Issue 191 of the world's largest email RV newsletter: Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more.
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MONDAY ONLY SPECIAL! Save $3.00!
Casino Camping: Guide to RV-Friendly Campgrounds
In this handy guidebook, learn which casinos have RV parks and which ones offer free overnight stays in their parking lots. Plus information about other casino benefits for RVers. Reg. $14.95. Mon., Dec. 19 price only $11.95. More info or order.
Editor's Corner
By Chuck Woodbury
When I'm on the road with time to spare, I love to stop at rural cemeteries. It's not morbid at all. There is so much history in a cemetery. Anyone who has any detective in them can find clues about the people buried there and their lives. I know that someday I will occupy such a place. Perhaps someone like me will stop by, say hi, and spend a few minutes trying to figure who I was. I love that thought.
When I am exploring a cemetery, reading headstones and trying to put pieces of lives together, I know that I am simply visiting with people who traveled through time before me. We all take our turns. My time is now. Lucky me.
In the very rural cemeteries of the West, you find many children's graves. And the adults, well. . . they didn't live as long as we do. Life was hard and uncertain. A decade ago in a tiny, nearly forgotten California gold rush cemetery, I stumbled upon a family plot — father, mother and five daughters -- the Gaugh family. The oldest daughter lived to 18. Her sisters died younger. The husband survived his wife and all the children by more than a decade. I have never forgotten the Gaughs. What grief the father must have endured as the sole survivor of his family. Oh my goodness, I cannot even imagine! Yet I try. I try because I want to honor him, his wife and his precious girls. But also I want to remind myself that I am here now and I bloody well need to appreciate my gift -- my life -- and live it to its fullest. I once read a quote that went, "Live each day as if it were a work of art." What splendid advice! Visiting a cemetery pulls me out of a stupor in which I forget that "I am one lucky guy to be alive." Such a jolting thought helps me go forward with energy and purpose, and to appreciate every day, every experience and every person I meet.
My days traveling by RV are among my best. I see new places. I meet new people. I fill my head with new experiences that morph into memories. And I am richer for it.
Stop at the next cemetery you come upon. Spend time reading the headstones. Sit on a bench. Think. Feel privileged to be above ground and not below. And, corny as it sounds, say hi to the residents. Learn what you can about them and about yourself.
Do you have a comment about this essay? Leave it here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
New in our bookstore: Mark Polk has just released a new DVD, Towing Behind Your Motorhome, Learn how to properly tow a car, SUV or truck behind a motorhome. Polk shows you everything you need to know. If you have never towed a vehicle behind a motorhome or are inexperienced at it, this 50-minute DVD will be very helpful.
A new issue of our Full-time RVer email newsletter will be out later this week. Sign up if you haven't already done so.
Read last week's issue of the RV-Links.com e-newsletter, "Best of the RV Web."
The RV Show season will kick off big-time right after the first of the new year. See the schedule of upcoming shows.
There was no winner in last week's Pot of Gold Zip Code contest. So the cash prize now stands at $102. So far, we have awarded $909. Check each weekday at RVbookstore.com between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Pacific time) to see if you live in the day's randomly selected Zip Code. You could win!
Okay. . . on with the issue.
2006 Mapquest RV & Campsites Guide & Atlas
Finally, a road atlas especially for RVers! This 2006 Mapquest Road Atlas and Campground Directory is outstanding! Complete with U.S. state and Canadian province road maps, color photos and 3,700 campground listings. Read more or order,
This Week's Reader Survey
How much is the monthly loan payment on your RV? Answer here.
Past reader surveys and results
Last week's survey question:
"Is your RV's main bed mattress original equipment or a replacement you purchased?"
Learn how more than 1560 readers responded.
Average National Gasoline Price (regular unleaded)
Yesterday (Saturday): $2.21
Previous Saturday: $2.18
SOURCE: gaspricewatch.com
Locate Wal-Mart stores
Use this directory to plan free overnight stays.
Get easy driving directions to every Wal-Mart in America.
Learn more about the Wal-Mart Locator or order. 20% Off.
KNOWLEDGE QUIZ
FIVE Quizzes Today. Win remarkably cool prizes!
Look for a pop quiz or two with terrific prizes many weeks at RVbookstore.com.
Sign up to receive an email alert of quiz start times.
"How to Buy An RV" from the Better Business Bureau
New 50-minute DVD from the BBB explains how to buy an RV. Learn how to get the best deal, the best rig (for you) and how to avoid classic buying mistakes. Hosted by RV Travel editor Chuck Woodbury. Introductory price: $19.95. Available in DVD and VHS.
Men are no worse than women in asking for directions
New research from AAA suggests that, contrary to popular belief, men are just as likely to stop to ask for directions
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Photo of the Week! |
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| Wow! They grow very big potatoes in Idaho! This one is along state route 33 south of Driggs. |
as women are, and there is no real difference in the genders' likelihood to get lost when traveling together. Read more.
"Take your wife RVing," advises baseball legend
Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson recently offered a valuable piece of marriage advice: "Take your spouse on frequent RV vacations. One of the nicest things about RVing is my wife actually smiles at me when we get inside...she's always in a good mood in our motorhome," Gibson said. Read more.
New RV magazine: Well done!
Florida RV dealer Lazy Days has teamed with Rodale Publishing to produce RV Living, a colorful, glossy magazine issued six times a year. Lazy Days runs a few pages of advertising, but its presence is no more dominating than a large advertiser in any other RV periodical. The magazine is beautiful with gorgeous photos, well-written stories and a more contemporary design than other RV magazines. It could have been titled "RV Beautiful." As the title suggests, it focuses RV "living" rather than the technical aspects of RVs. A one year subscription is $12, and it's worth it. For more information email info@rv-living.com.
Historic Highways
The Old and New West on US 70
On the way to a space museum and missile range, Jerry and Timmy cross paths with some ghosts of the Old West. Read the story.
Want to travel full-time with an RV?
Anyone who is thinking of traveling full-time with an RV will have his or her questions answered in this wonderful 90-minute DVD. Interviews with dozens of fulltimers as well as experts on the lifestyle. Learn more or order.
RV Boondocking Tips
By Russ and Tina Demaris
Double Duty Your Cookware
Is space a bit tight in your RV? You can use cookware instead of a mixing bowl. It's a bit trickier to get cake mix and cookie dough out of the corners of the pan, so do have a good rubber spatula at hand.
Russ and Tina Demaris are authors of RV Boondocking Basics and Boondocking Tips for RVers: More Fun Without Hookups
Books and videos about Boondocking
Quartzsite, Arizona. See it on DVD!
Visit the Boondocking Capital of the West on DVD. Like being there!
ABCs of RVing:
For absolute beginners and RV novices only.
QUESTION: How long does an RV's tank of propane last? ANSWER: It depends on the size of the tank and how much propane you use. In the summer if you don't use the heater, take onboard showers, and you run your fridge on electricity, you will use very little. A tank might last months. But if you need to heat water and the RV itself, and run the fridge on propane, a tank may only last a week. You'll never know the answer to this question until you spend some time aboard your RV. Just keep an eye on your gauge so you don't run out.
Beginners Guide to RVing: Articles and information for brand-new RVers. Learn the ropes.
NEED AN RV LOAN?
Learn if you qualify in only seconds
Financial Underwriters Network (F.U.N.) provides exceptional service and low loan rates. Learn if you qualify.
New Additions to FreeCampgrounds.com
Free or inexpensive places to camp with your RV.
Cheoah Point Campground: Robbinsville, North Carolina
Nice, quiet campground located in the Nantahalah National Forest. 26 sites located on Lake Santeetlah: 20 sites with no hookups, 6 with electric only, 6 new showers and 6 bathrooms. There are 3 fresh water spigots located around the campground. No dump station. $10 or less.
Huber City Park: Borger, Texas
Eight sites with water and electric. Walking trail nearby. Donations accepted.
Black Oak Casino: Sonora, California
The casino has a large area set aside for RVs in the back of the parking lot; however, they provide a complimentary shuttle service from the lot to the casino. Convenient place to stay if you're on your way to Yosemite and need something for the night because you want to arrive at Yosemite during daylight hours. Free.
The information above was provided by visitors to FreeCampgrounds.com. The information has not been verified. Learn about more than 900 free and inexpensive campgrounds.
German ambassador tours USA, Canada in RV
When German ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger told his colleagues he was heading off for a three-week summer vacation in a rented RV, they thought he must be crazy. But set off he did, with his wife Jutta and their 11 month-old daughter. Wife Jutta, who had never camped before, was skeptical. "Stop worrying, campgrounds in America are not as cramped as they are in Europe," her husband said. "You don't even see your neighbor!" A few days later, his words would haunt him at the Lake George Escape campground. Wrote Jutta: "Lake George Escape combines the traits of a super-size parking lot with an entertainment complex, intermingled with trees. RV next to RV. You don't see your neighbor? The truth is: You hardly see anything else. Smoke from more than 300 barbecue sites fills the air; clotheslines block the last bits of free sight between the cars. The only safe bet is to look up: The sky will remain our only view of nature for the length of the stay. Nothing is as I had hoped." The trip improved, but there were some highs along with plenty of lows. Overall, in the end, the couple was glad they made the trip. But Jutta's report in the Washington Post is hardly a flattering look at RVing. See for yourself.
What do campers want? Internet access, that's what!
KOA recently polled campers about amenities they'd like to see. High on the list were cable and phone lines and wireless Internet access. "Ten years ago, a 30-amp hookup was all any RV needed," said Eric Johnson, manager of a Branson, Missouri KOA . "We can't say, 'Those darned Gen-Xers are killing camping,'" says Jef Sutherland, vice president of information services for KOA. "That's not true. It's Grandma and Grandpa pulling out their laptops, saying, 'Where's the connection? I need to send an e-mail to the grandkids.'" There are also those who need to send something to the stockbroker. "You get the guy that just gets out of bed in the morning and yawns and starts a campfire to make eggs and checks his e-mail," Johnson said. -- SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel
Bumper Snicker
"Don't honk. Driver is trying to sleep."
Read other funny bumper stickers or buy them.
RVing to Mexico
Mexico RVing experts Dot and Bill Bell answer questions about travel in Mexico. Read their articles.
Guidebooks and DVDs about RVing in Mexico
Good Stuff from the Good Sam Club
Join the Club: $19 a year. Save on camping fees plus free RV magazine.
Continuing Service Plan: No More Major Repair Bills! Get a Fast Quote
RV Emergency Road Service. Special Low Rate! Join Today.
Short Stops, by Jerry (RiverGuy) Brown
Hearst Castle, California
If ever a place was created for the sole purpose of showcasing the lifestyles of the rich and famous, it was Hearst Castle. William Randolph Hearst built it at San Simeon on the central California coast in the 1920s and '30s at the height of his wealth and power. He spared no expense, importing entire structures from Europe. He invited the who’s who of his day to lavish parties. Hollywood personalities were especially sought after. Today the castle and its many features are open to one and all, although you frequently need to book ahead. Nearby Cambria is a great place to park your RV while visiting the castle and other central coast attractions. It has miles of sparsely populated beaches and the coast range to the east is home to several notable wineries. The Big Sur coast stretches for about 75 miles to the north. Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo are just to the south and east.
Fractional RV Ownership
CoachShare is a better way to own a luxury motorcoach!
Do you dream of owning a luxurious motorcoach, but don't want the year-round expense and hassles of private ownership? Why not "share" a luxury coach with CoachShare? Pay only for the time you need and save up to 80 percent over full-time ownership. Learn more.
Bill's Hint
"Your RV's refrigerator light is 12V operated. So just because the light comes on doesn't mean that 110V power is available." From Motorhomes Made Easy.
Truck Stops Love RVers!
The 2006 RVers Friend is HOT OFF THE PRESS. It lists every Travel Center in the U.S. and Canada and the services each provides RVers. Learn which offer overnight stays, dump stations, Internet access, propane, ATMs, or other services. Learn more or order for only $12.95
Weird, Wacky and/or Wonderful Festivals
Holiday Trail of Lights: Marshall, Texas to Natchitoches, Louisiana
The Holiday Trail of Lights offers millions of lights, fireworks, live entertainment, Christmas musicals and parades. Two states and six cities: Marshall, Texas, Kilgore, Texas, Jefferson, Texas, Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, and Natchitoches, Louisiana, all within a one-hour drive of each other, are connected by a short drive on Interstate highways. Only 25 miles from Kilgore to Marshall, and 20 miles from Marshall to Jefferson, Texas. Only 40 miles from Marshall, Texas, to Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, and 70 miles from Shreveport-Bossier City to Natchitoches. Southern hospitality sparkles in the six cities as you follow the Holiday Trail. For information on each city's activities: 888-45 VISIT.
COOKBOOKS FOR RVers. You have never seen so many in one place.
Museum of the Week
Dr. Ted's Musical Marvels Museum: Dale, Indiana
Don’t miss taking a guided tour of this magnificent collection of restored mechanical musical instruments including nickelodeons, orchestrations, music boxes and street organs. Take a trip back in time as you listen to the magical music produced by these amazing instruments. Group tours are available by appointment and there is also a gift shop. The museum is located on U.S. 231 just north of I-64 in Dale. Open every day Memorial Day through Labor Day. For information: 812-937-4250.
Do you drive a really BIG RV?
RVers with big rigs will love the 2006 Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas. Designed for truckers, this atlas shows where to travel to avoid low overpasses and narrow roads where a big RV could get into trouble. NEW! Learn more or order.
Trivia
Mary Katherine Campbell of Columbus, Ohio, won the Miss America contest in 1922 and 1923, making her the only two-time winner of the famous pageant. At the time, contestants represented cities, not states, and were eligible to enter more than once.
Buying an RV? Get online prices
from dealers in your area & SAVE!
In less than 60 seconds, request quotes on new or used RVs from up to three dealers in your area. Compare quotes to find your best deal! No charge, no obligation. Learn more or get quotes.
This issue's
Knowledge Quiz
FIVE QUIZZES TODAY
with fabulous prizes!
The prizes:
--$75 in books and/or DVDs from RVbookstore.com! Nearly 1,000 products to choose from!
--The VHS video Boondocking On Public Lands. Visit the boondocking hotspots of Quartzsite, Ariz., Slab City and the Salton Sea in California and all the government's Long Term Visitor Areas, where RVers can stay for pennies a day.
--A Woodall's Tote Bag.
--A Gourmet Chopper 2000 multi purpose food processor. For all your chopping needs! Perfect for an RV kitchen.
--A fabulous RVbookstore.com coffee mug. "Coffee definitely tastes better in this," said John Doe of Miami, Florida. Not available in malls or department stores.
Answer the Quizzes here on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 10 am, Noon, 2 pm, 4 pm and 6 pm, Pacific Time.
Knowledge Quiz official rules
Free issue of Country Discoveries Magazine
Treat yourself to a FREE Issue of Country Discoveries! It's bursting with the best-kept travel secrets, moneysaving tips and unique locations RV enthusiasts like you want to know about! Explore scenic backroads, charming towns and off-the-beaten-path destinations in this one-of-a-kind AD-FREE travel magazine. Click here to claim your FREE Issue!
Zany Business Slogan of the Week
Sign at a gynecologist’s office: "Dr. Jones, at your cervix."
New Arrivals at RVbookstore.com
Wow! There are always lots of new books and DVDs at the world's largest RV bookstore. Check them out.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Santa Claus, Indiana post office (47579) is the only post office in the world with the Santa Claus name. You can stop by to receive the famous Santa Claus postmark during the Christmas season and see where thousands of children’s letters to Santa are received each year. It's located at 45 North Kringle Place in Santa Claus.
RV Tech Topics.
Batteries in winter need special attention
RVing in winter can be a great deal of fun. Whether you use your RV during the winter or store it, your batteries need some attention to assure they'll continue to be there for you next season. Learn more.
Messy dumping? Here's an idea that may help
If you've ever had a leaking valve on your black waste tank, then you've experienced an unpleasant surprise when you opened the cap at a dump site. Try placing a bucket under the outlet before removing the cap. No yucky splashes and cleanups are a lot easier. — Jerry (Riverguy) Brown
Be extra careful when using your generator
Safety first! Always keep in mind when you use a generator there is carbon monoxide. You should always inspect the exhaust system on the generator set before using it. Do not operate a generator with a damaged exhaust system. If you're using a portable generator set, make sure the exhaust is directed away from the camping area. Test your carbon monoxide detector for proper operation prior to using the generator. Never run a generator when you or anyone else is sleeping. Observe campground etiquette. Do not run your generator after quiet hours. Mark Polk (Learn about Mark Polk's RV "How-to" DVDs and eBooks.)
This issue's secret sentence: Never ask an alligator for directions.
EXPLORER RV: Insurance to protect and save
Owners of motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels & medium-duty tow vehicles save up to 15% over our largest competitors by tailoring their coverage from over a dozen options. Learn more or get a quote.
Raw information.
Winnebago Industries Inc., reported last week that its fiscal first-quarter profit fell almost 26 percent amid higher interest rates and fuel prices. It was the fourth consecutive quarter that the company reported declining profits. *** Crime is a big problem in some RV parks set up by FEMA to house displaced New Orleans residents. Drugs and domestic violence top the list of problems. *** Next year, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association plans to launch a three-year, $66 million campaign to entice blacks and other minorities to take up RVing. *** Arizona RV park owners, who worried that winter visitors would be in short supply this winter because of high gas prices, are now reporting that bookings are up and that RVers are arriving early. *** In its first ever annual report, KOA reported camper visits are up for the year with a record number of first-time visitors.
SAVE 50% ON RV CAMPING!
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RVing Resources. . .
Visit the RV Travel Reader Forum to discuss
everything to do with RVing with other RVers.
Archives of early issues of RV Travel
Upcoming RV Shows
RV-Links
Loads of links to great websites about RVing
Investigate a company with the
Better Business Bureau before making a purchase.
Headed to Canada?
See entry regulations.
RV Travel Readers' Forum
Exchange ideas and information with other RVers.
Full Time RVing
RV Recalls
Workamping Information
Worth Pondering
"Give a man health and a course to steer, and he'll never stop to trouble about whether he's happy or not." --George Bernard Shaw
Products for $9.99 or less at RV Bookstore. Check them out.
Random RV Thought
Always bring along earplugs on your RV trips. You never know on a summer night, when sleeping with your windows wide open, that the camper next door may hold the title of "World Champion Snorer." And there's always the chance that the quiet little campfire party three campsites away will grow in volume as the beer bottles empty. You will be thankful for your earplugs.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We're just human! So don't go spending $10,000 on something we said was good just because we said so, or fixing something like we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. So be sure to check things out.
RV Travel is rated PG* by the Junior Enterprising Engineers Program of Eastern Russia & Siberia. (JEEPERS)
Of all the websites known to man (and woman), only 1.32 percent are more popular than RVtravel.com.
RVbookstore.com is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau. We strive for excellence in all we do and that's the absolutely, 100 percent and honest truth. Our customers receive really, really fast service. We move so fast in sending out a customer's order that sometimes we move too fast to even see. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it," and no truer words were ever spoken! If you're in Edmonds, Wash., stop by to tour our offices and warehouse and meet our staff. We're a block from the fishing pier near the passenger terminal of the Kingston Ferry, gateway to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas.
RV Travel staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Contributors: Russ and Tina Demaris, Chris Dougherty, Mark Polk, Jerry (RiverGuy) Brown, Bill and Dot Bell. Forum Administrator: Adrienne Kristine. Office Manager: Jody Allcott. Web Operations Director: Zoey Platt. Warehouse Administrator: Walter Cardwell. Phone Operations Supervisor: Martha Lamb. Clapper Loader: Emily Woodbury. Mascot: Georgie, the "give me food now or else!" Jack Russell terrier.
RV Travel is copyright 2005 by RVbookstore.com. Our International Headquarters: RVbookstore.com, 170 W. Dayton Street, Suite 103, Edmonds WA 98020, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Known Universe, Unknown Universe.
*Pretty good
