Top Midwest Casino RV Parks

Midwest Gaming and Travel magazine runs an annual survey of readers to find out which casinos are their favorites in various categories.  It’s called the “Reader’s Choice Awards”.   Along with asking which casinos have the best video poker, best lounge, friendliest staff, etc. they also ask about the best RV park. The ratings are separated into two categories; commercial casinos, and Native American casinos.  You may find the results of all these surveys to be useful for planning your casino based travels, especially if you haven’t visited the area before.  This week I’ll share with you the Readers Choice Awards 2009 for the commercial casinos with the best RV parks: Read more  Read More →

Houston Arboretum Home to Future RVers & Explorers

by Brian Brawdy When traveling through Texas, if you happen to be in the Houston area, The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center offers a unique urban forest and swamp refuge from city life not far away. I found myself scheduled by RVIA, on behalf of the GoRVing, this morning to meet with the local KIAH-TV affiliate and speak to the future generation of RVers and explorers during their summer camps. This 155-acre nature preserve is located in Houston’s Memorial Park, a 1500-acre wooded park that boasts hiking and biking trails, golf, tennis and other recreational activities. Bounded by what is called the Buffalo Bayou, this ‘wild’ urban waterway is part of the city’s flood management system but has been left in its natural oasis for locals to enjoy. The Houston Arboretum has over 5 miles of trails with boardwarks to explore and according to Arboretum officials, is home to more than 160 species of birds, 75 species of native trees, 33 different kinds of butterflies, 16 species of turtles and 10 species of frogs! You can walk through swamps into pine forests and experience one of the most unique and informative nature centers I have ever visited. As the morning progressed, I had the unique opportunity to speak with children from ages 6-12, all part of the Arboretum’s camp program and found myself in AWE over just how smart and progressive kids these days are! What floored me was when an 11-year old asked why I hadn’t installed a hydrogen fuel... Read more

Location is Everything at Wells Beach Resort, Maine

Trailer Life Cream of the Crop Campsites: Wells Beach Resort—Wells, Maine While cruising the southern coast of Maine, stop for a day or two in scenic Wells, a historic village with plenty of natural beauty. Wells Beach Resort is a great place to park the rig. It’s a family-owned, pet-friendly RV resort with good paved interior roads just a mile from the beach. There are 215 level, gravel RV campsites, all with full hookups (20/30/50 amp) plus cable TV and free WiFi. Pull-thru sites measure 30×60’ while back-in sites measure 28×42’. Big rig campsites are available too. Each RV campsite has a picnic table and patio. Read more  Read More →

ELECTRICAL – Respect Electricity – Play It Safe

Failure to turn off the Campground Post Circuit Breaker before Plugging in or removing your Electrical Plug could cause any of the following Safety Hazards: 1. The plug on your cord could arc and burn, damaging your plug, and injuring you. 2. The Campground Post Electrical Outlet could arc and fail from this damage. 3. This arcing could cause YOU personal injury. Less than 100 volts and 1/2 amp can cause your heart to stop. 4. If the Campground Post Electrical Outlet is faulty, or your RV Plug is damaged, a sparking Hazard could occur. 5. POLARITY: Check the Polarity with a Polarity/Ground/Open Circuit Tester BEFORE you plug in. Reverse Polarity can cause damage to the Electrical System and its components; such as Air Conditioner, Furnace, TV, Refrigerator, etc. 6. GROUNDING: Check the Campground Post Electrical Outlet with an Electrical Tester before you proceed to plug in your RV. This procedure also helps you identify the correct Circuit Breakers for the outlet you are using. Your neighbor will not appreciate it if you turn off their Electrical Power by mistake. 7. LOW VOLTAGE: Below 107 Volts AC; Using appliances and other equipment in your RV with a voltage lower than 107 volts can increase the amperage draw on that circuit and cause a fuse or Circuit Breaker to blow. Your convertor/battery charger and other appliances may not work at all, or be damaged by the low voltage. 8. HIGH VOLTAGE: Above 130 Volts AC; your Convertor/Battery Charger will most likely shut down automatically... Read more

Boy Scout RV Tour

My cousin Terry Cook is very active in Scouting, so when he told me that a specially decorated RV is traveling the country to celebrate the Boy Scout’s 100 year anniversary in 2010, and that it would be in Traverse City, Michigan yesterday, I accepted his invitation to go check it out. The 32 foot long Class C, donated by Coachmen Industries, is scheduled to visit all 308 Boy Scout Councils in the lower 48 states between now and next February, when it will end its tour at the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas. Fourteen teams of Scout leaders from different areas around the United States will take the RV on separate legs of the journey. Traverse City was stop 186 on the “Century of Values Tour.” Read more  Read More →

Into Denali National Park, Alaska

One of the last remaining wildernesses can be witnessed in Denali National Park, as can be attested to by the Rogers’ last trip described in their epic travel diary, The Rogers’ Adventure commencing at their Tok to Fairbanks journal entry. Mountains, rivers and diverse wildlife decorate the pristine, remote area in Alaska that was originally designed as a safe habitat for Dall sheep. Traveling into Denali National Peak takes visitors along the Tenana river valley, passing through several small towns such as Nenana. Native tongue translates “Nenana” as meaning point of camping between two rivers; referring to the intersection of the Tenana and Nenana Rivers. The city of Nenana is an important shipping port, with a variety of foods, freight and fuel coming in for distribution to small towns along the river. The town of Healy is another great tourist stop, well known as being the location for the largest coal mine in Alaska, the Usibelli Coal Mine. While the mine is not open to the public, it supplies millions of tons of coal toward the operation of 6 major power plants in the State of Alaska, as well as being a chief export item to Chile and South Korea. Denali Park itself was established in 1917, although known at that time by the name of Mount McKinley National Park after President McKinley. It wasn’t until 1980 that the park was renamed Denali National Park. In the native Athabascan language, Denali means “high one”. Fifteen miles into the park brings... Read more

2008 Adventure Manufacturing RPM

2008 Adventure Manufacturing RPM Previously $28,591 – Now $27,975 23 ft. toy hauler with front queen bed, pull-down bunk in garage, fold down sofas, tub shower, double sink in kitchen, and more! Offered from Suncoast RV in Louisville, TN. Learn more about this 2008 Adventure Manufacturing RPM! As featured on  Read More →

15 Great Oddball Museums

We love finding strange museums in our travels around the country, and we have discovered some real finds as we explore this great land of ours. Here are fifteen of my favorites, in no particular order. Read more  Read More →

The RV Trivia Challenge #5

The Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge 5 is again focusing on destination attractions. Many you have probably heard of, but do you know where they are located?  Well, we are about to find out.  Get a pencil and paper so that you can record your answers as you go through it.  You will then be able to check your answers against those displayed at the very bottom.  Be sure to share your score and any other comments you may have in the comments section following the answers. So, let’s get at it! Read more  Read More →

2005 Pilgrim OPEN ROAD

2005 Pilgrim OPEN ROAD Previously $31,995 – Now $26,180 35 ft. fifth wheel with 2 slideouts, double sink in kitchen, stove, oven, dining table with 2 chairs, corner shower and more! Offered from Suncoast RV in Byron, GA. Learn more about this 2005 Pilgrim OPEN ROAD! As featured on  Read More →

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