Touring America

Talladega Scenic Drive

Talladega Scenic Drive is in east-central Alabama, about 70 miles east of Birmingham. The 47-mile route follows AL 281 through the Talladega National Forest. Byway travelers will reach the highest point in Alabama at Cheaha Mountain, 2,407 feet above sea level.

Camping is available at Cheaha Resort State Park. The park offers 73 campsites with water, electric, and sewage hookups. A semi-primitive campground with 11 tent sites is also available. The park also features a resort lodge, chalets, and rental cabins. Campgrounds can also be found scattered throughout the national forest.

To learn more about Talladega Scenic Drive, visit our web site or the America's Byways web site.

RV Vacation Planner

by Donna Flanders

Donna is retired from computer programming. After 20 years of computer work, she now devotes her analytical, organizational and research skills to developing vacations for others. She is a list maker and she shares her lists with you at RV Vacation Planner.

Are We There Yet?

Donna Flanders received the following inquiry from a potential customer:

"I am interested in planning a month-long vacation for myself, my wife and our 2 small children (ages 2 1/2 and 1). I live in New York City. Our plan would be to rent an RV (not sure of what size) and drive it one-way to California and then fly back. I would figure that we would drive 2-3 hours a day 6 days a week."

Donna's reply:

New York City to California is almost 3,000 miles. I think three hours of driving per day is realistic with two small children. The problem is the amount of time it will take to get there. When you are driving an RV you will average 50 miles per hour on a highway. Yes, I know there are times when you will drive 65 or even 70 miles per hour. But when you factor in breaks for food, refueling, rest, traffic jams, construction and bad weather, you will average 50 miles per hour. If you want to drive on secondary roads, you will average even less. How long will this trip take?

Select this link to read the rest of the article.

Fun Stops U.S.A.

London Bridge

London Bridge in Lake Havasu City is Arizona's second largest tourist attraction. The bridge was originally constructed over a seven year period from 1824 to 1831. In the mid 1900s, it was discovered that the bridge was sinking an inch every eight years. In 1968 the bridge was sold to American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch for 2.4 million dollars. Mr. McCulloch had the bridge dismantled brick by brick and shipped to Arizona, where it was reconstructed and now spans a canal between Lake Havasu and Thompson Bay.

Casino Camping

by Jane Kenny

Two casinos in the Midwest recently opened RV Parks.

Harrah's Prairie Band in Mayetta, Kansas, has 67 paved, full-hookup, pull-thru sites. RV guests are invited to use the hot tub and other amenities at the hotel. Harrah's casino resort is located on US-75 (17 miles north of I-70 exit 358.)

In Caruthersville, Missouri (just off I-55 at exit 19), Casino Aztar has a 27-space, full-hookup RV Park with wireless Internet, 24-hour security and shower and laundry facilities. A nature trail at the RV park offers beautiful Mississippi River views from dawn to dusk.

For locations and directions to hundreds of casinos in the United States, check out Casino Camping, a guide to RV-Friendly casinos.

Road Trip Dreams

by Carol White

Phil and Carol White are the authors of Live Your Road Trip Dream, a book that describes how they turned their dream of traveling into reality -- and how you can do the same.

The following article is from Phil and Carol's travel journal during the time when they were living their road trip dream.

We're Getting Good at Accidents

We have, unfortunately, been slowed down a bit--this time with a medical emergency. We were about to take a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Estate - Taliesin, in Spring Green, WI, when I stepped into a hidden hole in the lawn, down I went, and broke my ankle - in two places!! That has temporarily ended camping in the Van, and increased the time it takes to do everything with me on crutches! But, the process has, thus far, been quite smooth. Insurance works! - and the Doctors, so far, have been supportive of us continuing our adventure on the road. It's just the pits getting around, and we find ourselves doing a lot more viewing, and a lot less doing!

Every month it amazes me how much ground we have covered since I wrote the last article. We have now logged over 11,000 miles and seen parts of 16 states! Since we left you last month, we have enjoyed Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and are now in Ohio, where the Van will finally get fixed from being rear-ended in August.

Today there is an article in USA Today that talks about how many people are taking off and doing "full time" travel for months or years at a time. One cruise line even lets you buy your cabin (for a mere $2M) and you can live on the ship for the rest of your life! At the other end of the spectrum are backpackers who exist on a shoestring. Somewhere in the middle you find "The Rolling White House" and others like us. It is definitely a trend as more baby boomers begin to retire.

Select this link to read the rest of this article.

Discovering Your Public Lands

Curlew National Grassland

Curlew National Grassland in southeastern Idaho encompasses 47,000 acres of public land. Historically the area was inhabited by the Bannock and Shoshone Indians before the settlement of Mormon pioneers. Today the area attracts visitors interested in camping, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, and photography.

Stone Reservoir is a popular spot for fishing and water skiing. Camping is available in the Curlew Campground, which has eight campsites. Another campground within Curlew National Grassland is the Twin Springs Campground, which has five rustic sites.

RV Tech Tip

by Mark Polk

Extension Cords

If at all possible try to avoid using an extension cord when making electrical connections at the campground. The gauges of the wire used in standard household extension cords are not suitable for RV electrical hook-ups. Eventually you will be put in a situation where you will need to use an extension cord. It is a good idea to purchase an RV extension cord that is compatible to the electrical system of your RV, and have it on hand. If you do purchase an extension cord somewhere else it should be at least 10-guage wires.

Exploring State Parks

Alaska

Alaska's Department of Natural Resources manages over 130 state parks. Consisting of more than three million acres, Alaska is home to the largest state park system in the United States. More than 50 parks have campgrounds. Most campsites can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet but none have electrical hookups. Take a look at Alaska's web site for more information.

Gadgets & Gizmos

Ice Cream Maker

With this unique Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker, you can make ice cream anywhere. No electricity is needed. Just add ice and rock salt in one end and ice cream mix in the other end, then have a ball as you shake it, pass it or roll it! The ice cream mix can be as simple as cream, sugar and vanilla. After about 20 minutes, you'll have a pint of soft-serve ice cream.

Rechargeable Lantern

This Down East Rechargeable Lantern from L.L. Bean provides up to eight hours of light on one charge. The lantern's light brightness can be easily adjusted using the dimmer. It's completely portable and can also be used indoors by plugging it in to a standard outlet.

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

• What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
• Four out of three people have trouble with fractions

Legends of America

by Kathy Weiser

Seth Bullock - Finest Type of Frontiersman

Seth Bullock was born in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada on July 23, 1847 to George Bullock, a retired British Major, and his Scottish wife, Agnes Findley Bullock. By the time Seth was five, the family had moved to Sandwich, Ontario when his father became involved in politics.

Little is known of his boyhood, except that he was frequently at odds with his father's strict discipline. No doubt, his father's military like attitudes concerning politics, discipline, and other view points ultimately led to Seth's personal "code of honor." At the age of 16, Seth ran away from home, ending up in Montana where his older sister lived. However, she quickly sent him home to his parents.

Not to be deterred for long, as soon as Seth was 18 he left home for good. By the time he was twenty, he was back in Montana, arriving in Helena in 1867. Following in his father's political footsteps, he ran for the Territorial Legislature, but was defeated. However, he did manage to get himself elected as a member of the Territorial Senate, where he served for two years in 1871-1872. During this time, Bullock was instrumental in creating the first ever United States National Park – Yellowstone.

Read the rest of the story at the Legends of America web site.

Camping in City and County Parks

City and county parks can be cheap places to camp for a night or two. Each month in this new addition to RoadNotes, I'll attempt to bring you information about these hard to find campgrounds.

Iowa

Adjacent to Mikkelson Park in New Hampton, Iowa is a campground operated by the local Boy Scouts. Campsites with water, electric, and sewage hookups are available. The campground is open April through October and charges $15 per night for sites with hookups.

Kansas

Winfield City Lake, located eight miles northeast of Winfield, Kansas has campsites with full hookups for just $8 per night. Camping is also available at the Winfield Fairgrounds on US 160 about one mile west of downtown. The fee is $6 per night.

Roundabout Roundup

RV Lotto

RV Lotto is a free Internet lottery game for RVers. Prizes are awarded each week and include books, videos, and other RV goodies. The grand prize is a $5,000 shopping spree.

Gypsy John

This is the personal web site of John and Missy Christman. In addition to information about their past experiences, John maintains a blog that he updates almost daily. You'll find a lot of interesting stories and pictures on his web site.

RV Towing Tips

At RV Towing Tips you'll not only find information about towing your RV but also information about holding tanks, sanitizing the fresh water tank, propane, and other miscellaneous topics.

Happy Camper Club

The Happy Camper Club is a discount RV campground club with nearly 1,000 RV park locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Members receive a 50% discount off the regular price for full hookup sites.