OH! Where to

[garmp]

A Nubee to this retirement thing and need some advice. Retired the first of this year and it took this long to get things settled AND our new Sportsmobile. So now we're almost ready to hit the road. Here's the problem: Have a week or two at max, due to concerns at home. Live in St. Louis, MO and want to head to a warmer climate, say in mid-March or so. With our new "rig" we do most of our cooking, eating, relaxing and so forth, outside. In the van only to sleep and during really nasty weather spells. It has a microwave, a table and enough room for us two. But don't want to spend days inside. We are very mobile and pretty much on the move (not quite into the full retirement mode of staying in one place more than a couple of days yet). We want to see St. Augustine, FL and Anastasia SP, but everything read & hear is that it books solid and the further in advance, the better the reservation chances are. Would like to go there, then cut across to the Gulf side and work our way home. Don't want to go more than 1000(ish) miles from home and Florida is great, but we've been to the panhandle several times and would like something new/different. Thought about Texas and heard good things about a couple of SP's, but not sure if they're really safe. New Orleans (the city itself) doesn't thrill either of us. Oh where to?

[Davydd]

Once you hit the road you'll relax and grow in confidence. Dick and Ann (ennajean) have a Sportsmobile and routinely hit the road for weeks at a time. We will be having a BEE Social at the KOA on South Padre Island, Texas this coming April where you can congregate with several B owners, get to know them, and pick up several tips for using your B on the road.

Last fall we took a trip to Texas from Galveston Beach hugging the Gulf Coast as close as we could physically drive all the way to Key West, Florida. We stayed mostly in state parks with the exception of one private campground in New Orleans that had a free shuttle delivery and pickup service to the French Quarter and a Galveston beach house owned by my cousin. The state parks in Louisiana, Alabama and the pan handle of Florida were all nice.

Last April we went to Van Buren, MO and the Ozark National Scenic Riverway not all that far from St. Louis for a BEE Social. That could be a good shakedown trip not too far from home.

[markopolo]

I'd like to spend some time around St. Augustine, FL.

If you have to have to make a reservation make sure it is all or at least partly refundable should something come up and you have to cancel. We booked 3 months a few years ago but had to cancel. We lost a fee but most of the money was returned to us quickly.

[garmp]

Getting closer to a plan. Take a day or two to work our way to the Savannah area (may James Island area) and then work our way down the coast and just camp where ever there is an opening. Maybe spend a day touring St Augustine, if we can find a site nearby, and preferably Anastasia SP. Reservations be d_m_ed! Then gotta see Daytona Beach! Just a must for a mid-west boy after watching all those Frankie and Attonnette movies. Camp our way over to the Crystal River / Manatee Springs area, then up the Gulf and on homeward. Maybe, just maybe hit northern Georgia after the 31st of March for a little trout fishing. But that's a thin maybe. And if the wife reads this, I'll deny ever bringing it up! (must of been a moderator's edit).

But still open for any and all suggestions, preferences, and/or ideas. We are not fond of private parks, and much prefer COE (Geezer Pass and all) and State, but a spot is a spot when needed.