Travel Guides

[Msjan]

My husand and I are planning on taking a cross-country trip from South Florida to California and beyond. We are looking at traveling on I-20 for part of the trip rather than I-10 an will take a northern route back. We have just joined the Elks and have ordered the Elks Travel Guide. We are also joining Passport America for campground discounts. My questions are: Is the Corps of Engineer guide worth purchasing? Also what about the "Exit Now" Guide - I have the Next Exit which is a couple of years old -- Is it worth purchasing a new guide?
We have never boon docked in our 5'er but might be willing to try on occasion. Also have a road atlas with camping info -- are there any other guides we should be looking at??
Don't want to spend all my travel $$$$ on guides.

[PapaBeav]

You should get a copy of "Mountain Roads of the West" if you are going to be traveling in the mountains. You can get it at Camping World and it will tell you all about the roads you want to travel and those that you don't especially the steep ones. We found out the hard way several years ago by taking hwy 89A out of Prescott Valley AZ over to Cottonwood through Jerome. After that I bought the book, which I didn't know about at the time. It can save you some gray hairs.

[padredw]

Jan and Bill, We live just 20 miles north of I-20 (North of Longview, Texas)and have made the I-20 trip from here to Atlanta and back many times. The Corps of Engineer has two fine RV parks near here on Lake 'o The Pines. There are many fine private parks in this area plus a couple of really nice State Parks (Daingerfield and Tyler.)

As for guides we use the Trailer Life (Good Sam)directory and also their computer program, issued through CDs.

As your plans develop, we will be glad to help with more specific information about this area if you should wish.

We made the trip to California in our fifth-wheel last September, following I-20, then I-10 where they merge, then I-8 on to the San Diego area. We had an excellent RV park in the Los Angeles area.

[Imp]

We prefer Next Exit over the other publication I Exit or Exit Now (put out by Good Sam). We found Next Exit very user friendly. Just our opinion. Pass the older issue on to your kids or friends.

[lasater]

Msjan,

The Corps of Engineers Campgrounds can all be found at
http://www.recreation.gov/ and http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/.
These are free sites although you do have to register, and you don't have to worry about your information getting out of date. Books are nice but I would use these sites.