Hampton VA to Santa Fe NM in early January 2017

[East2west]

Originally Posted by SilverbackMel

Amarillo:
Same trip caught in ice/snow/wind/ ice storm mid March. Damned weather changed in 15 minutes.
36 ft 5er pulled GREAT ( when I could see out of the darn windshield) big trucks blew by at 70+ heading for safety. We called ahead 2 hours to Amarillo and booked/paid via phone 2 nights. Limped in 4 hours later; eyes frozen open from staring at the damned road, trying to stay on it.
2nd day went 200 feet up the street to a GREAT COWBOY STEAKHOUSE.
Best sign in America: You are now leaving Texas. Seems like 8 days to get through there! Loved passing north of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where it's the most dangerous point near the border. Border patrol everywhere! Stopped for a quick necessary call at a guarded rest area.
Promptly saw sign; watch out for rattle snakes. Did I tell you how much we loved s Texas? 😂. Just say'n!!

Would we do it again; yeah!! It's just experiences. No harm. We were gone Atlanta to Phoenix for 2 winter months. 👌👌

When I called ahead to make reservations, the KOA in Amarillo told me about their cancellation policy, etc. I was concerned because we might get stuck in weather, icy conditions, anything that might be a problem on the roads. The person taking my reservation said, "Oh, that's not a cancellation! Just call us and we'll bump you a night or so!" Nice folks on the phone.

We are staying two nights at Ft. Monroe in Hampton VA as the movers came yesterday and took all our furniture away. I might have slept on the floor when I was in my 20s, but now that I'm 60-ish, I don't do that anymore. The PODs people are supposed to pick up the POD any time now, one of us is at the house waiting for them. One more night here to get the cats used to the motorhome, and then we leave Wednesday am as soon as possible for Bristol VA/TN. I see a storm is coming through the mid-west, hopefully it will stay north of I-40, or at least the roads will be cleared by the time we get to OK and TX. We have our rest stops, gas stops, cat food stops, overnight stops planned out, and got some walkie talkies to keep in touch. RV in front, Subaru in back, very small convoy. All I need now is a basset hound and a truck full of Coors.

Thanks, everyone, I'll let you know how it goes this week!

Happy new year to all - Martha

[dblr]

East2West have a safe trip and hope all goes well for you.

[Mike Tav]

Have a safe trip. We are headed west again mid June. I-40 until we make Albuquerque .

[Mark1]

Hi.Yeh we also left upstate NY last Thursday.Missed the lake effect snow around Buffalo and Erie.Stayed overnight in a walmart lot in Mansfield Ohio.then south to 40 outside Nashville.Rained like mad all thru Tenn.another walmart outside Little Roch Ar.Windy all thru Ar and Ok.but no snow and the rain has stopped.Visited brother in Clovis Nm.for a day over nighted in Clovis Rv Park. $30 all services Very nice place and convient.Mark the owner was very nice to work with.On again yesterday.Staying in another walmart lot now on Grants Nm.will head for Kingman Az today,then find a place near Laughlin or Las Vegas for the next few months.Driving a 2016 Bounder 36E With tow dolly and car.It don't like the wind.Weather report says Storm coming to New Mexico in a couple days.I'm glad we missed it..

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by East2west

When I called ahead to make reservations, the KOA in Amarillo told me about their cancellation policy, etc. I was concerned because we might get stuck in weather, icy conditions, anything that might be a problem on the roads. The person taking my reservation said, "Oh, that's not a cancellation! Just call us and we'll bump you a night or so!" Nice folks on the phone.

We are staying two nights at Ft. Monroe in Hampton VA as the movers came yesterday and took all our furniture away. I might have slept on the floor when I was in my 20s, but now that I'm 60-ish, I don't do that anymore. The PODs people are supposed to pick up the POD any time now, one of us is at the house waiting for them. One more night here to get the cats used to the motorhome, and then we leave Wednesday am as soon as possible for Bristol VA/TN. I see a storm is coming through the mid-west, hopefully it will stay north of I-40, or at least the roads will be cleared by the time we get to OK and TX. We have our rest stops, gas stops, cat food stops, overnight stops planned out, and got some walkie talkies to keep in touch. RV in front, Subaru in back, very small convoy. All I need now is a basset hound and a truck full of Coors.

Thanks, everyone, I'll let you know how it goes this week!

Happy new year to all - Martha

If it were me I would stay at Overnight RV park in Amarillo. It's just off the interstate and across the road from a Pilot travel center. Close to the Big Texan also.

[East2west]

Originally Posted by bubbles

If it were me I would stay at Overnight RV park in Amarillo. It's just off the interstate and across the road from a Pilot travel center. Close to the Big Texan also.

We might look at that. We got to Bristol TN after dark last night but all good. I think we will spend an extra night in Memphis as the weather during rush hour Friday morning says about 15 F and snow. May as well wait until the roads are treated, by Saturday it's supposed to be clearer, no snow.

Thanks, Martha

[SilverbackMel]

Remember: staying safe and arriving alive is more important than rushing to get there! It's not JUST THE ROADS but inexperienced drivers in bad weather making poor decisions and traveling way too fast!!
Trust me: lived in Syracuse, NY for 5 winters!!
Just takes one vehicle to cause chain reaction!!

[East2west]

Originally Posted by SilverbackMel

Remember: staying safe and arriving alive is more important than rushing to get there! It's not JUST THE ROADS but inexperienced drivers in bad weather making poor decisions and traveling way too fast!!
Trust me: lived in Syracuse, NY for 5 winters!!
Just takes one vehicle to cause chain reaction!!

Today we did indeed stay in West Memphis (really Arkansas) for an extra day due to the weather. Definitely a good thing as the weather folks are saying that I-40 was closed in Oklahoma City, our next stop. So better to stay here than be parked along the side of the highway or in a rest stop waiting for the wrecks to clear. Also fine with me to let the highway folks have another day to treat the roads. Everything here is closed, schools, stores, etc. Not much traffic on the roads. This is a nice KOA, pretty close to I-55. There are quite a number of rigs here, I was surprised.

Heading for Oklahoma City tomorrow - the cats are doing fine.

[SilverbackMel]

GREAT CHOICE TO STAY PUT. Being stranded or stuck along the road is an UNNECESSARY MEMORY��

[Mike Tav]

We would have done the same thing. Not fun to be stranded. RV is too comfy compared to a snowy traffic jam.

[East2west]

Only cold weather casualty so far is the tv antenna is frozen hard in the up position. I guess we will have to put up with all the hand signals down the road until we can get it thawed out.

[East2west]

Originally Posted by East2west

Only cold weather casualty so far is the tv antenna is frozen hard in the up position. I guess we will have to put up with all the hand signals down the road until we can get it thawed out.

Last leg - 1. The antenna defrosted itself somewhere in Oklahoma and by the time we were in Amarillo it was back stowed down on the roof.

2. Plenty of wind in Oklahoma, I can see why all the windmill farms are out there!

3. Heading home today from the last stop in Amarillo. Roads much better on Sunday once we got out of the more rural country and into the flat farmland. Still some snow on the ground, but roads are fine. Thanks to everyone with advice on winter traveling, and to all the folks we met on our little trip - especially anyone who helped us find our drive through space in the dark with everything covered in snow and ice. You know who you are!

All the best - keep warm!

Martha

[East2west]

Originally Posted by Dorrie

Hey East2West I have a question for you.

You don't store your camper at Hampton Boat and RV Storage? Why I ask is they have no more room and just waiting for a space to open, lol


Hubby is down at Little Creek and this way he can run up to Hampton instead of home to put the camper at one of the Military Campgrounds.

Hi, Dorrie. It looks as though we will not be returning to store our RV in Virginia. You might want to give them a call in case you haven't found a place yet.

[Charles Firth]

East to West, we are headed to NM on 1 March, hoping to be there 4 March traveling mostly I 40 staying at KOA's along the way ( pretty good reviews on them, only using them because they are close to I40, and looks like they have pull through sites available, that will save time un hooking) Extended weather looks ok, but we all know how that is.

[keeprr]

We made the trip from Oklahoma City to Virginia Beach last summer. Stayed at KOA'S along I40 and I81. Most were nice. Arkansas is a wasteland for nice Campgrounds. I would plan to stop at Tom Sawyer RV Resort in West Memphis and then at the KOA in Sallisaw OK. Coming to Nashville, do yourself a favor by taking I840 around Nashville. No traffic and a leisurely ride through the countryside although a few more miles.