Online Medical Records

When you live full-time in an RV, like we do, everything you own is with you, including any medical records.  What happens if you visit a Doctor in Arizona, and lose the written report?  Your medical records will be incomplete, and your regular Doctor in Florida won’t know anything about it.  We try to get a printed report any time we visit a Doctor anywhere.  But, paperwork is a problem in our small home, even though we took out the couch to add filing drawers. Don’t Count on your Doctor to Maintain your Records We just spent the entire winter season in our old hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and considered it a luxury to be able to visit the same Doctors’ office that we did in years passed.  When we returned for a followup visit, we found the doors closed, the phone disconnected and NO information. A new doctor needed some old information and I couldn’t give it to her. Read more  Read More →

Choices of Campgrounds

The cool water of the geyser gushed into the air, providing a rainbow of colors just a few feet from my truck window. I wish we could have enjoyed the spectacle, but since I had just run over and broken a water main on a quiet residential boulevard in Dallas, it wasn’t the thrill you’d drive miles to see in Yellowstone National Park. I was backing into the driveway of a generous neighbor across the street from my cousin’s home, when the weight of our truck cracked the buried pipe, sending a small spurt of water upward, which, within a few minutes, became a very chilly torrent. (From trying to play the little Dutchboy with my finger in the dike, it became more like BP wrestling with the Gulf of Mexico oilspill.) We stared in hollow silence, helpless, as a fellow in a Jaguar convertible slammed on his brakes to avoid going through the unexpected carwash with his top down. It was Monique’s birthday and about an hour from the start of a lavish holiday party thrown by close friends of my cousin. It was not a time to celebrate, particularly when I got the bill from the water company for coming out after hours on a crisp Friday evening to stop the gusher. Parking at the homes of friends and relatives can save you money (or cost you), but it’s just one of the choices you have when RVing. Here is a list of alternatives we’ve experienced in the past almost four years on the road, listed in alphabetical order. Attractions: Will Rogers’ historic... Read more

Have you had enough with fees to use our public lands?

By Bob Difley A camera crew from Idaho Public Television’s  popular Outdoor Idaho program, shooting a segment on students and conservation, was denied a permit to follow the students into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, a part of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, on the grounds that this type of filming was commercial and therefore not allowed in the wilderness. This is yet another example of something broken in the National Forest Service (FS) . What rationale  the FS could make to deny a decidedly non-commercial station (clearly evident by their fund drives to raise enough money to stay on the air) from filming a story that could only do good for the FS is beyond comprehension. Read more  Read More →

Gr8LakesCamper: Ludington State Park

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my most favorite magazines is Midwest Living. Every month, the editors do a fantastic job of covering all the great things about the Midwest — with a heavy dose of all things travel-related (lodging, dining, attractions, etc.). The articles are both informative and enjoyable and the design is attractive, but by far the highlight of each issue is the spectacular photography. The recipes section is extremely good. The May/June issue recently hit our mailbox, and one of its feature stories is their pick for the top state parks each Midwest state has to offer. Quick aside: As reference to our ongoing debate on what states constitute the Midwest, it’s interesting to note that, at least for this top state parks list, Midwest Living includes as its Midwest states Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Beginning with this post, I’ll periodically feature each of their selections (although still debating whether to include those from the Dakotas, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska; what do you think?). Ludington State Park, Michigan Midwest Living said Ludington State Park, located 100 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, is “busy enough to warrant a rich lineup of amenities and programming – including boat rentals, lighthouse tours and guided dune walks – but large enough, at 5,300 acres, to escape summer crowding. Lake Michigan beckons, cobalt waves washing... Read more

RV Fuel Efficiency, Cruise Control Vrs. The Operator

A Thought from Lug_Nut. First introduced by Chrysler in 1958, Autocruise, or cruise control, was a primitive device to automatically maintain a given travel speed.  It basically was a vacuum controlled linkage that was connected to the throttle valve on the carburetor.  If the vehicle speed dropped below that of the set speed, the linkage would simply pull the throttle valve until the desired speed was accomplished. Over the years, and with the coming of the electronic controlled engines, the cruise control advanced rapidly in newer technology.  Now the cruise control is a highly developed micro processor controlled device commanded by the onboard ECM (Electronic Control Module).  It is now capable of being programmed to manage the fuel delivery in a manner most efficient for fuel consumption while still maintaining a given desired vehicle speed. Read more  Read More →

California Set to Make RVers Criminals

By Brian Brawdy This stinks – literally. Once again, politicians busy themselves pandering to constituencies all the while ignoring scientific facts. The latest proposal comes from the State of California and Assemblyman Bill Monning, a Democrat from Santa Cruz. The legislation, AB 1824, would ban the use of holding tank products containing bronopol, dowicil, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde and para-dichlorobenzene, according to the proposed bill. Read more  Read More →

Finding Freedom

We departed Orange County last Friday, eager to begin our on-the-road adventure toward Alaska by staying at an RV park in the Inland Empire of California.  As we headed toward our destination, Monique declared, “Let’s just go!”  And two hours later, we were battling a poorly designed dirt entry into a campsite in Red River Canyon State Park, very few miles from Death Valley. Wonderful Isolation in Red Rock Canyon, California The freedom to not be driven by schedules and calendars is what we consider one of the greatest blessings of our blessed lives. We celebrated our decision to change plans by enjoying a Happy-Hour-for-Two amid temperate breezes that whipped around among the surrounding walls of sandstone etched for millennia by wind, heat and long-forgotten rain.  If you’re a full-timer or RV extensively, you might know the exhilaration of this benefit of the nomadic life.  If you’re still bound by obligations around home but are planning to transition to extended RVing, or still trying to decide whether to make your move, I’ll clue you in on what it took for us.  First of all, Monique and I had the advantage of being in complete agreement on the idea of traveling full-time.  On the road, we meet so many couples who are trying to make it work, even though one member of “the team” is determined to return to a “normal” lifestyle.  Some of those folks have been putting up with compromises for years, and somehow they are still... Read more

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Away from the plastic and glitter tourist attractions of Orlando and the busy pace of cities like Miami and Tampa, there is a special place in Florida where nature is the draw. Here endangered species and native wildlife are the focus, instead of giant mice and tourists in Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shots. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is a 185 acre sanctuary where birds fly, alligators sun themselves, and the gentle manatee swim in peace. The park offers a wonderful opportunity to observe many elusive species up close that most people never see in the world. The centerpiece of the park is a 45 foot deep natural springs that pumps millions of gallons of water every hour and is the headwaters of the Homosassa River that flows nine miles west to the Gulf of Mexico. Many species of fish are drawn to this large natural springs with its constant 72 degree year-round temperature. The springs and headwaters of the Homosassa River is the only place in the world where thousands of fresh and saltwater fish congregate in one place. As many as 34 different species have been identified in the waters of the springs. Read more  Read More →

Lippert Components Debuts Leveling System

Lippert Components Inc., Goshen, Ind., a leading manufacturer of components for RVs, has introduced Level Up, a revolutionary six-point RV leveling system designed to quickly and safely level a coach with only the touch of a button, according to a news release. “Campers exhaust a lot of time and energy into getting their coach level,” said Jason Lippert, Lippert and Kinro president and CEO. “With Level Up, we are giving campers the ability to safely level their coach in less than thirty seconds so they can enjoy their vacation.” Read more  Read More →

Club/Pub Days at the Rally

Clubs and publications featured at The Rally will treat guests to special daily entertainment, gifts, prizes and activities – just another reason in a long list to attend this year’s centennial celebration! The Rally takes place July 22-15, 2010, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. On Thursday, July 22, RV Publications Day shows appreciation for loyal readers and fellow RVers. From 9:00 a.m. – 2:00p.m., Trailer Life, MotorHome and Camping Life magazines, Trailer Life Directory and Woodall’s publications will be giving away your favorite magazines and other publications along with cool RVing products and keepsakes throughout the day. Listen to stories about the open road from author, speaker and RV enthusiast Bill Graves, and stay afterwards for a chance to meet him and ask questions during his book-signing event. Guests will be entertained with a picture show highlighting RVs over the past 100 years, music and temporary tattoo kiosks — fun for all ages! Read more  Read More →

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