CAMPING IN THE USA

Hi Folks

We have started our world trip and our first stop has been NYC for the past week allowing customs time to clear our bikes, it was touch and go but we did it.

Had a great time in NYC but now ready to hit the open road and see what the rest of North America has to offer and from what we have been reading and hearing, a hell of a lot.

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this thread so please let me know.

We will be leaving NY today and heading down to Philadelphia and DC and wondered if anyone had any suggestion for camping options or a reasonably priced motel. I can imagine i may be posting a few of these requests as local knowledge will be a huge help, but will try and give a few days notice. Have also posted on ADVRider

Thanks in advance

Harps, Rik & Rob

Enjoy the trip and the US is really good for cheap motels. You shouldn`t pay mote than $50 for a room with air con etc. I use KOA camps when I`m out there and they range from $15-$30 per night but all have showers/pool etc. You can camp for free in some National Parks but it`s worth asking. In my experience, our Ameican cousins don`t like you pitching up anywhere and to be honest, I think it can be dangerous in the middle of nowhere because of the wildlife. Them bears are big old boys...!!

Hope you are doing the Outer Banks thaen back across to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway was built for bikes and it`s a little peace of heaven.

Have fun!

Go to a major bookstore such as Barnes & Noble or Border's Books and look for a camping guide. They list all of the campgrounds in the US with directions, pricing, etc.

Cheap hotel chains:

Days Inn ( www.daysinn.com )
Motel 6 ( www.motel6.com )
Red Roof Inn ( www.redroof.com )
Country Inn & Suites ( www.countryinns.com)

Most smaller towns have a local hotel / motel in them. They can range form very nice to complete crap. Best to look at a room before booking.

As others have said, pitching a tent on the side fo the road isn't done - unless you're in a National Park and have been advised it is okay to do so. State Parks are a a great value - most have a lodge with inexpensive rooms and designated camping areas as well. Small fee for camping usually.

If your trip is a lengthy one, you might want to buy an annual National PArks pass. It's not expesnive and covers all entrance fees for one year. If you plan on going to more than 2-3 parks, it'll pay for itself.

Feel free to email with any questions or if I can help yu out in any way.
Email: Eblattert@cs.com

Eric

Indianapolis, Indiana

Compare hotel/motel B&B write-ups on www.tripadvisor.com - largely independent views of travellers who've stayed at the hotel(s). Straight-forward and easy to use website.

Cheers folks appreciate the advice.

We have been very fortunate, we hit a community via the Horizons site and a great bloke in Philly called Ed Mendes has put us up for a couple of nights and the hospitality has been superb. Him and his mates have taken us around the local sites and they are coming with us for a ride out to Washington DC, after we go to a party on route. We also had a fella from DC invite us to his aswell but we did not realise we would be in Philly so long and he now has family over. Never the less what a fantastic tool to have.

Thanks Horizons Unlimited