Year: 2019

Big Deck Bar & Grill

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Big Deck Bar and Grill Cedar Key

Best Restaurants in Cedar Key, Florida Located in the Dock Street dining and shopping district, the Big Deck Raw Bar overlooks the inner harbor vs. its neighbors across the street who look out on the Gulf. If you are visiting Cedar Key and you have Covid-19 concerns and want a brew or something to eat, … Read more

Annies Cafe Cedar Key, Florida

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annies cafe cedar key florida

See our list of Best Restaurants in Cedar Key Florida Annie’s Cafe is located along the main road, Highway 24, that leads into town and is hard to miss with their unique and artsy exterior. In addition to the Dolphin mascot that welcomes guests, a large garden surrounds the entrance to Annie’s with potted plants … Read more

Tony’s Seafood Cafe

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Tony Seafood Restaurant Cedar Key Florida

See our list of Best Restaurants in Cedar Key Florida Tony’s Cafe among the best places to eat in Cedar Key Rated by many as the Best seafood place in Cedar Key, Tony’s was on our list to try out. Located on the corner of the main intersection in downtown Cedar Key (Highway 24 and … Read more

Duncan’s On the Gulf – Our Review

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duncans on the gulf cedar key

Dining Review of Duncan’s on the Gulf Formerly known as Carlin’s Steakhouse & Pub, Duncan’s has attracted good reviews online for the short time they’ve been under the current ownership. We were looking for a different place to eat with a view overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and the Cedar Keys islands. We had previously … Read more

Best USA-Canadian Compact Motorhomes

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Best Class C Motorhome Reviews – USA & Canadian Models

winnebago rialta
Winnebago Rialta Class C Motorhome

In an earlier post (top compact European motorhomes – see article) I discussed some criteria my wife and I have should we elect to replace our aging Winnebago Rialta motorhome. Class C Motorhomes made in the USA and Canada lack many of the features we now enjoy. On the other hand several European motor home manufacturers offer a number of compact full-featured motorhomes (see our article) that we would consider as viable replacements.

In this article I review the Best USA/Canadian motorhomes that come the closest to having the features that made the Rialta so desirable to many RV buyers who want a compact but full-featured motor home.

These Rialta features are:

  • Low profile, aerodynamic and attractive body style
  • Short length (21 feet) enables parking in a conventional automobile parking space
  • Driving and maneuvering it is as easy as a pickup truck
  • Doubles as a deluxe passenger van with seating for up to 5 passengers
  • Large coach windows, with natural light lending an open feeling to the interior
  • Large rear-facing picture window with view from the driver’s seat
  • Good gas mileage: 17 – 19 highway
  • Has the same coach accessories/conveniences of much bigger units.

We have just posted a 2023 Update to our Best Compact Motorhomes – so check it out for the latest recommendations.

However if you are in market for a pre-owned compact motorhome, the following reviews can be helpful. Two of the units we previously liked are no longer being produced.

Here’s our reviews of best small class C motorhomes under 25 feet.

Editor Note: Since the original publication of this article, some models have been discontinued. However for those looking for a Good Used Compact Motorhomes, these are some good choices.

–List Prices in the article are from a few years ago – –

Winnebago Trend

Winnebago Trend


At 24′ 4″ long the Trend is close to being too long for ease of parking and fitting into compact campsites. The 23L floorplan is the most viable for us. It has a defined bedroom with a 49″ wide bed that can remain made-up and a dinette seating that will handle 3 people (maybe a 4th in a pinch). It has seat belts for five people. So two positive gains over the Rialta: the daily bed making chores will be reduced and the Dodge Promaster Chassis and engine which will be easier to find good service than we now experience. Negatives are: 1) we lose some gas mileage 2) we lose our beautiful expansive rear picture window 3) less natural interior light, 4) the truncated corner bed is slightly smaller than a conventional double bed, 5) somewhat boxy appearance, and 6) the list price is above $100,000 (but you should be able to find one for under $85,000).

PS The Trend was later replaced by the Winnebago Fuse, which uses a Ford Transit chassis.

Looking for a Roomy but compact Travel Trailer?
See our article on the Airstream Bambi and other top rated compact travel trailers

Thor Compass

Thor Compass Motorhome

Pictured at the top of this page, at 23′ 6″ long the Thor Compass fits within our specs for maximum length. The 23TK model has a comfortable 4 person dinette and a dedicated bedroom with a 49″ wide corner bed setup similar to the Winnebago Trend. (The 23TB model gives you a flip-up queen size bed but the dining area becomes only a two person pedestal table (which I find too small) in front of a couch.) It has a large European style “garage” external storage compartment which I like. The chassis and engine are Ford Transit which should give even better service options than the Dodge Promaster. The Ford is also a diesel which should offer a bit more miles per gallon than the Dodge gas engine. Negative: List price is above 100,000 but you may be able to find one for around $75,000.

For 2020-22 The Compass has been upgraded (see article) with many nice features.

GulfStream BT Cruiser

GulfStream BT Cruiser


At 24′ 5″ long the model 5245 pushes our limit on vehicle length. Likewise at 10′ 6″ high it is on upper end. But it has a separate queen bed and a four person dinette, and overall an attractive floor plan and amenities. Its Ford E350 Engine and Chassis will be easy to service. It doesn’t have the more aerodynamic and newer Ford Trend chassis and I’d expect less MPG than the Trend chassis but the E350 is well established and easy to service. It’s retail price is under $100,000 and I’ve seen advertised prices under $80,000. A decent value.

Leisure Travel Wonder

Leisure Travel Wonder

The Leisure Travel Wonder has a low profile, sleek appearance. It is just under 10 feet high but is 24′ 9″ long, barely under our 25 feet maximum. It is very spacious with lots of storage inside and out. The kitchen is well laid out with good counter space and the bath has a separate roomy shower. Roomy exterior storage space will easily hold our two golf bags. The murphy bed model is a unique feature. It allows you to keep a made up bed, yet not have the bed taking up all that useable floor space during the day. A skylight and larger windows give it an airy feeling inside. Besides it being a little on the long side, the only downside feature is the dining area is limited to two persons. This also limits it seating for day travel to 4 persons. It’s built on a Ford Transit Chassis with a 3.2 liter Turbo Diesel. List price is above $100,000 ($108 to 115K) but you may be able to find a deal for under $100,000.

Phoenix Cruiser

Phoenix Cruiser


The Phoenix 2100 is the most compact full-featured Canadian or American-made Class C we’ve found. In terms of providing useable space and conveniences in a modest-size footprint it is the most space efficient USA motorhome we’ve come across. It’s a compact 21′ 7″ long and under 10′ in height including the AC unit. It has a four person dinette and a full dry bath with a separate shower. Adequate size kitchen with a counter top extension. The slide-out contains a full-size walk around bed that in the daytime folds up into a sofa.

The Phoenix provides seat belts and seating for 6 people so it works as Van alternative for comfortable day trips. In comparison to the Rialta, we’d lose our nice big rear picture window and quite a bit in MPG. I’m also unsure about exterior storage; a must-have for us is the ability to carry two golf bags. The Chassis is the Ford E350 with the 6.8 Liter V-10 gas engine (gas mpg?). Comes factory direct with a nice selection of premium convenience options for under $100,000.

Phoenix Cruiser 2100
The 2100 offers a lot of features in a small space

Pleasure-Way Plateau . . . really Sharp, but expensive, compact Class C RV

PleasureWay Plateau

After I wrote this original version of this article I saw a video of the Pleasure-Way Plateau XLTS (see my review) and saw some nice features that would challenge the top Compact Class Cs featured in this post. Except that MSRP is $145,000 plus! But if you’ve got the cash and desire a full-featured compact Class C, it might be the unit for you.

Another new 2018 compact motorhome I am anxious to see up close is the North American Hymer Aktiv 2.0. It is a Class B, but from the pictures I’ve seen it seems more spacious and airy inside than the usual Class B. See our report here on Best Class B RVs or Van Campers

Concluding Remarks. The Phoenix Cruiser and the Thor Compass come closer than other US-Canadian RV makers to the European standard of right-sizing RVs, but not good enough in our opinion. Guess we’ll have to wait for the US-Canadian RV market to change before we can seriously consider replacing our Rialta. We are looking for a model under 23 feet, under $100,000 price, external storage for at least two golf bags, with all the usual RV accessories and comforts, and most of the the criteria we listed at the beginning of this article as plus-features of the Rialta. Know of any model that comes close? Write me in the comments.

See our Update of Best Compact Motorhomes

More Motorhome Reviews: 

MotorHome Manufacturer Links:

RV Traveling & Camping

Cedar Key a hidden gem of the Gulf Coast. See our article on camping, hiking, and interesting things to see and do in and around this unique Florida Gulf Coast community.

More RVing Resources

See our calendar of Best RV Shows for 2024

See our recommended RV & Scenic Travel Guides.

What are your favorite compact Class C motorhomes? Let me know in the comments below.

Your Travel Guide: Ross Reinhold

Welcome to RVing

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winnebago motorhomes 2019

Advice & Tips for New RV Owners Our friends Rick & Sue recently took the plunge and bought an RV motorhome. Being new to RV ownership, they asked for some tips on traveling and using their new unit. After writing down some ideas and sending them an e-mail, I realized “Hey, this could be a … Read more

Update Hymer & RoadTrek Layoff

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winnebago travato class B RV

Are Aktiv and RoadTrek Class B Motorhomes going out of business? As many Aktiv and Road Trek owners know by now, on Feb 15, 2019 Erwin Hymer Group North America, Ontario manufacturer of RoadTrek, Hymer Aktiv, and Carado Class B motorhomes ceased business operations, laid off all their employees, and was placed into receivership by … Read more

Apalachicola, Florida

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Apalachicola Florida Oyster Capital of Florida

Apalachicola – Gem along the Forgotten Gulf Coast (While Apalachicola sustained some damage from the October 2018 Hurricane Michael the town recovered quite quickly and is now fully open for business and entertainment) Apalachicola has a rich history, established in 1831, at one time it was the third largest port on the Gulf of Mexico. … Read more

Gulf Scenic Drive – Highway 98

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Apalachicola Sunrise

Road Trip – Gulf Coast Scenic Drive from Rosemary Beach to Apalachicola

Previous Road Trip Article: Scenic Highway 30A Destin to Rosemary Beach

Directory to the Florida Gulf Coast Drive Maps and Articles

Interesting things to see and do from Rosemary Beach to Panama City Beach

After Rosemary Beach Scenic Highway 30A rejoins highway 98 and the average speed of traffic accelerates. On your way toward Panama City Beach, highway 30 splits off and runs along the Gulf shoreline. Before arriving at Panama City, you go through a few suburban beach communities like Hollywood Beach, Sunnyside and Laguna Beach. The beach front along this stretch is largely public with lots of parking along the road. Unlike Destin and the beach communities of South Walton along 30A, very few structures are built on the beach itself. Most of the resorts, townhomes, cottages, and condos are on the other side of the highway.

These communities west of Panama City have the look of more affordable beach vacation destinations and or an affordable retirement community. Not at all sparkly and upscale like Seaside and Rosemary Beach.

Panama City & Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach beach drive. High rise resort condos on beach side of the road, bars & amusements on the other side.

As you get closer and closer to Panama City Beach, things get bigger, denser, and high rise resorts begin to dominate the landscape. Once in the thick of Panama City Beach there is an unbroken chain of huge resorts along the beach. These resort hotels are flanked by various beach resort entertainment venues – usually on the other side of the street from the beach front.

While there were a fair amount of people on the street and the traffic was heavy, compared to the large crowds of people milling around in the three South Walton beach communities we saw relatively few people along the road. Most people staying in these huge resort complexes must be at the beach or inside enjoying whatever amenities are in these luxury facilities.

A personal viewpoint. Panama City Beach seems to be a more urban setting compared to other beach communities along the Panhandle Gulf Drive. Doesn’t look like the kind of place where you could turn your kids loose like you could at the resort communities of Seaside or Rosemary Beach. But with so many mega-resorts per mile there has to be a sizable demographic that finds Panama City Beach appealing. For us, one trip was enough for lifetime. On our return trip we stuck to Highway 98 that ran away from the beach and then through Panama City itself.

Caveat. However if you are lucky enough to get a reservation at St. Andrews State Park you can escape the maddening crowds of commercial Panama City Beach and enjoy a top-rated beach, hiking trails, kayaking, water sports, and more. The park has three camp stores for provisions and vacation needs so there is no need to leave the park during your stay.

(By the way, although parts of Panama City got hit real hard from Hurricane Michael, Panama City Beach itself managed to escape with minimal damage . . . so various tourism and beach destinations are intact and operating normally)

Panama City Links

Panama City to Apalachicola

Mexico Beach

About 10 miles east of Panama City, along highway 98 you arrive at the small community of Mexico Beach where the pace of life slows down quite a bit. There’s an extensive public beach area with lots of free parking. The collection of cottages, vacation homes, and condos are all on the non-beach side of the highway. There is an assortment of restaurants, pubs, charter fishing, a fishing pier and beach related enterprises to give vacationers a variety of things to do. If you like being at the beach, aren’t attracted to the urban beach resorts like Destin and Panama City Beach, or can’t afford a Seaside or Rosemary Beach vacation, Mexico Beach could be the place for you.

(unfortunately the 2018 Hurricane Michael did a great amount of damage to the town. Mexico Beach’s lodging providers and tourism have been working hard to restore and reopen. Several lodging places to stay are now available with more coming soon!)

Port St. Joe

The next town Port St. Joe is less a vacation community and seems to have a more industrial or commercial base but it does have a nice downtown waterfront and park area. Port St. Joe looks out across an expansive lagoon to the St. Joseph Peninsula so technically it is not on the Gulf. The lagoon forms the St. Joseph’s Bay Aquatic Preserve. Near the tip of the Peninsula is St. Joseph Peninsula State Park that offers camping, hiking, and an extensive beach fronting on the Gulf. (Port St. Joe was another casualty of Hurricane Michael so camping here in 2019 may be dicey. Likewise camping is at the State Park on the St. Jo Peninsula is suspended because the park is now only accessible by water.)

Indian Pass

On your way south of St. Joe, Highway 98 and Highway 30A part company again. 30A is more scenic and runs along the Gulf past the entrance to St. Joseph Peninsula and past Indian Pass, a smaller peninsula that is primarily a vacation home community, but has a nice secluded RV and Tent Campground-Indian Pass at the tip (The campground survived Hurricane Michael with minimal damage).  Another noteworthy spot along this route is St. Joe Bay Golf Course (see our review).

Indian Pass Campground Beach
Indian Pass Campground Beach – see our review with pictures and information

When you turn East on Hwy 30A by the entrance to St. Joe’s Peninsula and head towards Indian Pass, you leave the Emerald Coast and travel along what is known at the “Forgotten Coast.” Along this route there is a string of barrier islands: St. Vincent, Cape St. George, and St. George Island. The first town along the Forgotten Coast is Apalachicola.

Historic Apalachicola

Apalachicola
The 1907 Gibson Inn is one of many lovingly restored structures in Apalachicola

Apalachicola, is one of our favorite places along the Panhandle Gulf Coast. Unfortunately because it is protected by those barrier islands, Apalachicola doesn’t have those glamorous white sand beaches. You’ll have to drive out to St. George’s Island to get your “Gulf Beach Fix.” But for many other kinds of vacation entertainment we like Apalachicola a lot. It has several quaint restaurants and bars – see our reviews, even a brew pub, lots of neat little shops and galleries, some interesting parks, museums, a large number of historic register homes and structures, and some attractively restored B&Bs.

Oyster City Brewing
Jo and I enjoyed some Oyster City Brewing nut brown ale out on the Brewery patio.
st. george island lighthouse
Along the Forgotten Coast – St. George Island Lighthouse and Public Beach

See our Road Trip article on travel attractions along the Gulf drive from Apalachicola to Cedar Key.

(Below. Gulf Scenic Drive, Destin to Apalachicola Road Map. if viewing on mobile use two fingers to move map around)

Travel and Visitor Links:

The portion of the Gulf Coast from the St. Joe’s Peninsula and east to Apalachicola and beyond calls itself the Forgotten Coast. So far what we’ve seen of it, we like it. The Gulf Coast Drive continues east and north past the communities of Carrabelle, SopChoppy, Panacea, Shell Point and St. Marks.

Previous Article: Scenic Highway 30A Destin to Rosemary Beach

Ross Reinhold

More Best Apalachicola Restaurants

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Apalachicola Ice Company Bar

We previously reviewed Best Restaurants in Apalachicola listing places we’ve tried and ones we plan to try in the future based on restaurant review sites. The two restaurants we profile here were also on the list of Top 10 Apalachicola dining in Zomato and Trip Advisor. Unfortunately our visit to these two didn’t support that … Read more

Best Restaurants Apalachicola Florida

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Owl Cafe Apalachicola

Apalachicola Dining & Restaurant Reviews

We’ve had occasion on our two previous visits to sample a number of Apalachicola restaurants and pubs. Our favorite so far is Up the Creek Raw Bar (see our review lower down the page) which dining reviews on Zomato (and other restaurant review sites) rate as #1 in Apalachicola.

Restaurant Review sites led us to try two other top rated Apalachicola places to eat: Boss Oyster and Hole in the Wall Seafood & Raw Bar. Unfortunately our experience didn’t verify their high overall average high ratings (read our restaurant reviews of these two here).

Up the Creek Raw Bar and Restaurant
Great views of the river and bay from the second story deck of “Up the Creek Raw Bar”

Review: Up the Creek Raw Bar

We loved Up the Creek Raw Bar with its friendly and fast service and great views of the Apalachicola River from its second story enclosed deck. You place your order at the bar, take a number and find a comfortable table. When your order is ready a staff member finds you and delivers your meal and beverage. They have a decent selection of wine and tap beers and of course a decent seafood menu. While almost every restaurant in town features locally harvested oysters, known for their unique mild and briny flavor, we stuck with a more familiar dish – grilled mahi-mahi, served with cole slaw and hush puppies. We were not disappointed in our meal served hot and tasty.

Review Summary. Solid 4 and half stars for food and ambiance; 5 stars for super-friendly, fast and efficient service from a team of staffers who love what they are doing.

Apparently others agree with our experience as Up the Creek is ranked by Zomato as the #1 dining spot in Apalachicola.

Up the Creek Raw Bar website

Oyster City Brewing
Oyster City Brewing Outdoor deck. No food other than popcorn, but great brews and best place to be on a nice day.

Links to more Best Apalachicola Dining

Here’s some other dining places vying with Up the Creek for best places to eat in Apalachicola:

  • The Owl Cafe & Tap Room is located across the street from Oyster City Brewery and is highly rated on Zomato and other restaurant review sites.  We had planned to catch breakfast there one morning but upon arriving discovered they only do lunch and dinner, so we’ll have to catch them on our next visit.
  • Tamara’s Cafe is another popular Apalachicola dining establishment that we planned to visit on Monday only to find that was the only day they were closed. Unlike the Owl Cafe, this Cafe does serve breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner. Also on our restaurant review list for our next visit.
  • Two other good breakfast spots in Apalachicola are the Apalachicola Chocolate and Coffee Company and Cafe Con Leche (unfortunately neither has a website).
  • The “Up the Stairs” Restaurant, gets top marks on some review sites and is unique in two respects: it caters only to diners “over 21” and is located on the second story over some shops. Their forte is “quiet dining where patrons can get away from the bustling crowds” with “. . . small plate dining in the lounge and a full menu in the dining room.” Their menu is somewhat retro offering steaks, salmon, duck, scampi, but each with a unique spin.
  • Another place that offers a change of pace from oysters being the specialty is “Antonio’s on the Bay” offering authentic traditional Italian dining and super friendly service.
  • No food except popcorn, but we always enjoy a brew and snacks, watching the world go by at Oyster City Brewing’s patio deck.

Gulf Drive & Forgotten Coast Travel Links:

Scenic Highway 30A Travel

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Grayton Beach Florida


Scenic Gulf Drive – Destin to South Walton to Rosemary Beach

Directory of Articles & Maps: Traveling the Gulf Coast Scenic Drive

Previous Article: Gulf Drive Pensacola Beach to Destin

Going East of Destin on Gulf Highway 98 you connect with Scenic Highway 30A just past Topsail Hill State Park. This will give you an opportunity to return to driving along with a view of the gulf and through the South Walton beach communities along the Emerald Coast. While there still are condos and town homes along this stretch, they aren’t as tightly packed on top of one another like in Destin and along the route you begin to see some actual single family homes with larger yards.

You’ll also pass several ponds that are called coastal dune lakes, freshwater lakes that drain into the Gulf, providing a unique ecosystem due to the exchange of salt and fresh water. Some of these coastal lakes have preserved, natural shoreline – no homes or condos and therefore indeed offer some natural scenery to justify calling this a scenic drive. About a mile before you get to the community of Grayton Beach you are actually driving through Point Washington State Forest.

coastal dune lake
A portion of Draper Lake, one of several unique coastal dune lakes along this section of Scenic Highway 30A

While the drive doesn’t offer an abundance of notable scenery, it is a more pleasant and slower paced drive than traveling on busy highway 98. But about halfway along the 24 mile route there is a genuine scenic and unique  destination: the historic beach town of Grayton Beach (see article) and it’s popular neighbor Grayton Beach State Park – see our article here.

Grayton Beach, Florida

The tiny village of Grayton Beach traces its founding back 125 years when vacationers used to travel by horse and buggy to enjoy its white sand beaches and small town character. As you walk through the town you can see many examples of old cottages lovingly restored and some with a humorous and artistic twist.

Grayton Beach Cottages
One of the many artfully landscaped cottages in Grayton Beach

The town is largely surrounded by Grayton Beach State Park (see our review) which has served to limit the expansion of the village and probably played a role in preserving its unique character. The State Park’s gulf beach extends on both side of the village providing more than a mile of relatively uncrowded pristine beach terrain. The park also encompasses a 100 acre coastal dune lake providing opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and fishing. There’s a 59 unit campground and 30 cabins in the park and biking and hiking trails. Make your reservations early as this is a popular park.

Grayton Beach and the State Park are located along the paved Walton County hike/bike path that runs adjacent to Scenic Highway 30A. Biking is one of the best ways to get around town as well as the three nearby towns east of Grayton Beach . . . as there isn’t a lot of public parking space.

Seaside Florida
Hundreds of bikes in the town of Seaside, every where you look bikes.

Seaside to Rosemary Beach

Going east of Grayton Beach on 30A you quickly arrive at the very upscale community of Seaside with an extensive collection of modern condo units and a popular town square that hosts entertainment, beach-related enterprises, festivals and outdoor food carts. We drove through this town in late March during spring break time and were in awe of seeing what seemed like a thousand kids on bikes running back and forth along the bike path adjacent to the road and droves of teens crowding around the food and entertainment in the town square plus walking to and fro. I wonder how crowded the beaches were because there were sure lots of people walking and biking around town. Seaside is a popular place.

Seaside Town Square
The Food Court at the Seaside Town Square is a favorite gathering place.

Further east of Seaside is the community of Seagrove (more beach condos) and then at the end of Scenic Highway 30A the community of Rosemary Beach essentially a replication of Seaside with condos, beach resort venues, a very busy town square and people walking and biking everywhere. These three villages east of Grayton Beach seem to be very popular, especially with families. If you rent a house, cottage or book lodging at a condo many types of entertaiment, in addition to the beach, are within walking distance (and biking and bike rental places abound!). These villages must have a reputation as safe places because there were young kids streaming all over the place, many without any adult supervision.

Travel and Visitor Links:

Continuing on the Scenic Gulf Coast Drive: Gulf Drive Rosemary Beach to Apalachicola – – –