Doug S Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hi All - Our Oliver - Hull#1491 started production last week. We will pick it up on the 12th of March, and plan to take about two weeks to get it back home. In the middle of this adventure we have our anniversary so it should be a pretty memorable adventure. We have zero experience camping anywhere but in the West, so this is a chance to get a little more exposure to this incredible country. We do plan on going over to the Great Smokies as the photos we've seen over the years have been so compelling. After that though, we have no idea on our route back, except we should keep further south to avoid winter weather. We'd appreciate any advice or suggestions on routes to follow. We will likely use Harvest Hosts and any open National Forest or easy boon docking sites. We've got a 2023 F-250, so we shouldn't be very limited except for skills in reverse.... We also have two small (11lb) dogs who have their own unique points of view about camping, cars, and travel in general. - Doug & Jill 2 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertNTerri Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 We're big fans of Hipcamp. With very few exceptions, the places have been very nice, most of which we'll return to given the chance. We've done boondockers and Harvest Hosts as well. Never had a problem with any of their locations either, but the Hipcamps are our favorites. Welcome to the club!! Albert & Terri Sterns Paonia, Colorado Elite II Hull #1125 Standard Floorplan / 2017 Ford F250 gas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolind Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Not sure of your return route, but we like Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky for camping. There is always water and a dump station at the north and south welcome stations. Taylor bay has no water or power but is very pretty. Energy lake campground has power and water and a dump station and is our favorite spot. Hillman ferry is well maintained, but huge with a lot of people, but shouldn’t be crowded in March. There are good hiking trails and Grand Rivers is a nice lunch spot, we like Green Turtle Bay best for a bear and a burger. LBL is a great place for several days. Robert and Cheryl, Louisville, KY, Legacy Elite II Hull #1390 Oliphino, TV F250 Tremor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted January 13 Moderators Share Posted January 13 26 minutes ago, Rolind said: we like Green Turtle Bay best for a bear and a burger. You Tremor guys are really a tough bunch! Usually those bears get a little touchy when it comes to burgers!😆 Bill p.s. DougS - If you get anywhere near Asheville on your trip an you need help, just yell. 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDRider Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I know you guys are excited. We took possession of 1423 in August 2023. We truly love our Oliver. I keep our interstate travel to a minimum. Doing that, I consider 400 miles a day so covering long distances can take some time. I second Land Between the Lakes. That was our first stop after leaving Hohenwald. Nice park. Arkansas state parks are very well kept. We have stayed at many of them. We lived in the Smokies before we started camping. It is a pretty area. We had many day trips and the hiking is wonderful. You are going to love wherever you are when you are in your Oliver 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dorrer Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Many of the COE campgrounds at Land between the Lakes are closed for the winter. Our favorite is Canal COE and it is closed in March. You will need to check the others. Smoky Mountain National Park is one of our favorites. You will still have cold temps and snow in the mountains in March. I would suggest taking the Natchez Trace Parkway from Hohenwald to Natchez, MS. Plenty of campgrounds and State Parks along the way. That heads you South to warmer temps. Head into Texas with unlimited State Parks and Big Bend National Park. 3 1 John & Susan Dorrer, 2013 F250, 6.2 gasser, 4x4, 2022 Legacy Elite 2, twin beds, Hull #1045, Jolli Olli - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph and Dud B Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Lots of eastern campgrounds close for the winter, including March, so check in advance. As @John Dorrer suggested, heading south will increase your choices. (So envious of those who live in the South and West, with all your camping opportunities.) 1 Stephanie and Dudley from CT. 2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior. Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4. Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed Where we've been RVing since 1999: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 5 hours ago, AlbertNTerri said: We're big fans of Hipcamp. With very few exceptions, the places have been very nice, most of which we'll return to given the chance. We've done boondockers and Harvest Hosts as well. Never had a problem with any of their locations either, but the Hipcamps are our favorites. Welcome to the club!! Thanks - never heard of Hipcamp. I see they have a different business model, and some really neat looking places. We’ll definitely try some out. 1 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 4 hours ago, Rolind said: Not sure of your return route, but we like Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky for camping. There is always water and a dump station at the north and south welcome stations. Taylor bay has no water or power but is very pretty. Energy lake campground has power and water and a dump station and is our favorite spot. Hillman ferry is well maintained, but huge with a lot of people, but shouldn’t be crowded in March. There are good hiking trails and Grand Rivers is a nice lunch spot, we like Green Turtle Bay best for a bear and a burger. LBL is a great place for several days. Never been to Kentucky, but we’ll definitely look into it! Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 4 hours ago, topgun2 said: You Tremor guys are really a tough bunch! Usually those bears get a little touchy when it comes to burgers!😆 Bill p.s. DougS - If you get anywhere near Asheville on your trip an you need help, just yell. We will definitely do that - Thanks for the offer! Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 4 hours ago, HDRider said: I know you guys are excited. We took possession of 1423 in August 2023. We truly love our Oliver. I keep our interstate travel to a minimum. Doing that, I consider 400 miles a day so covering long distances can take some time. I second Land Between the Lakes. That was our first stop after leaving Hohenwald. Nice park. Arkansas state parks are very well kept. We have stayed at many of them. We lived in the Smokies before we started camping. It is a pretty area. We had many day trips and the hiking is wonderful. You are going to love wherever you are when you are in your Oliver Thanks - it all sounds wonderful, and it should be a fine time of year - few crowds, variable, possibly beautiful weather, and all new! Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 3 hours ago, John Dorrer said: Many of the COE campgrounds at Land between the Lakes are closed for the winter. Our favorite is Canal COE and it is closed in March. You will need to check the others. Smoky Mountain National Park is one of our favorites. You will still have cold temps and snow in the mountains in March. I would suggest taking the Natchez Trace Parkway from Hohenwald to Natchez, MS. Plenty of campgrounds and State Parks along the way. That heads you South to warmer temps. Head into Texas with unlimited State Parks and Big Bend National Park. We will definitely check. We are used to cold and weather. We live on the side of a mountain in Wilson, WY. Had a blizzard yesterday morning and a little over a foot of snow. But not in an Oliver! 1 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said: Lots of eastern campgrounds close for the winter, including March, so check in advance. As @John Dorrer suggested, heading south will increase your choices. (So envious of those who live in the South and West, with all your camping opportunities.) It is amazing here. One reason for the Oliver is to be able to head out without much planning and do a fishing week anywhere within a few hundred miles. An amazing learning curve on the horizon. 1 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 4 hours ago, topgun2 said: You Tremor guys are really a tough bunch! Usually those bears get a little touchy when it comes to burgers!😆 Bill p.s. DougS - If you get anywhere near Asheville on your trip an you need help, just yell. 4 hours ago, topgun2 said: You Tremor guys are really a tough bunch! Usually those bears get a little touchy when it comes to burgers!😆 Bill p.s. DougS - If you get anywhere near Asheville on your trip an you need help, just yell. Is that in North Carolina? Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 3 hours ago, John Dorrer said: Many of the COE campgrounds at Land between the Lakes are closed for the winter. Our favorite is Canal COE and it is closed in March. You will need to check the others. Smoky Mountain National Park is one of our favorites. You will still have cold temps and snow in the mountains in March. I would suggest taking the Natchez Trace Parkway from Hohenwald to Natchez, MS. Plenty of campgrounds and State Parks along the way. That heads you South to warmer temps. Head into Texas with unlimited State Parks and Big Bend National Park. We actually went about 30 miles on the Natchez Trace when we went to the Oliver factory. 30 miles of mowed lawns up to the forest. Some nice turnouts. We got a book on the park and have it high on the list. 3 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted January 13 Moderators Share Posted January 13 10 minutes ago, Doug S said: Is that in North Carolina? Well - We've only got those little black bears! It's the Griz I'd worry about.😊 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfnut Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hi, Doug S. I know now where i remember your town. Back in 2008 went to Jackson Hole, with are two grown children and there spouses .. we had breakfast at Nora’s Fish creek inn.. great time .. After we got are Ollie in July 2022. Took a two wk. trip out west.. Grand tetons. Had to stop back at Snake River brewing.. Have a safe trip picking up the camper .. Manny 2022 Elite I # 1179 | 2024 Tundra SR5 4x4 Crewmax. 5.5 ft. Bed. 3.31gears 10 spd.trans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug S Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 3 hours ago, Golfnut said: Hi, Doug S. I know now where i remember your town. Back in 2008 went to Jackson Hole, with are two grown children and there spouses .. we had breakfast at Nora’s Fish creek inn.. great time .. After we got are Ollie in July 2022. Took a two wk. trip out west.. Grand tetons. Had to stop back at Snake River brewing.. Have a safe trip picking up the camper .. Manny You’ve got it! The woman who owned Nora’s (her daughter), sold it to a couple of local fellows who have put a lot of effort into improving it. The food, coffee, and pizza are now very good. It still has the same small local mountain town vibe - people who live here tend to thrive on that. Hungry Jack’s, the local general store was bought out by 250 of us, and is becoming exceptional! 1 Doug & Jill - Wilson WY Ozzie and Ruby - 2 Havanese characters “Hull #1491” ‘24 LEII ’23 F-250 RapidRed KR 7.3 Godzilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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