Southwestern deserts: More than just a warm place

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 Bob Difley This is the time of year when RVers in the northern states and Canada can be divided into two groups: those that are or soon will be headed to the southwestern deserts for at least some part of the winter, and those that wish they were headed for the desert. When the cold wind blowing down from Alaska makes your ears numb, and the specter of  freezing rain and snow looms on the horizon, images of sunny skies, flowering cacti, and photos of smiling RVers in shorts and T-shirts lounging in camp chairs outside their RVs in Quartzsite, Arizona, can be powerful magnets luring us south. Read more  Read More →

Bicycle Museum Of America

We found a wonderful attraction in the charming small town of New Bremen, Ohio, the Bicycle Museum of America. Located on New Bremen’s main street, the museum is a treasure trove of bicycles and bicycle memorabilia dating back to the early 1800s. Here you will see everything from primitive bikes with appropriate names like the Boneshaker, to high wheeled bicycles that the gentry of another age enjoyed, to modern carbon frame bicycles that one can lift with a single finger. Read more  Read More →

High Desert Fall Destination: Valley of Fire

By Bob Difley Getting chilly? Thinking it might be time to head south? Away from that increasingly cold wind coming down out of Alaska and Canada? Or maybe you’re waiting for the holidays to come so you can spend time with family. However, if you are not tied down with family or other obligations, you might want to consider getting a head start, but instead of heading directly for your winter digs, try a different location for a week or so, a high desert location that would be too cold in mid-winter but might be downright comfortable right now. One place that comes to mind is Valley of Fire State Park in the Mojave Desert 55 miles north of Las Vegas and only six miles from Lake Mead. Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and gets its name from the the park’s red sandstone formations. This park brings out the little boy on all of us, climbing the rocks, peering into eroded caves and through holes and arches, and giving names to the odd formations–such as bee hives, elephant rock, and grand piano. In addition you can find petrified logs, big horn sheep, Indian petroglyphs, secret slot canyons, an old movie site, and a rainbow of colors in the geologic formations.  Paved scenic drives access most of the park’s attractions, but several hikes wind in and out of the strange and mysterious rocky formations. There are primitive, nicely private, first-come-first-serve campsites tucked in the rock formations and some have water and electricity... Read more

Casino Camping for Non-Gamblers

When we first started fulltiming, about 5 years ago, I was surprised to learn that some people who camp or park at casinos never gamble.  Gambling had been a hobby of ours for many years so it seemed odd to us, but since then we’ve met many RVers who do this.  Why do they visit casinos?  They tell me it’s all about the free parking, and free or low cost camping.  Not all casino camping is free or low cost, but much of it is.  Here are a few examples, from some locations that I’ve recently updated or added to our list: Isle of Capri, Lake Charles, LA has both free overnight parking without hookups and $10/night with electric Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, Sunland Park, NM offers RV sites with water and electric for $10/night and has a dump station on site. Win-River Casino, Redding, CA gives you 3 nights free dry parking. Sometimes casinos require play to receive discounts in their RV parks, and rates change too, so if you see a low price advertised it’s good to inquire before you start your trip.  We’ve also seen the opposite, where a casino gives you “free play” or a cash rebate in return for staying in their campground. This is often as much as 50% off the price of camping.  Their intention of course is to get you into the casino.  Free play has to be run through a machine before you can cash it out.  If they give you $10 free play pick a machine, then figure how many hands you have to play to equal $10.  Play exactly... Read more

Go Leaf Peeping Now, Before It’s Too Late

Ahhh, wonderful fall. The waning warmth from the sun brings a welcome chill from summer heat, migrating birds start heading to their southern range, and deciduous hardwoods begin turning red, orange, and yellow heralding the leaf peeping season. Sugar maples give up the green for eye-popping reds, orange and brown tones come to the stately oaks, and white-barked aspens put on a display of vivid yellows and golds. But if its aspens that trigger your camera finger, take your pictures now, as aspens from Arizona to Colorado to Idaho are falling by the tens of thousands. Read more  Read More →

VIDEO: One Way to Secure Your RV After-Hours

Gear to Get with Brian Brawdy Recently I got up early one morning to catch the sun rise. I jumped out of my RV and walked about twenty yards in the direction of the beach. Before I saw or heard him, I could feel someone else was there. A dark silhouette loomed in the shadows. I instantly said “Good Morning” startled a bit at his presence. Wearing a black skull cap, jacket and pants the figure stood there as I approached. Before I could get any closer, he suddenly turned and briskly walked away. Read more  Read More →

The RV Trivia Challenge 7

The Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge 7 is a mixed bag of RV trivia. Some may have no idea as to the answer, but remember, it is RV trivia.  So, let’s see how you can handle a diversified topic field.   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. Read more  Read More →

Boondocking Podcast with Brian Brawdy & Bob Difley

by Brian Brawdy In my opening 18 months as an RVer, I have learned that the attraction, at least for me, is one of self reliance and nomadicism. The places that I have explored and the people I have encountered have only reinforced the sense of independence one cultivates while bringing the far away to their own front door. Early on I began to feel, not that I was learning this philosophy, but that I was remembering it. That adventure and exploration are latent in the human being. To that end, I started a blog called Buried Logic. Today it is my great pleasure to share with you an hour long podcast with author and fellow RVer Bob Difley. Read more  Read More →

Sebastian Inlet – Florida State Park

by Chris Guld, www.GeeksOnTour.com Florida has a lot of great State Parks and, in this one you can walk to the beach from your RV site.  We highly recommend it.   We took a little walk to toast the sunset last night.  This is our last night with my Mom traveling with us.  It’s been a great 3 1/2 weeks. There was a distant thunderstorm turning the sky all sorts of ominous colors. Mom got all snug in her ‘room’ where she could watch the action. Then, this morning was beautiful.  I made everyone go for an early morning walk. Florida is so much more than Miami Beach and Disney World!  And, it doesn’t get any better for Winter weather!  Florida was our home before becoming fulltime RVers, and it’s still a favorite destination.  The post above was originally written for our personal travel blog.  I looked through my archives and found a few other posts about Florida that I thought you may enjoy. Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi Paddle the Peace River Paddle to Caladesi Island Wakulla Springs State Park I know I’m supposed to write about computer stuff, so here’s a little behind-the-scenes information.  Blogging Tools: I use Microsoft Live Writer to do all my blogging.  It is a fabulous, free application where you can write your blog posts and add your pictures, links, and maps, all offline.  Then, when you’re ready, just... Read more

Thomas Edison Birthplace

One of the outstanding geniuses in the history of modern technology was born in a modest brick home in Milan, Ohio. In his lifetime, Thomas Alva Edison earned patents for more than a thousand of his inventions, including the incandescent electric bulb, phonograph, carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. Read more  Read More →

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