Touring America

Forest Heritage Scenic Byway

Forest Heritage Scenic Byway is in western North Carolina about 30 miles southwest of Asheville. The 79-mile route follows State and US highways suitable for all types of vehicles.

Forest Heritage crosses the spruce and fir-covered mountains of Pisgah National Forest. Byway travelers will want to visit the Cradle of Forestry in America, a National Historic Site commemorating the birthplace of scientific forestry in America.

Byway travelers will find two campgrounds along the route. Sunburst has 10 RV/tent sites for around $10 per night. Davidson River is a large campground with 160 RV/tent sites with some having full hookups. The camping fee ranges from $16 to $38 per night.

On My Dashboard

by Donna Flanders

One of the things I like about a Class A motorhome is the dashboard. As the navigator on the team I have lots of resources which I want at my fingertips as we travel. Before we start the engine I check to be sure I have my atlas, a campground directory, my exit book, compass, calculator, pencil, scrap paper, my water jug and eyeglasses for my aging eyes. Other items that can be helpful are a magnifying glass and binoculars. Of course there are also sun glasses for the driver and the navigator as well as snacks to keep us going. Although the uses for these items may be obvious to most seasoned travelers I will describe how I use them as we explore this beautiful country of ours.

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Fun Stops U.S.A.

Historic Diamond Caverns

For more than 140 years Historic Diamond Caverns has offered tours of Kentucky's most beautiful cave. Thousands of stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone formations decorate the cathedral-like chambers. Diamond Caverns is located in south-central Kentucky near Mammoth Cave National Park.

Casino Camping

by Jane Kenny

Question: What's the largest U.S. casino east of the Mississippi?

Answer: Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

The famed Foxwoods has over 300,000 square feet of gaming space. It is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and includes six separate casino areas with 6,400 slots, 360 pit/gaming tables and ultimate race book. Foxwoods is so big you'll want to pick up a map at the information booth before exploring the property. It is an RV-Friendly casino with Lot 9 on property designated for large vehicles. Shuttle service to and from the casino operates 24 hours. The equally luxurious 295,000 square foot Mohegan Sun Casino Resort is located just across the Thames River from Foxwoods. Also RV-Friendly, Mohegan Sun has parking for large vehicles in the Winter Lot, with shuttle service provided.

For locations and directions to hundreds of casinos in the U.S., check out Casino Camping, a guide to RV-Friendly casinos, available in our bookstore.

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.

Charbonneau Comes to Visit Us!

We're back on our feet again - literally and figuratively! After 5 weeks, the cast is off, I'm walking, albeit slowly, -- and the "Rolling White House" is repaired and looking good again! Just In time for a "visit from home". Haley Dahlquist arrived with her Villagers' in hand to greet us and visit New England.

What fun to catch up on what is going on there, and to see all the smiling faces in the Villager issues, from a summer filled with golf and all kinds of activities.

Since Haley grew up in the Boston area, she has been a great tour guide! We've seen the stunning fall colors in New Hampshire and Maine, the ruggedly beautiful Acadia National Park, lively Boston, and restful Cape Cod. A real whirlwind visit-but it sure is nice to see a familiar face!

Early in the month, while we were waiting for the Van to be repaired, which took 2 long weeks, we rented a car (and a wheelchair for getting around at attractions), packed up a few possessions, and took off to see Kentucky, E. Tennessee, and a bit of N. Carolina and W. Virginia. A 1500-mile circle that landed us back in Columbus, just in time for my Dr. appointment and to pickup the Van.

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Discovering Your Public Lands

Leesville Lake

Leesville Lake is located in east-central Ohio about 19 miles southeast of New Philadelphia. The 1,000-acre lake was constructed by the Corps of Engineers in 1936. Camping areas on the lake are managed by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

RV Tech Tip

by Mark Polk

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): is the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle when fully loaded for travel including the vehicle, cargo, liquids & fuel, passengers, and any towed vehicle tongue weight. Motor homes, tow vehicles, and trailers all have GVWR.

There has always been confusion when it comes to trailer weights.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have seen people read the manufacturers weight label on the outside of the trailer or fifth wheel and assume that they can't tow it. The data plate on the outside gives you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). This is not the actual weight of the trailer; it is the maximum amount of weight that the trailers axles, brakes and tires and other components can support. The trailer might weigh 5,000 pounds, but the GVWR may be 7,000 pounds. This means that you could add 2,000 pounds of weight to the trailer before you reach the GVWR. You need to consider how much weight you will add to the trailer when you're calculating the weight. You never want to tow a trailer that exceeds the GVWR. The components on the trailer are not designed to exceed the GVWR and it can be extremely dangerous.

Exploring State Parks

Delaware

The Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation manages 14 state parks throughout the state. Camping is available at state parks. Cabins, cottages, and yurts are also available in some areas. State park campgrounds are generally open March through November. Camping fees vary from $20 to $35 per night. Detailed information is available at their web site.

Legends of America

by Kathy Weiser

Cowboys on the American Frontier

The Great West, vast and rude, brought forth men also vast and rude. We pass today [1918] over parts of that matchless region, and we see the red hills and ragged mountain-fronts cut and crushed into huge indefinite shapes, to which even a small imagination may give a human or more than human form. It would almost seem that the same great hand which chiseled out these monumental forms had also laid its fingers upon the people of this region and fashioned them rude and ironlike, in harmony with the stern faces set about them.

Of all the babes of that primeval mother, the West, the cowboy was perhaps her dearest because he was her last. Some of her children lived for centuries; this one for not a triple decade before he began to be old. What was really the life of this child of the wild region of America, and what were the conditions of the experience that bore him, can never be fully known by those who have not seen the West with wide eyes -- for the cowboy was simply a part of the West. He who does not understand the one can never understand the other.

If we care truly to see the cowboy as he was and seek to give our wish the dignity of a real purpose, we should study him in connection with his surroundings and in relation to his work. Then we shall see him not as a curiosity but as a product -- not as an eccentric driver of horned cattle but as a man suited to his times.

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

Rest Areas & Welcome Centers

We've been working feverishly the past few months updating our Rest Areas & Welcome Centers book. The result is a completely revised, updated, and expanded edition. If you're not familiar with this popular book, it allows you to easily find rest areas and welcome centers along Interstate highways. It also shows what amenities are available such as restrooms, phones, picnic tables, vending machines, and RV dump stations.

It also includes discount stores like Wal-Mart and travel centers like Flying J and Love's. In this new edition, we've added Cracker Barrel locations. The book also provides contact information for state tourism offices, a list of toll-free numbers for hotels and motels, and an RV dump station locator.

The book is currently being printed and will begin shipping in June. To learn how you can reserve a copy, select this link.

Camping in City and County Parks

Montana

Choteau City Park & Campground is located along Spring Creek in northwest Montana. To reach the park, turn east on MT 221 from US 89 in the center of town. Camping fee is about $8 per night.

South Carolina

James Island County Park near Charleston has over 100 campsites for tent campers and RVers. Camping fees range from $16 per night for tent/primitive sites to $32 for pull-thru sites with 50amp service.

Roundabout Roundup

Win a Class A Motorhome

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Camping World's President's Club, they are giving away a 2005 Scottsdale Class A Motorhome by Newmar Corporation. Visit their web site to learn more.

Radio Station Locator

Here's a useful web site for finding radio stations across the country. You can search by city, ZIP code, station format, or call letters.

RV Happenings

This is the personal web site of Tab and Deanna. Here you'll find some interesting information and links about full-timing, workamping, and other stuff.