for another season.

(For the times when we have to stop part way...)

It s*cks that Virginia closed a bunch of their rest stops on I-84 last week. In general, are rest stops safe places to park and sleep?

If necessary, is it as simple as pulling into a Wal-Mart parking lot, going to the far end, and going to sleep? Would I normally check with someone in the store first?

[Gaelen]

One thing it looks like you could do, especially if you have the whole 7 days, is do more than one park. For instance, Westmoreland SP is less than an hour from you, so it could be afternoon 1, night 1, day 2, night 2 and then you could pick up and go to another SP or Federal area in the vicinity.

However, Ｉused to camp a bunch with my nephews--from ages 3 & 6 until they were 9 & 12, respectively. For them, driving 3-4 hours to a destination campground and then staying in one spot was the best plan...that was just far enough to leave after work and get to camp before dark, and then spend the next 3 days exploring the SP I chose, and maybe the town around it. For instance, when we camped at Allegany SP, we went to the Iroquois museum on one of the rainy days...but spent most of the rest of the time swimming, fishing, on the nature walks, investigating the beaver dams, etc. At 8 and 10, my nephews wanted to play in the woods and camp in the trees...not spend much time in the car or camp in parking lots. YMMV. Just have fun!

[devigata]

Cherokee, NC?

http://www.cherokee-nc.com/

[hiker chick]

Thank you for the ideas -- checking them out now. I need to rethink my idea of a different place each night.

I think you and the boys will be much, much happier getting to one spot and staying there.

5-7 days is not that long (you'll have long traffic-laden drives on Day 1 and the last day). Those days that you don't have to drive anywhere and setup camp are especially delightful. Those are the most relaxing mornings.

Camping nirvana for me is to get up with the sun -- knowing that I don't have to drive anywhere that day -- brew coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet before the other campers are up and about.

And fast food - ick. Do a nice meal plan, organize the cooler(s) -- you might want a separate cooler for drinks -- and eat well morning, lunch and dinner. Indulge in yummy burgers, steak, chicken the first 3 nights and then bring out the hot dogs toward the end of the trip.

So much more pleasant to park and stay for awhile.

I'm from Oregon and a western mountain snob, but have to say that residents of the mid-Atlantic really are blessed with many nice outdoor options -- activities and some terrific national and state parks -- that are within a half-day or day drive in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Pace yourself over the next few years, pick out some nice ones and enjoy each thoroughly rather than skipping around in a rush.

What activities would the boys enjoy? Canoeing on a lake? Fishing? Whitewater rafting? Biking? Hiking? Visiting a tourist attraction like Luray Caverns?

I'd pick the campground(s) around activities for them. Also, different campgrounds draw different crowds. That's why I'm so partial to Douthat -- plenty to do in a serene, quiet setting. Douthat's Campground "A" is small and you won't have near as many cars speeding around the campground road (a danger at Shenandoah NP's 200-site Big Meadows campground).

Does your teardrop have air conditioning?

If not, I would very highly recommend a higher elevation mountain destination.

[hiker chick]

It s*cks that Virginia closed a bunch of their rest stops on I-84 last week. In general, are rest stops safe places to park and sleep?

If necessary, is it as simple as pulling into a Wal-Mart parking lot, going to the far end, and going to sleep? Would I normally check with someone in the store first?

Anything you do in Virginia should be an easy day drive from Bowie, Maryland. (I'm assuming you're not leaving after work, which is presumptious of me)

The far southwest corner of Virginia is 6 hours from DC. Roanoke, VA is 4 hours from DC (assuming you're not coming through DC during the afternoon-evening rush which extends on weekdays from 2:30p-7:00p).

Unless there's been an accident, I-81 is fast, very fast (with lots of speeding tractor-trailers).

There are plenty of gas stations and fast food establishments along 81, I wouldn't worry about rest stops - just don't count on them being open.

Nevertheless, especially with kids it is always good to have a roll of toilet paper or Kleenex in the car....

I always carry the little packets of Kleenex -- in the car and my backpack -- along with hand sanitizer.

[digimark]

I'll keep in mind Douthat State Park for next year, thanks for that suggestion. But I'm both terrified and pleased to report that we've made reservations for three nights at the Harpers Ferry KOA campground for Thursday through Sunday. I'm thinking we can get there mid-day, then we have three days to explore Harpers Ferry, the northern part of Skyline Drive and Luray Caverns, plus whatever is at the campground (pool, among other things) and the boys can go fishing. I just hope I'm not in over my head.

Sorry -- I meant I-81, not I-84 in the earlier post. Isn't I-84 between Richmond and Norfolk? And I agree, both rest stops and Wal-Marts won't be needed for this trip. But I am still curious about the answers to each question, for future use.

EDIT: I-64, not I-84. Geez!

By Sunday I'm either going to be hooked on all of this, or I'll be posting a "For Sale" sign on the trailer...

[hiker chick]

Isn't I-84 between Richmond and Norfolk?

I-84 is in the northeast - PA/NY/MA/CT

And I-84 is in the west - Oregon/Idaho/Utah


Harper's Ferry is a terrific destination, you'll have a blast. We've hiked a few times on the C&O Canal (parking at the train station and walking across the train bridge). And to Jefferson Rock on the AT which comes right into town. Whitewater rafting is big there.

[razorback]

Just spent a night last week at the Harper's Ferry KOA. Wish we could have stayed a week. The kids will absolutely love the river and rafting opportunities. This KOA also has a lot to do on site for the kids. Lots of nice history and the national park is worth an afternoon if you care anything about history.
Larry

[digimark]

I love history -- could spend the entire trip in Harpers Ferry. The boys -- not so much. Maybe when they get older...