In This Post:

What's New With Us: Life on Wheels and The Rally
Brief Article: Going Places
Vicki's Quick and Easy Recipes: Zucchini with Shallots
RVing Tip: RV Storage Tip


What's New with Us

We presented our RV lifestyle classes at the Life on Wheels Conference from July 16 through the 20th. This annual event has been held at the University of Idaho in Moscow Idaho since 1994. We particularly enjoy teaching here because we get a chance to teach serious RV students in an educational atmosphere. It is also an opportunity for us to get together with other RVing instructors with whom we have become good friends over the years.

Next, we presented seminars for five days at The Rally in Redmond, Oregon. This year's rally had 3,800 RVs of all descriptions camped on or near the grounds of the Deschutes County Expo Center. Most of those attending The Rally were members of the Good Sam Club. Our column, RV Insight, appears in "Highways", the Good Sam Club's monthly magazine. So it is no surprise to us that each of our seminars attracted between 250 and 700 people.

One of the benefits of attending a big rally is that some of the RV manufacturers provide minor repair services on their brand of RVs right in the rally campsites. We took advantage of this perk by asking Country Coach to replace both windshield wiper arms on our motorhome. Country Coach graciously complied and only charged us for the windshield wiper arms.

Monday the 23rd we leave Redmond and head for an RV park in Seattle, Washington where we will attend to some housekeeping chores before beginning our Alaska adventure.


Going Places

Dear Joe and Vicki: My husband and I have been weekend RVers for a long time, but now we've sold our house and are getting ready to head out as fulltimers. We're really excited about seeing the United States, but don't know quite where to start. Any suggestions?

Joe: As fulltimers, you have one huge advantage. You don't have to rush. And, you don't have to see everything at once. You can stay wherever you want for as long as you want.

Our first trip around the United States and Canada was in 1974. We wanted to pack as much as possible into the trip. So, before leaving, we sat down at the kitchen table with our children and spread maps of the U. S. and Canada in front of us. We went around the table and gave everyone an opportunity to tell us what places they wanted to see. As those places were called out, we circled them on the map. When we were finished with that step, we drew travel routes from one circle to another. As it turned out, we visited all of our "must see" places plus many others. In the process we also developed a new list of places to see next trip.

You could start by asking each state’s department of tourism to send you literature about the visitor highlights of their state. Your mailbox will overflow with information.

Read the articles in the travel sections of your magazines and newspaper. Start a file folder for each state. Eventually, you'll have to expand to individual file folders for cities, government parks and other attractions. We know one couple that has so many file folders of future places to go and things to see and do, that they have relegated the entire area under their queen-size bed to the storage of their “places to go, things to see” files.

You may discover, as we have, that the Automobile Club’s maps and tour books are invaluable. We especially appreciate the way the tour books provide a state-by-state listing and description of all the neat places to go and things to see and do.

Vicki: Once you get on the road, don't forget that one of the best places to get information is in the campground laundry rooms. Talk to the people you meet there. Chances are someone in that laundry room has just come from the place you are headed toward. Ask them about road conditions, find out their recommendations for restaurants, campgrounds and interesting attractions. We've gotten some of our best information by talking to people in campground laundry rooms.

Most of the full-time RVers that we've talked to have told us that when they first started traveling, they dashed around from one place to another, trying to see everything. After one or two trips around the country, they realized they had only begun their explorations. They discovered they were constantly finding out about new places to see. There were also many places they wanted to revisit, settle in, and spend a month or two.

By the way, don’t be surprised if you find a particular location that you return to year after year. You may find a place that has a particularly appealing RV park. Perhaps in an area that has medical, shopping and recreational opportunities that fit your comfort level.

We know one full-timing couple that has spent the last five years seeing the United States, Canada and Mexico. We've admired their ability to make the most of every place and situation in their travels. Just recently, though, they decided that they would like to have a "home base" where they could spend their winters. They bought an RV lot in Arizona that has a covered area to park the motorhome, full hookups for them and their guests and a storage shed with a full-size washer and dryer. They have developed that “comfort level” with the area, good friends nearby, favorite restaurants, shopping opportunities and familiar medical facilities for annual visits. They are enjoying their winter period of staying in one place while looking forward to getting back out on the road in the spring.

We're willing to bet that once you get out on the road, you'll find that you have so many places you want to go and things you want to see and do that you'll wonder how you're ever going to fit them all into a lifetime.


Vicki's Quick and Easy Recipes

Zucchini with Shallots

1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 large zucchini, sliced crosswise
1 small shallot, sliced thin
1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet.
2. Add zucchini and shallot, stirring frequently until zucchini is crisp tender.
3. Add thyme, salt and pepper.

Makes 2-3 servings


RVing Tip

If you spread a half-dozen fabric softener sheets throughout the interior of your RV before putting it in storage, it will have a fresh smell when you open it up again.
(From the book: RVing Tips, Tricks & Techniques)

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