We didn’t want to go to Lake Tahoe and deal with the crowds and the attitudes we have experienced there. So we decided to go up to the Southern Sierras and go skiing at Sierra Summit. Which is about one hour and a half East of Fresno, CA.

Sierra Summit is East of Fresno

It turned out to be a really good choice. The roads were pretty much traffic free and the resort was busy, but not uncomfortably crowded.

But before we got up to the snow, we had to decide where we would park the travel trailer. We were a little squeamish about driving up to the snow with our trailer, so we decided to park it at an RV park in Fresno and drive up to Sierra Summit for our day trips to the snow.

Two bugs watching a movie

In hindsight there was no need to worry about taking our trailer up to the snow (there were even RVs camping in the parking lot of the resort). The roads were very clear and there was space at Camp Edison at Shaver Lake. Next year we will probably do that. But only if the weather is guaranteed to be clear and the roads are plowed and dry.

We may have to do a little winterizing of the trailer (maybe buy a heat

Sam learning snow boarding

blanket for the water tank or an insulated water hose), but nothing major because it only get down to around 20F at night.

We drove around Camp Edison when we were up there and it looked like a really great place to park the trailer. They were recently rated very high in a Sunset Magazine article on the best campgrounds in the Western US.

Both kids loved the snow. Sam seemed to take to snow boarding, while Ben liked skiing. They are both now telling their friends they are accomplished at their chosen sport after only one lesson.

This post via the: Family RV Fun blog. Where you can get tips, tricks and valuable info on family RV travel.

A Trip to the Snow and Sierra Summit

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Kids at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

The trip was a whirlwind of activity. We had multi-day trips to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and LegoLand. Looking at the photos and video from the trip it is great to remember all the fun we had. We kept the kids busy everyday, all day and they loved every minute of it.

The one thing we learned most about this trip, and car traveling with the children, is that they can handle only about four hours of car travel time. Basically the length of two movies and that is it. After that they’ve got to get out and run around and not get back in the car for the rest of the day. For a five year old and an eight year old I think that is pretty good. In the future I think we will be sticking with the four hour travel rule.

That meant that we broke our trip up going down and coming home. Staying both times in Bakersfield along the way. It made the drive less of a grind and we visited friends both stays in B-town.

Kids breakfast on day after christmas

As for making this trip as economical as possible, I give us a C+ grade. Of our two week trip, we stayed one week at a San Diego county regional park called Sweetwater Regional Park. That saved us about $30 per day. Other than that we probably spent too much on everything from treats to food to souvenirs , but man it was hard not to. We are not sure if we are coming back next Christmas, so we indulged.

It was really great that there were other families staying at the park too. We hosted an impromptu breakfast the day after Christmas. The kids loved it.

Elephants at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

The San Diego Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo were spectacular and I think Claire and I enjoyed them the most. The amount and variety of animals at both places is amazing.

The below video is of me feeding Lorikeet birds at the zoo. That was a lot of fun and really cool.

Sea World was ok. About like last year, except they had an ice skating rink the kids really loved. Watch the below video of Ben falling on his butt and then skating over to his mom and sister as she throws a snow ball at him.

We spent new year’s eve at LegoLand. They had a fun new year’s eve party complete with fireworks. We counted down to the new year at 6pm. We were back at our trailer and in bed by 9pm.

Kids with Lego Santa

My little, or should I say big, Doh (and this is a Homer Simpson, Doh) is that I left my laptop in the car at Sea World and it got stolen. Luckily that is all they got (and it was a five year old laptop, so there thief who ever you are). Lesson learned: don’t leave valuables in a parked car.

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Our Holiday Trip: A Ton of Fun, and one Little Doh!

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The big tank at SeaWorld

Tomorrow we take-off for the longest (by distance and time) of our family RV trips this year. We are going to San Diego for two weeks. My wife is off work and the kids are off school, so we are going for it. I will have to do a little work during the trip, but when you work for yourself your time is never really your own.
photo credit: kwalk628

We are going to try to be as economical as possible. Our trips to SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo and Animal Park are already paid for because we bought a year membership to both last year (yes we did this same trip last year).

Panda at the San Diego Zoo

But unlike last year we are trying to stay at county parks and other more economical places. Last year we stayed a really special RV park, Campland on the Bay. It was a little expensive (but very cool), so this year we are going to be staying at three different campgrounds and they are all under $35 per night.
photo credit: PedroCancion

We only considered doing this again this year if we could keep expenses way down. So we won’t be eating out much and we are really going to watch everything we buy. Needless to say our biggest expense will be gas. And the next biggest expense of course will be food. I will be using every trick I know to keep our fuel use to a minimum and most meals will be at the RV. Also the trip will be one of the kids Christmas presents, as we keep telling them.

I think it will be fun to see how cheap we can be. So I will be tweeting along our trip (twitter username: FamilyRVFun).

Follow our exploits in family fun and economy. I will let you know the nitty-gritty on what we spend on and how much. And also I’ll try to pass along anything we learn on economical RV travel.

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Thanksgiving dinner at Avila Beach

The weather is always really good during Thanksgiving. The locals call November their Indian summer. And I have to agree with them. We have spent many a sunny afternoon on the beach. And this year we had Thanksgiving dinner on our favorite place Avila Beach, which is just a few miles south of Pismo. We had a really fun time and went to the beach every day that we were there.

We stayed at a really family-friendly RV park in Oceano Beach (just north of Pismo). It is a small county RV park called Oceano Memorial Campground. It has a little kids park at the center and it also has a very large kids playground down the street. For families with kids you can’t ask for a better place to stay. And we are definitely coming back to it next year (we made our reservation for 2010 while we were there).

So if you want to stay at the beach and be at a really family friendly RV campground. Check out Oceano Campground

A really good playground by the RV park

Having fun at Avila Beach

Ben is having fun on the beach. I think he is digging to China.

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Thanksgiving dinner on the beach

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Pinnacles is a funny place. Driving up highway 25, the area seems unremarkable with a lot of farm and ranch land. Even when you turn off to the park area on highway 146, it just seems like there isn’t much there: Oak trees, grey pines and rolling hills. Ok. so why is this a national monument? Teddy Roosevelt made it one over 100 years ago for gosh sake.

When you get to the campground, there still isn’t much to look at. And right now the campground is in a state of renewal and repair. They are currently building a new RV campsite area in what is currently the group campsite area. They are also building a beautiful new wood rail fence along  the park road – I think they got some Obama money.

The rock formations of The Pinnacles National Monument

The yellow billed magpie

Having fun on the trail

But when you get to the hiking trails it all starts to make sense. When you look up at the rock formations, you’ve just got to say WOW at just about every turn on the hiking trail. It almost seems like you are in the Utah hills with the red rock formations that rise above you. Also the wild life is incredible. We saw tons of deer and an interesting bird, the yellow billed Magpie.

Once the new RV camp site is complete (probably by late spring), we will be coming back to enjoy the hiking trails and spring flowers.

One thing you should know is that there is no water hookup for the RV sites. As long as you bring your own water can to fill-up your tank (we have a six gallon one), you will be fine.

Below is a video of some deer that were grazing right by our campsite close to night fall on Nov. 12th.

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One of the majestic redwood at Big Basin State Park

It didn’t turn out to be as drastic as we all feared, but the cuts were still pretty deep and wide spread. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of my favorite State Parks, Big Basin will see campground closures Sunday through Thursday from December through March. Well I guess I can live with that given how much that the State needs to make-up in the budget deficit. I’m just concerned that these cuts will become permanent. Let’s all hope for a better economy and more tax revenue for the state.

You can read about the details of the park reductions at the Cal State Park Foundation website

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If you enjoy this video, you can see more at his site. Click on the link to the upper right of this web site, where it says “RV Education 101″ for more information.

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RV Towing Safety

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Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon are the obvious ones. But others like Mesa Verda in Colorado and Denalie in Alaska will be places I plan to visit someday with our travel trailer.

There was one forest ranger in the documentary that really impressed me. His name is Sheldon Johnson and he really draws you in when he speaks. See this short clip about the Buffalo Soldiers of Yosemite. He tells you all about this untold story of the history of Yosemite.

If you didn’t get to see the series it is available online at the PBS web site at The National Parks – America’s Best Idea Each episode is available for viewing until Oct. 9th.

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We will get the history and learn about the heroes that help create our beloved parks. Don’t miss this. Tivo it and watch it later if you must. Just make sure you see the series.

I can’t wait.

Find out more about the series and a schedule of The National Parks a PBS Documentary by Ken Burns.

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She lays down the law on what we need to do to save our parks.

The closure list has been delayed until late next week.

Make a donation to the Cal State Park Foundation fight to stop the park closures.

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Senate Bill 679 passed the Ca State legislature and waits for the Gov. to sign. It requires that no land acquired for the state park system may be used for non-park uses without the express authority of an act of the Legislature and without a plan to replace those park lands with lands of equal environmental and fair market value.

Let’s hope the state gets creative and works with private business to keep the parks open.

But senate bill 679 insures the state won’t lose State park land.

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California has been hit extra hard.  The State is trying to cut its budget deficit where ever it can and it has turn its red pen to the state park system. There is a proposal to close up to 100 of the 200+ state parks.

There are events at many CA state parks over the labor day weekend. We will be at the New Brighton Beach State Park to show our support.

Show your support if you can and make a donation or paricipate in a rally.

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The kids are loving life at Wrights Lake

Well we just got back from Wrights Lake and boy did we have a good time.

If you don’t know where it is, Wrights Lake is located 30 minutes South of Lake Tahoe in the Eldorado National Forrest. The lake looks up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Desolation Wilderness.

We left early Monday morning from our home in San Jose and were up at the lake by 2pm.

The road coming in to the Wrights Lake Campground

When we saw the Wrights Lake campground sign and then caught a glimpse of the lake, we were beside ourselves to find our camp site and get out on the lake.

This is the place where we caught the RV bug last summer when we tent camped here. We thought, wow this is great but sleeping in a tent and cooking over the campfire is just ok. So one month later we bought our Thor Cal travel trailer and yes the rest is history and being chronicled in this blog.

So we spent a full week at Wrights Lake this year, six nights and seven very full days coming home late Sunday evening. We filled our days canoeing on the lake, playing on the beach and trying our luck at fishing up the filler stream for the lake (no we didn’t catch any fish, but we saw a lot of them). Wrights Lake is a totally non-power boat lake. You can only have canoes, kayaks and sail boats on the lake. So this means the type of people who come to the lake are the more “environmental” types and also the campground is quieter in the evening. If you have a power boat I recommend you go to Icehouse reservoir which is on the road to Wrights Lake (about 10 miles below the lake).

The family canoeing on Wrights Lake

We also met a lot of friendly people. And many of them with children the same age as our kids. Our last night we were invited to dinner with a family who were having a sort of family reunion. The grandfather has been going to Wrights Lake since the 1940s!

Camping Recommendations for Wrights Lake
If you are passing through Placerville on your way to the lake (and your a Safeway shopper), I highly recommend you stop at the Palcerville Safeway (at the Missouri Flats off-ramp).  Buy your food there and then fill-up at the Safeway gas station. You can save up to 60 cents a gallon.

Check-in at the campground isn’t until 2pm, so plan a late afternoon arrival.

There are two campgrounds. The one closest to the lake is for tent campers only (sites 1-19). The campground for sites 20 -68   inlcude spaces for RV camping (though no power or water hookup. It’s dry camping only).

One note about water: It isn’t allowed to hook a hose up to the facet to fill your water tank. So bring a large water bucket to fill you tank (I bought a six gallon jug for future trips).

The best spaces for RVs are on the side of the campground of sites 38 – 68 . The campground road is wider and easier to maneuver.

The picture on the right is of a tree on the side of the campground with the narrow road. As you can see many an RV has made its mark.

So we had a great time and will be back next year. And next year we plan to do some hiking up in the hills above the lake. There are many small alpine lakes nestled up among the granite cliffs.

Reservation Information
- CALL 1-877-444-6777, four days to six months in
advance of your first night’s stay.
- WEBSITE: www.Recreation.gov

The campground is generally open between late June and mid-October. These dates are affected by snow conditions. The campground is at about 7,000’ elevation.

Location: 23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50, 11 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), 9 miles east on Forest Road 32 (Wrights Lake Tie Road), and 2 miles north on Forest Road 4 (Wrights Lake Rd).

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Wrights Lake: It was a beautiful week

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The beautiful Wrights Lake

Also because we are going to one of our absolute favorite places in the world – Wright’s Lake (in the El Dorado forest, south of Lake Tahoe), I want to be ready.

So what is my little secret?

Well, as you know one of the games of RVing is paying the absolute cheapest you can for a tank of gas. And although we’ve had some relief from the worst per gallon prices of last summer, it still smarts every time you pull up to the pump ($2.80 per gallon on average in Northern California).

So this is what we do to get the cheapest gas we can.

We do all our grocery shopping at Safeway (we live in Northern Cal and Safeways are everywhere). They have a rewards program that let’s you rack-up money for up to 20, 30 and some times 40 cents a gallon cheaper when you fill up at a Safeway Gas Station. Sounds great right? Well there is a little bit of a gotcha. Safeway gas stations are far and few between.

Luckily we have one close to where we store our travel trailer in Gilroy, CA. So we have a routine when getting ready to go on a trip. Before I pick-up the trailer I always fill-up at the Gilroy Safeway gas station. The cheapest I’ve gotten there was $1.71 a gallon back in May.

Check-out their program at: Safeway PowerPump Rewards

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Get the surge protector mentioned in this video:Portable Surge Guard

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July 15, 2009
- Luckily no one was hurt – except the RV (picture included).

Always use the park brake!

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We wanted to go somewhere close to save on gas. So we settled on Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. It is a park in the foothills above Gilroy, CA and managed by the Santa Clara County.

We weren’t expecting much (it’s a county park after all). But what we found were new and well designed facilities and a near-by lake that was a great place to go boating.

They seemed like almost brand new bathrooms and showers

They supply power and water but sadly no sewer. Though there is a dump station avalable to RVers

The best part of the trip was the friendly people we met who were looking for the same inexpensive, close weekend get away. The kids made quick friends with many of the other kids camping at the park. And we also met other family RVers who we share kids of the same age and a love of RVing.

Another pleasant surprise was that the county park rangers put on a little presentation on Sat. evening complete with a video showing all the wild life that live in the hills around the park. It was very entertaining – and surprising to know the variety of animals who live in the park.

During our stay we saw wild boars (yes there were and a lot of them but they always kept their distance) wild turkeys and deer.

Remember to bring your own shade in the summer

Though be warned: You need to bring your own shade to this park when you come in the summer. The RV campground area is fairly new and void of mature trees for shade. So you’ll need a portable canopy to make shade around your camp area.

Here is how to get there – From U.S. Highway 101 in Gilroy., take the Leavesley Road exit. Proceed east on Leavesley Road 2 miles to New Avenue. Proceed north on New Avenue .5 miles to Roop Road. Proceed east on Roop Road 3.5 miles into the foothills. Turn left into the park and proceed one mile north to the entrance station and visitor center.

The kids put together a talent show on Sat. evening

To reserve a space you can call (408) 355-2201 to make a camping reservation or go online at https://gooutsideandplay.org.

Below is a campground map of the area we camped at.

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July 13, 2009
- This is a good article on where to go when you have questions about your RV. What I usually do is first try to find the answer in the RV manual, then the equipment manual and then try an online forum.

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This video from Sean Michael of the Long Long Honeymoon has an excellent message about beating the high price of gasoline. In another words there are many ways to go RVing.

Though gas isn’t as high as it was last summer, it is still probably the largest item you pay for on your RV trip.

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July 8, 2009
- Good article on family friendly beaches throughout the US. On the west coast they mention Coronado beach in San Diego and Capitola beach in Santa Cruz. Both great beaches.

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Getting to the Campground – No Wide Turns
Upon driving into the park, we were so stunned by the beauty of the forrest that we missed our turn for the campsite and we ended up on a dead-end road, which once had been the RV dump station area (now not in service). However, that was blocked off by some very heavy logs, yes, we did try to move them but couldn’t, because making a U-turn was impossible.

As we worked on trying to turn our travel trailer around in the dead-end road, we attracted the attention of a state park ranger who came to assist us in backing out of our mess (which was about 5 car lengths out with cars parked on either side).  It was a real nail biter and we were tired of driving so it just added to the frustration of being at the camp and not yet at the campsite.  We made it though and the Ranger followed us in and helped us back into our wide and expansive site.  He was great!  Thank you Barry!

About the Sites
The sites at Big Trees are expansive and that is a plus, however, many are close to Highway 4 so they suffer from highway traffic noise (not what you want to hear at a high sierra camp site).  We have done a bit of legwork and we’ll recommend the sites we think you should look for when you go.

What we didn’t expect was a spigot that wasn’t set up to accept a regular water hose.  So while there is water…you have to find a way to actually get it into the RV.  We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy fix.  On the second day we did buy an extra water hose and we cut off one end in order to make it larger to fit over the spigot.  That helped us out but we weren’t able to really cut off all the water from spraying out all over.  We will keep this modified hose and a few clasps within our trailer in case this happens again.

We didn’t have electricity and were a little concerned if we could make the two days on the battery power we have with the trailer.  We also did not have a sewer hook up at the site and had to conserve water and how we used our bathroom.  We decided it was only for those nighttime, and early morning nature calls and that by no means would we ever be doing number 2 there.  We used the nice bathrooms that were there at the campgrounds. We did great!  We washed our dishes outside with a collapsible plastic side-by-side sinks and used our outdoor shower to clean up under so that our water usage did wash way into the ground…versus into our tank.  We left with only 1/3 full tanks and drove all the way to where we store the trailer where we can use their dump station.

All the Fun
Big Trees State Park has a wonderful camper activity program.  On Friday night we took in a sing along at the campfire area. It was quite good.  The two who were leading the sing along seemed to be regulars and had strong voices.  They did a lot to involve the children in the audience and had a round of jokes, which both our little hams (Ben 7 and Sam 4) had to participate in twice!  Though we still can’t quite figure out their jokes, they both thought they were hilarious!  The evening finished off with marshmallows over the campfire! We made smore’s as we always have to do at least once on our trips!

On Saturday morning the kids took in the Jr. Ranger programs and they were great!  Ben got to explore and find bones of little creatures that were eaten by owls and Sam learned all about butterflies and made a butterfly kite.  In the afternoon we took out our new Rockport Old Town Canoe and had fun on a small man made like called White Pine Lake, which is just a few miles from the park.   This was fun and we enjoyed breaking in the canoe and finding a nice beach to picnic on.   On our way back we went ahead and drove up to the Stanislaus River and sat along the riverbank where the kids could throw in rocks and just enjoy the sound of the rushing water.

Though not all of us got to go on hikes, I did manage to get in a walk and was amazed by the Big Trees for which this park is named.  The trees are over 2000 years old and massive giants. It was very peaceful and tranquil and would be an enjoyable 1-mile hike for any family.

On our trip the campsites were full of families enjoying the first few weeks off of school.  Our neighbors all had kids and that is where our kids chose to spend their time, playing with the other kids and that really what camping is all about for the kids… meeting new friends who are enjoying the great outdoors as well.

When we go to Big Trees again….
We’ll be sure to turn into the campgrounds….very important.

We’ll also try to go to one of the campsites 4-12 (See North Grove Campground map below). They are far enough away from the traffic noise, but close to activity areas. If you want to get really away from it, you can stay at the Oak Hollow Campground in the park. It is a few miles into the park through a narrow paved road. Though if you have a large RV (28’ plus) I wouldn’t recommend it.

We’ll seek out more hiking, be sure to take in the Campfire singing on Friday nights, go canoeing, maybe at another lake (Alpine and Spicer Lakes are close by).  Be prepared with the modified hose contraption.   We know our battery power can handle a 2-day trip, we only used 1/3 of our battery power.  All in all….we’ll be ready to have a nice, relaxing time at Big Trees again!

This post via the: Family RV Fun blog. Where you can get tips, tricks and valuable info on family RV travel.

CA Camping: Calaveras Big Trees State Park- June 19 – 21, 2009

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June 24, 2009
- This is some good advice from RV Expert Mark Polk.

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June 24, 2009
- This is a good article on the best amusement parks in the Western US. My family and I have only visited two of them. As our kids get older I know we will be visiting more on the list.

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RV Travel News on June 24, 2009

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It is a state park (though its not threatened of closing with the Cal budget crisis) sitting on the bluffs above the beach. We had power and water, but no sewer (there is a dump station at the entrance to the park).

A nice campground, though the sites were a little close together. The best sites, the ones with a great view of the ocean, don’t have power and cost extra ($10 more a night on top of the $35 a night).

New Brighton is one of the best camp sites you can stay at in the Cal state park system. It has a nice beach below the buffs and it is 10 minutes from the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.

See the video for the highlights of our trip.

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Camping at New Brighton State Beach

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Luckily we only have to wait until this weekend. We have a trip planned to the Calaveras Big Trees National Forrest in the Southern Sierra Nevada.

It is along the Stanislaus River, so I’m sure we will have a chance to use it. (Video to follow after our trip).

Also in the picture is our two bikes. They just barely fit on the rack with the canoe.

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A New RV Camping Accessory

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June 10, 2009
- This is a great kids on the road activity solution. A supply box for craft supplies will help to make the miles go faster on the drive

June 10, 2009
- To refresh your RV safety knowledge for the summer season checkout these video from RV expert Mark Polk

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The below video gives a good basic overview of the options.

Cellular Internet access equipment mentioned in the above video.

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Getting Internet Access in Your RV

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June 5, 2009
- Good advice if you have to upgrade your TV to be prepared for the digital conversion of over air tv broadcasting. The TV with antenna won’t work any more

• Camping & Rving: Emergency Planning & Preparation!

June 5, 2009
- This is a great article on being ready with the unexpected happens. If you have a plan it will saves you valuable minutes in an emergency.

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Well the governor is proposing some prettry draconian measures with the State Park system. He wants to close up to 220 state parks with over 50 in Northern California alone.

This could mean that Big Basin State Park (one we plan on camping at this year) could be closing.

There is something we can do about it though. Go to the calparks.org web site and sign the petition to tell the govinator that we don’t want this.

photo credit: jeffk

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California Camping in Danger by State Budget

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If you are a member, there is currently an extra benefit that I think you’ll be interested in. If you look in the current (June 2009) Good Sam Highways magazine, on page 23 you will see some great discounts for parts and service at Camping World.

You can get up to $300 off their Procare service is you show the discount coupon at your local Camping World among other discounts.Some great deals are offered just in time for the summer.

They also have some good deals online. Click the link below for more info.

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Good Sam Coupons for RV Parts and Service

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Fun fact: “For every five miles you go over 60 mph you add the equivalent of 10 cents more per gallon you will pay at the pump.”

The following I’ve heard before but none-the-less important. Check your tire pressure when the tires are cold (before you start your trip). Always keep them inflated at the factory recommended level. Don’t run the air conditioning unless you really need it. Use the cruise control as much as possible. It will keep the engine at a smooth level and consume less gas.

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How To Get Better Gas Mileage In Your RV

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This is all fine and good but – what about the kids. You know they aren’t going to be angels for the multi-plus hours drive to your RV adventure. So what do you do to keep the kids occupied while you tool down the road?

Below are my ideas on how to reduce the stress and tension when traveling in your RV with the kids.

First some basic travel planning will go a very long way in making the drive time much less stressful:

1. Learn about your travel route as much as possible. Look through the route in a road atlas if you have one. If you have a GPS, program it with the correct address (Confirm the address online or by calling the destination. You don’t want the GPS to sending you to the wrong place. Believe me it happens.)

2. Plug-in your trip destination in Google Maps or another online mapping service. Print it out and have it with you. It is useful as a last resort.

3. Buy the book “the next exit.” It provides exit services info for every exit on the major US Interstates.

So now let’s look at keeping the kids occupied:

1. First the obvious. Have an on-board DVD player for the kids to watch movies. Many vehicles have them built-in these days but if you don’t have one, buy a portable DVD player with a cigarette lighter adaptor. And have a variety of movies on hand so each kid has his/her favorite available.

2. If you are open to it have video games available for the kids to enjoy. This can include LeapFrog system games so they are educational as well. But if you have “tweeners” Nintendo DS or Sony PSP will be your options.

3. Plan craft projects for the kids to do on the road. This can be done safely by having a small portable table for each kid (there are a number of them available. Do a Google search for “kids travel table.”).

4. Reading to your kids isn’t only for bed time. Maybe on a long drive the non-driving adult can read a few stories.

5. Lead road games with the kids. “I spy” is a favorite one of ours. Another one is “who can spot the most out of state license plates.”

6. Potty breaks are an important part of travel. Beside pee breaks kids need to get up and move around during long trips. We usually try to stop every two-to-four hours for a potty and stretch break.

photo credit: House Of Sims

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May 20, 2009
- More info on formaldehyde in your black water holding tank: Just don’t do it!

May 20, 2009
- This is a great article on braking safety when driving in the mountains. Some of it is obvious, but other stuff (turn on your heater to cool the engine) isn’t.

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RV Travel News on May 20, 2009

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But because RV waste is so concentrated (less water, more waste) and the toxic chemicals involved, a dump station can be very harmful to the environment. The answer is to use environmental friendly enzyme-based chemicals in your black-water holding tanks instead of formaldehyde . This will be easier on the environment and do the job needed to breakdown your waste material.

Below are links to the products mentioned in the video:

RV-trine Extreme Temperature Formula

RV-Trine Drop-ins, 12-pack

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RV Dump Stations – Environmential Friendly Materials

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KCRA a Sacramento TV station interviews RV blogger Brad Herzog about his (and his wife and two boys’) summer adventures RVing throughout the United Sates. Watching this video I had a few pangs of jealousy as he talked about their travels throughout the US.

One great idea they talked about was having the kids put together a travel calendar. The kids wrote down where they would be on what dates and what they planned to see, complete with pictures and notes.

We haven’t had a changes to do any multi-location trip longer that one week. But possibly in 2010 when Claire (my wife) has a sabbatical scheduled.

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I could totally see someone cutting-up their 5th wheel like this (be it from the looks of it an old one) to accommodate their toy of choice. This means they are cutting down on comfort to have their ATV with them on the trip. Not a problem they would say.

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May 6, 2009
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• *RV Travel* Tips for Beginners

May 6, 2009
- Good basic RV travel info

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I think you know the feeling. Your traveling down the highway and you know that within the next couple of exits you have to either find a bathroom, get gas, get food or do all three. And usually quickly.

But the question is which exist is best. If you have a GPS that can be of assistance, but to have a handy written reference would be of great value. Well guess what, there is a road guide that you won’t want to travel without and it is called “The Next Exit 2009″ The Next EXIT 2009 is an USA Interstate highway exit directory and the most complete guide ever printed. It lists services located at USA Interstate hwy exits nationwide, including gas, food, lodging, camping, hospitals, shopping and attractions. Over one million sold, it is the most trusted travel tool of the interstate highways. It has received 105 five star reviews by amazon readers so you don’t have to take my word for it that The Next Exit, 2009 Edition is a great book.

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Road Guide to Know What’s Around The Bend

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Below are links to the products mentioned in the video:

• Premium RV Awning Cleaner – Gallon
• RV Awning Repair Tape
• Patty O’Shade – RV Awning Shade
• Patty O’Mat™ RV Patio Mat

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RV Awning Care and Maintenance

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Once we are in the market for a new recreational vehicle we will most likely will get a 5th wheel. You just can’t beat them for what you get in travel comfort and use.

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5th Wheel RV

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RV Travel Trailer

can be parked at a campground, a fancy RV resort or boondocking somewhere: When the door is closed you really it doesn’t matter, you are comfortable. We having every thing we need and are happy where we are.

I think first and for most the trailer layout and design play a very big part. Out Jazz travel trailer from Thor California is very well laid-out and, after owning it for almost eight months and taking 10 trips, it is very comfortable to live and sleep in.

In future post I’ll go over a check-list when considering an new RV.

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Pismo is a great place for beach rv camping and November is their summer so there is always great weather.

They allow beach camping so there is always an armada of travel trailers and toy haulers that pay the fee to camp on the beach.

There is always an onshore wind, so what people do is they bring sheets of plywood to block the wind around their rig. It sounds junky, but it does work and creates a wind block for more comfort.
photo credit: bsterling

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April 23, 2009
- Good article on getting the pulse of RVers and the RV industry

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1. Learn by other people’s experience.
Most importantly look for any online reviews you can on the park, but don’t let just one negative review bother you. If you see three or four, out of 20 or more be wary of camping there. To find a review do a Google search on “review alpine rv park” (of course insert your park name).

2. Look at the park through Google Maps
Again use the value of the Internet. Input the address of the park in Google maps and look at the satellite view of the park. This is a good way to find any obvious problems with the park before you spend the gas to go there.

3. Check out the park’s web site (if they have one)
This isn’t always the case, but if they have a trashy web site there is a good chance the park will be trashy too.

photo credit: ThreadedThoughts

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The intent of this site is to chronicle the Erwin family’s (That’s us Claire, Bob, Ben and Sam) travels in our Thor California Jazz travel trailer and offer comments and suggestions on smart RVing in the Western United States.

I will offer suggestions on traveling with kids and how to get the most out of RV trips with out busting the family budget.

I will be writing most of the posts (that’s me Bob) but Claire may add her comments as well.

So please come back often and visit our site often. I promise I’ll have valuable info you can use to get the most of your family trips in your RV or trail trailer.

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