Traveling Through South Carolina and North Carolina in an RV

Written by Nancy Carter, Making My Own Lane

Traveling Through South Carolina and North Carolina in an RV, weeks 2 through 4 of my Epic East Coast RV Adventure. Taking the slow route up the East Coast of the United States in a Class C RV.

My first stop was another KOA outside of Charleston, SC. One night only. I have found KOA’s a safe place to stop for the night. Many of them have nice walking trails and a place to stretch our legs after a day of driving. But KOAs can be expensive. This one was $90, and it didn’t even have full hook ups!

Pet Care While on the Road

On the way to the campground I had Rufus and Willie both groomed at Petco. I also stopped at Walmart to get groceries. Both Petco and Walmart were in the same complex and only about 6 miles away from my next destination. Because, after all, this is living on the road, not just being on vacation, right?

I like Petco because they are everywhere! And they have all the records of my dogs previous visits and vet info. I also get every 8th grooming free plus other discounts from being part of their Vital Care program, and when you have 2 dogs that need regular grooming, the savings can add up quickly.

When I am traveling, I like to stock up on supplies on travel days, before I reach my next stop. That way, I don't have to break camp until I leave again, unless I decide to do a day trip. Because I don't have a vehicle that I tow behind me on these trips, I do have to plan out my stops more than if I had the flexibility of a quick trip to the store.

Grocery Shopping in an RV

Grocery stores on the road are a little more challenging. Every state has a different chain, and learning a new grocery store every time you go shopping is something I have found really challenging. I have also found that it takes me a lot longer to shop, because I have to go up and down every aisle to find what I want.

The good part of shopping in different states and chains is that you can find some new and interesting regional foods. But be careful, because you may love a new product so much, only to find you can’t find it in the next stop or state you go to.

I learned that there are times when grocery stores and services may be 30 minutes or more away, and I learned to keep enough food on hand, just in case there were no local stores where I was going.

North Carolina Camping Destinations

Next stop, another Harvest Host, a wild horse preserve in Holden Beach, NC. One night spent on a beautiful farm with horses. To read more about Harvest Host and how it works, click here.

Then 6 nights in another Thousand Trails location in Sneads Ferry, NC.

This was a very pretty campground, right on the intercoastal, and a relaxing place to spend a few days on my way to Maine. We really enjoyed the scenery from the beautiful docks, and the dog park, but the internet was spotty, at best.

You all probably know this already, but ... when you aren't able to make or get calls through your cell service, you can try to make calls using Facebook Messenger. If you haven't already, try it.

There was some haze from the Canadian wildfires; however, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was in New York and New Jersey, and it made for some beautiful sunsets.

I did find a place, Brawes Bees, which was a short scooter ride on a quiet country road that I did feel safe riding a scooter on.

The beekeeper was kind enough to introduce me to his bees. He said I was safe as long as I was with him, but I still kept my distance.

I bought some honey there, and you could buy pretty much anything you needed for your own bee colony.

If you like fried clams and great seafood and you are in this area, you may want to stop by the Riverview Cafe in Sneads Ferry. The reviews were great and the food did not disappoint. Like I’ve said, I don’t eat out a whole lot, but when I do, it’s someplace special with amazing local food I can’t normally get or cook myself.

Fried whole clam bellies

Traveling on local roads in an RV.

Taking local roads up the east coast also takes a lot longer than just driving straight up 95. Sometimes taking 2 ½ hours to go just 50 miles. I was learning to slow down and enjoy the journey, after years of living a much faster-paced lifestyle.

Then we spent nine nights in a Thousand Trails park in Newport NC. Nine nights was a long time, but the back gate led to a quiet road on the intercoastal, and the internet was excellent! I never thought I'd be so happy to have a view of 2 cell towers from my window. There was also a truck/rv wash next to the campsite. I also didn't realize how challenging it can be to find a place to wash your RV. Many campgrounds don't allow RV washing, or you at least have to pay a fee to use the additional water.

Finding Interesting Day Trips

Looking on a map, yes a real map, and using Trip Advisor, I did find 2 places to visit while staying in these campgrounds. When you are traveling in only your RV, you have to take into consideration parking your RV wherever you go. And both of the places I chose I could see would have plenty of parking. I look for places like visitor’s centers that traditionally have lots of parking for larger vehicles.

Fort Macon State Park

The first one was Fort Macon State Park in North Carolina. Fort Macon is a beautifully restored Civil War fort that you can either book a guided tour or just wander around by yourself. You can read more about the history of the park here.

Keeping pets safe when I leave my RV

Having 1640 watts of solar on my roof and a minisplit, an air conditioner/heater that uses a lot less energy than a traditional rooftop RV AC unit, is amazing. It gives me the freedom and flexibility to do things that the dogs can’t always do with me, or that I feel would be too much or too hot for them to do. It allows them to be able to stay at "home", in the AC, which my solar powers with the sun, even on a very cloudy day. Even if it's raining, the AC will use the power from the onboard lithium batteries.

I also have a thermostat monitor and camera, so I can check the temp of the RV and look in on them from apps on my phone.

Harkers Island and the Cape Lookout National Seashore

My second stop was Harkers Island and the Cape Lookout National Seashore, in North Carolina, where I had my first beach day of my trip, looking for wild horses and visiting another iconic lighthouse.

There were a few excursions at Cape Lookout National Seashore you could choose from, and I chose the Island Express Ferry Services combo tour to Shackleford Banks and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. I spent about 4 hours, including boat travel time, and I was able to check on my dogs using my temperature monitor and my video camera to make sure they were staying safe and comfortable in the RV while I was away.

This trip included a boat ride. Starting out at the visitor center in Harker’s Island and going to Shackleford Banks, the home of a herd of about 100 wild ponies. You could spend as much time as you wanted walking the beaches of this quiet island looking for ponies, or just taking advantage of the beautiful beach and water.

From there, the boat picked you back up and took you over to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse where you could learn about the history of the island and explore the trails.

I decided to find something fun to do, if possible, every place I stopped. Even if it were only eating amazing food at a local restaurant that I couldn’t find just anywhere.

Every stop I have made so far I would never have done in the past. Too remote, too far, too obscure. I feel I have missed out on so much not looking at my journey as the destination, and I have a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks for reading and joining me along this journey from Florida to Maine.

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