RV Vacations For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

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Edition: 2nd
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2004-06-01
Publisher(s): For Dummies
List Price: $18.99

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Summary

From New England to the Oregon Coast, from Texas to the Tetons, America is full of fascinating and friendly places - and your RV is a great way to get to any one of them. This fun, friendly guide shows you how to get the most out of your RV vacations with fun itineraries and handy tips on: Choose the right route and the right season for travel Picking the RV that will get you where you want to go on a budget you can afford Eating and sleeping comfortably on the road Tying up the loose ends before you leave Planning ahead to take care of special travel needs Tips on fun museums and special getaways for snowbirds Like every For Dummies travel guide, RV Vacations For Dummies, 2nd Edition includes: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn't miss - and what you can skip The best restaurants and hotels for every budget Lots of detailed maps

Author Biography

Shirley Slater and Harry Basch are a husband-and-wife travel-writing team whose books, articles, and photographs have been published internationally over the past 25 years. Former stage, film, and television actors, they have written their syndicated column "Cruise Views" for the Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers for more than 20 years, produced six annual editions of the North American Ski Guide for Prodigy Computer Services, and written Shirley and Harry's RV Adventures (a monthly newsletter) plus four books on worldwide cruising. In 1990, at the 60th World Travel Congress in Hamburg, Germany, the authors were only the third writers (and the first freelancers) to receive the prestigious Melva C. Pederson Award from the American Society of Travel Agents for "extraordinary journalistic achievement in the field of travel." On assignment for publications as diverse as Bon Appetit and Travel Weekly, they have covered 188 countries by barge, elephant back, hot-air balloon, luxury cruise ship, cross-country skis, paddle-wheel steamer, and supersonic aircraft, but their favorite method of transportation is by RV. In their former 27-foot Winnebago Brave motorhome and their new 36-foot Itasca Sunflyer, they have logged more than 100,000 miles traveling across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Aboard other RVs - from mini-motorhomes to 36-foot widebodies with slideouts - they have traveled an additional 60,000 miles exploring the back roads and campgrounds of America. These journeys are all based on the authors' personal experiences. They're the authors of three editions of Frommer's Exploring America by RV and appear on informational RV videos featured at www.rvtvdirect.com.

Table of Contents

Introductionp. 1
About This Bookp. 1
Conventions Used in This Bookp. 2
Foolish Assumptionsp. 3
How This Book Is Organizedp. 4
Icons Used in This Bookp. 6
Where to Go from Herep. 6
Getting Startedp. 7
Discovering the Best of RVingp. 9
Being Your Own Bossp. 9
Discovering Something for Everyonep. 9
Remembering Our First RV Journeyp. 11
Uncovering the Myths about RVingp. 13
Choosing the Itinerary and Season for Youp. 15
Revealing the Secrets of the Seasonsp. 15
Scoping Out Your Perfect RV Vacationp. 16
The Coast of Maine: Lobster Landp. 16
Western New York: Cooperstown to Niagara Fallsp. 17
Blue Ridge Mountains: Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkwayp. 18
The Gulf Coast: Tallahassee to New Orleansp. 18
The Natchez Trace: Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TNp. 19
Texas Hill Country: Bluebonnets and Barbecuep. 20
The Heart of Ohio: A Circle Around Circlevillep. 21
Northern Minnesota: Paul Bunyan Countryp. 21
The Ozarks and Branson: Hot Springs to Springfieldp. 22
Montana and Wyoming: Tracking Buffalo Billp. 23
New Mexico: Billy the Kid Meets E.T.p. 24
The Oregon Coast: California to Washingtonp. 24
California Central Coast: Malibu to Montereyp. 25
Route 66: OK to LAp. 26
Selecting Your RVp. 29
Getting to Know the RV Typesp. 29
Folding camping trailersp. 30
Truck campersp. 31
Travel trailersp. 33
Fifth-wheel travel trailersp. 35
Van campers (Type B)p. 36
Mini-motorhomes (Type C)p. 37
Motorhomes (Type A)p. 39
Selecting the RV for Youp. 40
Matching an RV to your lifestylep. 40
Asking yourself ten questionsp. 41
Planning Your Budgetp. 45
Adding It Up: Your Vacation Budgetp. 45
Transportationp. 45
RV and camping suppliesp. 46
Campgroundsp. 46
Foodp. 47
Attractions and activitiesp. 47
Shopping and entertainmentp. 47
Testing the Waters: RV Rentalsp. 47
When to rentp. 48
How to rentp. 48
How to get the best ratep. 50
Taking the Plunge: RV Purchasesp. 50
Why go to an RV show?p. 51
How to deal with dealersp. 51
Where not to shop for an RVp. 52
How to finance your purchasep. 53
Planning Ahead for Special Travel Needsp. 55
RVing with Kidsp. 55
RVing with Petsp. 56
RVing for the Disabledp. 57
RVing for Seniorsp. 58
Joining an RV clubp. 59
Caravan tours and ralliesp. 59
RV clubsp. 60
Ironing Out the Detailsp. 61
Dealing with Your RVp. 63
Driving Your RVp. 63
Learning the basicsp. 63
Going beyond the basics: Our tipsp. 65
Controlling your speedp. 66
Saving Money on Fuelp. 66
Detecting Gas and Smokep. 67
Equipping Your RVp. 68
Monitoring Electrical Hookupsp. 70
Preparing for Winter Campingp. 70
Furnishing Your RVp. 71
Cleaning Your RVp. 72
Outside the vehiclep. 72
Inside the vehiclep. 73
Holding tanksp. 74
Storing Your RVp. 74
Packing It Inp. 77
Stepping on the Scalesp. 77
Stocking the Optional Essentialsp. 78
Stowing Your Gearp. 79
Outside the RVp. 80
Inside the RVp. 80
Selecting the Right Kind of Wardrobep. 81
Eating on the Roadp. 83
Stocking Your Kitchenp. 83
Eating Takeout Foodp. 84
Shopping for Foodp. 85
Cooking across the U.S.A.p. 85
Sleeping on the Roadp. 91
Understanding Our Campground Recommendationsp. 91
Using Campground Directoriesp. 92
Comparing Private and Public Campgroundsp. 93
Choosing a Sitep. 94
Parking Your Rigp. 96
Hooking Upp. 96
Sleeping by the Side of the Road: A Good Idea?p. 98
Saving Money on Campgroundsp. 99
Being Campground Hostsp. 100
Tying Up Loose Endsp. 101
Mapping the Wayp. 101
Staying Connected on the Roadp. 102
Cable TVp. 103
Satellite TVp. 103
Cellular phonesp. 103
Computer online servicesp. 104
Buying RV Insurancep. 105
Staying Safe and Secure on the Roadp. 105
Carrying a Gunp. 106
Exploring the Eastp. 107
The Coast of Maine: Lobster Landp. 109
Getting Therep. 109
Planning Aheadp. 111
Stocking the Pantryp. 112
Driving the Coast of Mainep. 112
Must-see attractionsp. 115
More cool things to see and dop. 118
Weekend wonderp. 121
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 121
Our favorite campgroundsp. 122
Runner-up campgroundsp. 123
Good eatsp. 124
Fast Factsp. 128
Western New York: Cooperstown to Niagara Fallsp. 129
Getting Therep. 129
Planning Aheadp. 131
Stocking the Pantryp. 132
Driving through Western New Yorkp. 132
Must-see attractionsp. 136
More cool things to see and dop. 140
Weekend wondersp. 142
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 142
Our favorite campgroundsp. 142
Runner-up campgroundsp. 144
Good eatsp. 146
Fast Factsp. 148
Blue Ridge Mountains: Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkwayp. 149
Getting Therep. 150
Planning Aheadp. 150
Stocking the Pantryp. 151
Driving on Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkwayp. 154
Must-see attractionsp. 157
More cool things to see and dop. 159
Weekend wonderp. 160
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 161
Our favorite campgroundsp. 161
Runner-up campgroundsp. 163
Good eatsp. 166
Shopping along the Wayp. 167
Fast Factsp. 168
The Gulf Coast: Tallahassee to New Orleansp. 169
Getting Therep. 170
Planning Aheadp. 170
Stocking the Pantryp. 171
Driving the Gulf Coastp. 171
Must-see attractionsp. 177
More cool things to see and dop. 178
Weekend wonderp. 180
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 180
Our favorite campgroundsp. 180
Runner-up campgroundsp. 183
Good eatsp. 184
Fast Factsp. 188
The Natchez Trace: Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TNp. 189
Getting Therep. 190
Planning Aheadp. 190
Stocking the Pantryp. 190
Driving the Natchez Tracep. 192
Must-see attractionsp. 197
More cool things to see and dop. 199
Weekend wonderp. 201
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 201
Our favorite campgroundsp. 201
Runner-up campgroundsp. 203
Good eatsp. 205
Shopping along the Wayp. 207
Fast Factsp. 208
Discovering Mid-Americap. 209
Texas Hill Country: Bluebonnets and Barbecuep. 211
Getting Therep. 212
Planning Aheadp. 212
Stocking the Pantryp. 214
Driving the Texas Hill Countryp. 214
Must-see attractionsp. 217
More cool things to see and dop. 220
Weekend wonderp. 222
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 222
Our favorite campgroundsp. 223
Runner-up campgroundsp. 224
Good eatsp. 225
Fast Factsp. 230
The Heart of Ohio: A Circle Around Circlevillep. 231
Getting Therep. 231
Planning Aheadp. 233
Stocking the Pantryp. 234
Driving the Ohio Heartlandp. 234
Must-see attractionsp. 237
More cool things to see and dop. 242
Weekend wondersp. 244
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 244
Our favorite campgroundsp. 245
Runner-up campgroundsp. 246
Good eatsp. 247
Shopping along the Wayp. 249
Fast Factsp. 250
Driving Route 66p. 372
Must-see attractionsp. 377
More cool things to see and dop. 380
Sleeping and Eating on the Roadp. 382
Our favorite campgroundsp. 382
Runner-up campgroundsp. 384
Good eatsp. 385
Shopping along the Wayp. 387
Fast Factsp. 388
The Part of Tensp. 389
Ten Great Snowbird Getawaysp. 391
The Ten Best Factory Toursp. 395
The Ten Zaniest Museumsp. 399
Quick Conciergep. 405
Worksheetsp. 411
Indexp. 421
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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