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Blogs

washtech's Blog
 

Mountain Hwy.

Good Morning Fellow Travelers: One quick question, I'm considering traveling out to CO and visiting the Durango area. It appears that highway 160 running "west" off of I-25 is the most direct route. Does anyone have any "experience" with this particular highway? Thanks for any input. Washtech
washtech

washtech

4
J. Dawg Journeys
 

Going from a Type B to a Type C: A Small Motorhome Comparison

Back in January, I traded my Type B 2012 Roadtrek van for a Type C 2014 Winnebago View. I owned my Roadtrek 190 Simplicity for 2 years and loved it. I’ve now owned the Winnebago View Profile 24V for 7 months and also love it. With seven months of use and over 16,000 miles on the Winnebago, I feel I can give a first hand comparison of the two vehicles. I'm not trying to show how one is better than the other or give a detailed feature comparison since they are different vehicles. I just thou
italo

italo

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Finding Loving Dog Sitters While on an RV Trip

The surveys show well over 75% of all RVrs travel with dogs. In fact, many said because they want to take their pets with them is one of the major reasons they bought an RV in the first place. Jennifer and I are the same. We enjoy the company of our Norwegian Elkhound, Tai, and bring him with us on most of our trips. But there are times while we’re on the road that Tai doesn’t quite fit in. Take the long trip west that we’re now on. Tai will be great for most of it. But the first part, a we
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Tom and Louise on Tour in North America
 

A Trip Starts With a Misstep

After five weeks at home we packed the motor home and set out to touch base with our families. The motor home fix-it list needs some attention so we'll try to get some of those items taken care of on this trip as well. Ten years of sun and wind have taken their toll on the awnings on the windows. The fabric is fraying and seams are disintegrating. My plan was to have them replaced locally on our way out of town. I contacted our local RV repair shop, listed as a dealer on the Carefree of Col
tbutler

tbutler

0
GrampaDennis' Blog
 

Our Time in Washington, DC

Cherry Hill Park is located next to where I-95 meets the Beltway, north of Washington, DC. They have a bus stop on the property, where Metro busses pick you up. In the morning, they run several express busses to the College Park station on the Green Line subway. The campground is neat and clean and appears to be very well managed. They have a very nice store, with lots of RV parts and supplies. We had heard good reviews on this place, and we agree with them. Highly recommended! Using the
GrampaDennis

GrampaDennis

1
GrampaDennis' Blog
 

On the Way Home From Washington DC

Since I wanted to avoid the NJ Turnpike, we went home via I-476/Pennsylvania Turnpike, west of Philadelphia. This is an OLD turnpike, which is very narrow. Much of it is under reconstruction - it should be better when finished. The right lane had bumpy drainage structures in it, so I drove mostly in the left lane. Meanwhile, the signs and their supports, that were mounted on the median barrier, were scary close. The only thing about this route that was better than the New Jersey Turnpike was
GrampaDennis

GrampaDennis

0
J. Dawg Journeys
 

Living on the Road

I've learned a lot about RV travel from others - people I met on the road and from reading other people's travel blogs. Most of the info is about places to see, places to stay, places to eat, roads to travel. But, I've found little out there about living on the road. I'm sure there are books and blogs about being a full time RVer, but I'm in between. I guess you'd call me a "sometimer." I'm still tethered to a home, a hometown, and local family, but I spend about 4-6 months of the year trave
italo

italo

3
Roadtreking Blog
 

RV Boondocking in Non-traditional Ways

When we talk about boondocking in an RV, we usually mean dry camping, off the grid camping in out of the way, wilderness areas, far from civilization and deep in the boonies. Indeed, for Jennifer and I, that is our favorite place to be. But that’s not the only place to be. As I write this, we just spend a night boondocking in the parking lot of a hotel near Memphis, Tenn. It was a quiet, peaceful night. We parked in an out-of -the-way spot in our Roadtrek Etrek. It was typically hot, as it a
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

1
J. Dawg Journeys
 

DIY RV Solar Install

I've read a few articles and blogs about solar installs on RV's and it's always intrigued me. But I had never talked to anyone first hand about their set-up/experience. This past spring I had the chance to do that and it was vary helpful. While in Arizona this past spring, I met a fellow RVer who had a 200 watt solar set up on the roof of his Leisure Travel Unity class B+ (very similar to my Winnebago View). When I asked him about it, he told me he had been able to go 2 weeks on two 12V batterie
italo

italo

1
J. Dawg Journeys
 

Where the Grass is Blue - The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

If you're a music fan, chances are there's a music festival for your type of music. Attending a festival is a chance to see several artists performing up close and immerse yourself into the music for a few days. Camping at one is way to deepen your involvement with the artists, music, and other fans. I'm a relative newcomer to Bluegrass music. I got interested in my early 40's when I heard Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder on an NPR radio program singing some old bluegrass tunes. I
italo

italo

2
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour – Southwest Michigan

Of all the eight states that touch the Great Lakes , Michigan – with 2,147 miles – has the most coastline. So as we rounded the bottom of Lake Michigan from the Indiana border and made our way into Southwest Michigan on the last leg of out 10-segment adventure, there was a sense of déjà vu about it all. Around us were beautiful blue waters, sand dunes, lush green agricultural fields and even a wine trail, much like we have seen to different degrees on all of the lake shorelines we’ve visited ov
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour – Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana

The one thing we have learned on this Verizon Great Lakes Shoreline Roadtreking Tour is that very often, a surprise is literally around the next corner. So it was when we got off the car ferry in Manitowoc, WI, directly across Lake Michigan from Ludington, MI As we made a right turn out of the parking lot, we spotted a submarine. What on earth is a submarine doing in Manitowoc, WS? We had to find out. The sub is docked out front of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, a fascinating place dedicated t
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
GrampaDennis' Blog
 

On the way to Washington, DC

We left our home in Readfield, Maine at 8 AM on July 7th. We made 2 rest and lunch stops and 2 fuel stops along the way. We were in a long rolling traffic jam on I-495 in Massacusetts, north of State Route 2. Traffic only stopped completely one brief time, but was just crawling for miles. I turned on the CB for a while. I got a bit of useful information from the truckers' chatter, especially about where the traffic opened up again. However, I could have done without the profanity. It was a const
GrampaDennis

GrampaDennis

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour – Crossing Lake Michigan

Our Roadtrek Etrek now has its sea legs. Sometimes, to really appreciate something, you have to immerse yourself in it. So it was with Lake Michigan as we’ve been traveling around the Great Lakes Region these past several weeks on our Verizon Great Lakes Shoreline Roadtreking tour. No, we didn’t go swimming in it. The heavy ice up this past winter has left it and the other four Great lakes, abnormally cold. And normal is cold. This summer, it is really cold. So instead of getting wet in the
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour – Lake Michigan’s Northern Shores

Michigan’s UP is hemmed in by three of the Great Lakes. Everyone knows about Superior and Huron but the lake on the UP’s southern border has some great camping and exploring opportunities, too. So. after three weeks of travel on our Verizon Great Lakes Roadtreking Shoreline Tour, we have now arrived at the fifth of the big lakes – Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan touches four states and is the only one of the Great Lakes that doesn’t share a coastline with Canada. We started out following it
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Tom and Louise on Tour in North America
 

Did We Take Our Motorhome to New Zealand and Australia?

One of the questions that came up was whether we had our motor home in Australia. This is something that one might consider for an extended trip but it isn’t really feasible. There are numerous problems, the first is that the campgrounds aren’t set-up for our motor homes. The power cords we use don’t fit anything here. Current is 220V but the plug is unlike anything we use in the US. They don’t have sewer connections similar to ours, they use one inch hoses for grey water and toilets are a
tbutler

tbutler

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour: Superior’s North Shore

Of all the traveling we’ve done on this 4,000-mile Verizon Great Lakes Roadtreking Shoreline Tour, Lake Superior’s North Shore in Wisconsin and Minnesota has provided the most diverse scenery to date. Up there, as we rounded the US-side of the lake and started heading north to Canada, especially north of Duluth, we were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Big Lake the Ojibwe call Gitchegume. It is so big it has tides. That was the first thing we learned as we moved from the Porcupine Mou
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Great Lakes Shoreline Tour: Lake Superior’s UP Coastline

There’s a reason it’s called Superior. There is no other lake like it in the world. It is truly immense, so big that it contains more water that all four of the other Great Lakes combined. You’d need two more Lake Eries to equal the water in Superior. Superior is so big we will need two reports to cover it all for our Verizon Great Lakes Roadtreking Tour. In the video above, we head out from Saulte Ste Marie, Mich., where Superior flows into the St Mary’s River and, eventually all of the
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

How We Roll: Working Out on the Road

Jennifer has one requirement as we travel: We find a place to work out. She’s a fitness instructor by occupation, though lately, because of our near-fulltime traveling schedule, she’s had to cut back on the classes she teaches. But that doesn’t mean she cuts back on her fitness goals. We're on a very hectic Great Lakes Shoreline Tour that we’re doing for Verizon Wireles, so finding time to pull over and find a gym hasn’t happened as much as she’d like. I can usually tell when I better get her
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

The Great Lakes Shoreline Tour: Lake Huron’s Upper Peninsula Coast

Oh, boy. There goes the schedule. With 10 segments due on our Verizon Wireless Tour of the Great Lakes shoreline across eight states, I have a pretty ambitious travel schedule. We were doing all right until we crossed over the Big Mac Bridge into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula following the Lake Huron shoreline. But then we were seduced by the wide open spaces, the sparkling blue water, the big freighters and clean, fresh lake air. Instead of sticking to the schedule, we tossed the planning aside
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Tom and Louise on Tour in North America
 

Pictures Bring Questions About Weather and Climate

Here is another question. In a recently posted picture the ground looked rather dry, not the lush green paradise that many imagine for New Zealand. Let me assure you there are many places that are lush and green. The North Island and indeed much of New Zealand has experienced a rather dry summer. They are quite a bit behind their normal rainfall. So farming areas are dry. The moist rainforests, protected by shade from trees holds moisture better and tree roots help the forest absorb almost
tbutler

tbutler

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

RV Destination: Michigan’s Buggy Bois Blanc Island

Scratch another place off my bucket list: Bois Blanc Island, in the middle of Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, half way between the Upper Peninsula and the Lower. As we were rounding the Lake Huron shoreline of the Michigan Mitt and driving through the northeastern town of Cheboygan on our Verizon Great Lakes Shoreline Tour, we saw a sign that directed us to the ferry dock. The Straits of Mackinac were right off our righthand side as we made our way north on US 23 but this ferry was not for
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

0
Roadtreking Blog
 

Using Apps to Track and Share Your RV Travel

Summer travel and vacation is upon us and as many of us hit the road, we’re sharing our travel with friends and families. Many of you know I also am a techology correspondent for the 215 NBC-TV Newschannel affiliate stations across the country. I do a weekly “PC MIke” Tech feature for the network and, these days, I am usually doing it from the back of my Roadtrek Etrek as we travel the country. In this week’s report, I featured three apps and Internet services that can map and track your trave
Roadtrekingmike

Roadtrekingmike

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