After-Trip RV Maintenance and Storage – Part 1 – Bernice’s Tips

Eventually, most of us go to someplace we call home. It’s a place to regroup and reflect on what we learned on the road. Yet once we arrive home, there are still RV maintenance tasks that need to be done. Here are suggestions to help you. Read more  Read More →

Places of Interest – Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow-Gauge Railroad

If you have a love of trains and are planning to be in the San Francisco or Monterey Bay Areas, then you simply must check out the Roaring Camp Railroads. They offer two historic train excursions that are sure to enliven your trip. When we were in the area, we took the approximately one-hour roundtrip by the l890s “steam train” to the summit of Bear Mountain, travelling over train trestles, through the redwoods, and up a winding narrow-gauge track. Again, history simply abounds in this area. The Roaring Camp settlement is the location of the first saw mill west of the Mississippi. Luckily, Big Trees was spared from logging activity, becoming the first area of coastal redwoods to be protected. The redwoods in the area are as majestic today as ever, and well worth seeing. Also offered by Roaring Camp Railroads is a 3-hour roundtrip ride through the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, along the San Lorenzo River Gorge to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This “beach train” route includes various bridges and trestles, a run through a 134-year-old tunnel and views of lovely Victorian homes along quiet streets en route to the beach at Santa Cruz. Various events are held each year at the Roaring Camp Railroads, too, such as Civil War Battles and Encampment, Great Train Robberies, a Day Out with Thomas, a Moonlight Dinner Train, a Ghost Train (around Halloween), and a Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train (November-December), plus more. View all of the related events. For... Read more

RVers with Special Needs

Many people with special needs find that they can travel in comfort and convenience in an RV. More than a dozen manufacturers offer RVs and conversion vans with features such as wheelchair lifts or ramps, roll-under sinks, and lower kitchen counters and cabinets. Additional information on services for travelers with disabilities is available at the following locations: RV.net forum: RVing with Disabilities and General Health Issues Travelin’ Talk Network Woodalls GoRVing.com Search the Web using “handicapped accessible RV.” Visit www.rv-info.net. Click on the Specialty Vehicles link at the bottom of the home page. Visit www.access-able.com, a Web site dedicated to mature and disabled travelers. Click to the Links page, then click on Transportation for further leads on whom to contact to rent accessible vans and motorhomes. Read more  Read More →

Places of Interest – Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17-Mile Loop, and the National Steinbeck Center in California

Offering aquatic wildlife exhibits ranging from otters to seahorses to octopi, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is not to be missed if you will be traveling along the central California coast. Located on Cannery Row in Monterey, the aquarium offers 35,000 plants and represents over 623 species of animals in twelve “zone” exhibits that give you a close-up look at giant octopi, a kelp forest, life on the bay, the outer bay, the rocky shore, plus much more. For more information about the aquarium, including videos, podcasts, webcams, activities, etc., please visit their Web site at www.montereybayaquarium.org. Be sure to also take the 17-Mile Loop scenic drive while in the Monterey Area. Beginning in Pacific Grove, CA, the loop continues parallel to the Monterey Bay Country Club, and then travels along the Pacific Ocean coastline south to Pebble Beach and then Carmel Bay, where it returns to Pacific Grove by an inland route through Del Monte Forest and skirts Monterey. It can be entered by the Pacific Grove Gate, the Country Club Gate, the Highway 1 Gate, or the Carmel Gate. For information on when the road is open, call 831-625-8426 or 831-624-6669. Admission: The toll for cars was $7.50 when I visited and it included a map of points of interest. The toll rate may have since changed, but according to Betsy Malloy in her article on About.com, “if you spend more than $25 at any of the Pebble Beach Company restaurants along the way, they’ll deduct the fee from your... Read more

Places of Interest – Old Faithful

While RVing out West, my husband, Paul, and I simply had to visit and camp overnight in Yellowstone National Park. As America’s first national park, its historical significance is as great as its beauty and breadth. Spanning Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the park is home to a tremendous amount of wildlife, including bears, bison and elk. It’s also home to many hot springs and geysers. Old Faithful is the most popular geyser within the park and well worth seeing. The average interval between eruptions is about 85 minutes, varying from 45 to 120 minutes. Eruptions last from 1 ½ to 5 minutes. In the event you can’t make it there this year, thanks to technology you can see it live on the Web, either via the Old Faithful WebCam or the Old Faithful Geyser Live streaming video site. If you are in the area, roads open May through October (weather permitting). Be aware that a road construction program is ongoing. Do not approach buffalo or bears. The following is contact information to learn more about the park, its campgrounds and its activities: Yellowstone National Park P.O. Box 168 Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 307-344-7901 www.travelyellowstone.com www.AmericanParkNetwork.com www.nps.gov/yell Enjoy your RVing! Bernice  Read More →

Places of Interest – Sedona, Arizona

A cousin who traveled in a motorhome had raved to me about the spectacular red rocks at Sedona, Arizona. Other travelers also exclaimed about their beauty and tried to describe their magnificence. So while camped in Surprise, Arizona, my husband, Paul, and I visited this unique area using a friend’s tow car. Mouths gaping at the red-rock scenery, we drove on the winding Oak Creek Canyon Drive into Sedona and its mile-long main street. Since the red rocks are not all clustered in one place, nor can they all be seen from one location, tourists can fan out from Sedona on their own tour or can take guided tours of all kinds. A woman at the tourist center recommended that we see the rocks from the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was off of Route 179 on Chapel Road. Situated on a hilltop, it has a breathtaking view of huge mounds of soft, rouge-like stone. Here are more details. Sedona, Arizona, lays among red buttes and monoliths of Oak Creek Canyon in north-central Arizona, 120 miles north of Phoenix and 30 miles south of Flagstaff. Its elevation is 4,500 feet above sea level. From I-17 near Flagstaff, take Exit 337 to a stop sign, turn left and follow signs to Route 89A. Turn left again to Sedona on Route 89A South or Oak Creek Canyon Drive. Oak Creek Canyon Drive is a paved, two-lane road with switchbacks that descends into Sedona, 23 miles ahead. You can also enter Sedona from I-17 at Exit 330 on Route 179. The Forest Service operates six campgrounds (total of 173 sites)... Read more

Places of Interest – Buffalo Bill Historical Center

As we traveled west, I felt an excitement about the Old West. I wanted to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. Much to my surprise, it housed five awe-inspiring collections. I could have spent a whole day there browsing, learning and enjoying the easy-to-read placards and fascinating artifacts. In fact, I’d like to go back to see the latest displays since they rotate the collections in order to preserve them. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, located in Cody, Wyoming, is actually 5 museums under one roof. The museums include the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History. The Buffalo Bill Museum displays exhibits both related to the personal and public lives of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, and is a great resource as a research center for the life and times of Buffalo Bill. The Whitney Gallery of Western Art, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, reopens to the public on June 21, 2009, with extensive renovations. The reopened museum will display a stunning collection of modern artworks and old masterworks, and strive to present an “innovative way of interpreting western American art that gives context, encourages discovery, and presents the artwork in a beautiful, quiet and contemplative space.” The Plains Indian Museum depicts the stories of the Plains Indian people, including their culture, traditions, values and histories.... Read more

Places of Interest – Willmore Lodge and the Eisenhower Center

During my travels, I’ve come across many places of interest that I would happily return to at any time. In this newest series of posts titled Places of Interest, I’d like to share with you some of the locations that attracted my husband Paul and me as we traveled from Maryland to California and back. The first place I’ll mention is Willmore Lodge. Willmore Lodge is a 29-room, historic pine log building now housing an interactive museum about the building of Bagnell Dam on the Osage River, which created the Lake of the Ozarks. It also houses the offices of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. The lodge overlooks the Lake of the Ozarks. At Osage Beach, Missouri, travel on State Route 54 to Business 54 to Lake Ozark, cross the Bagnell Dam, turn left past a white and blue sign to Willmore Lodge. Park and walk up a roadway toward the rustic Adirondack-style rambling complex of Western pine logs on a foundation of local stone and concrete that is Willmore Lodge. Free admission. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Willmore_Lodge_and_the_Eisenhower_Center';Lake Area Chamber of Commerce 1000 City Parkway, Osage Beach, MO 65065 573-964-1008 Open 9am-4:30pm. M-F and 9am-3pm Sat/Sun, except special holidays ~~~~~~~~~ In the neighboring state of Kansas, two miles south of the Abilene exit off Interstate 70, is the Eisenhower Center. This 5-building complex includes the boyhood home of President Dwight David Eisenhower, the Eisenhower Museum with over 36,000 artifacts that include... Read more

Top Twenty-five Little Things That Mean a Lot to RVers

Little things that mean a lot to RVers on the road often don’t cost much, are brought from home or are intangible treasures. Little Cost It’s surprising how much difference the purchase of a few inexpensive items, such as those that follow, can affect RVers’ enjoyment of travel: 1. A flashlight shines light on the leveling instrument placed in the lower shelf of the refrigerator, helps to find a fuse or read the print in a dark compartment and illuminates a path at night in a campground. 2. A simple nightlight promotes safety during the night. 3. A favorite bar of soap refreshes the body at the end of the day. 4. A fly swatter may not be used often, but RVers find it difficult to swat a mosquito or fly without one. 5. A magnifying glass greatly enhances the reading of fine print on a map or directions on a small bottle. 6. A small calculator on board helps RVers to figure fuel mileage and daily expenses. 7. Small bungee cords hold back draperies and can be easily released to close them. 8. A note pad or scrap paper and pens fulfill a need when writing a grocery list or to- do memo. 9. Scissors serve well for making sewing repairs and opening plastic packaging. 10. A small alarm clock helps RVers to sleep with the assurance that they will wake up on time. 11. A microfiber cloth hanging on the shower door rod will be ready to use to wipe down the shower and the adjacent sink basin. 12. A small digital voltmeter, such as a Good Governor, plugged into an electrical... Read more

Top Five Intriguing Destinations

When RVers hit the road, many head to the homes of faraway relatives or visit world-famous theme parks and sightseeing attractions. Here are five intriguing destinations that you may not have considered. 5. Visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, where murals are created annually from ears of corn attached to the exterior of a huge building with turrets and an onion-shaped dome. Inside the building are a museum and gift shop. Call (605) 996-6223 or visit www.cornpalace.com for a free vacation guide. Other Mitchell attractions include the Enchanted World Doll Museum and a prehistoric Indian village. 4. Cody, Wyoming, founded by Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, calls out to those who love the Old West. Fun begins at the Irma Restaurant in the Irma Hotel, a meeting place for cattlemen, oilmen and sheepherders. Be sure to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The parking lot accommodates any size RV. The Ponderosa Campground (shown at right), (307) 587-9203 or www.codyponderosa.com, is nearby. 3. Experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan, May 5~12, 2007. Park your RV at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds and spend the week enjoying plays, dinners, parades, outdoor presentations and street dancers in authentic Dutch costumes. Visit fields of beautiful blooming tulips (shown at left) and a windmill from Holland. Call (800) 822-2770 for a free brochure or go to www.tuliptime.com. 2. Marvel at the captivating blue of pristine Crater Lake, Oregon, on a cloudless day.... Read more

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