Posted by back_up on Sep 28, 2011
If you and your family are geocaching fans, head your RV to Hayes State Park in southeast Michigan’s scenic Irish Hills for the annual cache and camp weekend Friday through Sunday, September 30 to October 2, 2011. Hayes State Park is located at 1220 Wamplers Lake Road in Onsted in Lenawee County, Michigan, just 30 minutes southeast of Jackson, MI and an hour southwest of Ann Arbor.
An annual feature of Lazy Hayes Days, the cache and camp weekend draws RV campers and geocaching enthusiasts from across the state and beyond. Sponsored by the Michigan Geocaching Organization, this year Rockin Roddy Holbrook and the Cachestalkers will be on hand to make sure everyone has a good time.
Geocaching is like a high-tech treasure hunt that adds a little excitement to RV trips. Participants use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to hide and find containers, the geocache equivalent of ”treasure.” But the fun of geocaching is in the hunt. Special caches have been hidden for this weekend’s cache and camp event, including a night hike and kayak cache. A Friday night fire pit hot dog social kicks off activities. If you’re new to the sport, you’ll want to attend Saturday’s Geocaching 101 program. For more info contact the park office at 517-467-4701.
Posted by Claire on Aug 08, 2011
Most of the country has been sweltering under August temperatures since June with no let up in the heat predicted any time soon. If your RV doesn’t have an awning, this is the year to install one. RV awnings provide instant shade that can reduce the interior temperature of your motorhome or travel trailer by as much as 10 degrees, cooling your rig and decreasing the load on your air conditioning system. You receive the same benefit by parking your rig in the shade, but shade is at a premium in most RV campgrounds.
Increasing usable camp space is another good reason to install an awning on your RV. With an RV awning, your outdoor living area — as well as tables, chairs, grill, etc. – is protected from rain, wind and falling debris; allowing you to make complete use of outdoor space. You’ll also find that buying or installing an awning on your RV increases its resale value.
Smart RV buyer tip: RVs can be purchased with factory-installed awnings or awnings can be added after market. If adding an after-market awning to your RV, follow installation instructions carefully to insure that the awning is correctly supported or have it installed by an RV service professional. An improperly installed awning can cause permanent damage to your RV. To find new or used RVs that already come equipped with awnings, enter “awnings” under “keywords” in the advanced search feature on RVT.com.
Posted by Claire on Jul 29, 2011
Luxury RV resorts have polished the final rough edges off the wild and wooly image anyone may have had about RV camping. Today’s upscale RV campgrounds and posh RV resorts offer all the exciting activities and luxury amenities as their hotel counterparts. The only difference is that you bring your room with you when stay at an RV resort!
Some RV resorts now offer all the trappings of a mini theme park or a luxury spa — and often both! No longer merely a place to park your RV at night, luxury RV resorts have become vacation destinations in their own right. At posh RV resorts, you’re apt to find:
~ water parks with tubes, slides and lazy rivers;
~ well-kept tennis courts and sports facilities. Some resorts offer lessons with a pro or sports camps for kids.
~ bike, boat or horse rentals;
~ putting greens with access to nearby championship golf courses;
~ luxurious spa treatments;
~ planned social activities and kids’ camps; and
~ onsite gourmet restaurants.
While there are still plenty of RV campgrounds that offer a place to park your RV in the midst of the wilderness, even the iconic KOA chain now offers amenities that can include free Wi-Fi, swimming pools with slides, ice cream socials, bike rentals, mini golf, movies under the stars, supervised activities for children, and themed parties for adults. This is not your dad’s idea of camping! And aren’t you glad?!
Posted by Claire on May 27, 2011
If you recently purchased an RV online, you’re probably packing up and getting ready to hit the highway for your inaugural family RV trip. RVers across the country will be on the road today, excited to get a head start on the 3-day Memorial Day weekend. The slight drop in gas prices makes it even more affordable to take the family on a weekend jaunt in your new RV.
With a summer of RV adventures in front of you, it’s time to start building some memories. Creating special family traditions will make your RV trips more memorable. Some traditions, like creating scrapbooks of your trips, can be planned in advance; but be on the lookout for odd, silly things that will make your family travels unique.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
> Choose something everyone in your family enjoys and incorporate it into every RV trip. It can be something as small as stopping for ice cream on the road or ending each trip with stories and s’mores around a campfire. Choose an activity that can be done rain or shine (RVs let you “campfire” indoors during stormy weather).
> Create a Summer Memories scrapbook. Purchase a 3-ring binder and stock up on plain and colored paper, pocketed photo pages, markers and glue. Let the kids create their own memory pages and add photos and brochures from your travels to create a unique family memory of your RV summer.
Posted by Claire on May 25, 2011
Many RV families will be making their first trip of the summer season this weekend. The start of the summer RV season, Memorial Day weekend packs RV campgrounds and state parks with camping families and plenty of energetic children. Before pulling your RV out of the driveway, it’s a good idea to review safety rules with your family.
> Make sure your first aid kit is well-stocked and onboard and that family members know where it is stowed.
> Post a list of emergency contacts and critical medical and prescription drug information where it can be easily accessed. Always pack a few extra days of prescription medications when you travel.
> When you arrive at your RV campsite, check the area for safety hazards such as broken glass, holes, protruding tree roots, poison ivy, drop offs, ravines, overhanging dead tree limbs, etc. Remove as many safety hazards as possible and report others to the campground manager. Make sure everyone in the family is aware of any safety hazards.
> Remind your children to stay within your site, ask for permission before they leave the campsite, and use the buddy system when they go anywhere.
> Carry sunscreen, bug repellent and plenty of water with you when you head for the beach or go on a hike.
> Only build campfires in designated fire pits and keep a bucket of water and a shovel handy. Campfires should be constantly supervised by an adult and put out using both water and soil.
Posted by Claire on Apr 27, 2011
If you’re planning to visit a national park this summer, you might want to book your RV camping reservations now if you haven’t already done so. With high travel costs leading a marked increase in domestic travel, the U.S. National Park Service is bracing for a record-busting summer tourist season. Last year more than 281 million people visited America’s 394 national park areas. This year, the park service expects attendance figures to increase by 10% or more as people seek less expensive vacation destinations closer to home.
Increased visitor volume is expected to further strain the competition for the limited number of onsite RV camping spaces available at national parks. Typically, only a portion of national park campsites are available for advance reservation. At the most popular national parks a certain number of campsites are available only on a first-come-first-serve basis to accommodate campers. RV campers should consider booking camping space at a nearby RV park and purchasing an inexpensive multi-day park pass.
Even if an in-park campsite is available, RV campers often prefer to book a reservation at a nearby private RV campground. Private RV campgrounds typically offer amenities not available at national park campsites, including more spacious campsites, Wi-Fi, swimming pools, playgrounds, an onsite camp store and onsite firewood.
Posted by Nancy on Feb 02, 2011
Using an RV for vacations and holiday travel certainly has a number of benefits over other forms of travel, but you can’t blindly dive into a long trip without some preparation. Your RV may have everything you need for cooking, entertainment and shelter, but in the event of an accident or emergency you need to be prepared with a first aid/safety kit designed for RV travel.
An RV first aid kit should have all of the necessities that you would find in a first aid kit for your home. Be sure to have a variety of sterile bandages, tape, scissors, disinfectant, pain killers and other necessary medications for specific members of the family and a properly functioning flashlight. This will likely be enough if the destination of your RV trip is a friends or family members home, but if you are going on and extended camping trip you might want to include a wider variety of personal safety items that could be of benefit in the great outdoors.
If you’re completely uncomfortable with the prospect of assembling your own first aid kit, there are a number of companies that offer already assembled kits that can adequately do the job. A fully functional RV first aid kit is pretty simple to put together though, and if you are doing it on your own you can include items specific to your family needs that might not be found in already assembled kits. Remember that an emergency can occur at any time, even while you are cruising down the road in your dream vehicle, so it’s important to make every effort to be prepared.
Posted by on Jan 12, 2011
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, entry fees at all national parks and national historic sites will be waived this weekend from Saturday, January 15 through Monday, January 17. It’s a great opportunity for RV families to save a little cash while exploring one of the country’s 394 most naturally beautiful and historically interesting sites. While not all national parks charge admission fees, there are 147 parks and historic sites, including some of the country’s most popular, that charge fees ranging from $3 to $25.
This weekend is the first of 17 free admission days scheduled by the National Park Service during 2011. Scattered throughout the year, the other free entry days are:
- National Park Week April 16-24
- First day of summer June 21
- National Public Lands Day September 24
- Veterans Day weekend November 11-13
In addition to national parks and historic sites, RV families will find fees waived at many other public lands, national waterways, national recreation areas and national forests that also honor National Park Service free days. Many park concessions and stores offer discounts on free days.
This is the second year the National Park Service has offered free admission days to provide cash-strapped Americans with family-friendly, low-cost vacation opportunities. Onsite RV camping is available at many national parks and historic sites or at nearby RV campgrounds.
« More Posts (Older)
More Posts (Newer) »
