New Orleans RV Resort & Marina

We stayed at New Orleans RV Resort & Marina in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A canal-front site close to the attractions of NOLA.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2023-11-19
  • Check out: 2023-12-03
  • 14 nights

Weather:

  • Partly cloudy, some rain
  • High temps ranging between 54-77°F, lows around 50-62°F
  • A little wind, gusts to 24 MPH

Noise:

  • Some road noise
  • Distant train noise
  • Plane noise from local airport
  • Occasional boat and jetski noise in the canal
  • Little neighbor noise

Site:

  • #7, front in, gravel
  • Needed to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
  • Fairly level; used hydraulic leveling
  • Gravel driveway about 50 feet long by about 20 feet wide
  • Bark between sites about 6 feet wide
  • Picnic table on grass
  • No fire pit
  • A bunch of small garbage and dog poop
  • Waterfront!

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, very conveniently located
  • 35 PSI water, very conveniently located
  • Very loose sewer connection (the screw part wasn’t connected to the pipe), conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 55 Mbps down, 32 Mbps up, 54 ms ping
  • AT&T: 7 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up, 52 ms ping
  • Verizon: 9-13 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 135 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage pickup from site
  • Package delivery to office
  • Onsite restaurant
  • Waterfront (canal)

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Industrial shipyards and pelicans

Don’t let the sketchy-looking area fool you as you drive in. This is a very nice resort close to everything you’d want to do in NOLA. We had a waterfront site and loved watching the birds skimming over the water and the parade of fishing boats going between the lake and the river. Our site was pretty short, just long enough for our 40′ motorhome, with barely enough space to park our tow vehicle alongside, but being able to face over the water was very nice.

The resort has a nice restaurant and bar onsite for when you don’t feel like going into the city itself. All the touristy stuff you’d want to do is conveniently close and parking in the French Quarter was not as scary as I thought it would be. We camped at New Orleans RV Resort & Marina in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our canal-front site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Views from our site:

View

View

View

View

View

A rail drawbridge, sticking up in the open state:

View

And closed:

View

A barge waiting for the drawbridge to open:

View

View

View

Lots of pelicans:

View

View

View

View

View

Moon

The City of New Orleans arriving for servicing:

View

View

View

View

View

View

View

View

Some rainy days:

Rain

Rain

And thunderstorms:

Thunderstorms

The sewer connection was super loose:

Loose sewer

The site wasn’t very clean; this is the trash I picked up on arrival:

Trash

We could fill a gap in our states map (but yes, by the time you read this, Florida will also be there):

States map

We were sandwiched between two “Presidential” sites, with covered kitchens and hot tubs. We wouldn’t have preferred such a site, though, as the roof would have impeded our view:

Other sites

The neighboring hot tub kept blowing open in the wind:

Hot tub

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Cabins:

Cabin

Cabin

The office:

Office

Office

Office

They allowed package delivery for guests, with a large pile in the front of the office (not very secure; people just come grab their packages; I prefer it when they have a mail room to keep packages more secure, though of course that is more staff burden):

Packages

There is a shuttle to downtown, though we didn’t use it, preferring to drive and park; plenty of paid parking available:

Shuttle info

Pool:

Pool

Pool

Pool

Dog park:

Dog park

There are two marinas; this is the smaller one behind the office:

Marina

The larger one opposite a boat repair yard:

Marina

Marina

Marina

Marina

Marina

Marina

A nice thing about this resort is an onsite restaurant, The LightHouse Bar:

The LightHouse Bar

Menu:

Menu

Menu

Specials

The LightHouse Bar

The LightHouse Bar

We went there several evenings; here are a sampling of our food and beverages:

Drinks

Food

Food

Food

Food

Food

Food

Food

Food

Food

A nice resort; we’d be happy to stay here again.

Travel from Toomsuba, Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana

We drove our coach 208 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Toomsuba, Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southwest:

Route

An interactive map:

Back along the narrow road from the campground:

Narrow road

We stopped at the Loves truck stop to use their CAT scale to weigh our coach and truck:

CAT scale

CAT scale

The results are much the same as previous times, though the truck is heavier, no doubt due to the addition of the canopy and slide; all still within the limits:

CAT scale results

Heading onto I-59 south:

I-59 south

The truck parking areas have totally reassuring signs saying “No Security Provided”; we have to wonder what incident caused them to add such signs:

No Security Provided

Lots of space in this parking area:

Parking area

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Another parking area stop; a little smaller and busier, but we found a spot:

Another parking area

“Welcome to Louisiana” sign:

Welcome to Louisiana

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain:

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain

Old bridge segment, I guess? Now a fishing pier:

Old bridge, I guess?

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain

Drawbridge:

Drawbridge

Chef Menteur Highway bridge:

Chef Menteur Highway bridge

Abandoned buildings on the road to our destination:

Abandoned buildings

Arriving at our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

We had a pull-in waterfront spot for two weeks:

Our site

Unfortunately no travel video again today; I didn’t notice that it had filled up and wasn’t recording until after this trip.

Extra shelving

While in Red Bay we spent several days at Davidson RV, getting them to do several projects. One of those was to add extra shelves to many of our cupboards.

Some cupboards above our couch, before adding shelves:

Cupboards before adding shelves

After adding shelves:

Cupboards after adding shelves

Cupboards after adding shelves

We also got some organizers for ziploc baggies, lids, and measuring cups:

Cupboards after adding shelves

We got them to raise this new shelf up a bit, so our rice maker would fit:

Cupboards after adding shelves

Partially populated; it’s normally packed full of food:

Cupboards after adding shelves

Much tidier plate and bowl cupboard:

Cupboards after adding shelves

We also got them to add dividers to Jenn’s clothing drawers:

Drawer dividers

And an extra shelf in my bathroom cupboard:

Bathroom cupboard

Nice improvements that really help us organize our storage!

Meridian East / Toomsuba KOA Journey

We stayed at Meridian East / Toomsuba KOA Journey in Toomsuba, Mississippi. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Just a one night stay to break up an otherwise too-long drive.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2023-11-18
  • Check out: 2023-11-19
  • 1 night

Weather:

  • Partly cloudy
  • High temp 70°F, low 42°F
  • Negligible wind

Noise:

  • A little local road noise, no freeway noise
  • Occasional train noise
  • Negligible neighbor noise

Site:

  • #45, pull-through, gravel
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad, and didn’t
  • Level; used air leveling, since only one night
  • Gravel driveway about 70 feet long by about 12 feet wide
  • Grass between sites about 12 feet wide
  • Picnic table on grass
  • No fire pit
  • Clean site

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, conveniently located
  • Didn’t use water or sewer, but conveniently located

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • Campground Wi-Fi: 22-27 Mbps down, 11-23 Mbps up, 65 ms ping
  • T-Mobile: 2-5 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 90 ms ping
  • AT&T: 16-20 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
  • Verizon: 3-8 Mbps down, 0.5 Mbps up, 125 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpster
  • Seasonally closed pool and water slide

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Sketchy road, nice trees

This campground is conveniently located off I-20, just far enough away that you don’t get road from the Interstate. Still, there are downsides: 1) the narrow country road to get there is very narrow with lots of low-hanging trees, 2) the “recycling” yard you drive by does not give a great impression, and 3) the local residents go way too fast down this road, and there is a lot of local road noise. The park roads are also a bit narrow, with some tight turns. We had a pull-through site that was just long enough for our 40′ motorhome and tow vehicle. We didn’t have to disconnect, but we took up pretty much the entire length. If the 5th wheel next to us hadn’t left before we did, I wasn’t sure if we would’ve had enough room to turn onto the road. But the site was clean and the trees were pleasant, so this was a good spot for a one-night stay. We camped at Meridian East / Toomsuba KOA Journey in a Motorhome.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Other nearby sites:

Other sites

Other sites

The office:

Office

Inside, a piano:

Piano

This was a perfectly fine place to stay for a night, though the road to it was a bit narrow, so we’d probably look for somewhere more convenient if we come this way again in the future.

Travel from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi

We drove our coach 180 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving the Red Bay Acres RV park:

Leaving Red Bay Acres

Leaving Red Bay Acres

“Welcome to Mississippi”:

Welcome to Mississippi

Highway 76:

Highway 76

Exit to I-22:

Exit to I-22

I-22:

I-22

Tombigbee River:

Tombigbee River

A momentary loss of visibility from farm dust:

Farm dust

The speed limit signs also have a minimum speed, unusually:

Minimum speed sign

Exit to Tupelo:

Exit to Tupelo

We stopped for lunch at Tin Lizzie Cafe in West Point, Mississippi:

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

BLT (without the tomato) and “tater babies” wedges:

BLT and wedges

The highway had frequent turnaround lanes:

Turnaround

Paladin asleep next to the passenger chair:

Paladin

Highway 45:

Highway 45

Exit to I-20:

Exit to I-20

I-20:

I-20

TA fuel stop:

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

The pump price was $371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel (thirsty coach!), though we actually paid less, thanks to our Open Roads discount (see below):

$371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel

The slowest DEF pump; it took 10 minutes to pump five gallons:

DEF

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF:

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF

The Open Roads statement indicated that we saved $30.65 on the diesel (the DEF isn’t discounted):

Open Roads statement

A narrow road to our destination:

Narrow road

And a narrower road:

Narrower road

Our destination, a KOA Journey:

Our destination

Our destination

Our site:

Our destination

Our destination

Unfortunately no travel video today; my dashcam had filled up and failed to record.

Natchez Trace Parkway

We drove along about 140 miles of the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. A weird park barely wider than the road, with thousands of years of history.

Though we drove both ways on that portion, so a total of about 280 miles, plus some detours, over two days.

We also drove past Elvis Presley’s birthplace and Tupelo National Battlefield, and visited Meriwether Lewis National Monument.

An interactive map (see the NPS site for the full route map):

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway

Bridge

Tombigbee waterway

Waterway

Waterway

Pharr Mounds:

Pharr Mounds

Pharr Mounds

Pharr Mounds

Natchez Trace Parkway

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Tupelo:

Tupelo

Tupelo

Tupelo

Tupelo National Battlefield:

Tupelo National Battlefield

Tupelo National Battlefield

Tupelo

Elvis Presley’s birthplace:

Elvis' birthplace

Elvis' birthplace

Back to the Parkway:

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway

Cave Spring Trail:

Cave Spring

Cave Spring

Cave Spring

Cave Spring

Cave Spring

Alabama state line:

Alabama state line

Bear Creek picnic area:

Bear Creek picnic area

Bear Creek picnic area

Buzzard Roost Spring:

Buzzard Roost Spring

Buzzard Roost Spring

Buzzard Roost Spring

Buzzard Roost Spring

Tennessee River:

Tennessee River

Tennessee River

Bridge

Tennessee State Line:

Tennessee State Line

Meriwether Lewis National Monument, where Lewis of Lewis & Clark died and was buried:

Meriwether Lewis National Monument

Meriwether Lewis National Monument

Meriwether Lewis National Monument

Meriwether Lewis National Monument

Fall Hollow Trail:

Fall Hollow Trail

Fall Hollow Trail

Fall Hollow Trail

Laurel Hill Road:

Laurel Hill Road

Laurel Hill Road

Sunset:

Sunset

Sunset

A nice scenic drive, with some interesting stops.

Red Bay Acres RV Resort

We stayed at Red Bay Acres RV Resort in Red Bay, Alabama. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A nice full-hookup RV park in the hometown of Tiffin Motorhomes.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2023-11-07
  • Check out: 2023-11-18
  • 11 nights

Weather:

  • Partly cloudy, some rain
  • High temps ranging between 63-80°F, lows around 41-62°F
  • A little wind, gusts to 24 MPH

Noise:

  • No road noise
  • No train noise
  • Hourly clock tower noise
  • A little neighbor and tech services noise

Site:

  • #31, back in, concrete
  • Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
  • Level; used air and hydraulic leveling at different times
  • Concrete driveway about 60 feet long by about 12 feet wide
  • Grass between sites wedge-shaped, from about 20 to 35 feet wide
  • Picnic table on 12 by 12 feet concrete patio; fire pit
  • Clean site
  • Lots of ladybug-like insects invading our coach; we kept finding them for months afterwards

Utilities:

  • 50 amp power, conveniently located
  • 60 PSI water, conveniently located
  • Good sewer connection, fairly conveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 55 Mbps down, 18 Mbps up, 60 ms ping
  • AT&T: 117-122 Mbps down, 11-16 Mbps up, 45 ms ping
  • Verizon: 4-28 Mbps down, 9-12 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage pickup from site
  • Package delivery to site
  • Onsite restaurant
  • Pond
  • Hometown of Tiffin; local RV repairs

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Nice place to return to after service

This is the place to stay when in Red Bay for service. It is a beautifully maintained park, with all the sites facing the fishing pond. All the other parks in town were basic gravel lots. The one drawback is having to back in to the site when coming back from service each day, but that’s not a big deal. The concrete pad was nicely level and all the utilities were good. It’s also nice to have the Yacht Club on-site for a bite to eat at the end of the day. If you’re looking to get service done on-site, make sure to check the list of approved vendors. We camped at Red Bay Acres RV Resort in a Motorhome.

Tip for Other Campers: Lost Pines Coffee had decent coffee and baked goods for a midday pick-me-up. The Natchez Trace Parkway is fairly close and a very nice scenic drive.

Campground map:

Map

An interactive map:

Our site was one of the Luxury sites on the corners, with more space and a fire pit (which of course we didn’t use):

Our site

Staying here was a bit different than most campgrounds, as we drove our coach to RV service companies in town on several days; waking up early and driving about 7 minutes to get some services done, then driving back to our site to spend the night. So we used air leveling and didn’t put on the Magne Shades on those days.

But we did have several days without any services in the middle of our stay, so we put on the Magne Shade and used hydraulic leveling then:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

We boarded Paladin at a local vet during the first few days of our stay, since the techs needed frequent access to the inside of our coach during that period. So we were able to leave our entry door and screen door open; very unusual for us (though we didn’t leave it open long, to avoid bugs invading):

Open door

Later in our stay, there was an influx of Asian Lady Beetles, invasive ladybug-like beetles. We spent a few days catching dozens of them (and releasing them outside):

Asian Lady Beetles

A nice sunset:

Sunset

Other sites; since Red Bay is the home of the Tiffin factory, most of the people staying here were also Tiffin owners, also here for servicing:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

The RV park features a nice pond in the center:

Pond

Bridge

Pond

Pond

Pond

It also has an onsite cafe and lounge, called the “Red Bay Yacht Club” (because motorhomes are like land yachts):

Red Bay Yacht Club

Red Bay Yacht Club

Red Bay Yacht Club

Red Bay Yacht Club

Red Bay Yacht Club

We ate there several times, with pizzas the first night:

Pizza

Loaded fries and wings another night:

Loaded fries and wings

Breakfast:

Breakfast

Sandwiches for lunch:

Sandwiches

A view of the pond from the cafe:

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pickleball court:

Pickleball court

The office and general store:

Office and general store

We enjoyed our stay, and have already booked another stay for when we visit again in early 2024.

Travel from Memphis, Tennessee to Red Bay, Alabama

We drove our coach 139 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Memphis, Tennessee to Red Bay, Alabama.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

“Welcome to Mississippi” sign (just passing through):

Welcome to Mississippi

Building transportation:

Building transportation

Our coach at a truck stop for lunch:

Our coach at truck stop

Menu:

Menu

Breakfast for lunch:

Breakfast for lunch

River:

River

“Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama” sign:

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama

Exit to Red Bay:

Exit to Red Bay

Hotel Red Bay:

Hotel Red Bay

Our destination, Red Bay Acres RV Resort:

Red Bay Acres RV Resort

General Store:

General Store

Store

Heading to our site:

Heading to our site

Our site (#31):

Our site (31)