Category: Holidays on the Road
Giving Thanks On the Road
November 21, 2012 by Diane Berry · Leave a Comment
Fall can be the most beautiful time of the year to camp. The seasons are changing and campgrounds and RV parks are not as packed with vacationers as they may be during summer months. If you are fortunate enough to have the time for travel in late November, you could have the unique experience of celebrating Thanksgiving on the road. However, preparing an entire Thanksgiving feast in a camper or RV can be a daunting task and rife with unique complications. If you travel in a large vehicle with a full size oven, your solution may be obvious and your problems, minimal. However, if you are a tent camper or have a smaller travel trailer, as we do, you could experience multiple issues in attempting to achieve your usual spread. Our small 18’ camper certainly contains an adequate kitchen area to meet our usual camping needs: a two burner stove, a small sink and a refrigerator. Indeed, it feels luxurious after many years of tent camping. However, we have no oven in which to cook the turkey. If... [Read more...]
Plowing for Diamonds in Arkansas
November 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the world’s only diamond-producing site open to the public. On average, two diamonds are found each day at the park. The state park’s policy is finder-keepers. What park visitors find is theirs to keep. Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. The colors found at the Crater of Diamonds are white, brown, and yellow, in that order. The search area at the Crater of Diamonds State Park is a 37 ½-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of the eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit in the world in surface area. Why plow the search field at the diamond mine? The practice of plowing the diamond field goes back to the earliest days of commercial diamond mining, according to Park Interpreter Margi Jenks. In the early 1900s miners used a mule team and farming plow to dig trenches. After tourism began in the 1950s, Millar’s Crater of Diamonds used a road grader to turn over the dirt on what is now the north end of the present diamond search area. Today’s... [Read more...]
Butterflied Turkey a la RV
November 13, 2012 by Vickie Medley · Leave a Comment
Last year we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in the RV and I knew I was going to fix a turkey no matter what. We have a convection oven and I knew the only hurdle I would need to overcome was the size of the turkey. So, if you’re new to RVing or have not tried cooking a turkey inside your RV, let me share how easy it is. I saw a recipe about butterflying a turkey and I knew that would work for us. Butterflying would help reduce the height of the turkey allowing it to be on the rack in the convection oven. I found that a 12 lb. turkey works well. Once butterflied, the glaze goes on beautifully leaving us with a moist tender turkey. 12 lb. turkey 2 Tbls. salt 2 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. baking powder 2 onions Glaze: 3 cups apple juice 1 cup whole fresh cranberries ¾ cup Maple Syrup 1 Tbls. grated fresh ginger 1 Tbls. mustard Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse the inside of the turkey and pat dry. Place the turkey breast side down on a non-slippery surface. With a sharp... [Read more...]
Lose Now, Eat Later!
November 7, 2012 by Cynthia Baum · Leave a Comment
Do your clothes fit too snugly lately? Does it feel like you put on 5 pounds by the end of each and every year? If so, it is time to start losing some of those extra pounds before this year’s “Holiday Eating” even begins. Pondering my schedule for the holidays this year, I couldn’t help but think of all the eating I am inevitably going to be doing. Because I, like so many Americans, LOVE to eat! Given the opportunity and availability of delicious food being set out before me (think holiday parties), I tend to overeat. So by the time I am ringing in the New Year, I am a good 5-10 pounds heavier than I was when wearing my Halloween costume. If you, like me, are not looking forward to the inevitable holiday weight gain, join me in my new found personal weight-loss challenge. My goal this year is to do what I can to curb my appetite and exercise in the few weeks I have left before Thanksgiving. Since we all know, there is no dieting during Thanksgiving dinner. ... [Read more...]
Top Fall Color Hotspots in National Forests
September 26, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
Fall colors are about to burst all over the country and the U.S. Forest Service wants you to get outdoors and enjoy one of nature’s most spectacular seasons in your national forests. “Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to plan a trip to see the beauty of your national forests,” said Tom Tidwell, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service in an agency news release. “As tree experts, we have incredible resources on our website to help you plan a great adventure this fall season.” From coast to coast, state and local economies are boosted because of the fall season and for many rural communities, fall color tourism is a major source of revenue. Hotels, restaurants, and local shops rely on the influx of dollars generated by fall visitors. For example, the New England area receives an estimated $8 billion in local revenues annually due to fall activities. Throughout the Midwest, millions of visitors hit the road to enjoy the sights. In the West, the mountains provide destinations filled... [Read more...]
50 Things To See or Do See in Your RV Before You Die
August 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
You might have read it or flipped through it or seen it on a shelf and thought, “I should pick that up.” The first thing many visitors notice about the Alamo is its small size, especially when compared with the buildings of the surrounding city. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved It’s the national bestseller, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” The list, which includes everything from Asian sailing excursions to African horseback riding sites, might be mouthwatering to the wannabe world traveler. For most, however, the financial ability to travel the world simply isn’t there. But have no fear. Sometimes the best adventures are those in your own backyard. Here, in alphabetical order, are 50 things to do or see in your RV before you die: Acadia National Park, Maine People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Thanks to the robber barons that used the park as a private playground in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the... [Read more...]
Hey Dad…You Gotta See These RVs
June 14, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
There’s never been a better time to take up the RV life. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a snowbird, or an RV full-timer, there’s an RV to suit any travel budget and taste. The Wothahellizat, a go-anywhere luxury 6X6 motorhome. (Source: gizmag.com) The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) recently reported that nearly 8 million American households have an RV—Class A motorhome, Class C motorhome, diesel pusher, travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, toy hauler, teardrop trailer, pop-up trailer, tent trailer, vintage trailer, truck camper, camper van, or bus conversion—and that there are as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts in the U.S. For assistance in your search for that perfect recreational vehicle for your family, here are five off-the-wall RVs to whet your appetite. Wothahellizat This off-road, knows-no-bounds, go anywhere, 6X6 luxury turbo diesel AWD motorhome with bite! The Wothahellizat is a vehicle that’s part condo and part off-roader with no compromises. Built... [Read more...]
Campfire Safety Guidelines
May 29, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
All it takes is one spark for things to go wrong. Campfire Safety. Never leave a campfire unattended! Forest fires often start from campfires that were not put out completely. A carelessly abandoned campfire or a campfire built without safe clearance can turn a small fire into a dangerous and fast-moving blaze. Be sure to build your campfire in a way that does not endanger anyone or the surrounding forest. Check with local authorities on open-air burning restrictions and follow local burning regulations. Keep current on fire bans in the area. Enjoy a safe campfire by following these campfire safety tips: NEVER build a campfire on a windy day—sparks or embers from the fire could travel quite a distance setting an unintentional fire Watch the wind direction to ensure sparks aren’t approaching any flammable materials Build the campfire where it will not spread; well away from tents, trailers, dry grass, leaves, overhanging tree branches, or any other combustible Build campfires in... [Read more...]
Road trip!
May 24, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
It’s the Memorial Day long weekend—the unofficial start of summer—and for many travel-wise Americans that means one thing: Road trip! Let's Go RVing on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved The tradition of taking a road trip dates back about 3,000 years. The first road trip likely occurred in ancient Egypt around 1200 B.C., when Ramses II hit the road in his chariot. Similar ventures—using the well-loved automobile—began in Germany in the 1880s. As the car’s popularity grew, so did the practice of taking to roadways for a carefree holiday. The road trip became an easy, breezy travel idea that’s affordable and accessible—and in America today there is no shortage of highways, byways, and back roads. Answering the call of the open road is practically an American rite of passage—and today more and more are taking to the open road in a recreational vehicle. 5 Great All-American Road Trips These 10 distinctive all-American road trips, inclusive... [Read more...]
Patti’s Saga of a Former RV Rookie :Give a Mother’s Day gift she’ll really like: an iPad docking station.
May 2, 2012 by Patti F. · 4 Comments
You know those moments: “Oh…how nice,” her glazed eyes shifting from side to side because she loves you and loves your gift efforts, but still…really…what were you thinking? If some of your gifts haven’t been hits and your wife/mom/mom-in-law has an iPhone, iPod, or iPad (known from here on as “iGadgets”), the iHome Docking Station iD9 may redeem you for any past busts. My sweetheart, Renato, completely surprised me with an iHome Docking Station iD9 for my birthday this past April, and it’s changed my life. OK, it’s probably more accurate just to say I love it …and I do. If the women in your life (or you) have any iGadgets, a docking station will change the way they use them, especially the iPads with their stinky volume. The only complaint I have about my iPad2 is the never-quite-high-enough-to-hear-the-actors-on-the-movies weak volume. However, the iHome rechargeable speaker system has more than taken care of that. Now, I can watch a movie or listen to a podcast... [Read more...]
