Warm Winter RV Vacations - Escape the Cold this Winter

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A) Unique Florida Winter Vacation:

Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park

Rent or drive your RV from Miami to the Keys and keep driving! You’ll feel like you’re going south, but for most of the 159 miles, you’ll be driving west. And, don’t miss all there is to do in Key West. You can camp in Bahia Honda State Park, on Big Pine Key, just a short drive from Key West, and with some of the best views of the Atlantic, you’ll find in the entire Florida Keys. In Key West, visit Mallory Square at sunset for a unique array of street performers and buskers of all sorts and sizes, and plenty of peddlers who will be happy to sell their wares. While in Key West, visit the Hemingway House, famous for its six-toed cats (or polydactyl, for the technical term), and even drop in and see the Little White House established by President Truman who often liked to winter in the Florida Keys. He used this as his winter White House for 175 days during his presidency.

And, for a unique adventure off-grid, take a ferry and go visit the Dry Tortugas National Park, on Garden Island about 70 miles due west of Key West. You can bring your gear and food, water, etc., and enjoy a night or two of primitive camping there, and visit Fort Jefferson, which is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas. Built in 1861, the Fort was used by the Union Army during the Civil War as a Union Prison Camp until April 1 of 1869. See the unique location of this most westernmost part of the Florida Keys before heading back to Key West.

 

B) Destination: Las Vegas

Taking off from Las Vegas in your RV you’ll have the desert and so many amazing National Parks that you may want to make this a much longer trip! Enjoy the atmosphere in Las Vegas as much as you wish, and when you are ready to get out of town, we have a few suggestions not far from Las Vegas.

 1) The Grand Canyon

 The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Millions of people take a trip to the Grand Canyon annually, and many make the day trip from Las Vegas either by car or helicopter. If you haven’t been, this should be on your “bucket list.”

Gigantic in size and scale, the views from the edge of the canyon are incredible, as you look out over the rock face dropping away below you and the dramatic vista stretches towards the horizon. The arid and desolate terrain is peaceful yet picturesque and indeed a powerful place to explore.

While visiting the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is doable by car, the distance involved makes it a bit of a tough trip if you have kids in tow. Driving to the South Rim for instance takes around five hours as you head south to Kingman before heading on to Williams and from there take AZ-64 north to the Grand Canyon. In contrast the less impressive West Rim takes around two hours to get to and the route goes through a Native American reservation. Taking this route also gives you access to the popular Skywalk attraction, a horse-shaped cantilever bridge. If you haven’t been here, it is a unique attraction and although a little pricey, well worth visiting.

2) Red Rock Canyon

For a good, long hike or just a short jaunt through nature, Red Rock Canyon offers a relaxing day trip away from the bright lights of Vegas. The Park has 19 hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult and offers views of thousands of plants and abundant wildlife. Wild tortoises and stunning rock formations are highlights for most visitors. Depending upon what time of the year you visit Red Rock Canyon, various events are happening much of the time. Guided hikes, bird watching, and art projects are among the typical things to do here.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area lies in Nevada’s Mojave Desert. It’s known for geological features such as towering red sandstone peaks and the Keystone Thrust Fault, as well as Native American petroglyphs. Panoramic viewing spots dot the 13-mile Scenic Drive. The sheltered Ice Box Canyon has seasonal waterfalls. To the south, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park features historic buildings and hiking trails.

3) Hoover Dam

Around 3,000 people travel to Hoover Dam every day. At 726 feet (221 meters) tall, the enormous curved wall is an architectural marvel that was constructed to control flooding, produce electricity, and provide irrigated water.

Visitors can tour the Hoover Dam, including watching a short video about the dam’s history and interactive displays. From the overlook, visitors get stunning views of the dam, Lake Mead, the Black Canyon, and the Colorado River. Tours of the power plant are also available for a small fee.

C) How about Southern California?

L.A. is a great place to start, and from there you can go exploring the surrounding areas, which include wineries and gorgeous desert landscapes—all within three hours of the city. You can go wine tasting in Temecula, camping in Joshua Tree or drive south and feel the sand between your toes in San Diego. Many of these adventures are just a short trip (as opposed to a longer road trip) worth taking. 

1) Temecula for Wine Tasting

 When going all the way to Napa and Sonoma isn’t an option, Temecula is your closest destination for a day of wine tasting. Before sampling the grapes, stop by quaint Old Town Temecula, where you can pay a visit to the Temecula Valley Museum for a historical walking tour. Then it’s down to business; the heart of Temecula’s Wine Country includes more than 30 wineries, which you can bounce between at your own leisure (don’t drink and drive, folks!) or take a guided tour from one of the many wine tour companies in the area. Taste your way through the 70-acre Wilson Creek Winery and the red-focused Monte De Oro Winery before heading to Maurice Car’rie Winery for an educated tasting and a loaf of the vineyard’s famous sourdough bread, oozing with brie. Just down the road, Magical Adventure Balloon Rides encapsulates another popular Temecula activity: riding in a hot air balloon. We can’t think of a better way to end your day in Temecula than by sailing over the town’s vineyards at sunset with a glass of champagne in hand.

2)  Camping in Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is a great place for day trips, road trips, and weekend getaways from L.A. And for good reason, this magical desert spot—with its gnarled, ancient namesake trees, picturesque cacti and giant boulders—should be on every traveler’s bucket list. Watch rock climbers scale mini-mountains at Hidden Valley campground (first-come, first-served) or try some scrambling yourself at Jumbo Rocks. On the drive out, plan for a pit stop at the Cabazon exit, where you can explore the famed dinosaur park from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (even climbing inside the three-story T. Rex for a photo op in his mouth). Shop for cacti at multiple roadside marts on Twentynine Palms Highway, or hang a left at Pioneertown Road for a stop at Pappy & Harriet’s, which boasts a ghost town, small inn, and great live music.

3) Beaches in San Diego

 If you want to spend a day in San Diego, you can either try to go big (the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, a Padre’s game, all in one day!) or go small town and spend a chill day in a cool oceanfront neighborhood. The beach towns north of San Diego are the stuff of the Beach Boys lyrics. In Solana Beach, you’ll find laid-back vibes and beaches that aren’t completely overrun. There’s also a mix of cute boutiques, surf shops, restaurants, taco spots, and bars along the South Coast Highway. San Diego is a mix of several unique neighborhoods, each with their atmosphere, and a sort of collection of unrivaled beaches. The best we found was Coronado Beach; take the time to go in the water. It’s a little cold, but so refreshing and invigorating!

Wherever you decide to go this winter for your warm RV adventure when you are getting ready to hit the road, check with an El Monte RV Rental location to get much more advice from our knowledgeable service representatives. There is much more information on warm destinations from any of these El Monte RV Rental offices.