Touring America

Longleaf Trail

The Longleaf Trail in Louisiana begins about 5 miles south of the Derry exit on Interstate 49. The 17-mile route follows a high ridge through the Kisatchie Hills area of the Kisatchie National Forest. The terrain is exceptionally rugged for Louisiana. Vistas along the road include mesas, buttes, and sandstone outcrops, surrounded by longleaf pines.

Camping is available in the Dogwood Campground located along the byway. It has 20 drive-in sites suitable for RVers. The campground remains open year-round and there is no fee for camping! Other primitive campgrounds are also available.

You'll find more information about this scenic byway at our web site.

Ladies! Time to Winterize the RV

by Donna Flanders

Oh no. Not another article about winterizing. Yes indeed. And ladies, it's your turn. It always surprises me that most articles about how to winterize the RV stop shortly after the water and electrical systems. What about all the things you have stored inside? There's a lot more to be done if your rig is going to sit for several months at temperatures below freezing.

The rules of thumb

• If it contains water - take it out.
• If it will attract rodents - take it out
• If it has an expiration date - take it out
• If you’re not sure - take it out. Think - Do I want to replace this item or clean it up if it does not survive the winter?

Let's start in the kitchen. Go through your food cupboard, under the kitchen sink and any other place where you tuck things. Look for things like:

• Jars of food
• Beverages
• Bottled water
• Cleaning products (sprays contain water)
• Any food that will attract rodents or expire
• Paper towels and napkins that rodents use for nesting

To keep your refrigerator smelling clean and free of mold, place pure charcoal (not charcoal that contains fire lighter) on pieces of newspaper on a shelf inside the refrigerator and freezer.

To read the rest of this article, visit Donna's RV Vacation Planner web site.

Fun Stops U.S.A.

Shasta Sunset Dinner Train

The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train in northern California operates over the historical McCloud Railway, with roots back to 1897 and the early logging days of Siskiyou County. Visitors are treated to a four-course dinner during the three-hour train ride in the shadows of Mount Shasta.

Casey Farm

Casey Farm in Saunderstown, Rhode Island is an original Colonial plantation farm on 300 acres. Visitors will find a working farm, a farmhouse built circa 1750, several barns, and a family cemetery.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft

Maple Landmark Woodcraft in Middlebury, Vermont has been making quality wooden toys, games, and gifts for more than 25 years. Visitors can watch the skilled woodcrafters making toys and other items or browse the factory store.

Organ Cave

Located in southeastern West Virginia, Organ Cave is the second largest commercial cave in the eastern United States. A Natural National Landmark with over 45 miles of mapped passageways, Organ Cave still contains some 200 known passageways that have yet to be explored. Walking tours of the cave are offered year-round.

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.

Careful Planning

It's early January, 2000. It's raining out (what else?), and my cup of tea and I are sitting down to pay the bills. I come upon a renewal notice for "Golf for Women", and mechanically begin to write out the check. "WAIT!" My subconscious says to me, "why are you doing that? You won't be here to read it! You're going on a year long trip, remember?" And so the serious decision making of preparing for "The Trip" begins. At first the tasks seemed almost overwhelming. So many things to think about-it's enough to make you cancel the whole idea before you get started! But with that first small step of not renewing subscriptions, came a torrent of activities and checklists over the next 6 months.

The first big decision we had to make was what to do with the house. Since we still have a mortgage to pay, that decision was a major factor in the budgeting process. Once we decided that we could probably lease it furnished to a visiting Executive or Professor, we had a major portion of the ongoing expenses covered. We knew that renting it unfurnished was not a preferred option, as the cost to store our goods, including getting them to and from storage, would be about $8000 - about half the cost of leaving the house empty for a year - plus all the hassle and risk of renting it on top of that. We even considered selling the house, but we both love Charbonneau, and wanted a place to come home to next summer. So staring in March, we put together a marketing plan that included all the major businesses in the area, all the Colleges, Relocation firms, local realtors and other local businesses here in Charbonneau. We built a website with pictures of the house, and put together a nice color flyer about the house. We made calls, had an open house, and followed up every possibility. We were rewarded with just the right couple in early May. Thanks Don Perkins.

To read the rest of this article, visit Carol's travel journal web site.

Discovering Your Public Lands

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

This 59,000-acre refuge in southern Texas sprawls across the Blackjack peninsula where grasslands, live oaks, and redbay thickets cover deep sandy soils. Storms and waters of the Gulf of Mexico constantly reshape this refuge, which is home to over 390 different bird species.

Mild winters, bay waters, and abundant food supplies attract over 390 species of birds to Aransas including pelicans, herons, egrets, spoonbills, shorebirds, ducks, and geese. The endangered whooping crane makes these same saltwater marshes their winter feeding grounds.

Select this link to learn more about the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Carters Lake

This Corps of Engineers lake is in northern Georgia near Oakman. It is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visitors will find four parks that have campgrounds. Two have campsites with electric hookups. The remaining two offer a more primitive setting.

Select this link to learn more about Carters Lake.

Exploring State Parks

New York

The New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation department manages more than 160 state parks throughout the Empire State. Over 60 parks have camping facilities for tent campers and RVers. Rental cabins and cottages are also available in many state parks.

For information about each state park and the facilities available, take a look at the New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation web site. In addition to state parks, there is also more than 50 state campgrounds within Adirondack and Catskill Parks. For information about these, visit the Department of Environmental Conservation web site.

West Virginia

In West Virginia there are 40 state parks and forests. Camping is available in 15 areas. Several state parks also have resorts and rental cabins available. Camping fees vary from $15 to $20 per night. You'll find detailed information at West Virginia's state park web site.

Gadgets & Gizmos

SmarTire for RVs

SmarTire for RVs is a tire pressure monitoring system specifically designed to meet the needs of RVers. The gadget constantly monitors your RV's tires and warns you of a tire problem before it becomes dangerous.

Electronic Compass

This electronic compass from Precision Navigation Inc. indicates your travel direction on an easy-to-read screen. The gadget mounts on your windshield and operates on long-life batteries or plugs into a 12-volt cigarette lighter.

Mileage Calculator

Quick Mile is a new hand-held gadget that quickly calculates mileage between major North American cities. Visit Camping World's web site to learn more.

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

• Yesterday I knew nothing, today I know that
• No matter where you go, you're there
• It's time to pull over and let the air out of your brain.

Legends of America

by Kathy Weiser

Haunted Windyville, Missouri

At the crossroads of Missouri Routes "K" and "MM" in Dallas County, sits the silent town of Windyville, Missouri. Once catering to the many farmers of the area, as well as sporting enthusiasts along the nearby Niangua River and Bennett Spring, some 4 miles to the east, the ghost town once housed three churches, two grist mills, a tomato cannery, several thriving businesses, a post office, and numerous residents. Today, though a few people still inhabit the small town, its businesses sit crumbling and abandoned, and most of its residents lie quietly in two nearby cemeteries.

According to a long lasting legend, the ghost town is said to be home to more than its few remaining residents, but also to a lengthy list of haunting spirits who seemingly stir up more than dust in this long dead town.

The area was first populated by settlers in the mid 19th century, who found the area around Bennett Spring to be an ideal spot for grist and flour mills. However, like most all areas of the American West, it was first called home to the Native Americans, and many say that the site of Windyville is built on what was once a sacred burial ground, which may account for much of the paranormal activity that is reported in the old town.

To read the rest of this article, visit the Legends of America web site.

Scrapbook & Rubber Stamping

This winter, Quartzsite, Arizona will see the wonderful worlds of scrapbooking and rubber stamping added to its list of well-known shows, meetings, conventions, and events.

The event will be held January 14 & 15, 2005 in the enormous 44,000-square foot "Big Top Tent" with Brandon Williams (formerly of Barnum and Bailey's Circus) as Master of Ceremonies.

The event includes 25 classes, over 100 vendors in the daily vendor fair, a toga party and contest (with patterns provided!) and will offer opportunities to learn and try out the newest in tools and techniques.

Roundabout Roundup

Towing Tips

At the Towing World web site you'll find a lot of good advice about towing trailers and toads, towing laws by state, and a variety of towing products and accessories.

RV Service Reviews

At RV Service Reviews, RVers share the good and bad experiences encountered when having their RV serviced.

America's Wildest Places

A new two-hour DVD is available from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that features eight National Wildlife Refuges across America. Select this link to learn more.

The Happy Wanderers

This is the personal web site of Larry and Connie Farquhar. They semi-retired in their mid-40s and started traveling full-time in September of this year.

Turkey for the Holidays

Here's a web site with suggestions on different ways to prepare the Thanksgiving Turkey, side dish recipes, carving techniques, and more.

Big Rig Campground Directory

Here's a book for owners of large RVs that want to find campgrounds across the U.S. that can accommodate their big rig.

Boondocking Guide

This web site is dedicated to sharing experiences and knowledge about boondocking locations in North America.