Spring Flower Tour
April, 2022Spring Flower Tour
April, 2022Cherry Blossoms, Beaches, and Waterfalls
Duration: 18 nights
Location: DC, Myrtle Beach, Georgia
Fuel & Site Fees Per Day: $89.00
Miles Traveled: 1,874
First, up will be a stop at Wytheville KOA for an overnight then off to Washington DC. We choose to stay 7 nights at Fort Belvoir Travel Camp on the Military Base. We have family living on the base allowing us to take advantage of this option. Timing the Cherry Blossoms turned out to be a challenge, we just missed the peak bloom. The Capitol Mall is still full of color and the family time could not have been better. Now our attention turned to Myrtle Beach for some lazy days near the Atlantic Ocean.
Ginny and prefer short travel days so we worked in a Harvest Host location on our way down. Secret Garden Winery located in Pikeville, NC was a treat and a great overnight. Ginny got to sample ………… Time to head to the North Myrtle Beach RV Resort and Dry Dock for our 5-night stay. We love this park and its proximity to the beach and all that this North Myrtle. The next stop was a short hop to Augusta, GA for an overnight at Heritage RV Park, then off to Ellijay, GA for 3 nights at Diamond Lure Campground.
I have included reviews of the RV parks, favorite restaurants, and overall ratings for this itinerary.
Cherry Blossoms, Beaches, and Waterfalls
Duration: 18 nights
Location: DC, Myrtle Beach, Georgia
Fuel & Site Fees Per Day: $89.00
Miles Traveled: 1,874
First, up will be a stop at Wytheville KOA for an overnight then off to Washington DC. We choose to stay 7 nights at Fort Belvoir Travel Camp on the Military Base. We have family living on the base allowing us to take advantage of this option. Timing the Cherry Blossoms turned out to be a challenge, we just missed the peak bloom. The Capitol Mall is still full of color and the family time could not have been better. Now our attention turned to Myrtle Beach for some lazy days near the Atlantic Ocean.
Ginny and prefer short travel days so we worked in a Harvest Host location on our way down. Secret Garden Winery located in Pikeville, NC was a treat and a great overnight. Ginny got to sample ………… Time to head to the North Myrtle Beach RV Resort and Dry Dock for our 5-night stay. We love this park and its proximity to the beach and all that this North Myrtle. The next stop was a short hop to Augusta, GA for an overnight at Heritage RV Park, then off to Ellijay, GA for 3 nights at Diamond Lure Campground.
I have included reviews of the RV parks, favorite restaurants, and overall ratings for this itinerary.
- RV Parks 80%
- Activities 80%
- Sight Seeing 100%
- Food 80%
Overview
Our original goal was to time the full Cherry Blossom bloom in DC and arrive as they were in all their glory. That turned out to be a bigger challenge than we thought. Trying to figure out with early
planning and booking was just tough. We missed the bloom this year by about a week. The Capitol Mall still had more spring flowers to offer and did not disappoint.
We are making a real effort this year to use Harvest Host whenever possible for our overnights. We put A Secret Garden Winery on our trip agenda on our way to North Myrtle Beach. This is a hidden gem just off I-795 in Pikeville, NC. We are big fans of Vivian Howard of “A Chef’s Life” fame. This winery is but a short drive to her restaurant, which by the way you should try not to miss. We loved the vineyard and the pull-through they offer with 50amp power is needed.
North Myrtle Beach is always on the Atlantic coastal swings. Zoey, our Labrador gets to have beach time along with us all day in early spring. This is one of the few towns that allow dogs on the beach. There is nothing like fresh shrimp and they are in abundance here. Our next destination puts us in the northwest Georgia mountains via Augusta. This is the shortest drive and a stop at the Bow Weevil Cafe is a must.
The final stop brought us to Ellijay, GA. This is where Atlanta residents have second mountain homes. Situated on the southern edge of the Smokie Mountains, this place is a hiker’s paradise. You will find more detail below. As for activities and food they are abundant in each of the destination cities we hit.
RV Parks
Diamond Lure Campground
This park is located about 1 hour north of Atlanta nestled in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. If you are looking for a quiet wooded campground with a 15-acre lake as the focal point this park is for you. As they say on their site, this might be the best-kept secret in North GA. You might have to wait to get a site that will accommodate a 35′ rig, but it’s worth the wait.
North Myrtle Beach RV Resort
Updated – April 25, 2021 – New Construction – We have always loved the shoreline of South Carolina near the NC border. We spent many a summer at Holden Beach, NC renting an oceanside home. The crowds you find in Myrtle Beach are not there. It’s quiet, great beaches and there is plenty of fresh seafood. We wanted to find something similar in an RV park.
Heritage RV Park
Newly Updated as of April, 2021. This would not be a holiday or vacation location in our opinion. However, if your looking for a short stay to visit with a family member that might be stationed at FT Gordon and you are not military this is minutes away from Gate #1. Maybe you are headed east on I-20 to the beaches of GA or South Carolina, the perfect spot to overnight is right here. Fortunate enough to have tickets to the 2020 Masters Tournament, they have a special rate for you and Augusta National is but 15 to 20 mins away.
Itinerary Map
Best Food & Activities
1. Washington, DC
Our primary reason to visit DC was frankly family. The benefits of such a trip bring into focus how special the National Mall is and all that can be seen while there. We have many favorites, Lincoln Memorial, National Art Gallery, and Natural History Museum leads the way. You could spend days exploring all the monuments and museums. The National Mall – 900 Ohio Drive SW
Washington, DC 20024 MAP
2. Boll Weevil $$
The Boll Weevil Cafe and Sweetery is one of the top Augusta restaurants, offering an eclectic menu and a comfortable setting.
Expect delicious dishes like Southern-style specialties, fresh seafood, tasty sandwiches, and delectable desserts such as different cheesecake flavors, pies, and cakes.
The Boll Weevil Cafe and Sweetery is an American eatery that opened in 1990 in a historical building that was a former cotton warehouse. Located at 10 James Brown Blvd, Augusta, GA 30901 MAP
3. North Myrtle Beach
Prominent annual festivals celebrate everything from St. Patrick’s Day to the end of summer. North Myrtle Beach is also the birthplace of the Shag dance, which became the official state dance of South Carolina in 1984. Strains of beach music can be heard in the Ocean Drive section nearly every night as those who love the Shag dance the night away. If you want 9 miles of white sands and less crowded beaches this is for you. MAP
4. Chattahoochee National Forest
Amicalola Falls State Park- 418 Amicalola Falls Lodge Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534 is a must-hike for those looking for waterfalls and forest floor wildflowers. The park is named after its most treasured feature, Amicalola Falls – a magnificent 729-foot waterfall that’s the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. MAP
Honorable Mention
- Melt – 204 Main Street, North Myrtle Beach SC 29582
- Melt offers a mix of homemade ice cream and Hershey’s flavors so the kiddos can enjoy their favorite neon yellow playdoh or moose tracks while you indulge in one of Melt’s gourmet crafted recipes like Honey Lavender (SWOON), Lemon Chiffon, Blueberry Swirl, or the one I went with, Butter Peacan in a homemade waffle cone. MAP
- National Museum of the US Army – 1775 Liberty Dr, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
- High tech modern museum. It is a beautiful building with well-done exhibits. If you are interested in Army and military history it is a must-visit and I am sure you could spend 4-5 hours here! MAP
- Becks Seafood – 1014 River Rd, Calabash, NC 28467
- This place may not be the best in Calabash but it’s a tradition for us when we visit. The service and food have always been very consistent. The hush puppies with honey butter are to die for. We typically get the Calabash Shrimp and are never disappointed. MAP
- Fort Mountain State Park – 181 Fort Mountain State Park Rd, Chatsworth, GA 30705
- Sprawling park with camping & hiking trails, plus an old fort, lake with a beach & horseback riding MAP
- Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza – 2 River St, Ellijay, GA 30540
- Ellijay Wood Fired pizza opened up in November of 2018 and is located at the corner of River Street and Main Street, anchoring the square in downtown Ellijay. Very good red and white pizza and Italian small dishes. We had Traditional Red Grandma pizza with a Burrata Caprese salad MAP