Scouting trip up I 81 New River NC, Philpot Dam.Suggestions?

[ron]

He kids, I cannot take this heat for camping, so we are doing a hotel scouting trip.

We are heading up the I 81 corridor into Virginia from Tennessee and hoping to quickly get off the interstate.  We are scouting for  fall camping trips if cooler weather ever arrives.


We are going  by New River State Park actually in NC, then on to Philpot Dam for the Army Corp of Engineers camping sites, Fairy Stone SP while we are there at Philpot Lake,  and on to James River SP and stop just below Charlottesville for the wineries in the region.  Not New River TRAIL Statr Prk in Va, as they do not have camping.

 We look to be driving 221 and 29 a good bit of the way, near Galax, Martinsville, thru Lynchburg and beyond a bit.

Any suggestions for campgrounds, wineries or roads, pet friendly hotels, and other sights we should look at would be most welcome.

[leslie]

You are so close to the Shenandoah Valley and the Skyline Drive, you should consider checking it out. We have stayed at several hotels/motels in the Winchester, VA. area in past years. The Loft not only allows dogs in the rooms, but also has a couple of tables in the Lounge, where you can have your canine companion beside you while you enjoy some beverages and entertainment. We have had no problems finding dog-friendly places in Winchester.

This year, we had our RV, and we stayed at Candy Hill Campground. It has received some not so good reviews but it seems they have really worked to improve. We have reservations to stay there for the 2016 Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. We had both of our dogs with us when we stayed there.

There are several campgrounds along the Skyline Drive. From what I have heard, I would want to check them out before towing my Camplite into them.