Northeast Discovery RV Vacation Itinerary

Pick up your motorhome in Linden, New Jersey and cross the state line into Pennsylvania to your first suggested stop where you'll get used to how your motorhome hooks up to electric and water.  Midway between Lancaster Amish Country and Philadelphia, your hosts offer an experience rich in revolutionary history, culture and family fun.

Philadelphia and "America's most historic square mile" with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  The closest RV park to Washington DC, Cherry Hill Park, is suggested.  It has transportation into the city several times daily.  The White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, Smithsonian, Washington Monument and so much more (check out www.washington.org).  At Cherry Hill, take advantage of two swimming pools, hot tub, sauna and other amenities.

An opportunity to see some things you missed yesterday before heading to colonial Williamsburg.  Before the War of Independence, it was the seat of government in the British colony.  Original buildings have been reconstructed over 301 acres, most on original foundations. Tradespeople, gardens and rare animal breeds add authenticity to the town.  Suggested campground tonight is a KOA close to Busch Gardens, Jamestown and Yorktown.

Shenandoah National Park, home of the spectacular Skyline Drive, follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Big Meadows Campground is one of three that will take RVs.  It's near many of the waterfalls and hiking trails in the park.  There are no water or electric hook-ups in the National Park Service's Big Meadows, so this will be your first totally independent overnight.

A leisurely scenic 224 miles/5 hour drive through the George Washington National Forest, crossing into West Virginia and driving past the Monongahela National Forest to Smoke Hole Resort in Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area to overnight.

Cross back into Maryland at Gormania.  Look to your left - that's Backbone Mountain standing 3,360 feet high.  Continue past Deep Creek Lake and Deep Creek Lake State Park.  Cross into northern Pennsylvania following the Youghiogheny River, the Lake and then Laurel Ridge State Park to your left.  Destination is Laurel Highlands Campland, just before Donegal.  Check their website for activities such as white-water rafting, caverns and battle re-enactments.

Join the main highway in Donegal and travel through Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh - the Andy Warhol Museum alone is a good reason for stopping!  Pittsburgh centers on the Golden Triangle where three major rivers join forces. Cross into Ohio and drive to Bear Creek Resort Ranch.   Horse riding, hayrides, mini-golf, paddle boat rental, fishing, swimming and winter tobogganing... Loads to do!

Interstate 77 through Canton to Akron, where you might leave the freeway through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Pick up the freeway again and drive straight into Cleveland.  Located right on Lake Erie, this is an easy walking city with lots to see.  You are here for the imposing I.M. Pei designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so take yourself along the 'soundtrack of your life'.  Spend a few hours before setting off for the town of Erie on America's North Coast.  The Erie KOA is your suggested home for tonight.

Head straight for Niagara Falls or detour into Niagara on the Lake.  Enjoy this beautiful setting on Lake Ontario; plenty of shops, restaurants and events.  It's 26 wineries tell you a lot about the climate in the delightful setting of this small Ontario town.  There's more to see such as the Butterfly Conservatory.  Extend your stay and add more of the area's attractions.  Your suggested overnight is the KOA less than five minutes from the Falls.  If travelling into Canada, remember you will need a passport and there is a border crossing fee per person.

Cross back into the USA and head for the Corning Museum of Glass.  Make your own glass or watch others do it.  15 miles after leaving Corning, you'll be at the suggested KOA at Watkins Glen, the KOA Campground of the Year in 2009.  For years, the home of Formula 1's US Grand Prix, Watkins Glen is still a major center for NASCAR and other exciting motor sports.

A wonderful drive to Catskills State Park.  New York's Catskill Mountains include one of the largest and most complex natural areas in the East - on a par with the West's Yellowstone National Park.  Forested mountains, narrow winding valleys, rushing streams and rivers are features that attract many to the 600,000 acres.  The finest Catskill RV park, Brookside Campground in Jefferson Heights, is nestled at the edge of the Catskill Mountains, just outside of the park.

A country route that runs through towns and villages of New York State.  Inhabited by Native Americans for thousand of years before the arrival of Europeans, colonial Northampton was founded in 1654 by settlers from Springfield, Massachusetts.  Just beyond Northampton is White Birch Campground.  At the foot of the Berkshire Mountains you can enjoy the rural peaceful beauty of the campground.

Driving in Boston is not recommended so head first for the KOA campground and use their shuttle to the convenient transit station for easy access to and from the city.  Expanded far beyond the original layout of the 17th century, the colonial port is still discernable.  Outside the city is Plymouth Plantation, a faithful re-creation of a small farming town built by British colonists; it's worth your time.  You are close to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  Maybe spend some extra nights here.

You are mainly on Interstate 95 which runs all the way south to Miami!  You may want to stop at Providence, Rhode Island, before joining the freeway.  I-95 runs very close to the shoreline of Long Island South, so hop off it for a while to follow the Atlantic coastline. 

It's 30 miles and should take about 30 minutes to an hour to get back to the Linden location to return your RV by 11:00am with a full tank of petrol.