RV Lifestyle RV Podcast

We’ve had  many fun conversations with RVers as we’ve met up with them in our travels over the past few weeks. In our interview of the week segment coming up, you’ll meet and hear from a bunch of them as they share just why they have chosen the RV Lifestyle. Plus we have RV News, tips, Q&A and an Off the Beaten Path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Mike and Jen at the back of their campsite at Boyd's campground in Key West, FL Mike and Jennifer share their travels and their current location – Key West, FL! Note: Our next meetup will be this coming Sunday, March 8, in Naples, FL. We'll  meet from 3-5pm on Sunday March 8th at Bone Hook Brewing Company, 1514 Immokalee Rd, Naples, FL 34110.   Mike, Jen and Bo on their golf cart touring Key West Our campsite at Boyds Campground in Key West with our rented golf cart for exploring This part of the podcast is brought to you by the Nimble Pet Monitor 4G, the surest way we know of to have peace of mind that the temperature for your pets back in the RV is not too high. More information and a big discount for listeners ft the RV Podcast is available at https://rvlifestyle.com/nimble RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Drivers who stay in the left lane instead of using it to pass can now be ticketed in Arizona JENNIFER If you are planning on driving through Arizona on any interstate anytime soon, be sure to only use the passing line for, well, passing. A new state law that went into effect in January permits police to ticket drivers who stay in the fast lane instead of using it to pass. Increasingly states are enacting laws permitting police to ticket those who stay in the left lane since it not only is poor driving, but it can be dangerous, putting other drivers at risk. To read more about Arizona's law click here. Great Smoky Mountains National Park leads country with most visitors in 2019 MIKE Ever wonder which American national parks get the most visitors? The Great Smoky Mountains National park received the most visitors with 12.5 million in 2019, followed by the Grand Canyon National Park at 5.97 million and the Rocky Mountains National Park at 4.7 million. The figures were released last week and showed 327.5 million visitors to all of the national parks in 2019, up by 2.9 percent from 2018. Also, the 2019 visitors number was the third highest recorded since 1904. Volunteer RVers help repair Florida's Caverns State Park campground so site can soon reopen from Hurricane Michael JENNIFER A team of RVers descended on Florida's Caverns State Park to help officials restore the campground devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Contractors did some repairs but much still needed to be done, and Florida state park staff were limited in how much time they could spend restoring the campground. So, the team of volunteers descended and completed almost all of the jobs, leaving just one - involving the campground's well- to be done before the site can reopen. Click here to see our visit to the state park before Hurricane Michael hit. Space heater, extension cords blamed for fire in Florida RV park that claimed two lives MIKE A very sad story out of Florida last week highlighted a couple, snowbirds, who died in their RV because of a fire at the Highbanks Marina Camp and resort on West Highbanks Road near the Central Florida town of Debary. While fire officials were still investigating, it appeared to be caused by a space heater. Apparently multiple space heaters, extension cords and power strips were in use in the RV. In a report on fire safety we did a few years back, we learned there are about 1,000 RV fires each year, and space heaters are a common cause. Our heart goes out to the loved ones of this RVing couple, and we thought it could be helpful to share this post, to remind us all on what we can do to reduce the likelihood of accidentally starting a fire while we camp. Article examines the true costs of RVing fulltime JENNIFER

This week we talk with the CEO of the new Roadtrek Inc. and how the company is counting on a new emphasis on quality to overturn the tarnished reputation left when the once iconic maker of Class B campervans was caught up in a massive financial scandal last year. We also update you on the recalls and investigations plaguing the old company as the new owners begin production at their Cambridge, Ontario, Canada factory. The old company was known as Roadtrek Motorhomes. The new one is Roadtrek Inc. This episode of the TV Podcast features a very candid interview with Dane Found, the new CEO of Roadtrek Inc,  owned by the Rapido Group of France. Found talks about the challenges involved in restarting production and winning back business following the sudden collapse of the old Roadtrek, once the best-selling Class B manufacturer in North America. Plus, we have lots of RV news, tips and an off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #283 Feb. 26 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER We're on the road, heading into Florida this week doing last-minute research and taking lots of photos for our 7 Day Adventure Guide series on different regions of the country. We’re recording this podcast from Albany, GA, where we stopped to see our son and his family and take in a baseball game with grandson, Jacob. MIKE I used the visit to put the final editing touches on the movie I made that chronicle’s grandson Matthew’s senor year of playing football. JENNIFER And on the way down we stopped north of Atlanta and were able to have dinner with our grandson Nick and his girlfriend, Liz. Our 4th grandson, Zachary, is moving to Phoenix, so we won’t be able to catch up with him in person until we et there later in the spring. That’s one of the nice things about traveling North America in an RV…we get to visit with our kids and grandkids, who are scattered all over the country. As this podcast is being released we will be heading to Forida, where we’ll be spending the next couple of months. As we travel, we're trying to do meetups from various spots. The first will be this Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Ocala RV Show in Ocala, FL from 11AM to 1PM at the Sunshine State RVs display. We look forward to meeting our Florida followers and snowbird friends wintering down there. MIKE We're also posting videos, photos and lots of social media updates on our travels, meetups, adventures, and plans, especially on Instagram. You can follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rvlifestylemike  As a special for the leap year day coming up at the end of February, we've decided to mark down our Beginner's Guide to Boondocking to just $20 from TODAY (2/26) until the end of the month (midnight EST, Sat 2/29)! No discount code needed. Use our guide to get more comfortable with boondocking (or learn some new tricks), throw off the shackles of traditional RV Parks and campgrounds, and STOP paying high fees every night that you spend in your RV!  Get Your Copy Of The Beginner's Guide To Boondocking Here! This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Lack of Chinese tourists because of coronavirus expected to impact Yellowstone tourism industry this year Yellowstone National Park tourism groups are preparing for a downturn in visitors this year as a fall out of the coronavirus. About 350,000 to 400,000 Chinese tourists visit Yellowstone each year but because of the virus, the Chinese government has proposed mandatory quarantines on parts of the country and the U.S. government has greatly restricted travel from China. All Chinese tour groups are completely suspende...

This week we meet the executive producer of a Discovery Channel show about the RV Life… who tells us how RVing has changed his life in the most unexpected way… Our guest is Anthony Nalli, who shares a behind the scenes look at the popular RVers TV series, as seen on the Discovery Channel and the PBS network…. Plus we have RV news, tips, your questions and a very interesting off the beaten path report from our friends, the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #282 Feb. 19, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’ll…here we go again. We’re off, this time on a trip that will probably last about three months. This is a crazy busy week for us, getting the RV serviced, topping off the propane, packing it and then taking off across the south and southwest U.S. We hit the road right after this episode is released. We've got lots of great adventures planned, starting with a big circle tour of Florida. Speaking of Florida, we'll be doing a meetup at the Ocala RV Show in Ocala, FL Saturday Feb. 29 from 11AM to 1PM at the Sunshine State RVs display. We look forward to meeting our Florida followers and snowbird friends wintering down there. We plan to also visit the Space Coast, Key West, the Everglades and Naples. We also will be checking out a brand new RV resort that just opened for the over 55 crowd in Summerfield, FL (Sunkissed Village RV Resort). And then on up and along the Gulf Coast, first to Texas and then heading all the way to New Mexico. We'll have videos, blog posts and lots of social media updates on our travels, meetups, adventures, and plans by sharing regular updates on our travels, especially on Instagragram. You can follow us on Instagram by clicking https://www.instagram.com/rvlifestylemike    If you have some suggestions of things we should see and do and report about. Just send them to us via email. You can email us anytime at mikeandjen@rvlifestyle.com.... This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK California state parks building new campground with stunning, ocean side views California state parks are in the process of building a new, 110 site ocean-side campground at Fort Ord Dunes State Park. The state park opened about a decade ago off Highway 1, near Seaside. It is a former army base with four miles of breathtaking coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Currently the land is a favorite of surfers and beach walkers. The state plans to start construction on the campground this fall, and open it in 2022. Utah officials want to create new state park near Arches National Park Speaking of new state parks, Utah state legislators want to create a "Utahraptor" state park that will recognize Utah's dinosaur discoveries and provide a second entrance to Arches National Park. The Mayor of Moab spoke in favor of this, saying the community has had problems with people boondocking in areas where it is not allowed, causing community problems. The spot of the proposed park is 15 miles north of Moab where the Utahraptor was discovered. The site was also an internment camp in WWII. Some large RV parks hiring RV service technicians to help customers, provide new revenue source Long time readers know we have reported at length over the years about the shortage of RV service technicians. (click here or here). So it was with interest we read a story in RVBusiness about RV parks hiring their own RV technicians as a side revenue source- and a way to help campers. Hiring RV technicians and employing them at a large campground makes sense to us. To read the story click here. Owner of Newmar RV successfully sues under lemon law   A story about a court deciding in favor of a 2016 London Aire RV...

It’s time for a reality check about fulltime RV Living. This week you’ll meet Kevin and Laura of Chapter3Travels.com, who have been fulltime RVers for nearly five years now and are known for telling it as it is. We’ll have a great discussion and talk candidly about why so many fulltimers come off the road, not lasting nearly as long as they had hoped. Plus, we have lots of RV News, your questions and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Here are the shownotes: But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer… who just happens to be celebrating her birthday today! Happy birthday, my dear! WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This photo of Jen posing on top of the RV is meant as a spoof... as explained in the elsewhere in the podcast. It was shot las week in Arizona We are still celebrating a major event! We reached 100,000 subscribers for our our RV Lifestyle Channel! As that grows, our next goal is to reach 10,000 Subscribers to our Instagram page - @rvlifestylemike We’re home in Michigan after a great trip to Arizona.  Next week, we take off for Florida where we are finalizing research and photography for our next two 7 Day Adventure Guides, one to Florida’s East Coast, anther devoted just to the Keys. Those two will join our already published Florida 7 Day Adventure Guide to Florida’s Gulf Coast. Florida is such a popular RV destination that we feel we need three guides to cover it all and we hit the road next week to finish up the next two books, which should come out the first of the next month. That’s one reason we love doing these 7 Day Adventure Guides as eBooks. They can be published so much faster than traditional books and they can easily be updated without long printing delays. We have six of them now available covering various regions of the county. You can find them at rvlifestyle.com/books. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Katmai National Park considering permit system to protect visitors- and bears Alaska's Katmai National Park is taking comments on a proposed rule to require permits for those seeking to wander about the Brooks River Corridor, a popular place for watching the famous brown bears. The permits are in response to a growing concern about the numbers of visitors getting too close to the bears. The park is worried the bears will lose their fear of people, and wants to avoid having to put a bear down. The park is also considering expanding its camping to up to 14 days and permitting e-bikes. To learn more about Katmai's bears, check out interview we did with a ranger here. Oregon set new record in number of campers staying at state parks in 2019 Oregon state parks set record in number of campers last year. The state has experienced incredible growth in camping for about a decade, but last year it reported 2.93 million camper nights at its 56 state campgrounds setting a new record. The trend of more campers is also showing up on federally managed lands in Oregon. Smoking near playgrounds at Pennsylvania's state parks now illegal If you are planning to camp at any of Pennsylvania's state parks this year, and you smoke or vape, better listen up. The state has a new law that prohibits smoking within 30 feet of a playground and that includes 135 locations in the state's 121 parks. Signs will go up, detailing the new rule, by Memorial Day. Campers rescued from North Carolina campground after heavy rains trapped them on site   Eight people and three dogs were rescued from their campground at Dan River Campground in North Carolina after rushing waters swept through their site. The flooding happened when heavy rains swept through the a...

This week in the RV Podcast, we learn about having Less Junk and More Journey from Marissa and Nate, a young couple with a very popular YouTube channel who fulltime in their RV with their young children. It all started in an effort to declutter and downsize Show Notes for Episode #280 Feb 5, 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK   This episode is coming to you from the road and it may sound a little different because we don’t have all our normal podcast gear with us. We made a very impromptu trip to Arizona this week and, because we flew out here we didn’t have room for all that equipment. We borrowed an RV from a friend, though, and have had an awesome time boondocking in the desert, hiking and exploring… first at Quartzsite and later down south closer to Yuma in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. As we record this, we are in Tucson, attending an RV industry event called Dometic in the desert, attended by lots of industry folks and our fellow RV Lifestyle YouTube influencers. Dometic is a major player in the RV industry that innovates technology so RVers can go further and stay longer – that’s their motto  and they make everything, such as RV coolers and refrigerators,  toilets, air conditioning, heating, climate control devices, awnings, cooking and RV kitchen appliances…you name it they make it and they are planning even more, researching and developing improvements in lithium and solar energy products for RVers…and lots more. Anyway, we’re here learning about some of those developments and hanging out with a lot of our friends who also do RV blogs, YouTube Channels and the like. We should point out that out borrowed RV, after our desert boondocking, is in the parking lit and we and everyone else at this event are staying in the beautiful and five star luxury Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, which Dometic has taken over for this event.  Talk about contrast. From the stark beauty of the desert to the luxury of a five star resort. Wjat an awesome week this has been. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK RV manufacturers who reply on parts manufactured in China watch for signs of supply chain delays  As public health workers strive to contain the coronavirus, which first surfaced more than a month ago in China, the effects of keeping people home and closing shop have the RV industry bracing for a hit on its supply chain. Many RV manufacturers get parts from Chinese factories. But as Chinese officials tell people to stay home, and keep factories closed, many RV manufacturers are carefully watching the situation, wondering how factory delays, increased sickness, or mandatory quarantines could ripple through the supply lines and - possibly - a few months down the road, lead to production delays. Are you planning to see Yosemite's "firefall" this month? Have you heard about Yosemite National Park's "firefall"? The time to view it (February 14-27) is fast approaching, and park officials are putting in restrictions in anticipation of large crowds. For those unfamiliar, each winter - usually in February - when the sun is setting, its colors reflect on Horsetail Falls, which flows over El Capitan, making it look like bright orange lava is flowing down. This usually happens shortly before sunset, and has become a major tourist attraction. In anticipation of the crowds the National Park Service is requiring most visitors to park one and a half miles away and walk to the Fall. It is also recommending people bring flashlights and warm clothes for the walk back in the dark. GM unveils new brake system for pick up trucks that enables trucks hauling a camper to stop faster

This week on the RV Podcast our special guests are the RV Geeks…Peter and John, hosts of the popular Discovery Channel TV series called the RVers and their own RV Geeks You Tube Channel, which teaches how to maintain and modify your RV. We’ll meet them, learn their fascinating back story and get some great advice about the RV Lifestyle! WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re recording this 279th episode of the RV Podcast  on Jan. 28, 2020 and did you know, today is National Plan for Vacation Day? Did you know that more than half of Americans fail to use all of their vacation days from work each year? Today is National Plan for Vacation Day - a day dedicated to taking the time to plan a vacation and commit to utilizing that vacation time. Annually, U.S. workers left an average of 6.5 days off, unused - imagine what you could have done with that week!   I bet RVers don’t leave unused vacation days! But having a National Plan for Vacation Day is a god idea. Now is the time to start making plans to enjoy every minute of your well deserved vacation days in 2020. Lets get bout there! We are starting to really get excited! We're now only about a little more than 1,000 subscribers short of the 100K mark  on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel! Having 100,000 subscribers is a really big deal in the YouTube world and it has been a goal we have been working for hard over the past few years. You can help us reach that goal by subscribing to the channel. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RV LIFESTYLE CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. We are almost there! Please, if you haven't yet subscribed, please help us reach our goal. If you are already a subscriber... THANK YOU! And please tell a friend. How should we celebrate when we cross that 100,000 mark? Should we display the award YouTube will send us in the RV? Should we try and go live when we turn the dial to 100K?  The time is approaching and I admit, we're starting to obsess a bit as we watch those subscriptions slowly trend upwards. This week, we're trying to finalize our travels. We have some exciting trips coming up… even this week! We will have the itinerary completed day or so and will tell you on our Sunday night Ask Us Anything live show on YouTube about a quick trip that we’ll be leaving for right after we finish this podcast. That will be at 7PM Eastern Time Sunday and we hope to be live from a fun location that we will do our best to show you. After the trip this week, we will pack up the RV and take off for what looks like a several month cross country trip. But the 2020 travel season for us is off and running! This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Environmentalists call on Florida governor to stop oil company near Big Cypress National Preserve  Environmental groups are urging Florida's governor to block a Texas oil company interested in drilling near Big Cypress National Preserve in the Florida Everglades. The area is home to Florida's black panther, and the swampy land is an  aquifer, operating as a major source of drinking water to nearby residents and clean water for the Everglades. The whole matter of oil drilling near national parks is a growing one in the news, and this story drawing lots of interest from those concerned about protecting the nation's natural parks. Manatees are back at Florida state park and campground, with new webcams for those who can't visit Ok manatee lovers, you knew this was coming. The live webcams at two Florida state parks with hot springs are full of manatees trying to stay warm this winter. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has two new webcams. (click here) Webcams are also at Florida's Blue Springs State Park,...

This week on our RV Podcast interview of the week, we're going to continue our series of talking to other YouTubers and other bloggers who are out there covering the RV lifestyle. And I'm really excited to bring on as our special guest this week - Traveling Robert. He'll share his story and you'll get to know more about him and how that all his wonderful video and RV stores have come about.  Also this week, RV News of the week, Your RV Lifestyle Questions, Tips and another great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #278 Jan 22 2020 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK What a whirlwind two weeks this has been for us! First our annual winter campout in the snow in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and, all last week, the huge Florida RV Supershow in Tampa.  We should be tired, but instead we are so energized by the enthusiastic encouragement we received at the show from so many people. At times, we couldn't walk more than 10 feet without being recognized and it was so much fun meeting our Fellow Travelers in person that it's a wonder we got any work done, what with all the visiting. We so enjoyed meeting and making so many new friends! Look for a video on the show this Saturday. Speaking of videos, we are starting to get very excited about our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel on YouTube! We are just over 2,000 people shy of having 100,000 subscribers! Having 100,000 subscribers is a really big deal in the YouTube world and it has been a goal we have been working for hard over the past few years. You can help us reach that goal by subscribing to the channel.PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RV LIFESTYLE CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE.We are almost there! Please, if you haven't yet subscribed, please help us reach our goal. If you are already a subscriber... THANK YOU! And please tell a friend. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Norovirus to blame for 200 people sick with a stomach bug after visiting Yosemite Authorities believe they have discovered the source of a stomach illness that affected 200 people at Yosemite National Park recently: Norovirus. Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and stomach aches and typically occurs with 12-48 hours of exposure. It is spread from contaminated foods and surfaces, and person to person contact. Most of the 200 Yosemite visitors became sick the first week of January. Nebraska state parks offering Valentine's Day specials to outdoor loving romanticsValentine's Day is going to be here before we know it. Romantics who love the outdoors, and will be in or near Nebraska this February may want to check out specials going on in the Nebraska state parks. The state park system is offering special rates for overnight stays at their cabins and other lodgings, complete with a variety of packages, including such things as a rose, chocolates, wine glasses and sparking juice. Some Michigan legislators want to petition National Park Service for limited moose hunt on Isle Royale Some Michigan legislators believe the answer to Isle Royale National Park's ever-growing moose population is a limited moose hunt. The National Park Service is in the process of transferring 30 wolves to the island to bring balance to the rising number of moose there, which are damaging the island's eco-system. Those pro-hunt legislators believe hunting permits could bring new revenue to the park and help with a moose overpopulation. Others caution the wolf relocation plan is just underway, and not enough time has passed to see what difference the wolves are making. White Sands, America's newest national park,

Our guests this week are Tom and Patti Burkett, who share with us how they find all those fascinating off-the-beaten-path stories Show Notes for Episode #276 Jan. 15, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re recording this podcast at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We’re here for our annual winter camping trip, a gathering we've been doing now for seven years. Over 30 RVers from across the country joined us to hike, snowshoe, take photos and explore the beauty of the northwoods in winter. When this podcast is released, we should be in Tampa, Fl, where we'll be attending the Tampa RV Supershow. Every day from 2-3 PM, we'll be doing Meet and Greets at the Leisure Travel Vans display at the show. And on Thursday, Jan 16, from 5-9 PM, we'll be attending a big After Show party with other YouTube influencers and bloggers at the Wing House right near the fairgrounds. Please come by and say Hi. We'll have an invitation to the party to hand you, so look for us. When not at the LTV display, we'll be roaming the show shooting videos and reporting on what's new. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK Glacier National Park is replacing signs that predicted its glaciers would be gone by 2020 The signs at Glacier National Park warning that its signature glaciers would be gone by 2020 are being changed. The signs in the Montana park were added more than a decade ago to reflect climate change forecasts at the time by the US Geological Survey. In 2017, the park was told by the agency that the complete melting off of the glaciers was no longer expected to take place so quickly due to changes in the forecast model. But tight maintenance budgets made it impossible for the park to immediately change the signs. The most prominent placards, at St. Mary Visitor Center, were changed last year. The park is still waiting for budget authorization to update signs at two other locations. But the glacier warning isn't being removed entirely. Instead, the new signs will say: "When they will completely disappear depends on how and when we act. One thing is consistent: the glaciers in the park are shrinking. 5 free days you can visit a national park in 2020 One of the terrific things about the National Park Service — aside from its duty to serve as the caretaker of America’s greatest outdoor spaces — is the annual designation of five days during the course of the year that are free to the public. Those five days have been announced for 2020: 20:Martin Luther King Jr. Day April 18:First day of National Park Week (a weeklong celebration of all parks) 25:National Park Service birthday 26:National Public Lands Day 11:Veterans Day On these dates, you can visit any national park across the country without paying an entrance fee. NFL quarterback off to see the world in an RV While the rest of his NFL compatriots are off to Turks & Caicos to drink cocktails out of coconuts, Jaguars rookie Quarterback Gardner Minshew has found a different way to blow off steam this offseason. He’s on the open road traveling from Florida to California in a Class A Ace motorhome. He said the trip is to relax and recenter himself after a wildly successful rookie year that earned him enthusiastic fans all over the world. He’s asked those fans to send him places to visit, things to see using the hashtag #MilesWithMinshew on his Twitter account. She was wading through water at Everglades National Park. Then an alligator bit her An 18-year-old college student was bitten by an alligator while on a university nature hike in the Everglades.The teen’s professor led her and about 15 other students on a w ve...

This week in the RV Podcast, we present the 2020 RV Bucket list. Each year at this time we ask our audience to call in and leave us a message about their RV travel plans for the New Year. And we have a lively assortment of them to play for you in the Interview of the Week segment, coming up. You’ll find it fascinating where other RVers want to go, and why. And, we’re sure, come up with some new travel ideas as suggested by our audience. Also, this week, RV News, tips, questions, comments and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts Show Notes for Episode #275 Jan. 7, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK The Holidays are over. We packed away the last of the Christmas decorations this weekend and now it's time to hit the road. From Wednesday-Sunday, we'll be camping in the snow at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This is an annual event that we've been doing now for seven years. Over 40 RVers from across the country will be joining us to hike, snowshoe, take photos and explore the beauty of the northwoods in winter. The day after that event ends, we head to Tampa, Fl, where we'll spend from Jan. 14-18 attending the Tampa RV Supershow. Every day from 2-3 PM, we'll be doing Meet and Greets at the Leisure Travel Vans display at the show. And on Thursday, Jan 16, from 5-9 PM, we'll be attending a big After Show party with other YouTube influencers and bloggers at the Wing House right near the fairgrounds. Please come by and say Hi. We'll have an invitation to the party to hand you, so look for us. When not at the LTV display, we'll be roaming the show shooting videos and reporting on what's new. The after Show Party at the Wing House opens to the public at 6PM and is free. It promises to be really fun. Who will be there? Here’s the list: Mike and Jennifer Wendland, RV Lifestyle, www.rvlifestyle.com Peter Knize and John Sullivan, The RV Geeks, www.thervgeeks.com Jason and Rae Miller, Getaway Couple, www.getawaycouple.com Marc and Julie Bennett, RV Love, www.rvlove.com Anthony Nalli, Creator and host of The RVers, www.thervers.tv Kyle and Olivia Brady, Drivin’ and Vibin’, www.drivinvibin.com Tom and Caitlin Morton, Mortons on the Move, www.mortonsonthemove.com Nathan and Marissa Moss, Less Junk, More Journey, www.lessjunkmorejourney.com Come see us! This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Camping reservations for Canada's national parks unroll this month If you are planning on camping in one of Canada's beautiful national parks this summer, the reservation system will open in waves throughout this month. A handful opened last Friday. Others, like Jasper and Banff open this week, and others like Prince Edward Island, open January 20. For a complete list of when reservations open for each national park click here. When to catch the most amazing astronomical sightings of 2020   If you are like Jen and me and enjoy star gazing when camping, then you may be interested in this article. It covers the many things astronomy lovers can expect in 2020, such as when the super moons will arrive (first one is Feb. 9), when the various meteor shows appear and more. If you want to take pictures of the night skies, we had a podcast on this some time back that may be helpful. Click here to check it out. Ohio national park leases land to 10 farms - only such arrangement in the U.S. We've all heard about the financial struggles facing America's national parks and likely most have heard of the decline in small, mom-and-pop run farms. So, it was with interest we read a story last weekend on how one national park in Ohio is using farming as a ...

Our guests in RV Podcast Episode 273 are Marc and Trish of Keep Your Daydream (see https://keepyourdaydream.com) who share the joys and challenges of RV Life with teenagers. We talk about education on the road, earning an income as a fulltime RV traveler and getting along, having fun and experiencing all the joys that come from the RV Lifestyle. We love this couple and are sure after listening to this interview and watching the video version of our conversation as well…you will too! Plus, your comments, questions, RV News and tips. Notes for Episode #273 Dec. 18, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER Here we are a week before Christmas. Can you believe it? How time flies! I’ve been baking Christmas cookies the past couple of days and spent the last few hours decorating them with our daughter, Wendy and out two granddaughters Hua Hua and Rachel. MIKE How many did you decorate? I can’t believe how many you guys turned out. I’ll have to put a photo on the shownotes page. But man, they will be hard for me to resist! JENNIFER The secret is having just one… or maybe two. MIKE Dozen? JENNIFER You know!!! Meanwhile, though, we better let everyone know about the schedule. This episode is being released Wednesday December 18. Since we release our podcasts on Wednesday and next Wednesday is Christmas Day, we want you to know we will still be here with the podcast. MIKE In fact we will have a great interview with you next week with Carolyn Rose, of Carolyn’s RV Life, a very popular YouTube channel that chronicles Carolyn’s RV boondocking adventures. She’ll talk about RVing when you are all alone, a solo traveler. You will really enjoy meeting her and will not want to miss this episode!We also will have a podcast the following Wednesday, too--- January 1, New Year’s Day. JENNIFER And for the New Year’s Day podcast, need your help for that podcast. We need you to call in our voicemail number and share your 2020 Bucket List plans for us. Tell us where you want to go in your RV next year and why. You can share as much or as little as you want but we need to hear from you. We’ll edit all the voicemail responses together and Jennifer and share them as master RV Lifestyle 2020 Bucket List. Now to make that episode come together, we really, really need your help. The number to call to leave a message is 586-372-6990.  MIKE It’s just like leaving a message on any answering machine. Just call that number and tell us 1) What’s on your 2020 RV Bucket List and, 2) Why it’s on your list. Don’t worry, if you make a mistake, just start over. We’ll give the messages an edit if needed so you soon good. But to dedicate an episode to a Bucket List like this means we need you to call yours in. Again, that voicemail number is 586-372-6990.  Please call! JENNIFER Meanwhile, we are so excited to announce that our latest Seven Day Adventure Guide is done and you can download it instantly for just $7! MIKE It's a Guide to Florida's Gulf Coast from the Gulf Islands National Seashore to Naples and you can get it right now for $7 by Clicking Here! JENNIFER This digital guide (ebook) is written as a seven-day exploration of Florida’s Gulf Coast with a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking sites, and the best spots to see along the way. MIKE You can hit everything in seven days, do a whirlwind weekend tour, or you can take your time and explore the area over a few weeks. JENNIFER We have worked really hard on this to get this RV guide book out for all you Snow Birds who will be heading to the Sunshine State right after the holidays. MIKE A second one on Florida's Atlantic Coast will be coming after the New Year!  Details and a peek at the contents are available at https://rvlifestyle.com/flgulfcoast Please share this with your RVing friends. JENNIFER Also, if you still have RVing friends on your Christmas list but don't know what to get them,