Where to go in late March or early April?

[cpaharley2008]

Here is hoping a better 2021, both camping and health wise........

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I'm getting envious, and a bit sad, reading this thread. We've had a great summer exploring BC. But there's not a lot we want to do in the colder months which is why we normally head South towards the end of Jan.

It's not looking likely that's going to happen any time soon. I'm a frequent border crosser so it's been really strange not to be able to cross for so long now and it looks like well into the future.

So all you South of the 49th, enjoy.

Ron

Duck hunting ,goose hunting , grouse hunting , deer hunting , snow shoe bunny hunting , cross country skiing , ice fishing , sledding , tobogganing, snowmobiling , ice racing , snowshoeing , enjoying a sauna are just a few of the great Fall / Winter activities
No need to go South when everything is right there in your own backyard.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Did you also tour the WW II submarine that was part of the exhibit? After seeing the spacious rooms on the battleship, it was a shock to see the tiny quarters in the sub.

Hi Jim,
Hope you are continuing to improve. I know how much you want to get out there and camp and cook outdoors again.

As scoutmaster of Cedar Rapids Troop 29, we took a great High Adventure in 1993. Stayed the first night in the Fort Knox
Campground group camp and slept in a barracks building. Toured the armament display at Fort Knox and saw the illuminated Gold Vault at night. Then on down to Montgomery Alabama to stay at the Air Force Base there. Stayed in the preschool gymnasium, rented the huge outdoor pool for a three hour swim and paid two young men who were on the Auburn swim team to lifeguard and race our swimmers. Not as ugly as you might guess.

Then on down to Eglin AFB where we stayed two days. Had a great tour of the facility including parachute rigging, the AC 130 Spectre Gunship. A close pass flyby from an F-16, the ammo bunkers, and the ammo tear down area. Then on to the Naval air museum at Pensacola. A wonderful display that I could have spent several days examining. Then we stayed overnight for one night on the battleship Alabama, went through the Submarine and the flight museum which housed my favorite plane the SR71 Blackbird. One of the adults stayed in the bunk (swinging, chain hung deals) assigned to major league pitcher and Iowan from Van Meter, Bob Feller. Back up to Fort Knox and then down to the Corvette Factory tour, Corvette museum and Mammoth cave. Then home.

Result: two Air Force career pilots, one Commercial Pilot flying the pacific Rim and Japan to the USA and one systems engineer working on cockpit displays for Rockwell avionics on the military side. 7 Eagle Scouts out of about 15 boys.

We had a 33 year Marine Corps Veteran in our troop Two silver stars and one bronze star) who could open any military door whenever he made the calls. This stood us in good stead many times on the high adventures we took.

We did these trips for about $200 a week per participant. Careful planning, disciplined timetables and “esprit de corps” were the keys to success.

I happened to talk to one of the scouts that took that trip a couple weeks ago. He’s 38 now and said he remembers it like it was yesterday. And that’s why I got into Scouting. A can do attitude makes a lot possible.
Iowa Dave

[camp4528]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

This was the only "Trace" I was aware of......https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

Camping along the Natchez Trace.

Thanks for this!!! Like I said - newbie, and the Trace meant nothing to me (yet). It looks very interesting, so it is now on my "maybe someday when the border opens" list.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by camp4528

Thanks for this!!! Like I said - newbie, and the Trace meant nothing to me (yet). It looks very interesting, so it is now on my "maybe someday when the border opens" list.

Hi: camp4528... Here's a couple of pics I took on the Natchez Trace. I asked the Ranger a dumb ? What's a Trace? He said when they named it... the word "Parkway" wasn't invented yet!!! Alf p.s. Towing thru 3 states w/out 18 wheelers!!!
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[camp4528]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: camp4528... Here's a couple of pics I took on the Natchez Trace. I asked the Ranger a dumb ? What's a Trace? He said when they named it... the word "Parkway" wasn't invented yet!!! Alf p.s. Towing thru 3 states w/out 18 wheelers!!!
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

That looks really nice!!

These photos were taken during my first real US road trip which was in early March 2020 just before the borders were closed, so you can have fun and safe driving even early. I tried to stay off the interstates, so my southern route from "Watertown NY" to Raleigh NC included Jim country (PA501/PA896), through DelMarVa (DE896, DE1, US13), across the amazing Chesapeake Bay Bridge, then US17 to boring US64. Northern route was the mostly wonderful and scenic US15 then PA14/NY14 past the finger lakes NY to Sodus Point NY.

[Chama]

When Covid really got going in early March, we were camped at Borrego Palm Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in CA. We decided to leave early and head back home to NM to wait things out. So now, since it looks like a vaccine will/may be availbe in late 2020 or early 2021, we decided to head back to Borrego for another visit. Very much to my surprise, I found all the FHU sites in the park were already fully booked for March by Oct 4 when I checked. Though I have not checked no hookup sites or other locations, I am suspecting that many of the popular spots in the Southwest will be the same- already booked.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by camp4528

That looks really nice!!

These photos were taken during my first real US road trip which was in early March 2020 just before the borders were closed, so you can have fun and safe driving even early. I tried to stay off the interstates, so my southern route from "Watertown NY" to Raleigh NC included Jim country (PA501/PA896), through DelMarVa (DE896, DE1, US13), across the amazing Chesapeake Bay Bridge, then US17 to boring US64. Northern route was the mostly wonderful and scenic US15 then PA14/NY14 past the finger lakes NY to Sodus Point NY.

Hi: camp4528... From Natchez Miss. to almost Nashville Tenn. 50 mph and no big trucks. Rec., towing only. We stayed twice at Tombigbee St. Pk. in Tupelo Miss. Only 20 sites so res. req'd. Done the Trace 3 times coming home from Fla. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[camp4528]

Very cool, Escape_Artist, and the others. Thanks!!

[GregandTeresa]

We spend a week at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores Alabama every April. It's right across the road from the beach, and is never busy that time of year. I know the hurricane just recently hit there, but we still expect to be able to go this next April