Right Place, Wrong Time

[JudyJB]

I have made two mistakes in planning my winter here in Florida. The first was scheduling two weeks in Flagler Beach which is about 15 miles north of Daytona Beach, during Bike Week. There were supposed to be 500,000 motorcycles in that area, and the Gamble-Rogers state park campground is right next to the highway. This meant motorcycles roaring up and down the highway until about 2:3o am each night. I was lucky to have driven through Daytona Beach the week before, but I would not have wanted to do it in my motorhome with all the motorcycles around.

My second mistake was scheduling a couple of days here in Orlando so I could visit Universal Studios. I spent four hours there today, and was able to ride one kiddie ride--35 minute wait for a two-minute ride. I also saw one show, but all of the other rides had at least an hour's wait time. It was even so crowded that it was hard to walk around. I spent $65 per day for a two-day pass. Adding the Express Pass that would have enabled me to skip lines would have cost another $75 per day, including tax.

There is no way with my bad back that I can wait an hour or more for a ride. And almost $280 for a two-day pass is ridiculous.

OK, I know not to try to visit Indianapolis the weeks around the Indy 500 or Louisville during the Kentucky Derby, but what other perfectly nice places should I stay away from at what times of the year?

And maybe the opposite--what events should I plan my travels around? Maybe festivals or other things going on that would make it a good time of year to visit?

[longdog2]

Christmas/New Years and Spring Break are big holiday traveler time in the south and busy times at places like Disney and other destination parks.

[avalen]

probably google events for the cities you plan to visit and see whats happening during those times you plan to visit.
Couple of things that drive me nuts in my own neighborhood is the Ironman competition and the PFChangs marathon.
So many streets are blocked off its absolutely impossible to get around. Although each event is just a day, the week
prior is very heavy with traffic.

[Azusateach]

Judy, you mentioned being in the Palm Springs next Spring. It's the West Coast mecca for Spring Break, so you need to think about that. Leaving here by mid-March would probably keep you out of the craziness. But if you stayed out of Palm Springs proper (maybe Indio?) you'd probably be okay.

Southern CA is always busy, and things seem to kick it up a gear once April hits. However, if you're smart about where you stay you can often avoid crowds. As you've come to learn, it's all about planning.

Sure would be fun to have you here for a visit next year, though!

Laura

[snowball]

Judy perhaps the way to go it is to google the destination for example say Des Moines IA and see what events are happening and when find out about that event in Des Moines they have supposedly one of the best State Fairs but I can't say as I never made it to it and when you determine if there is an event you want to attend then plan the trip around the day that fair I think is in Aug. but in the spring time in Pella IA is the tulip fest I choose to mention these cause I was aware of them...my friend lives in WA and she says there are so many little festivals going on all the time...and oh yes avoid the black hills during the oh help what is the ok here it comes Sturgis bike ride can't remember the dates of it but you will want to plan around it....
So look at where you want to go see what they have to offer and see if you can plan around it either to take in or to not take in
sheila

[Nasoosie]

I am not anyone to ask about what places to avoid, as I never plan to visit "tourist places", ever, when I plan to go camping in new places. I have never been one who likes rides, museums, races, shows, or anything like that. What I look for when/if (which is very rare as this campsite right here at my son's has it all!) I plan to haul somewhere different is number one, water---both for swimming and canoeing----large pull-through sites, if possible, WiFi, cable TV or over-the-air channels, dog park or trails for hiking/walking with dogs----things like that. The Disney Park campsites were fun to see, but I would never pay to go there myself. I still would love to spend a week on a beach-front site somewhere before I head back home this year. My various medical problems have kept me pretty much "chained" to the doctor offices this winter, so this place at my son's in St. Cloud has been ideal. I have a huge site, a big pond to look at, tons of wildlife, including a pair of eagles, a swimming beach on the St. Cloud waterfront, grocery stores nearby, and fun family to spend time with. As for any of those "points of interest"---other than the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, which I loved, they tend to leave me cold.

My own Adirondack Park has most of the great mountain views and wildlife and canoeing and hiking and swimming and whatever else I love. However, I would love to do Alaska some time----not necessarily any places other than neat campgrounds. I don't care to see old miners' places, touristy towns, or anything like that. I care about a beautiful campground where I can sit back and look at mountains or glaciers, or hike my tail off on some gorgeous trails.

[JudyJB]

I thought I had a beautiful ocean-side campsite that was away from everything. What I didn't plan on was the motorcycles off for a day trip. They actually had day trips published in the newspaper, and several of them went as far as 30 miles from Daytona! One went right by our campground. I accidently bumped into another when I took the out-of-the-way return route from the Cape Canaveral Visitor Center and ended up driving through a small town where there was a bar with about 500 motorcycles parked around it and across the road with police directing traffic. It was at the end of one of the suggested road trips for bikes!

Soos, if you can get in, I strongly recommend Fort Clinch's beach campground--not the river campground. Very quiet and away from everything. Gorgeous beach for walks. No animals on beach, however, as is true of all the state parks on the beach I have been on.

I did enjoy my drive through Daytona the week before bike week because I was able to find the hotel that my college girlfriends and I stayed at in 1964 during Spring Break and where I met my ex-husband! I could barely recognize it, but it was still there!! I had not been back since then.

[Irmi]

Since we're from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, most people go to Ocean City for the weekend, but we don't. If you don't enjoy stand still traffic, for hours at a time, never, ever go to the ocean on a weekend. The campgrounds near the ocean are expensive, but this is only hear say. Because of the crowds of people and traffic, we don't go to the ocean, even though we only live two hours away. We travel back roads to get around when the ocean traffic is in the area, but sometimes that doesn't work anymore. I personally would stay off the eastern shore from Memorial weekend until Labor Day weekend to avoid the traffic.

[Acadianmom]

Some people come to Louisiana for Mardi Gras but I try to avoid it. Most of the smaller towns will only have one parade but the larger cities will have parades going on for 2 weeks. I almost ended up in a parade twice trying to get around them.

Martha

[TarheelBornGal]

I am not anyone to ask about what places to avoid, as I never plan to visit "tourist places", ever, when I plan to go camping in new places. I have never been one who likes rides, museums, races, shows, or anything like that. ...

My own Adirondack Park has most of the great mountain views and wildlife and canoeing and hiking and swimming and whatever else I love.

Nasoosie, sounds like we have the same preferences -- we do not care for most "tourist" destinations and prefer quiet places to hike, bike, kayak, and birdwatch. Would love to hear more about the Adirondack Park you mention...I'm new to this forum and don't even yet own an RV, but the plans are in motion, and I'm always looking for out of the way places to put on "the list".

My husband and I did a self-supported bike tour through the Adirondacks back in 2004, and it was so incredibly beautiful. Definitely want to go back.

Thanks!
Emily