A picture may be worth a thousand words, as the adage claims, but for RVers who want to record a trip, words are essential.

RVing memories are too important to let slip away.

Why record a trip at all? Another adage says that absence makes the heart grow fonder. As time passes, nostalgia grows for an enjoyable trip, and so does the desire to recall it, to re-experience it mentally and emotionally. Also as time passes, of course, details fade from memory. Was it Highway 97 or 395 that we took north into Oregon seven years ago? What was the name of that wonderful RV park on the outskirts of Burns? And did we go to Crater Lake the day before the dinner at the inn, or the day after?

Photos can stimulate many fragmented memories, but only a journal -- words -- can provide the details and the impressions that really bring a trip back to life. A journal is especially important for RVers who travel often, because over the years events tend to migrate from one trip to another in the mind, like cattle wandering to adjacent fields. Recording each trip keeps events rounded up in their proper place.

A journal can also help clarify facts for legal purposes, say, for an IRS audit or a warranty claim.

Some people cringe at the thought of keeping a journal. It's too time-consuming, they fear, too demanding. Not so. A journal entry can take just a couple of minutes, since the idea is to mention only things you want to remember, not to account for every minute of the day. And because the person writing the entry will likely be the only one to ever read it, literary quality is irrelevant. Don't worry about spelling, grammar or syntax. Use short, clipped sentences or phrases: "Nov. 27—Drove 223 miles today down R95. bad traffic thru metro areas. Cloudy, some rain. argued with Alice whether to stop Richmond or Petersburg, agreed on latter. blue & Gray RV Park off Cherry St. did laundry, decided visit civil war sites in morning. called John, passed his chemistry test."

The basic facts in an entry will resurrect enough other details for rewriting and elaboration later -- even years later -- if you wish. It's best to make an entry each evening, when the day's events are fresh, rather than wait a week and try to catch up.

Some RVers create an album that combines photos and journal entries. However you do the recording, words are invaluable for preserving RVing memories. And it doesn't take a thousand of them.

Are you new to the RV lifestyle? You'll learn a lot at NewRVer.com, a beginners guide to RVing.