Health+Wellness • Article

4 Best RV Road Trips

Margaret Littman


Share this article

Plan your next trip and go wherever you want in your mobile home.

 

Here are four great routes for getting that rig out on the open road.

 

Part of the appeal of a road trip is serendipity. Yes, you need a campground or a parking spot and, eventually, a dumping station, but for the most part, because you've got everything you want in your well-designed mobile home-away-from-home, you don't have to rely on hotels and restaurants. The country is your oyster.

 

444 miles of fun.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of the country's most popular National Park Service destinations, particularly among those who travel by RV. Closed to commercial traffic and big rigs, RVs of less than 55 ft. love these winding roads, scenic byways, and rich historical stops from Native American burial mounds to Civil War battlefields. The lush green-trimmed ribbon of road runs from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi. Blues and country music are everywhere. RV-friendly campgrounds nestle near must-see cities like Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Tupelo, Mississippi, which Elvis fans know as the birthplace of the King.

 

Mountains and monuments.

Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park are among the country's best treasures, nestled near the Black Hills of South Dakota. They offer plenty to do once you are outside your camper – from shopping to exploring to sightseeing – but are remote enough that at night you can curl up on your comfy Sleep Number® RV mattress (yes, those exist!) and sleep in solitude with only the stars as lights.

 

Get your kicks.

Route 66 is one of the country's most iconic roadways, dotted with Americana and photo ops from Illinois to California. True, it isn't a nature excursion like some RV road trips, and because of the delicious diners and ice cream shops, you might not eat in your kitchen on wheels as much as you would in the woods. But there's no better place to tap into U.S. nostalgia, and no shortage of RV-friendly campgrounds within a mile of this historic road.

 

Love the land.

Check out the awesome (and affordable) Harvest Hosts agri-tourism option. Selected working farms, wineries and even wildlife preserves allow RVers to stay on their bucolic properties for (almost) free. Become a member for $44 a year, give the winery a heads up, and you're on your way. You can take tours, volunteer to work the land, or just kick back and enjoy the pastoral landscapes. Because most of these properties don't have facilities for campers, the program is open only to self-contained travelers such as RVers. You are encouraged to buy a bottle or two from your hosts as a way of saying thanks. Participating farms dot the country, so you can make your own RV wine trail.

 

Once you've plotted your next road trip, check out these five hacks to make RVs feel like home.

 

Like diet and exercise, quality sleep has a profound impact on our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Because no two people sleep the same, Sleep Number 360® smart beds, with SleepIQ® technology, sense your movements and automatically adjust firmness, comfort and support to keep you both sleeping comfortably and provide proven quality sleep. Find your Sleep Number® setting for your best possible night's sleep, and if you own a Sleep Number® bed, log in to your InnerCircle℠ Rewards account to see your exclusive offers, refer friends and more.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Nashville-based freelance journalist, Margaret Littman's work has appeared in Real Simple, USA Today, AARP magazine, AAA World, Conde Nast Traveler, and Preservation, among others.

Share this article