A FIVE-PART BLOG

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our E-mail Digest or RSS Feed. We will then send you the stories that are posted each day in an e-mail digest. We use a service called Feedburner for delivery of these emails. You will receive an e-mail from Feedburner after you subscribe and you must click on that email to activate your subscription. Thanks for visiting and enjoy all the information! RV.Net Blog AdminBy Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers YORK AND THE HOGS — As today’s title suggests, there are five parts to today’s blog, beginning with our discovering an interesting area to visit when you’re traveling in the Northeast.  The place is York County, Pennsylvania, between Harrisburg and Baltimore.  It proudly calls itself Another "Hog" owner arrives at the factory. No photos are allowed in the production plant. “The Factory Tour Capital of the World.” Before going further about all that’s available in that area, I’ll start out by saying that the only tour we took was the Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory.   Realize that technology is not high in Monique’s sphere of interests and I’ve never longed to straddle a “Hog,” but whattaplace! The robots that paint and form parts are magnificent.  The workforce’s devotion to producing a precision product is inspirational.  Everything on every motorcycle that goes through the stations is checked and rechecked all along the assembly lines. Most of the... Read more

RVING SWITCHBACKS – EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers I prepared an article years ago about the types of places you can park your rig, updating it several times — everything from private campgrounds to national parks to retail outlets and many more – 17 more to be exact.  If you’d like a copy, please email your request to neverboredrvers@gmail.com. It’s free. Annapolis, capital of Maryland. What a neat place!  We spent a day walking the streets of this interesting town, reveling in all-thing-Annapolis: historic homes and buildings, including those housing state From left, "Big Al" picks out crabs for us in St. Michaels, a town that celebrates its seafood, and we're ready for a feast in Annapolis government, the Chesapeake Bay waterfront, seafood, shops, and, most notable of all, the U.S. Naval Academy.  Very prestigious, and the midshipmen are all so handsome; that is, all except the midshipwomen, who Midshipmen -- with female middies in background at right are dolls.  I don’t mean to be sexist about this, but we were astounded to see how many of the middies are female.  And they all, both women and men, look so young and fresh. During the past week, we have qualified to put three more stickers on our map of states visited as RVers.  We stayed across the Potomac in Maryland while visiting Washington, D.C.  Then, we crossed the never-ending Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis (really only 4.3 miles, but it goes on and on) to the... Read more

D.C.

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Washington, D.C. – I would call it the “phoniest” town we’ve seen.  Walking on the streets and through museums, around monuments and restaurants and on the Metrorail subway system, seems like everyone has a cellphone up to his or her ear, although they may be listening to music on an I-pod.  What did you think when I called Washington, D.C., the “phoniest” town? In the Museum of African Art With one exception, I would describe what we’ve experienced a notable, memorable stop along our route.  It’s been years since we both visited the nation’s capital.  We carried our impressions back with us and supplemented that with new appreciation of the grandeur of it all. We feel like we did it right. The first trip into the city (except for following our GPS’s routing of us through the plate of spaghetti they call freeways and roads) had us boarding a Gray Lines Tours bus for “DC at Night.”  We knew we would have a chance to revisit the must-see sights in the daytime; so, seeing it at night gave us a whole different perspective. Best of all, the crowds, especially the hordes of hyperactive school kids (mostly on cellphones), were more manageable when climbing the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and the numerous other sights we took in that night.  Even the long line of tour buses after 9 p.m. was mind-bending. We read this week that the National Mall in Washington has more visitors than Yosemite,... Read more

IN THE SHADOWS OF SHENANDOAH

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers A continuing saga, which I call “Micro-Blogs” … In the uplands, the trees were just starting to come into their spring greenery.  In the valleys, the bright yellow forsythia, white and pink shrubbery and wildflower blossoms and lush green everywhere kept us enchanted for mile after mile (much akin to fireweed in the Yukon Territory). Looking out from Skyline Parkway at the Blue Ridge Mountains So Babcock, West Virginia, was a pleasant enough state park, but it wasn’t in its glory when we visited in mid-April.  Nor was Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, one of the most visited national parks in America.  The rhododendron bushes were leafy but have not yet bloomed, so we missed out on their rich hues, but the Shenandoah Valley is a place of beauty. Once we arrived at Shenandoah River State Park, Virginia, we were surrounded by healthy forests that we always enjoy, sprinkled with colorful trees, butterflies and the beautiful Shenandoah River. This valley is a tourist’s paradise, with its abundant caverns open to the public.  We picked the most renown, Luray Caverns in Luray, for a trek underground.  We seem to gravitate toward caves in our travels, having gone underground in at least a dozen and maybe closer to two dozen — that makes us expert cavern tourists. Far beneath the surface of the Earth is an enchanting lake, seen in Luray Caverns in Virginia A vintage Mercedes-Benz in Luray's... Read more

How important are size restrictions when searching for a public campground?

By Bob Difley When you were scouring the campground directories for campsites–especially those in National Parks, Monuments, and Forests–to spend a few days or for one-nighters when traveling and you see restrictions on maximum size allowed, such as “Maximum size 27 feet” did you cross it off your list of potential camping locations? If so, you may have missed an opportunity to visit what might be a wonderful national treasure or a nesty, forest campsite beside a tumbling stream. The maximum length referred to means that all–or most–of the campsites in the campground will accommodate that length. But . . . SOME will also accommodate longer lengths, sometimes much longer. Those who write the rules do not want to officially include longer lengths when maybe only three or four campsites will fit longer lengths, and if those are taken but smaller ones remain open, they may get in a tangle with RVers with a longer rig urging them to move someone with a shorter rig out of the larger site and into a smaller site. Or, when those with larger rigs show up and find there are only a few that fit the maximum size stated and they are taken. Whatever the reasons–not that I blame them at wanting to avoid such hassles–knowing this does open up some options. If you can fit into the campsite they won’t tell you to leave. And often, the measurement is made from the wheel barrier at the rear of the campsite to the front, the length of the pad itself... Read more

Pinterest finds gifts for your favorite RVer

By Bob Difley Pinterest is one of the hottest new websites (if you can call it that) going viral on the internet. The short story is that you can create a board where you post photos of whatever you want: your RV trips, favorite campground shots, scenic spots, wildlife, or in the case of the Pinterest blog from Rentzio, an RV rental aggregator in Miami, Florida, has created a Pinterest board described as: “When choosing the perfect gift for your favorite RVer, remember that RVers aren’t that much different than kids. Each shares an unbridled passion to roam the outdoors, an unwavering attraction to shiny things and an undying love for new toys.. you really can’t go wrong if you find something that enhances their life(style).” The board is called “Cool gift ideas for RVers” and has links and photos of the stuff that you might want to drop in the stocking of your favorite RVer. These include such items as a 12-volt crock pot, solar-powered charger for your electronic gadgets, and even an indoor portable campfire in a rock for when it’s rainy or cold outside. Great RV Parks, Go Green While Camping, Camping in Style, and Extravagant RV Interiors. In fact, they have 61 boards with more than 2,800 photos. You can see the boards on the Rentzio Pinterest page. There is something there for just about any kind of RVer. After you digest some of the links and photos on the Rentzio board consider setting one up for yourself. They are fun, you can post photos... Read more

Adventures with Jonny is a fun book for traveling and camping with kids

By Bob Difley If you travel with young children or grandkids you know how difficult it can be to keep them occupied and interested in the outdoors in this digital age we live in. Mike DiLorenzo, a father of three, had the same dilemma, and as a lover of the outdoors, he not only wanted to keep his kids interested and occupied, but also to teach them about the outdoors so they would generate their own interests. So he wrote a book. Adventures with Jonny traces a typical American or Canadian family on a camping trip to the National and Provincial Parks, and is written through the eyes of a young boy, Jonny, and combines both entertainment and education to help more kids understand and appreciate–and be excited by–the outdoors. The first part of the book is illustrated (with wonderful illustrations by Jenniffer Julich) and follows the young family on their camping trip, including a game–or what Mike calls a “Funtivitity”–on every page designed to keep young minds engaged on the long road trip to the park. But the book is more than a clever illustrated guide for parents and kids, the second part of the book includes educational material such as; safety tips for the outdoors; hiking, camping, and travel tips; road games; the Junior Ranger program in the National Parks along with thumbnail sketches on some of the most popular National Parks; pictures and fun facts about animals of the National Parks; state parks; Canadian Provincial Parks;  and even... Read more

Adventures with Jonny is a fun book for traveling and camping with kids

By Bob Difley If you travel with young children or grandkids you know how difficult it can be to keep them occupied and interested in the outdoors in this digital age we live in. Mike DiLorenzo, a father of three, had the same dilemma, and as a lover of the outdoors, he not only wanted to keep his kids interested and occupied, but also to teach them about the outdoors so they would generate their own interests. So he wrote a book. Adventures with Jonny traces a typical American or Canadian family on a camping trip to the National and Provincial Parks, and is written through the eyes of a young boy, Jonny, and combines both entertainment and education to help more kids understand and appreciate–and be excited by–the outdoors. The first part of the book is illustrated (with wonderful illustrations by Jenniffer Julich) and follows the young family on their camping trip, including a game–or what Mike calls a “Funtivitity”–on every page designed to keep young minds engaged on the long road trip to the park. But the book is more than a clever illustrated guide for parents and kids, the second part of the book includes educational material such as; safety tips for the outdoors; hiking, camping, and travel tips; road games; the Junior Ranger program in the National Parks along with thumbnail sketches on some of the most popular National Parks; pictures and fun facts about animals of the National Parks; state parks; Canadian Provincial Parks;  and even... Read more

The good ‘ol days

By Bob Difley My grandpa used to start his stories with, “I remember back when . . . ” and then go on to tell us boys elaborate stories of how times have changed, how different it was when he was growing up, and how wonderful the “good ‘ol days” were. Well, now it’s my turn. I remember when camping fees at state parks were $6 to $8, When you could get full hookups and all the usual amenities at very posh RV resorts for $20, and gas was $1.49 a gallon. Now you can’t find the most primitive amenity-free forest service campground for $6 to $8 any more now that the Forest Service has delegated fee collection and operations to private companies, full hookups in an average resort are double (and more) the old $20 fee, and gas–well, that’s another story. Economists tell us that when you adjust for inflation and all the other things economists adjust for, these prices are not unreasonable compared to the good ‘ol days. Maybe so. But I also remember when you could camp just about anywhere in the National Forests–or on any public land–and nobody bothered you or told you to move on, or if you parked overnight by a city park (these days people look at you like you are a child predator). You could sleep overnight safely in a shopping mall parking lot–right under the lot lights if you were nervous–or even on the street as long as you didn’t stay more than a night or two. It was possible to go for long... Read more

How to live the RV Lifestyle in turbulent and unsettled times – Part 3

By Bob Difley In last Saturday’s post I wrote about how spending just a few days a month boondocking can save a pile of money on campground fees. There are other ways also to rein in expenses , one of the perks of living the RV Lifestyle being the ability to abruptly change course when current economic conditions continue to fluctuate. One of these methods is to work out a monthly budget based on current income and expenses. The key is to make the budget flexible so you can instantly adjust for unfolding events. Here are examples: Fuel prices rise – Reduce miles driven by making shorter trips, staying longer in each location (which can also result in lower campground fees by taking advantage of longer term discounts), use the internet to find the cheapest fuel along your  route and filling up even if you aren’t yet low on fuel. Fuel prices fall – Bank (hold in reserve) the savings in reduced fuel prices and use when prices rise again. Income (dividends) from stock portfolio drops – Prepare a list of discretionary spending ahead of time from which you can make cuts when necessary, such as from eating out, gifts (your gift list recipients don’t really care how much money you spend on them–it’s the thought that counts), visits to expensive attractions (they will still be there when the economy improves), and spending less time in expensive RV resorts and more time in scenic and more rustic campgrounds. Take temporary positions as... Read more

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