Beverly Beach RV Campground Amenities

The best amenity at this campground is the beach front camping. They have a great sea wall, to put your RV up above the sunbathers and help keep the sand to a minimum, along with a bricked boardwalk between the RVs and the sea wall.

At night, the boardwalk becomes a place for RVers to hang out, enjoy an adult beverage, and socialize.

There are several sets of stairs throughout to give you easy access to the beach. Because there are nesting sea turtles in the area, plus tides, you cannot leave your beach gear on the beach overnight. But those stairs provide easy access.

Each stairwell also has hoses providing fresh water to rinse off the salt and sand from you and your gear.

The campground also has a small store in case you forget some of the basics or need a quick treat. They also have bath houses if you prefer not to use your own RV bathrooms.

There is no pool for those that would prefer to stay away from the sand or out of the ocean.

RV Camping Sites

The individual sites at Beverly Beach are pretty close together. You’ve got enough room to put your awning out and maybe a little extra, depending on how wide your rig is with the slides out.

If you are traveling with other RVers, try to get buddy sites next to each other to provide more room to spread out. You can position the RVs so that they are awning to awning.

Some sites are specifically made for Class A and Class C motorhomes to pull-in and take advantage of those big front windows. Other sites are made for towables, where you back-in. You’ll want to make sure that the Campground Office knows what type of RV you are bringing so that they can make appropriate arrangements.

But be prepared with extra water hoses and electrical cords in case you need to go the other way (especially for you motorhome owners that could back-in if needed). Or if you have the RV Valet that will let you pull in your trailer.

Extra Car Parking Restrictions

The sites are long enough for most RVers to have not only their RV but also a tow (or toad) vehicle at the site.

If you have more than one car, you’ll need to get a visitors pass and park across the street in overflow parking. They are strict about this and you will get a call while you are out on the beach if you break this rule.

A Day at Beverly Beach

Beverly Beach is what I would call a sleepy beach town. In that there isn’t really any commercial activity on the beach itself.

When you are at Beverly Beach, it’s about what you bring and how you entertain yourself.

You’ll want your pop-up tent and camping chairs. I also splurged for the Ostrich Beach Chairs for this beach trip. I love their beach chairs – they fold nicely but also have cutouts for your face and arms when you are on your stomach!

Don’t forget some simple floats to bob around the ocean in.

Often, the surf is high enough for some basic surfing. It’s a great place for some beginner surfing lessons and practice. (See some great surfing quotes for inspiration!) My neighbors at the campground were out there everyday surfing and ocean kayaking.

Cost of Staying at Beverly Beach

The only downside of Beverly Beach is the price. It is definitely on the pricier side of campgrounds.

But then again, when you are getting 1,500 feet of beach-front camping, it can only be expected.

During the high season and during special events, the prices are the highest. If you want lower prices, try the summer. It’s got the best beach time anyways.

The other way to get lower prices is to be willing to be close, but not beach front. They have a second row of camp sites on the beach side of the road and then more across the street.

Beach Front RV Camping – Location, Location, Location

The best part of Beverly Beach RV Campground is the location. Right on the Atlantic Coast, you wake up to the sound of waves.

You have unobstructed views from your rig of the sunrise (if you are up early enough).

And it is convenient to local area restaurants in Flagler Beach, just down A1A from the campground.

Flagler Beach

Flagler Beach is your typical Florida coastal community. You’ve got restaurants that cater to the seafood crowd.

The Golden Lion was a favorite for their happy hour special on appetizers, including oysters on the half shell. I went three times in one week visit to Beverly Beach.

We also enjoyed the Funky Pelican at the Flagler Fishing Pier. Tortugas had a great brunch.

From the Fishing Pier, if you head back towards I-95, you’ll have popular grocery stores including Publix and Winn-Dixie.

After you cross I-95, you’ll have all your major big box shopping, including Wal-mart, Lowes, and Home Depot. There are also several Amazon drop boxes, in case you need anything shipped (like that new Blue Ox coiled cable that I needed for the Jeep).

Day Trip to Daytona

If you want more of a city adventure, you can venture down to Daytona Beach, home of the Daytona NASCAR race. And plenty of big hotels, restaurants, and shopping.

Beverly Beach becomes a favorite pre- and post-race stop for RVers wanting to extend their time in Florida around the Daytona NASCAR race in February.

If you visit when there isn’t a race going on, you can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the speedway and visit the Motorsports Hall of Fame on site.

Day Trip to St. Augustine

St. Augustine is another one of those famous Florida beach towns, this time with quite a bit of history.

It’s fun to walk through the oldest city in the U.S. and tour the Spanish architecture.

And don’t miss the city dressed up for Christmas! It’s a great treat.

Beverly Beach RV Resort Campground

Next time you are looking for a beach front campground in Florida, be sure to check out Beverly Beach RV Resort.

Just don’t forget to get your RV washed after a visit to the beach! You’ll want to wash all the sand and salt off.

Like this RV Campground Review? Pin for later!

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It’s not normally one that I am all that aware of, with my roots deep in the ACC. But when a friend said that GT was off, I jumped at the chance to go to my first trip to Neyland Stadium.

And what a trip it turned out to be. Tennessee took down Bama in a nailbiter of a 52-49 win, on a walk-off (storm the field) field goal as time expired.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

ESPN GameDay at Tennessee

Most schools are lucky to get Game Day to come to their campus. This was the second time Tennessee hosted Game Day this year.

But where else are you going to be for the Third Saturday in October, when you have the #3 Alabama team against the #6 Tennessee team?

GameDay was at Ayres Hall lawn. Ayres Hall is on the US National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1921, renovations were completed in 2011. The exterior brick work is where the famed orange checkerboard pattern comes from. Today, it is the home of the College of Arts and Sciences and the math department.

Vol Walk and Salute to the Hill

The Vols do pre-game right, with the team coming in during the Vol Walk. Vol Walk is right in front of the main entrance to Neyland Stadium, about 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. For big games, like say Tennessee-Alabama, the crowd arrives early and is really intense. So get there early if you want a good spot.

About 15 minutes after the Vol Walk, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band does a Salute to the Hill in the March to the Stadium.

Both Vol Walk and the Salute to the Hill are great to take in from the Pedestrian Bridge from Ayres Hall across Philip Fulmer Way. Just know that you can’t be on the bridge during the March to the Stadium until the band passes by. They take up the whole width of the bridge.

Welcome to Neyland Stadium

After the Salute to the Hill, go ahead and make your way into the game (unless you have a tailgate real close by). We finished crossing the Pedestrian Bridge and went towards the center of the stadium. This meant we were walking in on Peyton Manning Pass. And this is where you’ll get a great shot of the main entrance.

If you haven’t been to Neyland before, you’ll need to know a few things…

First, the stadium has been expanded and built on itself over and over. So there are A LOT of gates. And you need to go into your assigned gate. Otherwise, it may be difficult to get where you are supposed to be. They may all connect, but with a full house, it is difficult to get around.

Second, the space is small. Don’t take in anything unnecessary because you will have very little personal room. Seriously, go to the restroom before you make it to your seat. Especially if you are in the middle of a row. Because otherwise you’ll be climbing over people to get out to get food/drink or go to the restroom. Do what you can to avoid unnecessary trips away from your seats.

See Also: What You Need to Know: Stadium Clear Bag Policy

Third, the place is loud. But it has some great site lines. I loved our seats in the end zone, just above and towards the center from the band and the student section. However, they could definitely improve the acoustics. When they piped in music when the band wasn’t playing, it was difficult to hear anything but the bass. All bass, no treble.

Tennessee fans can celebrate the win with a commemorative hat. Check out these hats from RealManBoobs store on Etsy

Storm the Field, Tear Down the Goal Posts

It was 15 years in the making. Tennessee hadn’t beat Alabama in a decade and a half.

So what would you expect when you have hosted GameDay, you’ve got the number 3 vs 6 teams in the nation facing off, in a historic rivalry, and the game goes down to the very last second?

Why, everyone will storm the field at the end of the game to celebrate. And then they will tear down the goal posts. Despite the $100,000 fine from the SEC. I’m sure that every Tennessee fan says that it was completely worth it!

Congrats to the Tennessee Volunteers for their 52-49 win over Alabama. It was a great trip for my first visit to Neyland Stadium. I don’t know how you will top it next time. Until then, Go Vols!

And yes, I loved the playing of Dixieland Delight during the celebrations. I love the petty factor.


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Located in southeast West Virginia, the new 7,021 acre park, around the heart of the gorge, will be the primary attraction. But with the new National Park designation, an additional 65,165 acres will be designated as a national preserve. There will also be lots of opportunities for the National Park Service to buy additional surrounding areas, for parking at trailheads and additional preserve lands.

The New River Gorge offers some great rock-climbing and river rafting trips as the New River cuts through the Appalachian Mountains. The area is also home to miles of hiking and mountain biking trails and acres of hunting for various wildlife species.

The New River Gorge Bridge

The jewel of the park though, the thing that brings a lot of people, will be the magnificent bridge that crosses the New River. The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the third-highest bridge in the United States.

The bridge is 3,000 feet long and almost 900 feet above the water.

The completion of the New River Gorge Bridge solved a logistics travel nightmare. Before, one had to travel narrow mountain roads down the mountain, across a river and back up and it took about 40 minutes most of the time. After the bridge was built, it takes less than a minute.

And let me tell you, after driving an RV through Virginia and West Virginia, you know how difficult these mountain roads would have been. The New River Gorge Bridge is really a great thing for travelers through the area.

If you are a coin collector, the bridge might look familiar – it was chosen to represent the state of West Virginia on the state’s commemorative quarter released by the U.S. Mint in 2006.

Bridge Day

Want to walk the New River Gorge Bridge? It’s normally closed to pedestrians, leaving only vehicle traffic.

However, on the third Saturday of October, the bridge is closed to vehicles and is open to pedestrians in a block party atmosphere with food and craft vendors, music, and more. There is also BASE jumping and rappelling available from the bridge itself.

Canyon Rim Visitor Center

On the north end of the New River Gorge Bridge is a National Park Service visitor center.

From the visitor center, you can walk through a short boardwalk down to the middle of the mountain for some great views from under the bridge. However, be warned that there are A LOT of stairs. This is not a path for those that are not physically able to walk stairs. While there are some benches along the way, there are not facilities much beyond the beginning of the boardwalk.

You may want to take a water bottle if it is a particularly hot day. While it is shaded most of the path, it is strenuous. This is not to discourage you from going, just a fair warning.

The views are magnificent and well worth the trip. Plus, if you have been traveling for a long time, it is nice to get out, stretch the legs, and get some exercise.

The visitor center has RV parking! It’s accessible to big rigs, even towing a vehicle.

To get to the visitor center, you’ll turn in just after the New River Gorge Bridge, on the right when traveling north (before the bridge and on the left if you are traveling south).

More National Parks

Like the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia? Pin for later!

Looking for more National Park adventures? Check out these options:
RV Camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
A Weekend in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Tennessee Mountains
Olympic National Park

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James Island County Campground Features

The James Island County Campground is great for RV travelers.

The campground is Big Rig friendly (despite some tight road ways to get there). I had no problems with my 37 foot Class A RV. There were also several Prevosts in the campground while I was there.

With large, centrally located bath houses and laundry facilities, the campground is also great for tent campers.

This campground sees everything from tent campers to the largest of Big Rig RVs, with fifth wheels, pop-up campers, and travel trailers mixed in.

Campground Sites

Many of the sites are shaded with old pine and oak trees surrounding the campground. For the most part, the limbs are trimmed and very few obstructions appear to be problems for even the largest of RVs.

The sites have full hook-ups, with water, sewer, and 50, 30, and 20 amp electrical hookups. Most sites are back-in, although there are quite a few sites that are pull-through.

Most sites are gravel. During periods of heavy rain, some sites may be flooded. After all, you are in the low-country. The good news is that the RV parking areas are mostly level and are spacious enough to extend all your slides.

One important feature to note about many of the sites is that they are tandem sites – they may share a drive way, which is great if you are traveling with other RVers. Not so great if you want to get away from your neighbors. So be on the look-out as you are making your reservations.

Campground Loops

There are two main loops in the campground. One surrounds a small lake while the other does not.

The lake, as noted, is small. With sites on all sides of the lake, you’ll be able to see across the lake to other sites on the other side. Don’t worry if you can’t get a spot looking at the lake – the other sites are great and well worth the stay!

The lake loop though has way more pull-through sites available for shorter term stays.

During the warm months, you may want to be aware that you’ll be able to hear the Splash Zone (the water park) if you are staying in sites along James Island Parkway, particularly sites in the 70s and 80s. It may not bother you, but it is additional noise to be aware of.

James Island County Park

James Island County Park is a large 643 acre park situated in the greater Charleston area. Four miles of paved trails are great for those looking to get some exercise.

A water park open during the warm months is across the street from the RV campground, great for kids looking to cool off in the hot summer months of a Charleston summer.

Meanwhile, there is a large lake near the front entrance that also has a dog beach – where your four legged family members can cool off and play with other friendly dogs.

See Also: The Ultimate Dogs’ Guide to RVing

Christmas at James Island County Park

One of the best times at James Island County Park is during the Christmas season when they host a drive-thru Christmas lights showcase called the Festival of Lights.

While the light display is great, it does have some big impacts on those staying at the Campground inside the park.

First, you’ll have to deal with lots of traffic as people come to see the lights every night. The traffic backup can go all the way down Riverland Drive and onto Maybank Highway. That’s going to make it difficult to go out to eat at night and then deal with that getting back to the RV.

Second, there are restrictions on how long you can stay at the campground. Typically, you can stay up to 28 nights in the RV during a 30 day period. During the Festival of Lights, you can stay up to seven nights.

Where is the James Island County Campground

The James Island County Campground is part of the Charleston County Parks system and is located off Maybank Highway.

The Campground is about 20 minutes by car to downtown Charleston, which is across the Ashley River.

The campground is also just over the Sono River from Johns Island, which is how you’ll get to Kiawah Island for the world-class golf at the Ocean Course. It’s about a 40 minute drive from James Island to Kiawah Island.

And you will be about 20 minutes from Folly Beach.

Being in the middle of all these great attractions makes James Island County Campground convenient for a one or two week long stay in the Charleston area.

Coming in Late?

The campground is within the larger James Island County Park. And they close the main gate around dusk, close to the time that they close the park for daily use.

However, there is a callbox where you can call the park ranger to check in after 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

For those out exploring around Charleston after checking in, the staff will give you car passes with the gate code on it. It changes every Monday, so if you are staying over the weekend make sure that your passes have the new code on it as well.

Ready to stay at James Island County Campground? Reservations are available on Reserve America.

Charleston, South Carolina RV Campgrounds

Are you visiting Charleston, South Carolina? James Island County RV Campground is one of my favorite RV campgrounds in the area.

But there is so much more to the area too!

Like this RV Campground Review? Pin for later!

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Well, the good news is that you don’t even need to own an RV to get into the RV Tailgate Life. After all, you can rent an RV with RVShare!

And you might not even need to drive an RV to RV tailgate! Wait, what? It’s true…

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from RVShare. This post contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

Renting an RV for Tailgating

So you’ve decided that you are going to do this RV tailgating thing. But first, you need an RV. That’s where renting with RVShare comes in.

I recommend that you rent a Class A or Class C RV for tailgating. These are going to be your larger RVs that have engines to drive them.

And they have all that basement storage space for all your tailgating gear!

With a Class A or Class C motorized RV, you don’t have to worry about finding a truck that can tow a travel trailer or fifth wheel. The Class A and Class C RVs are also often easier to park for new RVers, as they don’t have a “pivot point” like travel trailers do.

But even if you aren’t comfortable driving or parking an RV, don’t let that stop you from renting an RV for tailgating! You can often rent an RV local to the stadium and have it delivered to your parking spot!

That means you don’t have to worry about parallel parking an 37 foot RV, which is exactly what I have had to do on several occasions.

Sometimes, though, you might really like the whole road trip experience, where you load everyone up in the RV and take off for the long weekend. Just make sure that you have enough drivers comfortable with driving the large RV and that everyone is on the rental agreement for insurance purposes!

Search for an RV to rent with RVShare

Preparing for the RV Tailgate

Even before the tailgate weekend arrives, you need to do some planning to make the best of your RV tailgate trip.

1. Tickets. For popular teams on a winning streak, it may be quite difficult to get tickets to the game. It’ll be even more difficult for playoff games. So make sure that you have or can get tickets before you get too far along this planning process.
   
   Some people are just there for the tailgate and don’t plan on going into the game at all. That’s definitely a possibility, at least at most RV tailgates. However, some schools prohibit you from continuing to tailgate during the game – you have to go into the game and that means you have to have tickets.
2. RV Parking Spot. While some schools have large fields where they can park hundreds of RVs for free, on a first come, first served basis, most schools require you to have an RV parking pass. And at some schools, these parking passes are very limited.
   
   To find one, contact the school ticket office. Sometimes, they will handle the RV parking directly or they can direct you to someone to talk to. If they do not have any available, then go to the unofficial fan message boards for that team. The fans will often be able to direct you to some nearby but unofficial lots where you can park the RV. Or even sell you a pass if they have one they cannot use.
3. Weather. Each tailgate can have its own weather, and fall means that you have to be prepared for all possibilities. Rain, snow, hot, cold, and just perfect fall weather. When you are RV tailgating, you have a big advantage. If it is too cold or hot or raining, then you have the option of hanging out inside the RV with the air conditioner or heater. The awnings also can provide a lot of shade and weather protection. You’ve also got room for a pop-up tent or two.
   
   For cold weather tailgates, consider propane heaters and fire pits. I like propane fire pits over firewood pits because you don’t have to worry about the hassle of firewood. It’s messy, it’s smoky, and it’s often difficult to obtain (many places have restrictions on importing firewood and you have to buy it locally). Propane fire pits are often safer since you aren’t worried about embers once you are done.
4. Food and Drinks. Tailgating is all about the tailgating food. With an RV, you’ve got an RV kitchen. While it may not be as spacious as your kitchen at home, it’s definitely an improvement over all those that are tailgating out of an SUV or truck. Many RVs have full size residential refrigerators, and yes, that means all the food and drinks. You’ve also got a stove, oven, and microwave. And things like blenders, food processors, and mixers that mean you can go very elaborate with your tailgate menu. (For some awesome RV tailgate approved recipes, check out: All the Tailgating Recipes)
   
   And you don’t have to worry about coolers and bags of ice! Although you will need some ice for your drinks, but the ice machine in your RV freezer can usually produce enough.
Pro Tip: Extra points for those that make theme tailgate menus. You can make your theme based on your opponent – for Miami, we’ve done Cuban food and Maryland, we’ve done crab cakes and seafood. For any of the Texas schools, you can do a Tex-Mex tailgate.

You can also do it based on the time of the year. For example, Halloween and Oktoberfest themes are very popular for October tailgates. And the last home game in November is our Thanksgiving potluck where every RV in the lot contributes and we have hundreds of people eat a tailgate family Thanksgiving dinner.
5. Entertainment. You could have two days’ worth of tailgating, and that’s a lot of time to kill. Entertainment is important, especially if you have kids. Cornhole and beer pong are popular tailgate games. Frisbee and just tossing a football around is also quite common. Many kids have bicycles, scooters, and other things to keep them active and occupied.
   
   Most RVs are also going to have TVs for you to watch games on. You’ll want to check to see if your specific rental has satellite or not, because many won’t. Even without satellite, you should be able to get over-the-air TV stations like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX which will have some games on Saturday and Sunday. For ESPN and the cable stations, you can try streaming (most college and NFL cities have plenty of cell coverage suitable for streaming). Just know it is difficult to access the HDMI or coax inputs on the backs of many RV TVs.
6. Generator Exhaust. Most RV tailgating lots will not have electrical hookups for you to plug in your rental RV. This means you’ll need to run the generator, which produces quite a lot of dangerous gasses, like carbon monoxide. RV tailgating is not like boondocking out in the middle of BLM lands. RVs are packed in right on top of each other.
   
   As a result, many RV tailgating lots require that everyone using a generator use a Genturi or similar RV generator exhaust system to move the exhaust up and over the RVs. This helps to protect you and the other RVers from these dangerous gasses. Even when these systems are not required, they are highly recommended! And your RV rental may not come with one. So check the listing to see if you need to get one to bring with you.

RV Tailgating Tips

It’s Game Day! Or at least game weekend, since with an RV, you often start tailgating the day or two before the game (yes, it’s true that many people will show up on Wednesday or Thursday for a Saturday game).

With your RV, you’ll be the most popular tailgate spot for your friends and family. In fact, you won’t even remember how you know some of these people. But how do you tell them where to find you when you are in a field with perhaps hundreds of other RVs?

Tailgaters love to fly flags for their favorite teams. That could mean a field with hundreds of the same flag and you have to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Try adding additional flags or even balloons to the flag pole.

Once they find you, will you have enough seating for everyone? Make sure that you have plenty of camping chairs and tables.

And don’t forget all the decorations. Seriously, it’s time to not only keep up with the Joneses but you need to surpass them with your team spirit. Obviously, every chair needs a team logo on it. And the pop-up tent. And the flags. And the banners and streamers from your tents and awnings. Don’t forget about awning lights. And tablecloths and table decorations. Go all out and make sure that everyone that walks by knows who your favorite team is!

Post-Game Tailgating

One of the great things about RV tailgating is the post-game tailgating.

In fact, plan on tailgating as much after the game as you did before the game. NFL and some college stadiums do have rules that say you have to leave by two hours after the game.

But for the rest of the tailgating lots, you don’t have to leave right away, letting you have a post-game meal, watch other games, and not worry about driving in traffic with all the other fans!

Search for an RV to rent with RVShare

RV Tailgating Safety

Just because you don’t have to drive, doesn’t mean that you can get plastered.

After all, you have to return your RV in one piece and in good condition. That means you need to monitor what is going on, in and around the RV. For example, you’ll want to make sure that no one is running the water non-stop which would result in flooding from full waste tanks.

You’ll also want to keep an eye on any open flames, from say grills or fire pits. And have a fire extinguisher nearby.

Don’t forget about food safety. Just because you’ve got this great menu doesn’t mean that you don’t have to worry about cooking meats to temperature, keeping cold foods cold and keeping warm foods warm. Don’t leave food out on serving tables for long – make sure that the food is put back into the fridge as soon as possible and reheated appropriately. After all, you have no excuses when you have this awesome RV kitchen.

Just in case, I recommend that you also bring a first aid kit for small cuts, sprains, and similar mishaps.

See Also: Must Have RV Safety Gear

And finally, make sure that you use that Genturi to redirect your generator exhaust!

Ready to Rent an RV and Go Tailgating

Once you tailgate in an RV, you’ll never want to go back to tailgating out of a SUV or truck ever again.

Your menus will be awesome, you’ll have your own clean bathroom with no lines, and you’ll have protection from the weather, whatever it might be. And plenty of entertainment so even the craziest of kids won’t be bored.

Renting an RV to go tailgating has never been easier than it is with RVShare.

Like these tips? Pin for later!

Search for an RV to rent with RVShare

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The post Go RV Tailgating with RVShare appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.

It’s 469 miles of two lane curvy, steep mountain road. It’s not something that you should plan on doing quickly.

Not to mention, there is so much to see and do on the way, that you really should plan on it taking about a week or so. That way you can really explore all there is to see and do.

And that means you need places to stop and spend the night. Here are my tips for RV camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

RV Camping Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

The National Park Service has eight RV campgrounds:

• Mount Pisgah at milepost 408
• Crabtree Falls at milepost 339
• Linville Falls at milepost 316
• Julian Price at milepost 297
• Doughton Park at milepost 239
• Rocky Knob at milepost 167
• Peaks of Otter at milepost 85
• Otter Creek at milepost 60

Other than Crabtree Falls, you can make advance reservations for some of the spots at these campsites. Most of the campgrounds are first come, first served. That means you’ll need to stop pretty early in the day during the high traffic seasons to get a spot.

However, none of the National Park Service Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds have RV hookups.

That means you’ll be boondocking or dry camping.

And these campgrounds have quiet hours, meaning you can’t run your generator after about 9 PM.

That means no air conditioning at night. For some, that may be awesome or even desirable. But it was still hot enough that AC was pretty necessary. And I didn’t want to pay $20 to not have air conditioner. Hey, don’t blame me – this is RV glamping!

Also, Dan, the bicyclist, really needed to be able to take hot showers each night to get the sweat, sunscreen, bug spray, and road grime off before bed. So while I can run my water heater on propane, I can also run it on electric which is preferable if I am already running the generator or have hookups.

Several of the campgrounds do have dump stations and potable water to refill your tanks. If you aren’t camping in these campgrounds, often you can still use the dump stations and refill your fresh water tanks for a small fee ($3).

That opens up some other boondocking possibilities, where you can run your generator and have your AC.

For example, we spent one night boondocking at a Walmart in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Since we were off by ourselves, without another RV nearby, we did run the generator for the air conditioner.

No Camping at Overlooks

It’s going to be real tempting to want to setup your RV for overnight camping at one of the many beautiful overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

However, that is prohibited. You cannot sleep in a vehicle, including an RV, overnight at an overlook.

You can only camp in one of the eight developed campgrounds discussed above, or in another public or private campground off the parkway.

Other Public Campgrounds Near the Parkway

In addition to the eight Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds, there are many state parks and even other National Park/Forest/BLM campgrounds along the Parkway.

Public Campgrounds in North Carolina

At the southern end of the Parkway, Smokemount Campground and Balsam Mountain Campground have no hookups but are conveniently located near the entrance to the Parkway in the Smokey Mountain National Park.

As you approach Asheville, consider Lake Powhatan in Mount Pisgah National Forest. It is very close to the Parkway and offers full hook-ups.

In the shadow of Mount Mitchell, you’ll find Black Mountain Campground but there is very limited RV spots and they are popular!

Closer to the North Carolina-Virginia border, you have two state parks that may also work for you:

North Carolina’s New River State Park has RV parking available, with many sites able to accommodate big rigs. However, it is a bit of a hike from the Parkway, with other public options available for about the same price.

Stone Mountain State Park is near the Parkway and has sites, some of which include electric and water hookups. A dump station is available for registered guests. Some sites are suitable for big rigs.

Public Campgrounds in Virginia

In Virginia, you can stay at Explore Park, which is a Roanoke County Park directly off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 115 (right close to the area that is currently closed for repair). They have 50 amp electrical hookups for their RV spots. You’ll need an adapter to go from 30 amp to 50 amp if your RV is 30 amp.

Explore Park does have water where you refill your tanks and a dump station is free for overnight guests and $15 for non-guests.

The bad news is that Explore Park sites are only 12 feet by 35 feet, so not big rig friendly.

Very close to the northern end of the Parkway, Sherando Lake Recreation Area Family Camping is located in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Loop C has 18 electric only hookups. The good news is that Sherando Lake can accommodate many big rigs.

Most of the water hydrants are not threaded for hose hookups, but you may be able to use a Water Bandit to access water. There is one water station with a threaded hose connection near the bathhouse. And a dump station is available on site.

Private Campgrounds Along the Parkway

There are a variety of private campgrounds along the Parkway.

There were two Harvest Host locations that we considered and were keeping in reserve. However, the timing on our stops didn’t really make sense for us to use these locations.

Where We Stayed on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Our locations were mostly based on how far Dan could cycle each day. That put us at about 75-100 miles between stops.

Even if you won’t be traveling with a bicyclist, this is a good distance to cover each day.

Remember, you’ll be going on average less than 35 mph through the Parkway. And you’ll want to leave plenty of time to stop at overlooks and visitor centers. Many of the stops along the way have exhibits or museums, things that take some time. You’ll probably want to take a small hike each day as well, to see something cool.

Night Zero: Fort Wilderness, Cherokee, NC (private campground)

I call this night zero because we hadn’t actually hit the Parkway just yet. We got to Cherokee to begin the Parkway and spent the night at Fort Wilderness.

It’s a wooded, private campground with full hookups and decent cellphone and WiFi coverage. It has a lot of seasonal and permanent residents. The RV spaces vary in their suitability so pay attention when you are picking a site or reserving one. Most are gravel lots. It’s open all year long.

Tempted to boondock at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino? They don’t allow RV parking at the casino. Sorry.

Night One: Lake Powhatan, near Asheville, NC (National Forest campground)

Lake Powhatan is a seasonal campground (closed winter) in Pisgah National Forest with full hookups. The campground is very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is in black bear country, so you’ll need to be aware with your pets and with food.

There is almost no cellphone reception here. Don’t count on getting any data. Text messages are usually going to work here.

This is where I got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, thereby skipping the Cherokee to Asheville section with all of the low clearance tunnels that are not suitable for big rig RVs.

Night Two: Spruce Pines Walmart (boondocking)

It’s a couple of miles off the Parkway, but I had to pick Dan up at Little Switzerland because of dark. So we found the closest Walmart for the night.

It also allowed us to do some shopping for things we already found out that we needed – batteries for the TV remote, more food, a cheese slicer (Dan brought a chunk of cheese but I didn’t have a slicer in the RV. Now, I do).

See Also: Tips for Overnight RV Parking on a Roadtrip

Nights Three and Four: Miller’s Campground, Laurel Springs, NC (private campground)

This is a seasonal campground with quite a few permanent RVs. It’s family owned and boy are they nice. It was another full-hookup RV lot, with gravel parking but concrete picnic pads.

We stayed two nights, the only place on the Parkway that we spent more than one night. Dan needed a rest day in the middle of the trip and with rain predicted on Saturday, it was a good time to stop for an extra day. Didn’t hurt that it gave us time to watch some college football.

Without satellite and limited over-the-air stations, that meant we were streaming football games. It was a good thing that I had the extra TV in the MyTCase, which made it easy to hookup an HDMI cable to stream the games. (For the record, GT was away this weekend so I still have not missed a GT home game. Although with the way the season is going, I might be tempted to before long)

Night Five: Chantilly Farms Campground (private campground)

This is a lovely campground on rolling farm land. Cell coverage was limited but they did have WiFi. We stayed in loop A which had large lots spread out. It was a gravel/grass pull-through site.

Whatever you do, don’t follow GPS directions on this one! It is quite a ways off the Blue Ridge Parkway and if you follow GPS directions, you will be going down dirt or gravel roads with lots of low hanging trees. Seriously, I wanted to send Dan back to see if I left any air conditioners on the way.

Night Six: KOA/Lynchburg (private campground)

This was our last official night on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I needed to have good cellphone or WiFi coverage so I could take a work call from the road before I left the next morning, and this KOA had both.

This KOA had gravel spots with full hookups. We arrived after dark (this was the night of the fog).

I wish we had more daylight to explore the campground because they had a lot of amenities that we did not take advantage of.

Night Seven: Walmart (boondocking)

We finished with the Parkway at about 6:00 PM. That meant there was no way to get all the way back to Atlanta, so we needed an extra night on the way back. We decided to drive until I was too tired to keep driving. We then found a place with good Mexican food and a Walmart all at the same exit in southern Virginia, near the North Carolina state line.

This is Bear Country

The Blue Ridge Parkway and nearby National Forests, state parks, and even cities and towns are home to black bears.

It is illegal to willfully approach black bears closer than 150 feet or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear. In other words, leave plenty of space between you and any bear that you might encounter.

If you see a bear, do not approach! And do not let it approach you! Slowly back away. Don’t run or you may look like prey to the bear.

If you are followed by the bear, then you’ll need to change directions (you may be heading towards it’s den and baby bears).

If the bear continues to follow you, then you’ll need to stand your ground and act aggressively to intimidate the bear. You can throw non-food objects to scare the bear away.

If you have food that the bear wants, leave the food and walk away slowly to separate yourself from the bear. If you don’t have food, then you’ll have to fight for all your worth. Whatever you do, don’t play dead.

During our trip, we received reports from most of the campgrounds about recent bear sightings, even if we didn’t see any in the campgrounds. Dan did see several while biking the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Lock Your Food in Bear Country

In addition, you’ll need to take precautions when you are RV camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway to protect your food.

This means that you cannot leave food or trash unattended in your campsite. All food must be kept in either a food box or in a locked vehicle. And you must properly dispose of all trash!

If you don’t, you might wake up to a bear rummaging through your campsite. And being that close to a bear, especially a hungry bear, can be very dangerous to you! In the long term, bears will lose their fear of humans and become even bigger problems for campers.

If you have any bear encounters while RV camping along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you need to report it to the National Park Service. You can do so at any visitor center or calling 828-298-2491.

Blue Ridge Parkway RV Camping

There are many ways to RV camp along the Blue Ridge Parkway, depending on how far you want to go from primitive camping to glamping.

Many sites are first-come, first-served, so you may need to have several options to stay flexible, especially in peak seasons – being summer and then October for the leaf season. Make sure you have all the necessary adapters, including a 30 amp to 50 amp adapter, 50 amp to 30 amp adapter, 30 amp to 110 adapter, and Water Bandit, so you can be prepared for any hookup situation.

And don’t be afraid to boondock it!

This is the third-part in the series on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Part 1: Driving a Big Rig on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Part 2: Cycling The Blue Ridge Parkway with RV Sag.

The post RV Camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.

Well, that’s exactly what my friend Dan and I did. Except he biked the entire Parkway. And I drove the RV in support.

Yes, it is possible to drive an RV on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At least, most of it.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

Driving an RV on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway the longest linear National Park, linking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south to the Shenandoah National Park in the north. The Blue Ridge Parkway covers 469 miles of beautiful mountain road in North Carolina and Virginia.

But with those mountains, comes typical mountain roads.

We are talking steep climbs and descents, curves and switchbacks, and tunnels.

You can definitely drive your RV on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there are some special concerns that you must consider.

I drove a 37 foot Class A gas RV from Asheville, around milepost 393 to Waynesboro, Virginia at milepost 0. Find out below why I started in Asheville instead of Cherokee, North Carolina.

Speed Kills on the Parkway

For much of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the speed limit is just 45 miles per hour. In many places, it drops to 35 mph.

And you’ll probably average somewhere around 30 mph if you drive a big rig through the Parkway.

There are so many climbs that will push your RV to the limits. And steep descents that you’ll have to slow down on.

Overlooks also present a unique danger. People are often slowing down to enter an overlook or pulling out from one. Entering and exiting overlooks can also present problems, as they are often in the middle of, right before, or right after a curve (which pretty much sums up the entire Parkway). You’ll need to slow down to avoid dangers around overlooks.

You’ll also have to be on the close lookout for animals crossing your path. Dan saw lots of deer as well as two bears during his bicycling portion of the trip. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any bears, but plenty of deer.

See Also: RV Driving Safety Tips to Keep You Safe on the Road

Don’t Burn Up Your Brakes on Descents

We’ve all experienced how RVs and well, any vehicles, will speed up when coming down a big hill or mountain. But with potential obstacles and curves during those descents, it is often advisable to maintain a speed less than the speed limit.

Maintaining a suitable speed means applying brakes as you come down the mountainside. However, our RVs are large behemoths and are hard to stop. “Riding the brakes” will end up burning up your brakes and creating a very unsafe situation where your brakes won’t work.

First, before you begin your descent, slow down as much as possible. You don’t want to be speeding as your crest the hill and begin your descent.

Then, in order to maintain your RV speed on descents, you will need to employ the engine to provide the braking by switching to a lower gear.

Your RPMs will go up, way up. But you will keep the RV in safe speeds for your descent.

After long descents, it is also advisable to pull off onto one of the next overlooks so that you can check everything out. And give your engine, brakes, and tires a little time to cool off.

Use Tow/Haul Mode on Your RV

Do you know what the tow/haul mode is on your RV? The tow/haul mode changes how a vehicle shifts the transmission when it is pulling a heavy load, particularly up or down mountain roads.

Ultimately, it is used to reduce shift cycles by keeping you in lower gears longer. Tow/haul mode may also boost torque and help with engine braking when you are coming down hills.

On my Ford V10 engine, the tow/haul mode is activated by pressing the button at the end of the gear shifter. A light comes on just above the odometer to indicate that tow/haul mode is on. You’ll need to activate it each time you turn the RV engine on.

Many people use tow/haul mode all the time, not just when they are towing a car behind them. After all the RV engine sure is hauling a lot all the time. It is definitely beneficial on the mountain roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Descending Radius Curve

Ever hear of a descending radius curve?

They are also called spiral curves.

In a descending radius curve, the radius of the curve will change as you go through the curve. This means that the curve will tighten as you go through the curve. These are often on descents, meaning your RV will pick up speed through the curve.

As you drive through these curves, you will need to pay close attention to the curve to make sure that you stay on the roadway. Decreasing your speed will help as well.

Overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway

One of the themes you’ll see a lot is to “Enjoy the View, Watch the Road.” The best way to enjoy the view is from one of the many overlooks that dot the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Most overlooks will have ample space for you to pull your RV into.

Some, however, may not be suitable for large RVs or trailers. These are generally marked with a “No Trailers” sign below the overlook sign. There are some additional overlooks that are really not suitable for big rigs but they aren’t marked.

Definitely be on the lookout for space to turn around before you pull into an overlook. You may have to skip some due to heavy use and lack of parking.

Many visitor centers also have RV specific parking. Note that the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park does not have space for RV parking and it is not permitted there.

See Also: Tips for Renting an RV

Tunnels on the Blue Ridge Parkway

There are 26 tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway. 25 of the 26 tunnels are in the North Carolina section of the Parkway.

Many of these tunnels have a minimum clearance under 12 feet, especially those on the very southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A list of the tunnels, with their clearances are available from Virtual Blue Ridge.

For example, the Big Witch Tunnel, pictured to the left, has a minimum clearance of 11 feet, 3 inches and a maximum clearance of 18 feet, 1 inch.

That’s going to be a problem for those of you driving a Big Rig, even including some fifth wheels.

While the maximum clearance may be more than enough to get even the biggest of Big Rigs through, it is the minimum clearance that you have to be worried about, especially in times of high traffic during peak Parkway seasons.

As one Park Ranger told me, they really “discourage you driving down the middle of the Parkway” through the tunnel. And that would be the only way to take advantage of the maximum clearance listed in their charts.

And due to repaving projects and other pavement fluctuations, clearances can vary by 1 to 6 inches. In other words, subtract six inches from whatever they tell you is the minimum clearance. Can your RV make it through the tunnel without losing an air conditioner or more?

And this is why I began the RV portion of the trip in Asheville, North Carolina going north. To avoid the short tunnels at the south end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Low Branches

Other than tunnels, you might have some other height issues on your RV trip through the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Many trees have low, overhanging branches that will inevitably scratch up your RV. Craggy Gardens in North Carolina was especially brutal on my RV paint.

On the trip in late September-early October 2019, I did not encounter any low hanging big branches that would take off an air conditioner. But I did encounter plenty that left scratches on the RV. And lots that left me cringing, hoping I didn’t lose an air conditioner, satellite, or antenna.

There are sections where I came to an almost crawl to make sure that I didn’t do any damage. It was still early enough in the fall that most of the trees still had a vast majority of their leaves, meaning I couldn’t see the size of many of the branches.

Fog and Adverse Weather on the Parkway

There was really only one day that we had to deal with bad weather, but what a doozy it was.

There were thunderstorm warnings for the area, so I met up with Dan to wait it out. But, of course, we didn’t see any rain where we were, just lots of thunder.

The problem was after that, when the fog came in.

The fog was patchy, meaning that some areas you had great visibility while in others your visibility was limited to just feet in front of you. Since this hit as the evening was rolling in, it made it even harder to travel.

We definitely learned why there are signs all over the Parkway urging you to avoid the Parkway when there was ice, snow, or fog.

This was a section of the Parkway that we had to call off before our planned end point. The problem then became where to meet. We weren’t far from each other at that point, since we were aware of the thunderstorms and were trying to keep pretty close just in case we needed to meet.

But when we made the decision to end because of the fog, there wasn’t a good place to pull over for the RV. I finally found an overlook that I could stop at, but that still meant that Dan needed to go through a long portion of the fog, in an area with a pretty big descent, to meet me.

Cellphones and GPS on the Parkway

Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are in cellphone dead zones, meaning limited or no access to mobile or WiFi reception. You cannot rely on Google Maps or other app and cellphone data based GPS systems.

Fortunately, the Blue Ridge Parkway is pretty easy to navigate – just stay on course and go north or south. There aren’t turns that you need to make.

Except when you need to make stops. This is where you’ll want a good GPS system, so you can find gas in particular.

The Parkway doesn’t allow commercial vehicles on it. My Garmin GPS unit thought this meant that no RVs were allowed either. But despite what the GPS was telling me, RVs are definitely allowed on the Parkway.

But the cellphone dead zones can be a problem when you are trying to coordinate with a bicyclist or others along for the trip. We’d stop at overlooks for lunch, but couldn’t get cellphone coverage to look at maps to choose an afternoon spot to meet up at for a snack break and water refill stop.

Or when weather changes and you need to coordinate a pickup. The limited cellphone reception definitely became a problem then.

I highly recommend that you pickup one of the maps of the Parkway and a visitors guide at one of the first visitors centers on your route. They are worth their weight in gold (several times over) in areas with limited cellphone data reception.

Detours and Road Closures

Some times, the National Parks System has to close sections of the Parkway. This is often due to weather issues, like snow or ice. Or other temporary things like fallen rocks or tree limbs.

They also have to close roads for things like road construction and maintenance, which often happens in the summer.

On our trip in 2019, there was only one section closed – a six mile section near Roanoke, Virginia (milepost 106 to 112).

At visitors centers and other locations throughout the Parkway, there were signs with information on the closure and the detour that took you through Roanoke.

Current information about road closures is available on Real Time Road Closure Map.

When there are road closures, it is pretty obvious. There are barricades at the turnoffs that will be used to prevent you from continuing on. The biggest thing will be to find a suitable detour, as some of the closures could be in areas less urban than Roanoke which means curvy mountain roads to get off the Parkway.

Can You Drive an RV on the Blue Ridge Parkway?

The Blue Ridge Parkway will put your skills as an RV driver to the test.

You’ve got mountain curves, climbs, and descents, combined with road hazards to contend with. Can you do it?

Like these tips? Pin for later!

More on traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway in an RV:
Cycling The Blue Ridge Parkway with RV Sag

The post Tips for Driving an RV on the Blue Ridge Parkway appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

Why I Wanted To Cycle The Blue Ridge Parkway

About a week and a half ago, some friends and I took a short weekend trip to Asheville, NC.

During that trip, being the lone cyclist, I went off on my own to go climb Mount Mitchell, the highest point East of the Mississippi, with my road bike.

It was during this short trek I immediately fell in love with the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).

Once I reached my destination at the top of Mount Mitchell and met with my friends to go back home, I immediately was motivated with singular focus into getting back here and riding the entire 470 miles of the BRP ASAP before the harsh mountain winters lead to the Parkway closing.

Potential Problems to Cycling The Blue Ridge Parkway

While researching cycling the BRP, I immediately ran into some obvious hitches:

Lodging on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a national park and lodging is sparse on the Parkway.

The available rooms on the Parkway fill up months in advance as well.

This is perfectly OK if you are driving the Blue Ridge Parkway or on a motorcycle like many that enjoy this park, and can take a detour off the Parkway to stay in a hotel off the Parkway.

But for cyclists, going off the Parkway typically means dropping down off a mountain to reach your destination, making your climb back up onto the Parkway in the morning a hassle.

Carrying Needed Supplies

Many cyclists who do a thru-ride on any long stretch of road need to carry essential supplies like hydration, food, sunscreen, and bicycle repair tools, clothes, etc.

There’s always a question of if you have enough supplies while managing to keep the total weight down.

This becomes even more true if your cycling route takes you into the mountains where you will be spending a lot of your day climbing. That added weight can make a big difference in your ability to take on a challenging climb.

Many cyclists who thru-ride the BRP utilize racks and panniers to carry their supplies. The added weight and limited room, especially when using a road bike instead of a touring bike, makes this a challenge.

Sleeping and Showering

Having to carry and pitch a tent and set up and break down your gear daily can be cumbersome.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather can come and make cycling climbs and descents dangerous.

The above issues will apply to many long distance multi-day rides (such as the Natchez Trace Parkway).

Benefits of Using An RV For Sag on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Thankfully, using an RV for sag allows for an excellent solution to many of the problems above.

While hotel/inn lodging may be limited, especially on national park land, RV camping is abundant, if you are planning your thru-ride during an off season. I did my thru-ride on the BRP during the last few days of September 2019 as the BRP will often close in the winter if there is snow.

RV camping sites with full hookups were plentiful and many of them had enough space that advanced reservation was not needed.

These RV sites are directly off the Parkway and do not require traveling long distances off the parkway to get to them.

This allows for a degree of spontaneity (Kimberly and I are doing this trip less than a week after pitching the idea to do it to her), and you can adjust your trip based on how far you get every day.

Also, there is nothing like a hot shower and a cozy bed in air conditioning after a long day of riding.

Supplies and the RV

Carrying enough supplies becomes much easier with a friend coming with in an RV.

Rather than carry a heavy Camelbak through long climbs, we coordinated meetup points along the route every 40 miles or so where I was able to refill my water bottles and get sunblock, chamois, food, etc.

Additionally, having an RV buddy who is making the trip along with you allows you to work as a team and can come to the rescue if you run into inclement weather or a mechanical issue you aren’t equipped to fix on the road.

Cycle the Blue Ridge Parkway with RV Support

So, the next time you are looking for a good RV travel companion as you explore the beauty of America’s national parks together, consider asking a cyclist!

Long distance cycling America’s National Parks with an RV sag: the perfect combination

The post Cycling The Blue Ridge Parkway with RV Sag appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

Inside the College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame is pretty technology savvy, as one would expect being so close to the campus of Georgia TECH.

When you get your ticket, they will present you with an All-Access Pass. It has a small RFID chip in it that will give you access to a lot of cool features throughout the Hall.

Once you get inside, the first thing you’ll do is register with your name, email address, and your favorite team.

Hint: If you are going in a group, have each person register for a different team to see special features about each team as you go through the Hall. Not everyone needs to be on the same team (so pick your second favorite if you have to).

After you register, look up at the wall of helmets. It has each NCAA team up there. Find your favorite team! There will be a small light to help you find it after you register.

Once you are registered and check out the Wall of Helmets, head on up the stairs behind the helmets to the third floor.

But stop on the way up at the viewing portal to take a look at an awesome mural of everything college football. See how much you can pick out that represents your team and your rivals.

Save on Admission to Top Atlanta Attractions with CityPASS

History at the Hall

The top floor at the Hall will give you some general background on college football.

What it means to be a football player. This first area is a lead in to get you ready for some football.

But then you step into the Hall of Fame…

In the actual “Hall of Fame” you get to see profiles, including videos, of the members of the Hall of Fame.

Grab one of the rotating displays and find your favorite players. For the more recent players, like say a Calvin Johnson, you can see clips of their best plays in the video profiles.

(And yes, I do remember that catch in the back of the end zone against Clemson in 2004… one of the best comebacks in college football history on the road in a hostile environment)

Make sure you rotate the displays around to see the entire profile. Things tend to hide at the edges, so to speak.

Your All-Access Pass will default to the players from your favorite team as you selected at registration. You can search for players outside of your favorite school. You’ll just have to go through some menus to find them.

All The Football Trophies

Once you are done in the Hall, it’s time to go down to the second floor.

You start with a display of all the greatest trophies – like the Playoff Championship Trophy, the Heisman Trophy, and more!

See that screen behind the Heisman Trophy? That’s a cool video montage board that changes based on who is near it. There are sensors nearby that will pickup your All-Access Badge to show video clips that are going to be interesting to you!

Make sure to catch the special message from the Chick-Fil-A cows (another Atlanta area institution).

From there, head into the Game Day Theater for a short video, about 10 minutes long.

When you are done with this video, you’ll be ready to strap on a helmet and make some tackles. Or at least cheer on your favorite team!

I went the week before the college football season started, and let me just say, I was ready for some football after watching this video. I even went back and watched it again (my friend Dan, who went with me missed it the first time).

What’s Football Without Fans and Tailgating?

The next section is specially for us, the tailgaters! And yes, it even has some interesting tidbits for RV tailgaters!

See how tailgating has evolved from the back of the car to the modern day grilling and RV setups.

And yes, that’s my friend Dan giving some grilling tips to the mannequin. Behind him are pictures of various tailgating rigs in their game day finest.

For the interactive portions, you can sing your fight song. You can appear on College Game Day and make your picks for the day. You can play coach and decide where the players will go.

As you continue through the second floor, you’ll see displays on coaching family trees, sports nutrition, equipment and safety.

The equipment section is really interesting. See the evolution of things like helmets, jerseys, and other protective equipment.

This is the area where you can really get bogged down if you are in a hurry. There are lots of things to read, study, and learn in this section.

I swear, I had to drag Dan out of there just so we could finish the second floor before the Hall closed for the day. I didn’t realize just how bad he was about reading every single word of every single display. And there are a lot of words here!

Continuing on, there are more displays about rivalries in college football. And some more sports science and a virtual reality center. And a be the broadcaster – where you can call some of the most iconic plays in college football.

Kick, Punt, Pass

Once you are finished with the second floor, you get to descend to the bottom floor.

Sure, you saw the helmet wall when you came in. But now you get to try your hand at throwing a football. Can you hit the target?

Or how about kicking? Can you make the field goal?

The last section (well, the last section before the gift store at least) is a truly interactive and physical portion of the your of the College Football Hall of Fame.

This is definitely a section that you’ll want to save time for if you want to test your football skills. The kids will love it!

The final stop, is the gift shop. Because you need some gear to commemorate the occasion, right?

Where is the College Football Hall of Fame?

The College Football Hall of Fame is conveniently located in the downtown Atlanta area, near the Mercedes Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United (MLS), as well as the Georgia High School Football State Championship Games, the SEC Championship Game, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, and the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Kickoff Games, and Philips Arena State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks (NBA).

The Hall is also near some other quintessential Atlanta attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coke, Centennial Olympic Park, CNN Center, and the Ferris Wheel. Oh, and the Georgia World Congress Center, which hosts many a cheerleading, volleyball, and other middle and high school competitions.

In other words, this is the epicenter of the Atlanta sports scene.

Want to visit more than the College Football Hall of Fame?
Get the Atlanta CityPASS to Save 41% on Atlanta’s 5 best attractions

The Atlanta CityPASS

Like I said above, the College Football Hall of Fame is smack dab in the middle of all things Atlanta.

And the College Football Hall of Fame is good for an afternoon of browsing through the history of college football.

But if you are spending more time in Atlanta, then it would be wise to get a Atlanta CityPASS.

In addition to seeing the College Football Hall of Fame, you can see the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and tour CNN Studios to see how the news is made. All four of these locations are right there in the downtown area within a stone’s throw of each other.

Then you can jump over to Zoo Atlanta or the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

How Long to Use the CityPASS?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do everything in one day!

You get nine days from the first day of use to go to all the attractions.

Because that’s way too much to do in one day.

Save over Standard Ticket Prices

With the Atlanta CityPASS you save 41% over standard ticket prices, if you bought each attraction separately.

That’s pretty cool savings that you can spend on tailgating!

RV Parking for the College Football Hall of Fame

If you are planning on going to the College Football Hall of Fame or any of the other nearby downtown Atlanta attractions, be warned, RV parking is quite limited.

After all, you are in downtown Atlanta!

Your best bet is going to be the Marshalling Yard at the Georgia World Congress Center. It’s a 10 minute or so walk to the Hall of Fame and other nearby attractions.

If you’ve been to football games at Mercedes Benz Stadium, you probably did your RV tailgating in the Marshalling Yard…

The Marshalling Yard has a parking attendant and it should be manned all the time. If you are visiting the Hall when there is not a major event going on in the area, you should be able to pay by the hour for your RV parking without reservation.

See Also: Tips for RV Driving in Atlanta

Plan Your Visit to Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame Now!

The College Football Hall of Fame is definitely worth a visit when you are in Atlanta.

It’s family friendly and will entertain football fans, from the most casual to the most die-hard of fans.

On most days, it’ll take about half a day to go through without feeling rushed and to be able to see everything.

Like most museums and other attractions, it is best to go during the week if you want to avoid crowds.

Like this Atlanta area attraction? Pin for later!

Products from this review:
Atlanta CityPASS – Save 41% on top Atlanta area attractions

The post Inside the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.

I met Kelly at the 2019 RV Entrepreneur Summit when she rented an RV to join us for the summit. So she has first hand experience on what it is to rent and drive an RV! Just because you don’t currently own an RV doesn’t mean you can’t RV Tailgate!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for various products below. You get the same low prices and we earn a small commission.

Don’t have an RV to tailgate… HEY! How about RENTING one!!

You’ve seen all the folks at the games having such a great time before and after the main event that you think to yourself, “Why don’t we try that!”

Great idea!

Renting an RV to try out the fun and maybe even think about buying one for the future.

However, there is A LOT to consider when you are putting together a plan to rent an RV for tailgating.

Where Do I Rent An RV for Tailgating?

Two great rental resources are Outdoorsy or RVShare.

But also search for local dealers or outfits that could offer great deals.

Kimberly says: Both Outdoorsy or RVShare have great selections of RVs for rent. You will want to compare selections for both in your target area. I recommend renting one close to the stadium instead of one close to home and then driving, especially for new RV drivers.

How Much Does Renting an RV Cost?

The first thing most people ask is: How much will it cost?

This depends on all the things you want the experience to be:

• What size RV do you need?
• How far away are you going?
• What extras do you need: insurance, gas, deposits and fees etc.

This is so variable and it can get spendy.

Plus, remember you still need a ticket to the game, the fee for the park spot at the stadium, food and beverage!

But it could also pay for itself many times over especially if you are hosting a gang and want to stay overnight (and you get a bathroom right where you ARE!!) Not to mention a FRIDGE and TV.

RV rentals will be at minimum around $100 for a small C class and upwards of $300-400 for a large A class motor home PER DAY.

A Class C is the RV that has the space over the cab. A Class A motor home is the RV that has the big front window and no hood.

These are the two styles I recommend for a first time tailgate.

See Also: A Guide to Common RV Abbreviations and Slang

What Are The Required Deposits, Insurance, and Fees?

There will also be a damage deposit.

The damage deposit on my rental was $1,200 for the Class C I rented (a 2015 Winnebago Itasca Cambria).

The damage deposit was refundable if NO damage or cleaning needed and variable depending on what charges may be assessed.

ASK details about this PRIOR to signing the agreement.

Insurance Requirements

And INSURANCE.

Check out your personal auto policy, sometimes there is an option to add on to your existing policy.

Mine did not have that option but you MUST get insurance for your own protection…YOU. JUST. MUST. PERIOD. (or fair warning if you don’t).

Most rental outfits will offer a temporary plan.

Rent an RV with Outdoorsy or RVShare now!

Other Add-Ons

In addition to the add-on insurance, there are other packages you can purchase for bedding, kitchenware and cleaning.

Sometimes there is a mandatory cleaning fee. If so, be sure to still dispose of your trash and tidy up (don’t be that person who doesn’t because there is a fee!)

There can also be usage limitations for the generator or an up-charge if you go over the limits for mileage.

There could also be charges if you don’t return on time.

Be sure to ask about ALL charges and costs before you sign the contract.

How long can you stay at the stadium RV space?

Most Colleges and Universities have RV game day or weekend opportunities; sometimes you can stay from Friday night through Sunday morning.

Be sure to investigate what your destination rules and regulations are LONG before game weekend and your arrival.

There are as many different opportunities as there are teams!

From costs to site sizes (be sure to know the size of RV you rent for the site reservation and there are usually NO hook-ups for water or electricity), each is unique, so check it out far in advance and be sure to make a reservation if needed.

Just search the stadium website.

There usually are time restrictions on when you can enter and when you must exit the area or you are charged extra.

Also learn the route to get in and out of the area and if there are pull through spaces that will be easier to maneuver as a novice RVer; backing up can be a challenge until you have a few runs under your belt.

Kimberly Says: If you are using the NFL lots, you’ll have only two hours after game time before you have to leave. I like to look for private tailgating lots near stadiums so I can stay overnight after the game and not have to worry about driving impaired from either alcohol or just plain old being tired.

Worried about getting to your tailgate lot safely? Get a Garmin GPS system specifically for RVs with the Garmin RV 780 with Traffic Monitoring!

What about provisions?

Cook out/Bring with/Food stuffs? Sleeping accommodations? Pots, spoons, foil? OH, my!

Sleeping and Guests

How many people will be with you, either for the day or the whole weekend?

You might just have guests coming by your spot on game day to eat, drink and be merry.

Unlike an RV park there is usually no limit to the number of guests you can have at a tailgate, but think about your personal capacity.

If guests will be staying overnight with you, do you have enough sleeping arrangements or did you bring that extra blow up mattress?

Cooking

Some RVs have an outside grill or kitchen on the outside of the RV… some DON’T. Be sure you know what amenities are available and plan accordingly.

Your propane tank will be full when you pick up, but you will either pay a fee for the usage OR will have to fill it before you return.

Some stadiums allow for charcoal or outside fire grilling; find out ahead of time and be sure to know where you can discard your coals and be sure everything is completely extinguished before leaving it unattended.

Plan Ahead for Your Needs

Remember, this is a rental.

It has nothing.

You either bring everything you will need OR you can rent packages.

This is the same for bed and bath. You need to bring sheets, blankets, towels, pillows, etc.

Some rental outfits have “package” options for “kitchen packs” which include contents like pots, pans, utensils, silverwares, cups, plates, etc.

Some offer “bedding packs” but be sure to know how many bed and towel sets they provide depending on your number of guests.

The really good news is there is a refrigerator; but it is usually super SMALL – especially the freezer. It might hold one bag of ice, so you may need a cooler too.

But it is a great advantage for holding the burgers and brats until grill time, and then having eggs and bacon waiting for breakfast!

Rent an RV with Outdoorsy or RVShare now!

Learn Some RV Basics Before Renting

Be sure the rental company walks you through the details on how all systems work including what should or should NOT go into the tanks.

It’s also a good idea to walk through heat and AC, how the slides work and general function of the rig.

It’s not hard; it may sound like a lot, but you can do it!!

Don’t be ashamed to take notes or video on your walk-through! They can come in handy when you can’t remember where the switch is to level.

Know Your RV Tanks

There is a fresh water tank (where the fresh potable water lives; but I wouldn’t drink it, bring bottled).

There is the gray tank (this is waste water from the sinks and showers) and the black tank (this is the toilet waste holder).

For a tailgate weekend the size of the tanks should not matter too much, you won’t be with them that long.

If you were going to the outback to boondock, that’s another post!

Dump Your Tanks

You will have to empty your waste tanks and fill the water OR plan to pay a fee for that to be taken care of on return.

Some stadium venues have a dump/fill station in the area so be sure to ASK about that part when you reserve your tailgate spot.

A lot of people just let the rental outfit do this for them; it might be worth the fee.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice!

If you have driven a large moving van you can most likely handle a Class C RV.

But you may have never driven a larger motorhome type bus before.

Maybe consider going to an RV dealer and do a test drive to see if you feel comfortable maneuvering this type of vehicle.

It’s a very different experience and takes a bit of finesse, especially in turning, backing and parking. But you CAN do it.

See Also: RV Driving Safety Tips to Keep You Safe on the Road

Safety in Your Rental RV

SAFETY FIRST. BE SMART.

Use alcohol responsibly and don’t drink and drive. Period. The end.

Always wear your seat belts, including any passengers.

Also, secure your pets, preferably in a crate and keep them on a leash.

Slow Down When Driving Your Rental RV

Drive SLOWLY.

RVs of any kind drive very differently than other trucks, vans or SUVs; especially STOPPING. It takes longer so pay attention far ahead and give more time to come to a halt.

You cannot slam on your brakes in an RV and expect it to stop on a dime.

Follow the rules of your location, be considerate of others and oh, yeah… HAVE FUN!

Research and Plan Ahead

You cannot plan ahead enough, research enough, or ask enough questions.

Your first RV experience can be so fun and really provide a great venue for an even better tailgating weekend. But there really are a lot of things to think about.

If you do this right you may like it so much it could lead to an RV purchase for a more consistent tailgating life.
But if you don’t, it could really rain on your game and we don’t want that. We want you out there with the rest of us.

Will You Be Renting an RV for Tailgating?

RV tailgating can be the best fun ever!

I would highly recommend it as a great way to bring your family and friends together to cheer on your team, create a fun gathering and have everything you need all right there with you.

It may seem like a lot of planning and research, but you would have to do a lot of that anyway and still be eating out of your trunk!

The RV way, you will have a bathroom, kitchen, TV, music, sofa and everything you need right there and ready.

I say GO for it and GO “YOUR” TEAM! RAH.

Rent an RV with Outdoorsy or RVShare now!

Think you might rent an RV in the future? Pin for later!

More posts you might like:
RV Tailgating for Beginners: Dry Camping Basics
5 Tips for an Epic RV Tailgate Road Trip
RV Campground Etiquette: 10 Things to Never Do

The post Tips for Renting an RV for Tailgating appeared first on RV Tailgate Life.