From the Editor

I've had an interest in RVs since I was a kid. I remember asking for a Tonka Winnebago for Christmas two years in a row. When I was around 15 years old, I would draw motorhome floor plans to scale. I subscribed to MotorHome magazine and even entered one of my floor plans in a contest they sponsored. During high school, I desired to hit the road in a real Winnebago after graduating. I figured I could work my way across the country doing whatever I had to do to keep traveling in my 22-foot Brave. It was perfect for just one person. Now, all these years later, I find myself publishing books for RVers and writing a monthly newsletter about camping and traveling in America.

Around Christmastime last year, I went surfing on the Internet for that Tonka motorhome. I found several on ebay in various conditions -- some were really worn -- a lot of playtime on 'em. And I found one at some other site in perfect condition -- still in the box with the "action figures." There was a father, mother, a boy and a girl, and the family dog. Years ago the Winnebago sold for around $18, now it was selling for $200.

I never did get the Tonka for Christmas -- I like to give my Dad a hard time about that. I've owned a travel trailer but never took it 'cross the country. Maybe someday. Maybe I'll eventually get a real Winnebago and write this newsletter from the road.

Touring America

Michigan's River Road Scenic Byway

This scenic byway is in northeast Michigan about 90 miles north of Saginaw. The 22-mile route parallels the historic Riviere Aux Sable (River of Sand). The AuSable River once provided a westward link for Native Americans and French fur traders. Several platforms on the high banks above the river provide panoramic views of the river and surrounding forest.

The River Road Scenic Byway crosses Huron National Forest. Three campgrounds are located along the byway. Monument and Rollways campgrounds are operated by the national forest. Picnic tables, grills, drinking water, and vault toilets are provided. Old Orchard Park is a large campground owned by Consumer's Energy Company and operated by Oscoda Township. This 500-site campground provides electrical hookups and showers along with basic amenities.

Select this link for more information about the River Road Scenic Byway.

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.

Social Hour

One of the finest hours of the day at our winter resort is social hour. It is a time when we all gather before dinner for visiting. Some folks drink water and some folks drink their favorite beverage. Other folks don't drink anything at all. People bring snacks that get placed on a table in the center of the circle. Our group numbers anywhere between 10 and 40 depending on how early or late in the season it is.

Our conversations vary from "That darn computer" to the latest fishing story or who won at cards. You get to know people better and learn things about each other. Since we all have different interests, errands to run and possibly family to visit, this is a time for all of us to touch base. Sometimes we use the time to make plans for an outing. Other times someone mentions a problem (computer, outboard motor, RV or health) and someone else has a solution or offers a helping hand.

If you are in your winter destination and there is no social hour, consider starting one. A group campfire ring makes a great center. It does not have to be dark to have a fire. You can also use a chiminier or just a table for food. You might want to ring a bell as a signal to round up the group the way they used to call the cowboys to a meal. A real key to success is to make everyone feel welcome.

We have some unspoken ground rules. Bring your own chairs. Bring your own drink. Stay about an hour; folks get hungry and need to get home for dinner. The folks that host the gathering need to have dinner too. Take your mess home with you. Bring a treat to share - not necessarily every day, but once in a while. Welcome anyone who is new and take the time to introduce yourself.

Your winter experience can be wonderful or downright boring. Being connected to the other people at your winter location makes a huge impact on how positive the experience will be. Sometimes this takes some work and organization. Maybe you need to be the one to start something fun.

Happy Camping

Donna Flanders, RV Vacation Planner

Fun Stops U.S.A.

Ellis, Kansas

Last month I was traveling along Interstate 70 in western Kansas. When I came across the exit for Ellis, Kansas, I decided to get off the superhighway and take a tour of the town to see what it had to offer. For a town of just over 1,800, they offer a few interesting attractions. First, there's the boyhood home of Walter P. Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Corporation. It was closed when I was there. Then there's the Ellis Railroad Museum where you can view railroad artifacts and a huge working model train layout. They also offer miniature train rides from Memorial Day through Labor Day. After spending the day in Ellis, stay the night in their Lakeside Campground. The city park has 17 sites with water and electric hookups for $15 a night. Though I wouldn't consider the creek running next to the campground a lake, it does make for a nice overnight stop.

Visit the Photo Gallery to see some photographs I snapped while visiting Ellis.

Casino Camping

Jane Kenny is a full-time RVer with husband Jack. She is the author of two books, Casino Camping and RV Retirement. Jane is also recognized by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) as an RV Lifestyle Specialist.

The excerpt below is taken from Jane's book, Casino Camping. Visit our online bookstore to learn more about this title.

Pechanga Resort & Casino

45000 Pechanga Pkwy

Temecula, CA 92592

909-693-1819 / 877-711-2WIN

877-99RVFUN (RV park)

www.pechanga.com/home.asp

Description: The resort includes a hotel with 522 rooms/suites and an RV park with 170 sites. The modern, full service RV park has a heated pool, two Jacuzzi spas, recreation room in the clubhouse, laundry, gas station, car wash and convenience store. The park can serve as a home base for visitors exploring southern California. Last year's RV rates: $32 per night. Reservations are suggested. Shuttle service is provided to the 24-hour casino that has 2,000 slots, 126 gaming tables, high stakes room and a 54-table non-smoking poker room with daily tournaments. There are six restaurants and live entertainment is featured at the casino.

Discounts: The RV park honors Good Sam, AAA and AARP discounts.

Directions: From I-15 Indio/Route 79 South exit, (Pechanga Indian Reservation signs at exit). South on Route 79 for .7 mile, right on Pechanga Parkway for 1.5 miles to the resort complex.

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.

Road Trip Authors Take Their Own Advice and Hit the Road

It's the old adage – the cobbler's kid needs shoes, the barber needs a haircut, and the road trip gurus need, well...a road trip. Too busy to "practice what they preach," authors Phil and Carol White found themselves tired of the Oregon rain and ready for a change of scenery. But how do you take off when you need to pay attention to marketing your book? How about a book promotion road trip!

Mixing marketing Live Your Road Trip Dream, their award-winning ultimate road trip planning guide, with a road trip to promote the book is the perfect way for the authors to live their own road trip dream. Today's technology allows business people like the Whites to mix play with work. They will pack their vehicle with their laptop, cell phone and of course books as they head for southern California and Arizona later this month. Customers can reach them by phone or email just as normal, and they will have some time to explore new places to write about.

They have scheduled several presentations along the way to share the joy of a long road trip with the 10,000 baby boomers reaching 60 every day and wanting to head out on the road themselves. Gen-xers contemplating a mid-career sabbatical or leave will also find the tips and ideas to be invaluable.

The Whites have spoken to over 1,000 people about their planning tools and their adventure in such diverse settings as athletic clubs, RV rallies, AAA, book stores and libraries – all with rave reviews. They have also been frequent guests on radio and TV with over 50 appearances to date, and this trip won't slow that activity down. Carol says, "Most radio interviews are done by phone, and we really enjoy talking to people about how to make this incredible experience happen, so we'll just be talking from a different location than normal."

To see the White's and hear about planning your own road trip, plan to be at one of the following appearances:

• 3/6 - 7:30pm - Distant Lands Bookstore - Pasadena, CA
• 3/7 - 7:30pm - Le Travel Store - San Diego, CA
• 3/10 - 6:00pm - Barnes & Noble - Orange, CA
• 3/11 - 4:00pm - Camping World - 40th Anniversary - San Bernardino, CA
• 3/15 - 6:00pm - Barnes & Noble - Palm Desert, CA
• 3/29 - 2:00pm - Barnes & Noble - Surprise, AZ
• 4/1 - 1:00pm - Mostly Books - Tucson, AZ

For additional information on these locations, visit their web site.

Their lively 50-minute presentation is sure to inspire the wanderlust to plan that long trip that dreams are made of -- and make the listener believe that they too can do it. Phil adds, "We'll never have another journey as awesome as our road trip dream – we'd love to help you accomplish your dreams too."

RV Dump Stations

Here are some of the most recent additions to the RV Dump Stations web site:

Discovering Your Public Lands

Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge

The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma preserves over 59,000 acres of lakes, streams, canyons, mountains, and grasslands. The refuge provides habitat for a variety of animals such as American bison, Rocky Mountain elk, white-tailed deer, and Texas longhorn cattle. To get to the refuge from I-44, take Exit 45 and follow OK Hwy 49 west about ten miles.

Very few National Wildlife Refuges have camping facilities. This one, however, has a modern campground. Doris Campground is on Quanah Parker Lake and has a total of 90 sites. There are 47 sites without electricity suitable for tent campers and RVers ($6 per night); 23 sites with electricity ($12 per night); and 20 walk-in tent-only sites ($6 per night).

More detailed information, including downloadable refuge and campground maps, is available from the official refuge web site.

RV University

by Mark Polk

Mark Polk is the producer of training videos on how to use and maintain your RV. He is also the author of The RV Book, a personal guide to understanding and enjoying your RV.

RV Electricity 101

I receive a lot of questions and concerns about the RV electrical system. Most people ask me if I can explain the RV electrical system in simple to understand terms. The electrical system in your RV can seem complex and confusing until you have a basic understanding of how it works. Your RV actually has three separate electrical systems. It has a 12-volt DC automotive system, a 12-volt DC coach system, and a 120 volt AC coach system. We are primarily concerned with the 12-volt DC and 120 volt AC coach systems. The RV electrical system is also covered in our RV Education 101 training videos and DVDs.

12 Volt DC or direct current is electricity supplied by the RV batteries. DC electricity flows in one direction, from negative to positive. 12 volt DC electricity is stored in the RV batteries and supplies power for components, devices and appliances that operate off of 12 Volts. 120 Volt AC or alternating current is the same electricity used in your household. AC electricity reverses or alternates direction 60 times per second, or 60 hertz. 120 volt AC electricity supplies power to all of the 120 volt appliances and electronic equipment in your RV.

The majority of campgrounds you go to will provide you with an external 120 volt electrical source to plug into. Your RV has a heavy-duty power cord that is normally about 20 to 25 feet long. Depending on the type of RV you have, or purchase, it will either be a 30 Amp or 50 Amp electrical system. When you plug into the proper campground electrical source it will supply power throughout your RV. You must have a 120 Volt AC power source if you are going to use the microwave, roof air conditioner, the refrigerator in the electric mode and the 120 Volt electrical outlets.

For the most part everything else in the RV works off of 12-volt DC power. When you're plugged in at the campground the 120 volt AC current is converted to 12-volt DC current, by the RV's converter, for the items in the RV that work off of 12-volts. Some of these items are the overhead lights, the furnace fan, the fan over the range, the vent fan in the bathroom, the water pump, LP gas leak detector, stereo, and the refrigerator when it's in the LP gas mode. If you look at the RV's power distribution panel you will see circuit breakers like you have in your house for the 120-volt AC side, and automotive style blade fuses for the 12-volt DC side.

Select this link to read the rest of the article.

Exploring State Parks

Amnicon Falls State Park

Amnicon Falls State Park is in northern Wisconsin along US 2 about ten miles east of Superior. The park features a series of waterfalls and rapids along the Amnicon River. Visitors can picnic, camp, walk in the woods, or learn about the Douglas Fault, the geological formation that created the falls. Among the attractions in the park is the 55-foot long covered bridge that spans the river at Lower Falls.

The park's campground has 36 sites. It's a quiet, mostly rustic campground. There are no electric hookups, showers, or dump station. The camping fee ranges from $12 to $14 for non-residents; slightly less for residents.

Select this link to learn more about this state park. For information about all of Wisconsin's state parks, select this link.

Gadgets & Gizmos

50 amp Power Pal

The 50 amp Power Pal is an RV park electrical outlet tester. The instrument is a hand held device that is designed to test the 50 amp outlet before you plug in your RV. Results are shown within seconds. Select this link to learn more.

Legends of America

by Kathy Weiser

Kathy is a personal friend and webmaster of the Legends of America web site. Her site focuses on the history-rich travel destinations of the American West.

Speakeasies of the Prohibition Era

As the years moved forward into the 20th century, the days of the Old West were winding down. Railroads replaced stagecoaches, the growth of cities was brining culture to the West, most of the notorious outlaws were dead or in jail, and Wyatt Earp had settled down to tell his frontier tales to any and every book author and silent movie producer in Hollywood. Meanwhile, as the savage West was slowly being tamed, a new movement had been emerging in the east, to curb or stop the consumption of alcohol. Often associated with poverty, crime, corruption, social problems, and tax burdens, alcohol was considered the source of all evil by those behind the Temperance and Prohibition movements. Saloons were accused of being dens of iniquity by those behind the movements, a fact that was most often true.

Having started in the 1830s, temperance advocates didn't initially support prohibiting consumption of alcohol, but rather, the drinking of beer and wine in moderation and abstention from hard liquor. In 1851, the state of Maine prohibited the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. Just four years later, in 1855, thirteen of the then thirty-one states had passed similar laws.

However, when the soldiers returned from the Civil War, many of whom had been exposed to alcohol for the first time, these hardened warriors wanted nothing to do with this movement and it was given little attention for the next two decades. In fact, many saloons were gaining even more popularity among those very same soldiers and other men moving westward in search of fortune, land, and adventure. New saloons sprouted up by the hundreds in the mining camps and new settlements on the vast frontier. Here, where miners, cattlemen, and outlaws reigned, and the number of men far outweighed those of women, it was a "man's world," where saloons were often their only source of entertainment. It wouldn't be until women began to arrive in the West that the views of saloons would begin to change. Barred from these many drinking establishments, "proper" women began to see saloons as hotbeds of vice, where not only drinking was encouraged, but also gambling, prostitution, dancing, and tobacco use. Becoming politically active for the first time, the women joined the fight in the 1880s and the cause was reborn.

Select this link to read the rest of the story.

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

• Shouldn't it be spelled Fonetic?
• I don't know what your problem is but I bet it's hard to pronounce
• Aliens smart enough to visit earth would be smart enough not to

Camping in City and County Parks

New Jersey

Mahlon Dickerson Reservation is a 3,200-acre county park in north-central New Jersey. The campground is open May to October and has a total of 30 sites; 18 with water and electric hookups. Camping fees are $10 per night for a tent site and $15 for a site with hookups. To reach the park from I-80 Exit 34, travel north on NJ 15 to Weldon Rd and then east to the campground.

Texas

Waylon Jennings Free Campground in Littlefield, Texas, has 56 sites with electricity, 44 with water and electricity, and 12 with full hookups. The campground is about three miles north of US 84 on US 385. Free camping is limited to four days.

RV News

RV Shipments Hit Highs in 2005

For the recreational vehicle industry, 2005 outpaced the record number of shipments set in 2004, according to year-end figures from Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. More...

RV Company Takes Giant Slice of the Sales Pie

Giant RV sold the most new recreational vehicles in the United States last year for the first time in company history, company officials said. More...

RV Friendly Momentum Keeps Rolling

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently approved the popular "RV Friendly" highway signs that tell recreation vehicle (RV) enthusiasts which roadside gas, food, lodging and camping facilities easily accommodate RVs, including both motorized and towable units. More...

Damon to Up RV Production

Damon Motor Coach is upping its production rate by about 25 percent, with further increases possible, company President Bill Fenech said this week. More...

Roundabout Roundup

Travel: A Retirement Dream

It is not uncommon in this country for retirees to head out for an adventure on the road. The trip could be for several weeks, months, a year or even a few years…whatever the retirees decide will be the fulfillment of their long-held retirement dream. A recreational vehicle (RV) is the perfect way for retirees to turn that dream into reality.

Information about retirement in an RV can be found in Jane Kenny's new book, RV Retirement, available in our online bookstore.

How to Make Your RV Jaunt More Rewarding

Touring Alaska in an RV will give you the freedom of the road, save money, and take you to prime fishing spots. More...

Arizona's RV Parks Are Attracting a New Breed of Snowbirds

Jody Duda is living a secret life her friends back in Oregon don't know about yet, one that has the 55-year-old wearing her college cheerleader's uniform to a sock hop in the ballroom of a Mesa RV park for winter residents. More...

The Adventures of Tioga and George

This is the personal web site of George and "Ms. Tioga." George is a full-time RVer. He never stays in a campground but is always boondocking or dry camping. He posts journal entries nearly every day about where he camps and what he's doing.

Camping in Arkansas

There are more than 200 public-owned campgrounds in Arkansas -- offering nearly 9,800 individual family campsites. Use the links on this web site to find campgrounds in Arkansas.

Traveling to Alaska

If you're planning to visit Alaska, be sure to get a copy of the free Alaska Vacation Planner.