Bucket List of Must See Destinations Created for RV Travelers

Most people have a Bucket List, a dream list of things to do and places to go before they “kick the bucket.” Bucket lists have been around for a long time but enjoyed a popularity revival with the 2007 release of the Rob Reiner movie The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Since then bucket lists have been created for every conceivable life scenario with travel lists places to see before you die particularly popular. Finally, RV travelers get their own bucket list. On its website Excel Distributors, providers of RV mattresses, has published the self-explanatory Adventure Calls: 117 Things to Add to Your Bucket List, a checklist of the United State’s must-see locales from Maine to New Mexico, Alabama to Alaska.

If you’re stumped for an RV destination or want to try something fun, new and maybe a little outrageous, peruse the list for inspiration. You’ll find plenty of ideas to spice up your RV travels. The Adventure Calls list includes breathtaking scenic destinations, attractions both fascinating and quirky, memorable activity suggestions, and travel tips about great RV campgrounds and where to find the best local culinary delights. Many of the items on the Adventure Calls bucket list are only accessible by road, making them perfect destinations for RV owners. What would you add to the list?

Dad Reconnects to Sons During RV Travels

Westward Ho! The lure of the unknown and the promise of opportunity drew intrepid city-dwellers over the mountains toward the promise of a better life. In the early 1800s, families loaded their kids and a few family heirlooms into Conestoga wagons and headed for adventure. With no paved roads and woods teeming with unexpected dangers, those early pioneers may have gotten more adventure than they bargained for but it didn’t deter them from following their dreams.

America still has her pioneers seeking adventure and a more satisfying life, they just travel in RV motorhomes and travel trailers instead of covered wagons. Hugh DeBurgh, author of the blog The Way of the Passionate Warrior, is one of these modern-day pioneers. Interviewed on the parenting website Life 360, DeBurgh said he found himself feeling trapped in his job and growing apart from his wife and four sons. RV living offered DeBurgh the opportunity to travel, explore and teach his sons about the world and life in a hands-on environment.

DeBurgh sold the family home and purchased a nicely appointed RV motorhome at 50% off, one of the bargains of buying an RV in a down economy. While RV living has not been without its challenges, DeBurgh said living and traveling together in and RV has provided an “emotional closeness” their family had never experienced. Click here to read the full interview on Life360.c0m.

If you’re ready to explore the road less traveled, you’ll find thousands of  RVs for sale at RVT.com.

Awning Maintenance Keeps Your RV Cool

Awnings help keep your RV motorhome cool during hot summer days, especially if you wind up in an unshaded slot at the RV park. Awnings can keep your RV five to 10 degrees cooler inside and provide comfortable shade to sit under outdoors. During spring showers, window awnings allow you to keep out the weather while allowing in cool air.

Most RV awnings are made of either slick, waterproof vinyl or woven, water-resistant acrylic. While these fabrics are mildew resistant, they will mildew, particularly in hot, humid conditions if you don’t take proper care of your awnings. Accumulations of dust and dirt will also promote mildew growth which will leave unsightly black spots on awnings and give them an unpleasant  musty odor.  

Regular maintenance will keep your awnings clean, mildew-free and in good repair for years to come: Hose debris and dirt off awnings once a week. Clean periodically using a sponge and cleaner formulated for either vinyl or acrylic fabrics. Avoid scrubbing acrylic fabrics which can remove water repellent; gently blot off stains with a sponge. A stiff bristled brush can be used on vinyl. Rinse well. For tough stains, saturate awning fabric with cleaner, roll up awnings and let soak for 5 to 10 minutes, unroll and rinse both sides of fabric. Always dry thoroughly.

Never store awnings when they’re wet. If you’re traveling and must roll up awnings while they’re still wet from rain or dew, extend and allow them to dry at your earliest opportunity to prevent mildew.

Free Admission Days Set for Federal Parks

The federal government is going to help RV campers cut summer leisure costs with three free admission days scheduled for this summer and early fall. Part of the president’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative which encourages American families to explore our national parks and wildlife areas, the program offers free admission to all 392 national parks and national wildlife refuges and many other public lands that come under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior (click the links for details). The dates of free admission are: June 5-6, August 14-15, Public Lands day on September 25 and Veterans Day on November 11.

RV owners have already learned first-hand that RV travel is the cheapest way to take a family trip or vacation. Many families seek our national parks and national forests when they travel. Camping fees at federal parks are a bargain compared to private RV campground fees. You might have to sacrifice a few amenities if you stay in at a federal site, but the trade off in beauty and accessibility to the park’s natural wonders is usually worth it.

Many federal campgrounds have been remodeled and upgraded over the years, but some are still fairly basic. Check information about RV campground amenities on the Internet or by phone before you go. If you and your family can’t live without Wi-Fi or a pool, you may find a private RV campground more to your liking. Don’t forget to check out state park RV campgrounds in the area, too.

Oil Spill Forces RV Vacationers to Change Plans

As the disastrous oil spill nudges ever closer to shore, Gulf Coast RV parks and resorts are bracing for impact. The spill is expected to foul beaches and decimate coastal fishing and tourism from the Mississippi River through the Florida Panhandle. There is some fear that the Gulf current could spread oil damage even farther, pushing oil slickened waters south down the Florida coast.

This weekend the government banned fishing in the affected area because of the threat of contamination to fish catches. Wildlife experts are already treating the first victims of the disaster. Nesting birds, their feathers clotted with oil, are being brought to vet stations set up near the wildlife and water fowl sanctuaries that line Louisiana’s Mississippi Delta area.

One news report showed a plywood sign propped in front of a Boothville, LA RV park that read, “Obama Send Help!!” Many RV parks and resorts in the Gulf area rely heavily on summer tourism. While some are hoping to defray their losses by catering to cleanup rescue workers and volunteers, few expect to make it through the coming summer season unscathed.

Many RV travelers who had planned to vacation along the Gulf Coast are already considering other options. The south Texas Gulf Coast and Atlantic beaches are likely options for many. Recreational sites on inland lakes and rivers are also expected to see an increase in RV camping.