Alice Zyetz and Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak have been RVing fulltime
with their husbands for more than ten years each. Together
they have published two books on the RV Lifestyle: RV
Traveling Tales and The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing. In addition, Jaimie's
popular Support
Your RV Lifestyle! is an invaluable resource for
those who want to make a living on the road, and Alice's
You
Shoulda Listened to Your Mother offers secrets
of success for working women. In this monthly column,
Alice and Jaimie explore facets of RV life, lifestyle
products, and a variety of RV issues, joys, and challenges.
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RVing With Alice & Jaimie: The Columns
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Major Disaster:
NOW is the Time to Plan! by Alice Zyetz (11/16/07)
When wildfires broke out recently near her RV park in Southern
California, our RV columnist, Alice Zyetz, discovered just how
unprepared she was for that disaster. What would you remember
to take if you had to evacuate rapidly in an emergency? [Read
the article]
Update:
RV Time Shares and Fractional Ownership
by Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak (10/14/07)
Question:
How can you go road tripping in an upscale RV without having
to shell out half a million dollars to buy one? Answer: Buy
a time share or fractional ownership. These ownership options
have lots of potential for the recreational traveler, but they
also have some pitfalls. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak gives an update.
[Read
the article]
Good
Grief, Charlie Brown! You Have a Museum,
by Alice Zyetz (9/16/07)
Some road trips require emotional support. Maybe a tire goes
flat, or a traveling companion suddenly gets on your nerves.
If you ever find yourself needing a security blanket, or a doghouse
to climb into, or some advice from a bossy, know-it-all kid,
then head straight for the Charles M. Schulz Museum, in Santa
Rosa, Calif., where the "Peanuts" comic strip always
sets life right. Alice Zyetz took a tour of the museum and came
away smiling. [Read the
article]
RV/MH
Hall of Fame by Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak (7/29/07)
I've just visited the RV capital of the world! That's Elkhart,
Indiana, for those who don't know. More than fifty percent of
recreational vehicles produced come from this area. Fully one
out of every four jobs in Elkhart is tied to manufacturing RVs
or component parts and services directly connected to the RV
industry. Is it any wonder that the RV/MH (Recreational Vehicle
& Manufactured Housing) Hall of Fame would be located here?
Actually, the Hall of Fame recently moved from downtown to its
new facility close to Exit 96 off Interstates 80/90. It is still
under construction, but several areas are open to the public...[More]
RV Rentals:
A Vacationer's Guide, reviewed by Alice Zyetz (7/1/07)
With RV Rentals: A Vacationer's Guide, anybody can rent
an RV successfully just by following each chapter in this easy-to-use
resource. No prior experience is necessary. Authors Dave and
Kay Corby expand upon the general overview of RV rentals I
described in a previous column to prepare the RV novice
for the complete experience. A practical book, the authors talk
directly to the reader and explain the entire process literally
from start to finish in a clear, well-organized format. An added
bonus is a series of checklists to use for each step. They have
also sprinkled forty money-saving suggestions throughout the
book...[More]
Rving:
The Long & the Short of It by Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak
(6/3/07)
Traveling in our 33-foot New Horizon 5th wheel
this summer is much more comfortable than last, but sometimes
I long for the small size of the Lance camper we used last summer.
What is the perfect size? How do you decide what length RV to
purchase? I posed these questions at a YahooGroup bulletin board.
The answers ranged from an 11-foot T@B trailer to a 41-foot
5th wheel with an overall rig length of 65 feet! [More]
It's
Déjà Vu All Over Again!
by Alice Zyetz (5/6/07)
Yogi Berra was right. Another baseball season is upon us. Eighty-nine-year-old
man sells part of his collection of baseball cards for $1.6
million! A mint-condition Mickey Mantle rookie card sells for
$186,000. "Casey at the Bat" even now intrigues us
almost 120 years later. Some say the game is slow and boring,
there are too many commercials in between pitches, and tickets
are too expensive, but we are still devoted fans... [More]
Boondocking Etiquette
by Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak (4/1/07)
"Boondocking" means camping
in your RV with no hookups. There are two types of boondocking.
One type is parking in more out-of-the-way places, usually for
several days or even an extended period of time. Public lands
offer many opportunities for boondocking. The
other type of boondocking is often referred to as "blacktop
boondocking," that is when you camp overnight on a Wal-Mart
or shopping center parking lot or in a truck stop...[More]
Visiting America's
National Monuments by Alice Zyetz (2/18/07)
When people think about traveling throughout the United States
either by renting or purchasing an RV, one major goal is to
see as many national parks as possible. Unfortunately, during
the heavy tourist season, the parks are jammed. This month's
column introduces you to the joys of visiting the74 U.S. National
Monuments...[More]
Buying
a New RV -- or Not! by Jaimie Hall (1/7/07)
When George and I met, we each had an RV. His
was a 2001 30-foot New Horizon fifth wheel, pulled by a GMC
Duramax. After eight years of full-time RVing in a 32-foot Pace
Arrow, I now had a home base and a Lance camper with slideout
on a 350 Ford with 4-wheel drive...[More]
The
Glory That is Q by Alice Zyetz (12/3/06)
When I first started RVing thirteen years ago,
I had heard insiders refer to Quartzsite, Arizona, as "Q,"
the place in the desert "not to be missed." Driving
east on Interstate 10 in mid-July that first year, I saw a sign
heralding Quartzsite. "We have to get off here," I
told my husband. "Everybody says you have to stop in Q
at least once." So we did...[More]
Fire Stations
& RV Fire Safety by Jaimie Hall (10/29/06)
If George's son Ian had not gotten married in Colorado
in September, we would not have visited the Colorado Springs
fire station where he is employed as a firefighter. Ian gave
us the full tour, and did I get an education! Did you know that
a fire department somewhere in the U.S. responds to a fire every
20 seconds? [More]
Military Campgrounds
by Alice Zyetz (10/8/06)
Located on military bases, military campgrounds provide an option
for many people who want to camp in beautiful areas, but prefer
not to pay the prices asked for by private facilities. Military
campgrounds are restricted to career and retired military, disabled
veterans, Department of Defense workers, and various others
connected to active service and their guests... [More]
Fun
and Fascinating Jobs for RVers
by Jaimie Hall
(9/10/06)
Would you wear a silly crab hat or dress like
a clown? Can you imagine getting paid to kayak? How would you
like to be right down with the cars on a race track? Working
on the road, known as Workamping, is more than just campground
hosting - it encompasses a wide range of ways to earn money.
Some are downright fun...[More]
Vintage
RVs & Trailers by Alice Zyetz (8/4/06)
What is an RV? Is it the mammoth 45-foot million-dollar motorhome
or the 40-foot fifth wheel trailer hauled by a medium duty truck?
As you know from reading our columns, RVs range in size and
price down to the little Class C motorhome that looks like a
truck with a cab over the front. This month we'll look at another
class of RVs-vintage trailers from the '30s, '40s and '50s.
Once relegated to the junk heaps, they have become popular with
"Boomers," helping them relive their childhood camping
experiences...[More]
RV Trips Around
the Globe by Jaimie Hall (7/3/06)
RVers have so much to see in United States and Canada. Adventuresome
RVers travel into Mexico, and some venture all the way to Panama.
But even with all these places to see in North America, some
RVers' wanderlust takes them to overseas destinations. Rather
than pay for a hotel or a rental, an RV exchange is one way
to reduce expenses. Plus, you can more easily tap into local
knowledge... [More]
RVs:
Still Popular Despite High Fuel Prices by Alice Zyetz
(6/4/06)
"Won't the high fuel prices affect the RV lifestyle?"
is the question we are asked frequently. I spend a good part
of the year at an RV resort in the high desert of Southern California.
Usually most people are traveling to cooler climates by Memorial
Day and don't return until October. This year the campground
is as deserted as it was last year. The difference is that they
are not traveling as far and are staying in one location longer,
doing their sightseeing locally. What I have experienced is
substantiated by recent research...[More]
Passing
on a Legacy by Jaimie Hall (5/7/06)
Though both Bill and I enjoyed nature, we did not discover the
wonders of our great natural national parks until we began full-time
RV travel. Most of our experience had been limited to national
battlefield parks like Gettysburg. However when we hit the road,
we worked; our first job was at Grand Teton National Park. Over
the next ten years, we worked in seven national parks. We were
amazed at the beauty and diversity. Being in a natural park
was calming yet exhilarating...[More]
On the Road Again with Biodiesel
by Alice Zyetz (4/9/06)
Recently you may have seen ads featuring Willie Nelson, songwriter
of "On the Road Again" fame and many other classics,
fueling his Prevost motor home with his BioWillie biodiesel
fuel. Archer Daniels Midland Company is also advertising heavily
that they are building a 50-million gallon biodiesel facility.
Thanks to Willie and ADM, the concept of biodiesel fuel is no
longer in the shadows...[More]
Road
Trips to Hot Springs
by Jaimie Hall (3/5/06)
There's nothing quite like a relaxing soak in hot, hot water
after a long day's drive or sitting in hot water up to your
neck in the cold night air, watching satellites and comets shoot
across the dark night sky. Any wonder why we love hot springs?
This winter we added two more hot springs to our life list,
only fueling our desire to experience more. As we travel, we
check to see if there are any hot springs along our route. They
are both refreshing and relaxing. In fact, it is easy to get
hooked and make hot springs not only part of the journey but
even at times the destination... [More]
Bird-watching
on the Road by Alice Zyetz (1/29/06)
Another pleasurable byproduct of RV travel is the ability to
go anywhere to view birds you don't ordinarily see at home.
And you don't have to be an expert to enjoy the experience.
All you need is a good book, a pair of binoculars, and the ability
to get up early. My husband and I did fine on the first two,
but struggled with the third. We are the type of RVers who get
going at "the crack of noon..." [More]
Big
Bend National Park by Jaimie Hall (1/1/06)
Driving into Big Bend National Park for the first time, down
the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castolon, I was struck by the
diversity of terrain. The Chisos Mountains, volcanic rock carved
by erosion, loomed to the east, Burro Mesa rose to the west.
As I dropped in elevation, alluvial slopes covered by a sea
of creosote bush stretched before me. Later, hiking across the
Chihuahuan desert floor would reveal many species which could
stab, prick or grab, including ocotillo, mesquite, wicked lechuguilla,
green and purple prickly pear cacti, and many...[More]
RV Road Trip: Tucson
by Alice Zyetz
(12/4/05)
The popular concept of RVing is traveling down the long,
lonesome highway, stopping by a faraway desert cactus to spend
the night in splendid isolation. Which we did last month, except
we were fifteen minutes away from urban Tucson, a city of more
than half a million people, full of art galleries, museums,
live theater, concerts, and multiple activities. As a former
resident of New York City and Los Angeles, I love the Recreational
Vehicle lifestyle, but I miss the energy of a city. It was a
delight to find both in Tucson...[More]
Fractional
Ownership: Time Share RVing by Jaimie
Hall
(11/6/05)
Out of the 30 million RV enthusiasts, only a few
million are full-time RVers. Most have a house and use their
RVs for trips or for travel during part of the year. Their RV
may sit unused most of the time. So, why not rent an
RV when you need one? For some, renting does not meet their
needs. RV rentals are typically low-end coaches. For the person
seeking an upscale luxury coach, the only choice has been to
purchase it -- until recently. Now several companies are offering
the opportunity to have the use of a high-end coach for a set
number of weeks per year at a big savings off the price of buying
one outright...[More]
Leaf-Peeping
Road Trips by Alice Zyetz
(10/2/05)
Visiting the fall foliage is a rich experience for any traveler.
RVers have the added bonus that we can camp amidst the color.
Many of the spectacular drives are in national forest lands
with primitive campgrounds sprinkled throughout the area. One
of my favorite New England drives is on the Kancamagus Highway,
located in the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire...[More]
Big
Cities By RV by Jaimie Hall
(9/11/05)
Last week a friend and I ventured into downtown Los Angeles
to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to see the traveling
King Tut exhibit, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs.
Gilded statuettes, exquisite jewelry, and a dagger hidden in
his mummy wrappings are among the more than 130 treasurers on
display. Later they will move to Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, and
then Philadelphia. Many RVers shudder at the thought
of driving in downtown Los Angeles or other large cities...[More]
How
to Rent an RV by Alice Zyetz
(8/1/05)
Each month Jaimie Hall or I write about the joys
of the RV lifestyle. But what if you don't own an RV? How will
you ever know what it's like? The solution is to rent one. This
month we'll look at a variety of ways to temporarily acquire
an RV (including partial ownership) for specific vacations,
what you need to know, some advice to prevent problems, and
how to locate the companies...[More]
Watch
How Things Are Made! by Jaimie Hall
(7/3/05)
Big brown eyes stared as our small group walked down the aisle.
Jersey cows looked at us from the right with Holstein and Brown
Swiss cows on our left. My daughter, three grandchildren, and
I were at Hope Acres, a totally robotic dairy -- the first of
two factory tours we took on my recent visit to Pennsylvania...[More]
How
to Find an RV Campsite, by Alice Zyetz
(6/5/05)
Memorial Day is past -- it's time to think about your trips
this summer. You've decided where you want to go, but where
will you park? How do you start looking for a campground?
What does it cost? Will it accommodate your size RV? Do you
need reservations? What activities are there for your kids?
There are many types of public and private campgrounds throughout
the United States and Canada...[More]
Take Your RV to Europe,
reviewed by Jaimie Hall
(5/1/05)
If you have thought about an extended RV trip in Europe,
Take Your RV to Europe: The Low-Cost Route to Long-Term
Touring is a must-have for planning and budgeting for
your trip. Authors Adelle and Ron Milavsky relate their decision-making
process for taking their motorhome to Europe rather than renting
one there. Surprisingly, the cost isn't that much more when
compared to what you'd spend if you stayed home...[More]
RV School Days, by Alice Zyetz
(4/4/05)
How DO they know how to maneuver those giant RVs down the
road? The truth is most people aren't born knowing how to drive
RVs, how to work with solar panels, propane, or any of the myriad
details necessary to live a safe RV life. Some people are taught
by their parents, siblings, friends; some people...[More]
Desert
Wildflower Report, by Jaimie Hall
(3/6/05)
April showers bring May flowers -- only in the
case of the desert, winter rains bring flowers from February
through April or May. Unlike wetter areas, each year in the
desert brings the question: Will this be a good year for wildflowers?
When the desert receives a lot of rain, like this winter, we
expect a banner year for wildflowers...[More]
RVing: More
Than Beautiful Scenery, by Alice Zyetz
(2/6/05)
When people start out on the road, they usually think of the
RV lifestyle as an extended two-week vacation that will last
for the rest of their lives. They cherish the thought they don't
have to restrict their trip to just one national park; now they
can visit ALL the national parks. After that is done, they can
see ALL the national monuments. Phew. I've met people who say
that they couldn't wait to get off the road because it was exhausting-moving
every few days, little contact with others, miles and miles
and miles of driving...[More]
Winter
in Quartzsite, by Jaimie Hall
(1/9/05)
Originally little more than a stage stop and way stationon the
California-Arizona line, Quartzsite, a small town of 1900 residents,
plays host to several hundred thousand visitors in January and
February each year. The majority of these part-time residents
arrive in hundreds of recreational vehicles of every kind and
style. Why do those thousands of RVers come to Quartzsite in
the winter? Warm weather and the many shows and swap
meets...[More]
Tecopa,
California: Off the Beaten Path,
by Alice Zyetz
(12/5/04)
When I lived in Los Angeles, the desert was a place you
drove through to get to Las Vegas. But since I've become a full-time
RVer, the desert is my home in the winter. One of the joys of
RVing is spending time in a place that is NOT on everybody's
"Must See" list. Tecopa, California, is just such
a place. Next time you are on your way to Death Valley or Las
Vegas, give yourself an extra few days to stop in Tecopa, midway
between Baker and Death Valley on...[Read
more]
Comparing
Types of RVs: Pros and Cons, by
Alice Zyetz
(11/6/04)
The issue of assessing pros and cons is very individual.
What is a bonus for one family is a definite liability for another.
For example, a small family that wants to travel easily to many
destinations for sightseeing will want a small easy-to-handle
rig. A family with off-road vehicles that goes to the desert
to spend time with other families in one spot to use their sand
buggies will want a rig that provides sleeping and eating space
but...[Read more]
Writing on the
Road: Novelist Sue Henry, by Jaimie Hall (10/10/04)
It's no surprise that many RVers are would-be writers.
While most RV writing consists of how-to or destination pieces,
we now have a fiction series whose main character is an RVer.
Sue Henry's sixty-something woman RVer isn't the usual protagonist
in a murder mystery, but it works. The first whodunit in the
series, The Serpents Trail, finds Maxie McNabb and her
mini-dachshund Stretch traveling in her Minnie Winnie from Alaska
to Grand Junction, Colorado...[Read
more]
RoadTripping
With Physical Challenges, by Alice Zyetz
(9/5/04)
Since 1990, we have all become more familiar with results
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): the little blue
logo for close-in parking spaces, the accessible toilet stalls,
the sloping curbs. As campers, we have seen certain campsites
dedicated to the disabled and some sightseeing trails marked
as accessible. But in my experience, until we ourselves experience
some disabling circumstance, or we take the time to...[Read
more]
Introduction
to Geocaching, by Jaimie Hall
(8/1/04)
My introduction to geocaching was a search for the "Long
Tube." At a rally last winter in Quartzsite, Arizona, friends
Pam and Steve Ritchie taught a class on Global Positioning Satellite
(GPS) devices and introduced us to the adventure of hunting
for geocaches...[Read
more]
Clubs
for RVers, by Alice Zyetz
(7/11/04)
Ah, the life of the open road: the sense of complete
freedom, just meandering down the back roads of our great country,
moving from one beautiful scene to the next-no plans, no cares,
no responsibilities, no neighbors, nobody to talk to but each
other (IF you are traveling with a partner). For some people,
the independence is a delightful change from their old life.
But for most of us, we begin to miss the networks we built during
our "stick house" years. We seek companionship and
some structure as we wander. The solution: membership clubs.
In addition to providing...[Read
more]
How
Do They Live Like That? Book
Review by Alice Zyetz (6/13/04)
Most RV books and magazine articles address the
how-to issues: how to get your mail, how to select an RV, how
to find places to park, how to fix any physical system that
will fail, and, of course, where to travel next. After ten years
of traveling, I have learned from my experiences and others'
that the hardest "system" to fix is the human one.
For many people who have lived long and fruitful lives together
in a house with a number of rooms and a life with a number of
separate activities, being thrust together in one box twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week, many months in a row can be
a shock. Some books do address these issues, but...[Read
more]
Membership
Campgrounds & Discount Camping Clubs, by Alice Zyetz
(5/16/04)
Second only to "How do you get your
mail?" is the question "Where do you park at night?"
The answers are as varied as there are RVers. They range from
staying in public campgrounds to free and inexpensive parking
on government land and in truck stops and from stopping for
the night at "Camp Wal-Mart" to staying at posh private
campgrounds in resort areas for a two-week vacation. In addition
are the KOAs and myriad private campgrounds sprinkled throughout
the country for which you can get 10 to 15 percent discounts
from camping organizations like Good Sam, Escapees, AAA, and...[Read
more]
RVing
Route 66, by Jaimie Hall (4/11/04)
Last summer my husband and I had the opportunity
to travel one of our most famous historic
highways—Route 66.
As we traveled in our RVs, we got an insider's
look at this historic route, much of which can still be driven.
It was a lesson in history on the effects of the Interstate
system: entire towns turned to ghosts while nearby towns thrived.
We could imagine ourselves motoring along two-lane sections
through the countryside when this was the major route between
Chicago and Los Angeles. We treasured the abandoned gas stations,
motels, and motorcourts. We saw historic establishments still
luring...[Read more]
Rolling
Solo: Tips for Traveling Alone, by Alice Zyetz
(3/8/04)
Safety is an important issue for all
RVers. For solo RVers, particularly women, safety is one of
the key concerns expressed. Here are some useful tips, adapted
from our eBook, The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing...[Read
more]
