naples fl to hendersonville nc...avoid highways

[dockmasterdave]

We are starting to plan a summer trip @ 1 1/2 weeks to get away from south fl heat.
Loved the mountains of NC area.
Put it into trip planner just naples to hendersonville avoid highways.
It recommends up the center of florida to waycross GA , then through sandersville and anderson on to hendersonville.
Having never gone this route, I figured I would ask your help/suggestions, on route options or small detours to see something you liked.
Thanks for all input and ideas.
I'm thinking probably 2 days up and 3 days back.

[madonetwo]

There is a nice campground called Twin Lakes between Anderson, SC and Clemson, SC. It has some pull through sites. You can detach and drive into Clemson to see the Naional Championship Football trophy and tour the university. Lake Hartwell is the lake where Twin Lakes is located. Highway 11 in SC is the scenic highway along the foothills of the mountains. Some state parks along that route. Have fun!

[dockmasterdave]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found what looks like a winner for the first stop. West of Jacksonville, in Waldo. It's called Dixie land music and rv park. Got really good reviews on rvparkreviews, is right next to a pilot, and has a restaurant on premise, with most anything I may have forgotten close by. It's right on 301, and has pull throughs for the night. Has anyone on here stayed there?

[Sam_Spade]

dockmasterdave wrote:
Trip planner didn't show the route #s.
looks like 301 in FL to 23 in GA.

301 through Florida is good.
EXCEPT around Ocala.....where it combines with 27 and 441 and goes right down through town. Not good.
Best to use 75 to just north of Ocala and then pick up 301.

You NEED to know what the routes are before embarking on the trip.
There are TONS of decent trip planners out there:
Google Maps
KOA Trip Planner
Good Sam Club
Your favorite GPS unit
Don't assume that your GPS will choose the same route as the other programs though. If you will be using the GPS to navigate, also use it for the planning.

[Sam_Spade]

avan wrote:
At Labelle swing east and then north towards Lake Placid and to I4. If I'm heading towards Myrtle B or OBX, I take I4 to 95 and north.

I-4 is under a massive construction project around Orlando.....and can be a HUGE mess at times.

[Sam_Spade]

doxiemom11 wrote:
Don't know what roads it's recommending,

A good map will SHOW the 4 lane segments and you can pretty much guess at the traffic by the proximity to large cities (bad) and alternate freeway routes close by (good).

Blindly taking a computer generated "scenic" route in an RV when you have time constraints can put you into a HUGE mess. Can. Sometimes you will luck out but looking at the details of the route first is always better.

[kohldad]

You can do it in 2 days if you don't plan on stopping early or doing any sight seeing. 3 days would be a much more relaxing trip.

Stay on the GA side until you get on I85, take it just into SC and then pick up Scenic Hwy 11 to Hwy 25 which will run you into NC and drop you on I26 just east of Hendersonville. You do want the interstate from 25 to Hendersonville as the backroads are extremely "fun" between the two.

In GA, go up 441 on the west side of the Okefenoke Swamp. You could stop and visit the swamp staying in the state park or travel up a bit father and stay at the state park just east of Douglas, GA. Then stay east of Athens hugging the lakes along the SC/GA state line.

[johnhicks]

US 27 north of Clermont to Belleview has lots of traffic; that's why the jog over to US 301.

Also, from Belleview you can take Baseline Rd. CR 35 to Silver Springs and loop around north of the downtown area of Ocala to US 301 and avoid a lot of traffic.

[johnhicks]

US 301 from Dade City to Callahan works fine. If you want to go to Waycross take US 1 from Callahan.

I'd just stay on US 301 to Ludowici (notorious speed trap) then take US 25 all the way to Hendersonville. I have no idea mountain-road conditions above Greenville so that's debatable.

For the southern leg I'd do SR 29 from Immokalee to US 27 south of Palmdale, then US 27 to Clermont. Then from Clermont SR 50 west to CR 471 and north to Sumterville, joining US 301 there. If Clermont isn't interesting (lots of traffic) , take CR 474 south of Clermont to SR 33 north of Groveland, joining SR 50 there. They're good roads.

Bear in mind this entire route is rather slow complete with little towns, traffic lights etc., nothing like Interstates. I definitely wouldn't want to do that whole slog in two days.

[dockmasterdave]

Trip planner didn't show the route #s.
looks like 301 in FL to 23 in GA.

[Steeljag]

dockmasterdave wrote:
We are starting to plan a summer trip @ 1 1/2 weeks to get away from south fl heat.
Loved the mountains of NC area.
Put it into trip planner just naples to hendersonville avoid highways.
It recommends up the center of florida to waycross GA , then through sandersville and anderson on to hendersonville.
Having never gone this route, I figured I would ask your help/suggestions, on route options or small detours to see something you liked.
Thanks for all input and ideas.
I'm thinking probably 2 days up and 3 days back.

Can I ask what roads it recommends for "center of Florida to Waycross Ga ?

[avan]

I'm not looking up the exact location of your destination but can speak to driving up the spine of FL. It is the ONLY way I go unless I have a specific need to get to the east or west side of FL. I take Rt 29 up through Immokalee (I catch it near home here at Port of the Islands at Tamiami Trl,. At Labelle swing east and then north towards Lake Placid and to I4. If I'm heading towards Myrtle B or OBX, I take I4 to 95 and north. Anyway the route this way to get as far at Orlando is the shortest and fastest and most relaxing. The road is great and the drive is easy.

[doxiemom11]

Don't know what roads it's recommending, and we have not traveled that area with our RV, but we have traveled other places and always try to use the US highways. Most are in great shape - many are 4 lane divided ( some 2 lane areas) with shoulders and 65 mph. Traffic is minimal and it's usually a pleasant drive.

[Sam_Spade]

Please specify the routes that it recommends because it makes a BIG difference.

In Florida, US 19, US 27 and US 301 are the only good north/south roads I know about that are not clogged with traffic or go through a lot of small towns.
Even those have "bad stretches" with lots of traffic. Same for 41 and 441.

Unless you really have unlimited time, I think that Interstates are best.
The "scenic" roads can add a LOT of time to your trip.