RV Podcast - Stories From The Road

Welcome to another edition of the RV  Podcast. And this week, in our interview of the week segment, we’ll learn the cold hard facts about financing an RV, what’s needed, how to get a good interest rate, how not to get burned by owing more than it’s worth. Plus, we have lots of RV news this week from across North America, your RV Lifestyle questions, our RV tips and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #256 August 21, 2019 of The RV Podcast;  WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER We’re just back from an awesome stay at Chautauqua Lakeside, a very unique summer resort on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, located on the Marblehead Peninsula halfway between Toledo and Cleveland. We stayed in their campground and were kept busy attending music concerts, enjoying the fitness facilities, taking in lots of organized programs and activities, hiking and strolling "Ohio's Most Beautiful Mile" along lakeshore the beautiful grounds that were bursting with brightly colored flowers of every shape, size and species. On Thursday, look for a full video of this very unique place on our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel at https://youtube.com/rvlifestyle MIKE We’re hitting the road right after this podcast is published, headed down to the hot and humid weather of Southwest Georgia. We’ll be in Albany, GA Friday night to watch our grandson Matthew play the season’s first high school football game of the season. Matthew is in his senior year at Deerfield Windsor and like I have done for my two sons, and Matthew’s older brother Nick, who graduated a couple years ago, I’ll be doing a movie on his senior team’s season. That’s a lot of work and though we have to do some coast-to-coast RV show travel over the next couple of months, we hope to make most of those Friday night games. In between, we’ll be hanging out on the beach at our condo on Okaloosa Island on the Florida Panhandles Emerald Coast. JENNIFER As we plan out the stories and blog posts and videos we’ll be creating over the next few months, we’ve been asking our social media followers to share what's the #1 challenge you are having right now with the RV Lifestyle? And we have had dozens and dozens of replies. MIKE We wanted to give you the same opportunity and then build a whole episode of this podcast around your relies, answering and offering tips as we go. So, to you loyal podcast audience… what's the #1 challenge you are having right now with the RV Lifestyle? We want you to phone it in our RV Lifestyle voice mail at 586-372-6990… just tell us your #1 challenge or RV frustration… 586-372-6990. JENNIFER We’ve had some great responses already, ranging from not having enough time to travel because of work… to having to wait until retirement…. To overcrowded and full campgrounds…. To a lack of timely service from RV dealers…. To dealing with mice in the RV… managing space… storing food. All sorts of things. So let us know. We want to help you manage those challenges. We can’t wait to hear your response. MIKE So what’s your #1 RV Lifestyle challenge right now, Jennifer? JENNIFER Dealing with Bo when we have to be away from the RV and can’t take him with us, like this coming Friday when we’ll be attending Matthew’s football game? We’ll be camped at a campground in Albany, GA and we know it will be very hot and humid. We’ll have the air conditioner on but what if there’s a power failure? MIKE That’s a legitimate concern. We use a temperature monitor called RVPetSafety that will send me a text alert as soon as the temperature reaches a prescribed level. This is a wonderful tool we’ve been using for over a year. It really gives peace of mind when leaving your pet back at the RV. Here's a link to RVPetSafety that explains how it works. If you do buy, be sure to use the coupon code rvlifestyle to get a 10% discount. If people prefer having a human watch over their dog, they can use Rover.com to find pet sitters nearby. It's an app and website that lists bet sitters and pet boarders across North America. We've used it numerous times all over the country and have been vey happy with the care Bo has had. Anyway, those are some possible solutions to our top RV Lifestyle challenge right now. What about yours? We’d really like to know so we can serve you with some helpful info. Use that voicemail number…586-372-6990. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK MIKE Wolf attacks sleeping family at Banff National Park, tries to drag dad into woods  Did you hear about the wolf that attacked a sleeping family from New Jersey at Canada's Banff National Park? The husband, wife and their two young sons were sleeping in a tent when a wolf ripped in and attacked them. The dad fought off the wild beast while the mom threw herself over their two sons. Together the couple yelled for help, and a man, in a neighboring tent, is credited with saving the dad's life. The wolf was trying to carry the dad away when e neighboring camper kicked the wolf, startled it, and joined the dad in throwing rocks to scare it away. Wolf attacks are extremely rare, and Canadian authorities did find this wolf and euthanized it. JENNIFER Article explores why young people are driving RV popularity  The Canadian Globe and Mail produced an interesting article last weekend exploring why RV ownership is so appealing to younger buyers. From millennials being a generation looking for experiences, to RVing being economical than many other ways of traveling, the article did a good job looking at why the incredible growth in camper ownership among a younger demographic. Each year Kampgrounds of America does a survey of campers that explores industry trends and found similar results. To listen to an interview we did with the CEO of KOA on their findings, click here. MIKE Michigan Attorney General warns owners of private campground to stop using aggressive and misleading tactics to sell membership Owners of a private Michigan campground have been warned by the state Attorney General to quit using "aggressive and misleading" tactics to sell memberships. The Michigan Department of Attorney General issued a Notice of Intended Action to Bay Outdoor Adventures last week, outlining serious concerns with what it termed the company’s "aggressive and misleading sales tactics."  The company operate eight campgrounds in Michigan: in Mt. Pleasant, Davison, Grand Haven, Kalamazoo, Omer, Standish, Sterling and West Branch.  A ninth location is in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Among other things, the company was accused of: --Failing … to promptly restore … a deposit, down payment, or other payment --Gross discrepancies between the oral presentations of the seller and the written agreement covering the same transaction --and, Causing coercion and duress as the result of the time and nature of a sales presentation. JENNIFER Man creating retro posters of national parks to urge people to get  outdoors Those who love art and America’s 61 national parks may be interested in a project we read about last weekend. A photographer and graphic designer who studied under the famous photographer Ansel Adams is creating nostalgic posters with a retro 1930s and 1940s vibe for the national parks, and is selling them for $35 each. His goal is to encourage people to visit the national parks, according to a news article on his effort. MIKE Manufacturing plant blamed for fish kill in country's newest national park Portions of America's newest national park - Indiana Dunes - were closed over the weekend after dead fish started appearing in mass. The fish death was traced to a steel manufacturing company nearby, which apparently released more cyanide and ammonia-nitrogen than normal. Authorities had to close parts of the beach and water as authorities investigate further into the fish kill. The public is also being urged not to eat any fish. RV News Shorts, Tips, and Reviews A 14-year-old girl died at Glacier National Park last week from rocks that fell down on to her family's vehicle as they drove along Going-to-the-Sun road Kayakers narrowly escape injury from crumbling rocks at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK We answer voicemail questions about: The different ways different sized RVs experience wind turbulence on the road Whether a retired airplane mechanic would be able to find work as an RV service tech Plus, we answer this question posed on our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group (https://rvlifestyle.com/facebook) by a member named Despina: Dreaming the RV Lifestyle for 3 years since I first viewed your tour of your RV and learned about Class B RVs. Placed our order for a 2020 Airstream Intestate Grand Tour EXT in April 2019, but have no idea when it will arrive. But when it does, here is my dilemma what type of trips should I plan for the first months of ownership? We have never owned an RV. Do we plan short 2 or 3-day trips for the first 3 or so months to acclimate to traveling and living in an RV or do we jump in and go for longer trips. We have listened to all your podcasts, read your weekly newsletter and watched your special videos. Are we prepared for the RV Lifestyle and do we have to ease into it? Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality,

This week we get the inside secrets about RV dealers…how much they should be willing to discount, how much your brand new RV depreciates the moment you drive it out of the lot, why it can sometimes be so hard to find good service and what upsells they’ll try to talk you into like extended warranties and insurance you should reject. Our guest is the straight-taking Bob Zagami of the New England RV Dealers Association and you will not want to miss his interview on the RV Podcast this week. Also this week, your questions, RV News, tips and another great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer Show Notes for Episode #255 Sept 12, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This week’s show comes to you from the Holly State Recreation Area near Holly, MI Besides camping in Holly, we also traveled across Michigan to Holland Motorhomes where we met some other RVers and did some modifications to our Leisure Travel Favs Unity. This week, we plan to leave Holly and head to Lakeside Ohio, a long established resort and conference center right on the shores of lake Erie on the Marblehead Peninsua. We also want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week…Keithafer who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes: “We currently are not RV owners; however, we are in the process of considering an RV lifestyle. There are, of course, a great many things to learn. Even though we had a travel trailer many moons ago, a lot has changed in the industry. The RV podcast has helped me to approach this with a broader perspective. I thought I had in mind what I wanted to do, but their style has got me thinking. There are several things about this particular show. First, the show is that it is well rounded. It is a combination of news, interviews, places to visit, industry trends, and so much more. They pack it with excellent information that is also entertaining. I'm often listening, and then, the podcast is over! Second, he is not over-advertised. I like their commitment to keeping a healthy balance of sponsorship and information for the listener. Third, they seem very personable, and Mike and Jennifer work well together in the podcast. I like their honesty and family orientation. There are a lot of podcasts that I have found on RV living, but this one I look forward to the next weekly episode. I'm hoping someday, my wife, and I will get a chance to meet them in person. They also have a YouTube channel and website that adds to the overall learning experience.” Thank you, Keithaver. We so appreciated those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Stitcher or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one!  RV NEWS OF THE WEEK  JENNIFER Grandma never saw the ocean or mountains, so her grandson set out to show her A story captured the hearts of many who saw it last week about a grandson - in his late 30s - taking his grandma - in her late 80s - camping in all 61 national parks so she can see the world. The grandmother has been a widow for 20 years, worked minimum wage jobs, and never saw much of the country - which was a regret. So her grandson set out to turn that around, seeing the country's national parks. MIKE Family tent camping in southern Arizona fight off bobcat as it attacked 4-year-old girl  A bobcat attacked a 4-year-old girl camping with her family in southern Arizona last week. When the girl's family heard her screams, they all ran to help and were also attacked as the fought the animal off. Officials came out to try to trap the animal but were unsuccessful. Fifteen people ended up being treated for rabies as a precaution and the wildcat, as of this writing, was still on the loose.  JENNIFER Park service has a message: Don't pet the bison  Don't pet wild bison. Seems obvious, right? But apparently it is not. Last week a picture went viral showing a man petting a wild bison at Yellowstone National Park. The photo led the park service to issue statements warning the public not to do this. Recently a 9-year-old girl was tossed into the air and injured by a wild bison after getting too close. And at Theodore Roosevelt National Park a 17-year-old was gorged by one. Bison are wild animals - who can kill. The recommendation is to stay far away .... and definitely do not touch. MIKE Man thinks he sees Bigfoot so he tries to shoot it Federal officials are investigating a report that a man fired a gunshot while camping at Mammoth Cave National Park, an incident that another camper says was prompted by an alleged sighting of Bigfoot. Mammoth Cave said law enforcement rangers responded early Sunday to a report of a person with a firearm at one of the Kentucky park’s backcountry campsites. Brad Ginn told news outlets that he and his girlfriend were camping nearby and were awakened about 1 a.m. by a man with his son. The man said they were going to investigate strange noises he kept hearing. Ginn said he heard a gunshot minutes later and the man returned to say Bigfoot had emerged from the woods, so he fired. Ginn said he and his girlfriend decided to leave and report the incident. Park spokeswoman Molly Schroer says an investigation continues and the park is safe to visit.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Questions we tackle this week: A listener asks about what to do if they need to fill a prescription in Canada?             Canadian provinces require that pharmacies dispense medications pursuant to a valid prescription authorized by a Canadian practitioner. Therefore, U.S. prescriptions received by a Canadian pharmacy must be approved by a Canadian physician, who issues a Canadian prescription, prior to it being filled. This practice is often referred to as cosigning. To be clear, a patient or doctor in the U.S. only has to send a prescription. You do not need to worry about finding a Canadian practitioner. The pharmacy will take care of the approval process from there. Generally, U.S. pharmacies will not transfer your prescription to a Canadian pharmacy. If you decide to buy a medication from a pharmacy in Canada and you have a prescription with a U.S. pharmacy, you'll most likely need to request a new prescription from your doctor. A pastor form Ohio heard we’re visiting Lakeside of Ohio soon and has a recommendation for a great fish restaurant nearby – Jolly Rogers - for fresh Lake Erie Perch. This question came in via our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group from Beth: “I just watched You tube RV Lifestyle on a fitness club. I’m wondering if anyone has parked the night in the parking lot after working out?”         This is not something we would do. The fitness club is just a tenant in the shopping center and while most people would probably never have an incident, most cities and shopping centers don't take kindly to overnight camping in their lots/ Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week we get the inside secrets about RV dealers…how much they should be willing to discount, how much your brand new RV depreciates the moment you drive it out of the lot, why it can sometimes be so hard to find good service and what upsells they’ll try to talk you into like extended warranties and insurance you should reject. Our guest is the straight-taking Bob Zagami of the New England RV Dealers Association Here's a transcript of the entire Interview: Mike Wendland: Bob Zagami joins us right now. Bob, how's New England these days? Bob Zagami: It's incredible. It's 91 degrees. I'm sitting out on my deck of my park model up in Maine, and just enjoying the scenery. So, it's been hot like the rest of the country. Mike Wendland: One of the things I really like about Bob Zagami is that you know what RVing is all about. You just came back from a bunch of 4 or 5 thousand mile trip, didn't you? Bob Zagami: I did, Mike. I've been RVing for 40 years in everything from a pop up to a motor home. We love it. We love the lifestyle, we love the passion of it, and I did just come back from a visit to Winnebago in Iowa. They loaned me their new Boldt, which is a energy efficient, I wouldn't call it a hybrid, but Lithium-ion batteries, 200 watt solar panels on the roof, totally self-sustaining, but it was one of the more comfortable motor homes, and granted, it's a class B. Mike Wendland: Yeah. Bob Zagami: One of the more comfortable motor homes that I've driven, well insulated, easy to drive. It could be a popular unit. Mike Wendland: Yep, it is. Well, I want to have you put on your professional hat and help us understand a couple things about RV dealers. When things go wrong, it's always the dealers that get kicked. And when I look at some of the stuff like at our Facebook RV lifestyle group, the complaints about dealers, and I feel duty bound to get the other side of the story.

Staying connected on the road is right at the top of every RVers must have list. But choosing the best system and then navigating all the different price points can be a real challenge. This week we learn about a rooftop solution called Togo that combines a wi fi extender and a 4g cellular connection at what – at least right now – seems to be the best priced system available for RVers. Also this week, RV news you can use, tips, comments and your questions, plus another great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #254. Aug. 7, 2019 of The RV Podcast;  WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We update the audience on what’s new with us and our travels.. A planned trip to install a ladder to the back of our RV A planned trip to a Lake Erie campground retreat Planned trips to Georgia to watch a grandson play high school football RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK  JENNIFER Look for falling meteors this week in dark night sky One of our favorite things about camping is gazing out at the night sky. And this week is going to be a big one for stargazers, as the Perseid meteor shower, which typically produces 100 meteors per hour, is underway. This year the shower peaks August 12-13 when the moon will be particularly bright, limiting sightings. That means the best time to start looking is right now, with the show typically beginning after midnight. If you want to try to photograph the stars or showers, check out this post we did a while back. MIKE Driving slowly in the left lane? If you are in Minnesota, you now may get a ticket for $125 We all have seen it. People in their RV, maybe towing a car, driving slowly along the freeway -- in the left lane. Other drivers do it, too, of course, but we’ve too many RVers hogging that left lane for all its worth. This always makes me cringe. While I understand the complexities of dealing with merging traffic in the right lane, the left lane really is for passing, and when RVers stay in this lane, well, it gets people mad and gives all of us a bad name. Apparently I am not the only one concerned about this because starting August 1 anyone driving too slowly in the left lane in Minnesota can get a traffic ticket for $125. We expect to see other states follow suit with similar laws.  JENNIFER Camper trailer used so 6-year-old boy with cancer could travel stolen - then found after news report  A Texas family was celebrating last weekend after a camping trailer stolen from their driveway was recovered after a local news channel reported their story, and a viewer recognized the trailer the next day and called police. The trailer was something the Texas family purchased so their 6-year-old son, who was fighting cancer, could travel with them without excessive germ exposure from other people. The family was heartbroken when it was taken, especially because they did not have it insured.  The thieves had broken a window, trashed the inside, and taken some things out, but the family was happy it was recovered and working on fixing it up so they could hit the road soon. MIKE Officials close Cape Cod beaches over weekend because of too many great white sharks  If you're heading to Cape Cod any time soon don't be surprised if the beach is closed. The reason? Great White sharks! Officials report there have been more than 150 shark sightings since June, with 20 sightings just off the cape last week alone. Shark reports are much higher than normal, with higher water levels and more seal spottings to blame. But the presence of great whites is a serious concern. Last year a man died after being attacked by a shark off Cape Cod.  JENNIFER Three people in separate incidents slip and fall near waterfalls at Yosemite National Park, with one person dyingA tourist died and two other people became seriously injured in three separate incidents last week after slipping and falling near waterfalls at Yosemite National Park. In all three incidents the visitors went off trail, despite signs warning them not to do so, then slipped and fell. Yosemite rangers are now reminding visitors that the rocks near waterfalls are slippery - even when dry - and it is not safe to go off trail, even if others are doing so.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Laurie, via email: Hi Mike and Jennifer, my husband and I have been enjoying your YouTube videos on RVing, we have talked about doing this many times, but now we really want to, we are retired and it's just us and our cat. We like the LTV Unity FX by Mercedes, we thought the size, 25ft long, etc., is just the right size for us.  We have been trying to find out though, as newbies, just what is involved with maintaining the toilet, shower, power for fridge, cooking etc., we have stopped in to some dealers but unfortunately they are so concerned with making the sale they never wanted to answer our questions about what you have to do daily, etc., to keep everything going.              A: It’s all very easy. Just turn on the various buttons and switches. The walk through you’ll get from the dealer will show you how simple it is. Reading about it isn’t nearly as easy to understand as seeing it. From someone with the screenname Wonderbike, via our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel: ​Do you dump your fresh water tank when you come home for a week or two and then refill it when go on your next adventure?             A: Yes we do! From Patty Ann, via our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: Have the crowds at Yellowstone subsided yet? Is it a good time to go?             A: It’s always crowded there! But best time in mid-September and October before the snows arrive. From Ted, via our Instagram account: Will you two be at the Hershey RV show next month? If so how and where can we meet you?              A: Yes! Look for us all day long on Saturday Sept. 14. We’ll be hanging out at the Leisure Travel Vans display area but we’ll be roaming all over the show. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Staying connected on the road is right at the top of every RVers must have list. But choosing the best system and then navigating all the different price points can be a real challenge. This week we learn about a rooftop solution called the Togo Roadlink that combines a WiFi extender and a 4g cellular connection at what – at least right now – seems to be the best priced system available for RVers. The Togo Roadlink is a connectivity solution that, under one small dome mounted on the RV roof, uses a series of high tech optimized antennas to create a secure hotspot that can connect multiple devices in and around your RV to the Internet, either by a Wi-Fi extender that brings in signals from a wide area, or taps into the AT&T nationwide 4G LTE cellular network. It does so at the best price we have seen for unlimited data… a flat fee $360 a year. That is not including the hardware cost. You have to but the unit itself, which costs $399. The dome and its unique antennas works stationary and in-motion and is managed through an app you run on your cellphone. We connect our laptops, tablets and smartphones through it and have been very pleased, especially with that special AT&T unlimited data plan, which is exclusive to the Togo Roadlink. Joining us now from Togo Roadlink to talk about this service and explain just how it works is Steven Hileman. Mike Wendland: Well joining us right now to talk more about the Roadlink is Stephen Hileman and Steven, you've got a really neat product there. I feel biased now because I've got it up on the roof of my RV. Steven Hileman: Yeah, well it's a great to talk to you Mike. And it's good to have you as a Road Link customer. Mike Wendland: Yeah, it's pretty neat. Tell me how Roadlink came about and the pricing and what it does and what it doesn't do. Steven Hileman: Yeah, so Togo started as an an app for RVers, trying to tackle some of the everyday pain points around service and maintenance and trying to make RVing a little bit less stressful. We're all out trying to enjoy the outdoors and we'd like to make that even easier and spend more time out camping. Started as an app and then as part of that strategy, we wanted to make sure that you can use that app on the road, which sometimes requires some connectivity. We partnered with hardware manufacturer, Winegard, as well as AT&T to kind of create what we thought was a good matchup of value in fairly priced hardware and a really great plan. Really great data plan for RVers. Mike Wendland: I've heard it referred to as Togo, but it's, you pronounced it Togo, I guess either one works but Togo was the preferred pronunciation, right? Steven Hileman: Yeah, so it's Togo like logo. Togo was actually a Siberian Husky who helped run diphtheria vaccines in Alaska. And there's a deep story on the website about why we were inspired by is his endurance.

The RV Lifestyle is wonderful, no doubt about it. So wonderful that seemingly wherever you turn these days, people are saying to really experience it you should be a fulltimer. That may be great for many… but it is not so great for many more. This week, we talk about what they DON’T tell you about fulltiming. Coming up in the interview of the week, you’ll meet our friends Marc and Julie Bennett, known as RV Love… and we’ll have a candid conversation about just why the fulltime RV life is NOT for everyone. Show Notes for Episode #253 July 31, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This has been a special week for us as we’ve just released the fifth in our series of Seven Day Adventure Guides for RVers. This one is our Seven Day Adventure Guide to the Adirondacks, and it is 96 pages long and jammed packed with places to go and things to see in this amazing park. The Adirondacks is a truly special place. It is greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. Created by New York in 1892, it is a constitutionally protected “Forever Wild” area and contains 85% of all wilderness in the eastern United States.We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. You can get more info on it at https://rvlifestyle.com/adk It’s been a busy week of RV mods and adding some accessories and gadgets. We're headed to Holland MI to even do some more at an RV dealer there. After Holland we’re headed to Lake Erie and Lakeside Chatauqua, an awesome resort and summer gathering place. Then we’re heading to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, south of Cleveland. We also want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week…Elf1 who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes: “Love this podcast. Mike and Jennifer provide a lot of entertainment and information. Don't know how I missed finding this podcast earlier. Very useful information no matter what type of RV you have or like me are thinking of buying. Thanks so much for taking the time to produce such a fine podcast.” Thank you, Elf1. We so appreciate those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Sticker or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one!  RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER National Park Rangers spend most of their time managing traffic, making speeding stops, story says  Another interesting story on America's National Parks came out in USA Today last week, this one showing park rangers spend more time managing traffic and specifically making speeding stops than any other activity. The reason they do this is speeding kills wildlife, and many tourists in the national parks speed, putting wildlife at risk. Also car crashes are one of the leading causes of human death in the parks. So if you try to speed this summer in a national park, don't be surprised if you get a ticket!  MIKE High water levels leading to increase in drownings this summer in Lake Michigan In the past week-plus I've seen news stories of at least five drownings in Lake Michigan, often visitors to state parks, enjoying time outdoors with their families, when a dip in the water turns tragic. This weekend there was a story of a man who drowned near Michigan's Holland State Park, another in Indiana Dunes State Park, another at Michigan's Ludington State Park, and a man and a 14 year old girl also drowned near Ludington State park in separate incidents a week before that. I don't know if I can recall hearing about so many drownings in such a short period of time. Water levels are reported to be high, creating hazardous conditions. Lake Michigan touts some of the country's most gorgeous fresh water beaches. If you are out camping this summer along Lake Michigan, please be sure to check water conditions before wading in. JENNIFER Soft-sided camping prohibited at Blackfeet Indian Reservation outside Glacier National Park because of bear activity  If you're heading to Montana, and planning to stay at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation Chewing Blackbones campground while visiting Glacier National Park, be sure to leave that tent or canvas sided camper home. Because of bear activity there, soft sided camping is prohibited until further notice. Mike and I camped at this spot twice while at gatherings. It is an amazing campground and just last year we were there when we visited Glacier and saw bear - and moose. It was one of those moments we'll never forget. To see our video click here.  MIKE Another National Park bison incident – second in week There’s been another bison attack at a US national park, according to officials.The latest incident involved a 17-year-old boy from Colorado who was walking along a trail in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Saturday. A witness said that the visitor was walking along the trail; a herd of bison was nearby and two bull bison had been fighting moments prior and were on either side of the trail. When the teen walked between them one bull charged from behind, striking him in the back and goring the back of the right thigh, tossing him about six feet into the air. The teenager, who was not identified by officials, spoke to NBC News about the attack — which unfolded while he was preparing to go backpacking with a friend.   NBC News got  ahold of the teen in a hospital.Wildlife experts say you should stay AT LEAST 75 feet away from bison as they are wild animals and thus unpredictable. Bison can reach up to 2,000 pounds and run 30 miles per hour. JENNIFER. Illegal campfire believed the cause of a raging wildfire in southwestern Oregon  An illegal campfire is blamed for starting a wildfire in southwest Oregon. The fire, which likely started on remote wilderness owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, is in a difficult location for firefighters to reach. By Sunday the fire had spread to 9,000 acres and communities were being encouraging to evacuate as about 900 firefighters battled the blaze.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Q: We have been half time RVing for the last 20 yrs.  we have owned class a during that time.   We have on order a Leisure Travel van unity twin bed and supposed to get it in November.  All is good except one question.   I’ve sat in two 2019 MB and can’t recline the front seats.   Any suggestions. Roy, via email              A: They don’t recline. They swivel. Q: As usual, you posted another great video (our Nashville trip). And what a beautiful family ! I have a question: Is there parking available for RV in Downtown Nashville and Opryland ? I travel without a tow, and parking availability is an intimidating factor when visiting "urban" areas. Are there any apps that help with that issue that you know of ?  Felix, via our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel            A: We share our tips for urban parking and visiting place Q: I am a caterer based out of Colorado with plans of becoming a full-time nomad. I have a 6 foot rotisserie grill that will accommodate a 100 pound pig or 40 chickens at one time. I have a decision to make before I hit the road. Do I sell this beautiful grill or do I take it on the road with me in hopes that it will help me earn a living selling rotisserie chicken dinners to fellow campers? What are your thoughts? Katherine, via our RV Lifestyle Group on Facebook         A; Need permission from campgrounds, licenses for food prep, sales, etc. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Marc and Julie Bennett - RV Love Marc and Julie Bennett are fulltime RVers known to their tens of thousands of fans as RV Love. They have a blog, a YouTube Channel and they’ve written an awesome book on fulltime RV travel, Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road. They have traveled to all 50 USA states over the past 4 years, sharing their journey and learnings along the way. And one of the things I like the best about Mark and Julie and their various RV Love platforms, is they tell it as it really is, sharing the good and the bad and always being up front about just what the fulltime RV Life is…. And isn’t. This is Marc and Julie's Living the RV Life book They are our special guests this week in the podcast in an episode we’re calling…. What you really need to know about RV fulltiming! Here's a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well I'm really excited that Marc and Julie can join us right now. They are in Maine as we speak, enjoying the summertime. Hi guys. Welcome to the program. Julie Bennett:                Hi. Marc Bennett:              Hi Mike. Thanks for having us on. Mike Wendland:           Oh, I am honored to be on as followers of you guys. I've long been watching your adventures, and I'm a big fan of Living the RV Life, the ultimate guide to life on the road.

This week on the RV Podcast we meet a couple who tell us why every RVer should have a bucket list and how to make it come true. Ari and Jessi Adler, collectively known as the Trekers.org, tell us how, even with 9 to 5 jobs, they are making their amazingly ambitious bucket list come true. I think you’ll find them very inspiring. Also this week, RV news of the week including stories about: a very real murder mystery on the Alaskan Highway, more bad news for Roadtrek and how the tariff war is taking its toll on the RV industry. Plus tips, your RV Lifestyle questions and an off the Beaten Path report. So… thanks for putting us in your ears this week. Show Notes for Episode #252 July 24, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We’re back from Nashville, TN and a great family vacation. We have some RV projects we’ll be doing over the next couple weeks to tweak and upgrade some components and Internet systems on our RV. We’re also having a ladder installed on the back. We’re working on or travel season for the rest of the year. We have trips planned to Ohio, Florida and Georgia (to take in some of our grandson’s high school football games). Plus in September we’ll be at the Hershey RV Show in Hershey, PA. In Ocober we’ll be in Elkhart, IN at RV Open House and later that month out to California where we’ll be attending the California RV Show in Pomona. It’s time to give a shout out to our podcast reviewer of the week…Rickg5555 gave us a wonderful five star review and this wonderful five-star review on iTunes: “Been listening for a long time. I have searched and tried all the other RV podcasts and this one is the only one I listen to every week. Mike and Jennifer cover a lot of topics for all types of RVers and campers with a focus on real world boondocking. Mike has a knack for the latest tech stuff to help inform his listeners on how to stay connected to the internet while cruising the country. One of the best parts of the podcast is his traveling reporters - they have the most creative stories from places ‘off the beaten path’.” Thank you, Rick. We so appreciated those kind words and your review. Those reviews and five star ratings really help us in getting the word out to the RV Community about the RV Podcast. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Stitcher or TuneIn or Spotify of whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Real-life murder mystery on the Alaskan Highway In British Columbia and the Yukon, on parts of the Alaskan Highway very popular with RVers this time of year, Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators are trying to solve the murders of a young Australian man and his American girlfriend last seen on the side of the highway next to their broken down camping van. Later, two teens on the same road were reported missing after their truck camper was found burning at a highway turnoff. A man’s body was later found nearby. No word yet on how that still unidentified man died, though the Mounties say he was murdered, too. But after first declaring the missing teens may have also met with foul play, the RCMP announced that the teens are now considered suspects in the murder of the couple.  As you’d expect, the murders are causing lots of jitters among the RV community and tourists traveling the highway. MIKE About 2,000 Roadtreks issued recall notices by U.S. and Canadian agencies over second row seat safety concerns   About 2,000 Erwin Hymer Group of North America Roadtreks, some dating as far back as 2013, are being recalled for safety concerns tied to the second row captain seat chair restrains, according to a Canadian story out last week. The four models affected are the CS Adventurous, RS Adventurous and E-Trek built between 2013-2019, and TS Adventurous built between 2013-2016. In the advent of a crash the second row seats may not provide adequate protection and owners are being urged not to use those seats until the issue is fixed. If owners want to make repairs to the seats so the vehicles are roadworthy, they may have to pay out of their own pocket. Rapido, the new owner of the Roadtrek brand, has indicated it will not honour any warranty claims for the recalled vehicles as part of its recent purchase agreement with the receiver. Hundreds of other Erwin Hymer Group North America RVs were recalled last fall. In November, Transport Canada issued a recall on eight 2018 models of the company's motorhomes after it was discovered the internal voltage regulator could damage the electrical system by overcharging the batteries; 57 Canadian vehicles were impacted, along with 172 in the U.S.One month earlier, 70 Canadian Roadtrek Zion motorhomes from 2015 to 2018 were recalled by Transport Canada after it was discovered the bolts that secured the sofa to the chassis could damage the rear brake lines and increase the risk of a crash. About 290 U.S. vehicles were also recalled. JENNIFER RV industry ties high tariffs from trade war with China to rising prices and slumping sales, article says An interesting article came out last week that connects some of the recent slump in RV sales to tariffs. The article discussed how many components of an RV, be it steel and aluminum to air compressors and appliances or tire rims and axles come from overseas and have been hit with high tariffs, raising costs. The article interviews RV executives who tie the tariffs to higher prices and a slump in sales. MIKE Dog lost for 11 days at Shenandoah National Park found by two hikers, reunited with family Two hikers in Shenandoah National Park ventured off the path just a bit and found - a lost dog named Max. The dog went missing July 4, and was found by the hikers nearly two weeks later hiding under a wild blackberry bush near water. The dog was scared and started growling at first so the hikers called park rangers who quickly came and took him off on a stretcher. Max lost about 10 pounds from the ordeal and was reunited with his family, who had posted posters of him throughout the park. JENNIFER Swarming bees force park officials to close popular overlook at Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park had to close its popular Keys View overlook last week because of swarming bees. Apparently when temperatures get extremely hot, as they did last week, the bees need water to cool their hive and will seek that from people carrying water bottles, condensation from car air conditioners, or even human sweat. By removing the people, the bees are forced to look elsewhere for moisture. The Keys View overlooks offers breathtaking views of the Coachella Valley and will remain closed until conditions change. MIKE 60-year-old woman camper found after four days lost in California national forest A California woman who went missing for four days in a remote area near Montenegro Spring California was found safe last week by rescuers. The 60-year-old woman and her husband were camping at the Grandview Campground in the Inyo National Forest. The husband left his wife and their 4-pound Yorkie-poo all of about 7 minutes to move their vehicle but when he returned, his wife and dog were gone. The woman told police she fled because a man with a knife appeared, grabbed her wrist and threatened to rape her and kill the dog. She successfully escaped the would-be rapist's wrist grab, and ran some 2 miles, escaping, but in flight became lost. She was found when rescuers heard the dog barking several days later. The woman, an experienced camper and hiker, lived off cactus and a water stream.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Here’s a question that was recently posed on our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: It comes from one of the regulars there, Helen, in Iowa, and she is selling her 2017 Zion to get a new RV a little bigger so she and husband Dave can take grandkids with them on their RV adventures. Here’s her post about a strange request from a would-be buyer: We had a call from an interested party who wants us to drive 600 mi round trip to show her so she doesn’t have to drive all the way from Denver. She seems interested but has never driven one & does not have financing in place yet. She offered to pay gas. She also has extreme allergies & may be sensitive to any cleaners used etc. I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Would appreciate feedback. This post has received over 325 comments so far and the pretty much unanimous advice is… Don’t Do It! I answered it “NO this is not a good idea. You are the seller. She is just shopping. She's going to be nothing but problems if that's what she's asking you. Don't even think about it.” Our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group is a very lively place for RVers of all times to share trip photos and details, ask questions, get advice and connect with others. You can join it by going to https://rvlifestyle.com/facebook Here’s an email question we received from a listener named Don W: Hi Mike and Jennifer. Thanks for all your great videos and information. I have a question about the Unity FX. I'm sure I could have found my answer by searching but I want to reach out to you. Simple question, Will the Murphy-bed fold out without the slide out? I'm just thinking of times that we'll we parking for the night in places that prohibit slides from being extended, like most parking lots. Appreciate your opinion on this model No, the slide has to be extended for the Murphy Bed to be put down. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.

This week on the RV Podcast we hear from Joe Russo, who with wife Kait creates the popular  We’re the Russos YouTube Channel and blog. Joe has just written his second book, Tales from the Open Road, and in this episode of the RV Podcast, he drops by to share some of their adventures and misadventures. Show Notes for Episode #251 July 17, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK   JENNIFER - As this episode is released, we are in the Nashville, TN area on a family vacation. We’re spending a week in a rented house outside of Nashville with our three grown children, their spouses and our eight grandkids. We’re just hanging out together and touring the area. We rented a house in the horse country near Franklin and among our planned activities, taking in the historic Grand Ole Opry. MIKE – We’re really trying to make this a true vacation, too, meaning we’re cutting back on work as much as we can. Bo is with us and we drove the RV down and will take our time heading home, doing some wandering and exploring. I’m sure will chase down a couple of travel stories as we slowly head north. JENNIFER If anyone is looking for an excuse to go camping and get outsides, I can help. Just 20 minutes a day spent in nature can help reduce stress hormone levels, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers. It concluded that an efficient "nature pill" — 20 to 30 minutes walking, sitting or completing a physical activity outside or interacting with nature — can reduce health issues such as chronic stress, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and weight. I like that. A “nature pill.” A great reason to go RVing! MIKE A very good idea. It’s that time in the podcast where we want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week, whose screen name is MLV55… who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes: “I have listened to several different podcasts on RV'ing and this by far is the best one. It is very professionally done with great tips and ideas for everyone no matter what size RV you own. We are in the research and planning phases of buying a class A motorhome and have found what we have learned from Mike and Jennifer's podcasts to be very valuable. Plus, the sound like really nice people and are a pleasure to listen to. Mike and Jennifer, keep up the great work! Thank you, MLV55. We so appreciated those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Stitcher or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one!  RV NEWS OF THE WEEK   JENNIFER Disabled can now hike Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park with special “Track Chair” Trails through Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore can be steep or sandy -- but people who require hiking mobility assistance can now rent a motorized chair with treaded tracks to get around. The fact that the chair has tracks rather than wheels makes rougher terrain much more accessible. The program is run by volunteer group Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which wants everyone to be able to experience the park's natural beauty. The group says the program is the first of its kind at a national park. The group currently has one chair that is available through reservations, but it is hoping to buy another one later this summer for children. The chairs are pretty pricey, with the first one costing more than $13,000. However, it's free for visitors to use and can carry up to 350 pounds. Since the program launched in June, the group has had more than a dozen visitors use it Volunteers try to do one run in the morning and one in the afternoon, allowing for the chair to be recharged between sessions. MIKE Should we close some National Parks so others can survive? We’ve reported extensively here about overcrowding in the National Parks as well as a woefully long backlog in maintenance and basic repairs. Congress and the administration have largely ignored the crisis and now at least one former superintendent at two National Parks says that given continued inaction, the best course of action is to shut down some parks so the others can survive. That was a thrust of an editorial in The Hill, an influential Washington DC publication by Gil Lusk, a well-respected former National Parks superintendent with 35 year’s experience. The parks are now running at a $12 billion deficit and infrastructure is crumbling daily, just as visitors continue pouring into the parks in record numbers. JENNIFER RV Market predicted to grow to $64 billion over next five years If you ever had any doubts that the RV industry is experiencing explosive growth, a new study predicts it will grow from about $40 billion a year now to over $64 billion in five years. While manufacturers and dealers are smiling, consumers are noting that campground development is not keeping pace with RV sales and that service backlogs at RV dealers are expected to increase because of a continuing critical shortage of RV technicians. MIKE Speed Limiters proposed for heavy trucks Had it with being passed by speeding trucks on the Interstate? There’s a bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate that would require all new heavy trucks to be equipped with speed limiters that would stop them from going faster than 65 mph. The bipartisan bill is not the first attempt to put limiters on big rigs. Different versions of this bill have been introduced for a decade. All the other attempts have been blocked, thanks to opposition from the powerful trucking industry. This new bill has been endorsed by a cross-section of highway-safety advocacy groups. Most trucks on the road already have such devices set between 62 and 68 mph. The new bill would require that any truck – old or new – equipped with a limited must have it is use when it is being driven. Supporting this new bill is the Trucking Alliance, a truck safety group. I like what its executive director says: “There is no reason for an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer to operate at 70 mph or greater on our highways” JENNIFER Wildfires out west may double this year The last two years have been horrible for wildfires in the west. This year, it may be twice as bad. So says a coalition of fire fighters from numerous agencies that recently gathered in Southern California. They urged the various fire departments at the meeting to prepare for a potential doubling of grass fire acreage this season, with the most dangerous time expected between October and December. “These fires are growing exponentially and they’re requiring more resources,” the group noted. Over the past month, several heavily populated California counties were under excessive heat warnings with temperatures up to 107 degrees. and numerous wildfires spread across the state forcing many to evacuate their homes. It’s the same for western Canada. Wildfires in Alberta and Manitoba have burned thousands of acres of land over the past few weeks. The smoke from those fires made for hazy conditions across the Midwest and even into New England. It’s looking like another very bad year.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Lisa, via email: My husband and I will be living in our RV while we are building our house while also spending some time in it traveling. We are wondering what your opinion is of the best options for internet access. We have hotspots on our phones, but found out that we quickly use up our data from those watching netflix. Thanks in advance for your help and we really enjoy your podcast! REPLY: Check out RoadlinkToGo. It’s a a roof-mounted Wi-Fi and cellular device retailing for $399 One year of unlimited data for $360. It uses the AT&T network By unlimited they mean they don’t cut you off BUT if you do exceed 22 GB of data in a single month you are subject to to what they call “network management.” That means if you are accessing a tower that is experiencing congestion, your connection speed can be throttled, or slowed down. The down side to this is it has to be mounted on the roof. You’ll probably need an RV tech to do that for you. Some working needs to be done and you have to buy a $400 device and the $360 data plan. You can get a Mi-Fi, or Jet Pack device from Verizon. It costs $99 with a two-year contract, plus $10 a month for the hotspot fee. Add on to that the standard monthly Verizon bill… But the jetPack is also limited to 20 GB a month and often that allocation is shared and gobbled up by your tablets or smartphones. I have to warn you: Verizon pricing is really complicated. They are always changing their plans and I am convinced they make them intentionally complicated so you need to go to one of their stores, where a sales person can either upsell you or get you into whatever plan works best for them. There are other carriers out there with enticing offers but those are the ones with the best coverage. Now, you mentioned streaming on Netflix. Watching TV shows or movies on Netflix uses about 1 GB of data per hour for each stream of standard definition video, and up to 3 GB per hour for each stream of HD video. Streaming and downloading take up a similar amount of data. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV.

This week in Episode 250 of the RV Podcast, you’ll meet our friend Joe Raetano, a computer scientist and a new kind of workcamper, who shares with us how commuting to his high tech North Carolina job in his RV and then staying in it during the week saves him lots of money and yet still provides all the comforts of home. He calls it his "mobile condo" Joe is our featured guest in the interview of the week segment… but we also have lots of RV News, tips, answers to your questions and a great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride…Jennifer Show Notes for Episode #250  July 10, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER - We hit the road this week, headed south through Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, exploring our way across the heartland in our RV as we eventually hit the Nashville area, where we will meet up with our three grown kids and all eight grandkids for a weeklong family vacation. We also want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week…Trish-Northeast who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes, which she headlined as “Don’t Leave Home Without it! “I'm hooked on this podcast no doubt about it. Listen to Mike & Jennifer as I walk my laps around the outdoor high school track and enjoy every minute of it. Have learned so much with the many guests and shared experiences. Thank you both. We’re buying our first RV this summer and can’t wait to get out there. Keep doing all you do, Mike & Jen” Thank you, Trish. We so appreciated those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Sticher or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one!  RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK One killed, several injured in two different lightning related incidents last July 4th Lightning injured several people enjoying outside activities in at least two different parts of the country on July 4th. In two incidences lightning hit a tree and the people who were standing nearby were either killed or seriously injured by the electrical field created by the hit. One incident happened in a state park in Maryland and the other in South Carolina. Last year we interviewed a lightning expert who described how campers and hikers are two of the most at risk groups for lightning strikes, and he provided tips on how to stay safe when lightning is in your area. To learn more click here. MIKE BLM considers overnight restrictions as boondockers tear up fragile landscape, leave human waste behind We love to boondock, and one of the best places to do it is on federally owned Bureau of Land Management lands near national parks. The landscape is beautiful, there are little to no people around and it is free. But, as camping off the grid becomes more popular problems are arising, and the BLM iwill likely start getting more involved in some areas. A story out last week highlighted issues of boondockers killing rare wildflowers by driving over and uprooting them, and leaving behind human waste improperly disposed near Moab in Utah. JENNIFER America's new national park, Indiana Dunes, experiencing increase in visitors and many saying it is worth the trip Indiana Dunes National Park on the shores of Lake Michigan is seeing an increase in visitors this season as more people come to see America's newest national park. The park became the nation's 61st national park earlier this year, and while we have written about it before, wanted to share this story because it does a great job of describing what is there. We’ll link to the story in the shownotes for this episode at rvlifestyle.com/250 and if you haven’t yet visited the Dunes…put it on your bucket list. MIKE So how did Utah's gorgeous Dead Horse State Park get its name?   Sometimes when Jen and I are traveling across the country, we run into a spot with such an unusual name you know there is a story there, but sometimes that story has been lost. So it was with Dead Horse State Park, which we visited earlier this year in Utah. (click here to see the report). The park is incredibly beautiful, some say the most beautiful in the country, and this story we found explores three legends in how the park received its most unusual name. JENNIFER Couple hiking in park call 911 and climb tree to escape what they thought was a feral pig Anyone who enjoys the outdoors can probably relate to hearing a sound out in the middle of no where, and letting your imagination get the best of you. Apparently that is what happened to a man and woman hiking after dark in a park in Texas when the couple thought they heard the grunting of a feral pig. The couple, in a panic, climbed a tree, called 911, and when officers arrived learned the couple learned the grunting feral pig they feared was actually .... cars passing on rumble strips on a road just outside their view.  MIKE RV News Shorts, Tips, and Reviews Yellowstone National Park's Steamboat Geyser on track to set record in eruptions  Several national parks are battling dry summer conditions and extra protections going into place to prevent wild fires  South Carolina news report shares tips on how to avoid being scammed when buying a used RV off of Craig's list  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER RV LIFESTYLE QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Q: Loved your videos on YouTube and are going to add your Adirondack trips to our bucket list. Can you please tell us the device and app that you use that monitors the temperature of your RV for Bo? We are purchasing a B and will need to monitor the temp in our RV for our two babies. Thanks! - Jules REPLY: Using a temperature monitor that’s connected to an app on our phone is a huge relief if we have to leave Bo in the rig for a short time period. Even with fans going and the AC on, we all know that those things can heat up FAST. The RV Pet Safety Temperature Monitor uses cell service and can notify you by text and email alert if the internal temp of your RV starts to get dangerously high. While on the spendy side, this device delivers on consistency with battery backup and real-time temp reporting. All-in-all, the peace of mind that Bo will be alright if we leave him for a bit is what really makes this for us. Now the pricing on this is a little tricky but bear with me. The device is one price and on-going support is another. You can pay the on-going support monthly or yearly. Just for you, we arranged a major discount on these monitors. Actual price: Monthly – $249/ device  + $15/month (pay as you go) Yearly – $369 ($249+$120 for subscription) With the discount codes for RV Lifestyle viewers: Monthly – $199/ device  + $15/month (pay as you go) Yearly – $299 ($179+$120 for subscription) RV Lifestyle Discount Codes: Use RVLS50 for the monthly subscription ($50 discount) Use RVLS70 for the yearly subscription ($70 discount) Go to https://rvpetsafety.com/pricing/ for more info and don't forget to use our affiliate link coupon codes for the discounts Here's a video that shows the RC Pet Safety device in action. The RV Pet Safety device is demonstrated about 7:10 into the video.    Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK This week in Episode 250 of the RV Podcast, you meet our friend Joe Raetano, a computer scientist and a new kind of workcamper, who shares with us this week how commuting to his high tech North Carolina job in his RV and then staying in it during the week saves him lots of money and ye still provides all the comforts of home. Here's a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well, driving around right now in his RV is our friend Joe Raetano. Joe, how are you? Joe Raetano:                 Great, Mike. How are you? Mike Wendland:           I'm doing great. You're out on the road, I can hear the road noise behind you. It's kind of fun to help you break the monotony of the road as you share all about being this new kind of work camper. I mentioned earlier in the podcast about how many people are living in RVs, and working in places like Silicon Valley and the high tech regions of San Francisco in California. But it's kind of a trend across the country. Work camping is not, as we said, a job where people are cleaning out fire pits or doing temporary work at Amazon. Joe, why don't you tell everybody what you do, and where you're working? And then we'll get into the questions on how your RV plays into all of that. Joe Raetano:                 Okay. So I'm a computer scientist. I'm currently working on my PhD from the University of Tennessee. I've completed all my classroom and residency requirements, and I'm really in dissertation research mode. And I was recruited to Duke Energy. They have a new Innovation Center, and they're doing some research in my area that I'm currently working on. My home is currently in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and I travel back and forth to Charlotte, North Carolina, to Duke Energy's Innovation Center.

This week on episode 249 the RV Podcast, we meet a couple who quit their nine to five jobs for a life on the road…chasing the stars in their RV WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Happy Fourth of July to all our U.S. listeners. This is a huge camping weekend – the biggest of the year – and we know many of you will be on the roads filling up campsites and boondocking way off the beaten path. Have a great time, drive carefully and be safe. JENNIFER And a belated Canada Day to our friends north of the border, who just celebrated their long weekend last weekend. MIKE  We’re staying home this weekend. Since we travel up to ¾ of the year, we’ll stay off the roads and free up some camping space for those who can’t get away so much. JENNIFER Besides, we’re gone so often that being at our sticks and bricks Michigan home is like a vacation for us, so we don’t mind at all. We’re expecting to be back in our RV on the road again next week making our way down to Nashville, Tennessee and the area for a week of activities. MIKE Jennifer is spending a lot of time working outdoor on the landscaping and garden. I’m holed up in the studio furiously editing as much video as I can so when we’re on the road… I have time to shoot more! JENNIFER Our next video will be released Thursday July 4 on the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube. It’s Part 2 of our trip to the Adirondack mountains and it also takes us to the Finger Lakes Region of New York and the beautiful Letchworth State Park south of Buffalo. MIKE  Hey everyone, I want to point out that we're having an awesome sale on our ebook RV guides. If you buy either our Beginners Guide to Boondocking or our RV Buyer's Guide, we'll throw in whichever one of our various Seven Day Adventure guides you'd like.... plus a fun pack of our RV LifestyleRule 330 stickers. Head over to https://rvlifestyle.com/books  and check them out and please share the link on social media with your friends. The special offer is only good through the 4th. We also want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week…Downriver Brian who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes: “This is the only travel related show I listen to regularly. I have never gone RVing...but would like to one day. Regardless of that fact, this show has all kinds of general camping-type of information that really gets you ready for spring during the winter months. Tip on campgrounds, and all the other stuff is great. Just love it.” Thank you, Brian. We sp appreciated those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Sticker or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one! RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Newspaper report shows number of national park rangers down 20 percent since 2005 as visitors set records  We all know national parks are busier than ever, but an interesting story out last weekend also tracked how funding shortages have caused the number of park rangers to decline at the same time visitor numbers are setting records. Park superintendents are having to choose between hiring maintenance workers or park rangers often. The report in USA Today showed a 20 percent decline in rangers since 2005 as Congress cut funding while visitor numbers rose. MIKE About $10 million in goods up for auction this month at former Erwin Hymer North America Group site  About $10 million worth of goods once belonging to the Erwin Hymer Norlth America Group (the maker of Roadtrek) will be sold to the highest bidders at a massive auction July 16-19. Everything from office furnishings and equipment to tools to new Hymer tow behind trailers will be sold in what liquidation firm Infinity Asset Solutions Inc. says is a rare sale because of its massive size. The maker of Roadtrek went into receivership in February owing more than 900 creditors nearly $275 million. About 850 people lost their jobs. French company Rapido bought the Roadtrek brand, vehicles in various stage of production, and other items. The auction is selling assets Rapido did not buy. JENNIFER Beautiful South Dakota's Custer State Park celebrating its 100 year anniversary South Dakota's Custer State Park is celebrating its centennial this year and I found a delightful story detailing how the park came to be. The park is holding a photo, coloring and even a selfie contest to celebrate, along with opening a time capsule and putting a new time capsule in the ground. Jennifer and I camped there several years ago and and found the park delightful with large, private campsites, along with bison, bighorn sheep, antelope and more. To see our report, click here.  MIKE  Glacier National Park is overcrowded and plagued by gridlock It's quite the congested mess at Glacier National Park this year. Gridlock and 40-minute traffic jams have been frustrating tens of thousands so far this season, and the peak tourist time has just begun. Yet Going to the Sun Road at the foot of Lake McDonald has been closed several times since Father’s Day because of excessive traffic and the parking lot at Logan’s Pass is so filled that the park employees traffic monitors to shoo away those who want to stop there to take photos or do some hiking. JENNIFER Group calls for greater RV safety after tragic death of Canadian man when his RV had mechanical failure and smashed into ferry  The need for greater RV safety checks was an issue in the news last week after a Canadian man died, and his passenger critically injured, following a mechanical error in their RV. The driver of the RV was described by witnesses as a hero for trying to avoid hitting others as he lost control of his vehicle. The RV ended up jumping off a dock, landing on a ferry that had just taken off, and smashing into tiny bits.    This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping     LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Tena, via our RV Lifestyle Facebook Page: I've been following you two for awhile. My husband and I, and out two dogs, will be traveling from Washington State down to the Grand Canyon. Then, we will be driving to Chattanooga, Tn. We are estimating that we will drive about 600 miles a day. Do you have any tips for us? We will be pulling our camping trailer. From John, via our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group : Planning our 7+ day Michigan UP adventure for late summer and have a question. Does the dreaded UP black fly have a season or are they thick until they freeze? Will going in late September or October avoid the bulk of them? Besides Facebook and YouTube, we are also on Instagram. Follow us at #rvlifestylemike.  Or go to  https://instagram.com/rvlifestylemike Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Brenda and John Nejedlo of geoastrorv.com Ever dreamed quitting your job, selling your sticks and bricks home and heading for the wide open spaces? That’s what our guests today did. They are John and Brenda Nejedlo and John quit his job as a police officer in Wisconsin, Brenda left her job with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and today, you’ll find them touring America in a Class A motorhome and towing the largest solar panel array I have ever heard of. They did so because they wanted to literally chase the stars. Astronomy is a passion for this couple and so, you’ll find them most every night camped out in a national park and putting on free night skies seminars. When we heard about this couple, we just knew we had to invite them on the podcast. Stay tuned because you’ll also want to learn about the massive soar panel trailer John tows. Meet John and Brenda Nejedlo, known on the Internet as geoastrorv.com Here's a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Well, joining us right now from Montana is John and Brenda. And welcome, you guys, to the podcast. It's a pleasure to have you on. Brenda Nejedlo:            Thank you very much. Mike Wendland:           Now we need to talk a little bit about you guys. I did a little bit in the intro to you, but tell everybody how long you've been full-timing, what your background was before, and what you're pursuing as you do your full-timing. We talked about the dark sky adventures, but you guys are doing a lot more than that too. Okay. John Nejedlo:                Well sure. We've been full-time now for two years, and we've really enjoyed those two years, a lot of learning. Before that we were from northeast Wisconsin. I had been a police officer, and then a middle school and a high school science teacher. Brenda had worked at the Green Bay Symphony, and then a place called Club Scrap Incorporated before we took off. And we basically were in a position where we could go full-time. The Nejedlo's solar trailer, pulled by an F250, with the 34-foot Thor Aria they live in fulltime set up behind in a field with a clear view to the sky John Nejedlo:                We had seen someone else in our close circle doing that, working from the road, going full-time. And we realized, "Let's go do this. Let's go see the national parks.

How much time do you spend planning an RV route? Can you trust the campground reviews you find online? Could you use some practical help in not driving too far and coming up with a comprehensive map and route that will take all the hassle out of trip planning? And do you want to save money doing so? If you could use some help in any of those areas, then stay tuned because in our interview of the week, we’ll talk about a tool Jennifer and I just used on a long trip that even allowed us to keep to our 330 Rule for RV travel. Plus, lots of RV news, your RV Lifestyle questions, and off the beaten path report from the Burketts and much more. Show Notes for Episode #248 June 26,2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK Jennifer, Mike and Bo on a hike last week in the Adirondack Mountains MIKE - We’re back now from a big trip out east, mostly in and around the Adirondack Park region of upstate New York, with a couple of days in the Finger Lakes district and then down to what has been voted the best state park in America – Letchworth State Park south of Buffalo (I was one of the travel writer judges for the USA contest that so designated Letchworth, by the way). Much of our travels and discoveries will be fully detailed in a soon-coming Seven Day Adventure Guide to the Adirondacks. And we’ll also have a couple of YouTube videos coming, too. JENNIFER - The park itself is immense, bigger in size than greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined.  It was created in 1892 by the State of New York to protect the land from too much lumbering and clear cutting. It is a constitutionally protected “Forever Wild” area. Of the Adirondack Park’s 6 million acres, 2.6 million acres are owned by New York State. The remaining 3.4 million acres are privately owned. MIKE - As such, the Adirondack Region is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. It is also home to 105 towns and villages. There is often a misperception that the Adirondack Park is a national or state park, yet the region’s mix of public and private land allows for conservation and civilization to thrive. JENNIFER - We were out in the Adirondacks to get lots of photos and information for one of our Seven Day Adventure Guide books. We hope to have it finished in several weeks and it will join a growing library of these guides that will eventually cover every region we can think of that will be of interest to RVers in North America. MIKE - We have four of our Seven Day Adventure Guides already published with many more planned. Also we want to point out that our Beginner's Guide to Boondockingand our How to Buy an RV books are very helpful for newbies and those looking to get a new RV. We now have a special page with information on all our guides and books at https://rvlifestyle.com/books  Please check them out and share the link on social media with your friends. JENNIFER - But besides the upcoming book, the best way to tell you about this area is with video and Mike is putting together an epic one of all the sights and sounds we experienced in this magnificent state. Look for it Thursday on the RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube. In fact, there’s so much to see and do there that we think it will take two videos to adequately tell the story, one this week and one next. MIKE – We also want to give a shout out to a listener named Lily who left us this great review of the podcast on iTunes. Says Lili: “Love this RV podcast! One of a handful I listen to regularly and the only RV podcast I listen to regularly. The information is great for all kinds of RV'ers. So many helpful tips, links, and information. And best of all, it's FREE! Thanks Mike and Jennifer, for all your efforts! I travel for work a lot and look forward to each episode!" Please remember to rate and review the show on iTunes or your favorite app. It really helps new listeners find us. RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Snow closes roads, alters camping plans in several national parks and more out west The calendar may officially say summer, but in many parts of the country, temperatures are uncharacteristically cold. So cold, in fact, that snow caused road closures last week in Yellowstone National Park's Beartooth Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road. It is so cold, in fact, that some of Colorado's mountain areas typically filled with campers received 10 inches of snow by the end of the weekend.  MIKE Heavy rains close campgrounds, lead to flooding in many parts of the midwest and Ontario  Speaking of the weather, while much of the higher altitudes of the west dealt with snow, in the midwest and eastern parts of the country the issue was rain, lots of rain, sometimes causing flooding. We certainly experienced lots of rain in upper New York these past few weeks. Numerous state parks in Ohio, Missouri and elsewhere were under water, according to numerous news reports, causing campers with first of summer plans to make other arrangements.  JENNIFER If heading to Olympic National Park beware of flying goats  If you're heading to Washington's Olympic National Park this summer be sure to check road closures for flying goats. Yep, you heard that right. The national park is planning to continue to catch mountain goats, drug and blindfold them, before helicoptering them out of the park and moving them to the their native habitat in the North Cascades. As they continue their plan to remove 700 of the non-indigenous creatures, several roads will be closed. MIKE Father called hero for jumping into water to save son High water levels out west have made many rivers there particularly dangerous this spring, even taking several lives. When water levels get high, the currents, even if only knee level, can knock a person down, and sometimes these rivers even make waterfalls. Apparently that is what happened last week at Utah's Gunlock Reservoir.  A man and his 7-year-old son were walking on a trail when the son slipped, fell into the water, and then was taken away. His dad dived in, broke a vertebra, but saved his son. A witness who helped the father and son described the dad as a hero. JENNIFER Man dies after a fall when hiking alone in Idaho  Every year at this time we see start seeing stories of people who head off to hike a trail in a beautiful place and either get lost, or much worse, become injured in some way and die. A sad story out of Idaho last week about a man who apparently fell and died while hiking alone at Owl Creek hot springs got me thinking of an interview we did for the podcast some time back with an expert hiker. The expert shared several important tips on what every camper needs to know before hitting the trails that we wanted to share with all of you here.  This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping   LISTENER RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Benoit LeClerc via the RV Lifestyle RV travel blog-  How are you going to manage your battery to be able to use it in your winter camping, I think that in freezing temperature it is not good to charge lithium battery. From Sean Pedlar ,via RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube  - What ever happened to that satellite internet system you had? I heard you talk about it on a podcast a while ago. Also how did you find the wifi throughout your trip through Canada?  Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK You can learn more about this tool at https://rvlifestyle.com/rvtripwizard We’ve never been big on planning. Then we signed up for a tool called RV Trip Wizard. I just used it to plan our trip from Michigan to Lake Ontario, to Montreal and down through the Adirondacks and the Finger lakes area. You can see a map of the route from my trip as the featured image at the top of this page.. But I have so enjoyed using this tool that I had to get someone from the company to come on the podcast and talk about it. It costs just $39 and it works on any device. I like to use it on our iPad or laptop but it also works on smartphones, whether iOS or Android. I am blown away by this. You can check it out yourself at RVLifestyle.com/rvtripwizard Our guest this week is Pat Buchanan of RV Trip Wizard, who will tell us how this great RV trip planning tool works. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Mike Wendland:           Pat Buchanan from RV Trip Wizard joins us to talk about this great planning thing. Pat, first of all welcome to the program. Pat Buchanan:               Thank you sir. It's a pleasure being on. I've listened to you multiple times before and it's great to be on the other side this time. Mike Wendland:           Well I'm glad to have you on the other side. I have fallen in love with RV Trip Wizard. I'm not so much of a planner as I am a serendipity traveler, but with your Trip Wizard it's like being able to take the journey before I even leave home. There's so many features on it that I didn't want to explain them to our listeners. I thought that I would get you to do it.

Many of us plan and dream about pulilng up roots, selling the sticks and bricks house and going fulltime in an RV. But what’s it like? A little scary, to be sure. But also very rewarding, as our guests this week share in an Episode we call… Livin’ the Dream. We met this couple last week up in the Adirondacks, John and K.C,, who have been fulltiming in a Class B Winnebago Travato for a year and a half now with their dog, Kai. As we heard their story we just knew we had to get them to share it with you, too. So we whipped out the recorder, gathered round the campsite picnic table and recorded the conversation. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This is where we are as this podcast is released, in the Finger Lakes region of New York, camping at The Heron Hill winery as Harvest Host guests MIKE We are in the Finger Lakes region of New York as we record this episode, staying at a beautiful winery, part of the Harvest Host service hat welcomes RVers for overnight stays. We’ve spent the past couple of weeks touring the Adirondacks and have had a ball. JENNIFER It's been an awesome couple of weeks of hiking, exploring and learning about this magnificent region of mountains, lakes, streams, brooks and jaw-dropping scenery. MIKE We’ve camped and boondocked our way across this state, even did some moochdocking at the summer home of a couple of our followers. JENNIFER Yes, we want to give a big shout out to Bill and Pam Roberts who welcomed us… and BO… with open arms, opening up a guest cottage for us on beautiful Lake George, considered the crown jewell lake of the Adirondacks. MIKE We have been thrilled at the response to our latest Seven Day Adventure Guide ebook- about Yellowstone National Park. Like our other guides, this is a curated guided tour that gives you seven days of adventure and exploration. We show you what route to follow to see all of the park's major attractions, with suggestions on where to camp and boondock in or near the park, what to see and what to do. Details are at https://rvlifestyle.com/yellowstone RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK Potential safety issues uncovered in Roadtreks during purchase of company in Canadian bankruptcy court Erwin Hymer Group of North America was in the news again last week, this time over safety issues alleged in some Roadtreks. According to court documents, the second row seats in some Roadtreks may not have passed certain federal safety standards in Canada or the United States. As many as 1,900 units may be affected. Roadtrek is being purchased by the French company Rapido Group and the sale is expected to be completed July 5. Some details of how the company's assets are being divided was also made available last week and a story on that topic can be found here. Professional photographers offer useful tips in how to capture the Grand Canyon through a lens  Anyone heading to the Grand Canyon National Park may enjoy reading an article out last week from National Geographic offering tips on how to best photograph the amazing spot. From bringing a tripod, to lens suggestions and tips on how to frame a picture, I thought the article was helpful for those who - like me - enjoy photographing the amazing spots we visit in our RVs. We’ll link to that in the shownotes of this episode at rvlifestyle.com-slash-247. Mom and her son rescued from Zion National Park river after boy went wading and lost control A mom and her 12-year-old son had to be rescued at Zion National Park last week after the boy went wading into the Virgin River and was swept off his feet by the dangerously fast current caused by high water levels. The mom jumped in, safely got her son onto a boulder, and then held on to the rock herself until she could be rescued.  A second woman had also jumped in to help but was free before rescuers arrived. Park officials say lots of snow and spring rain have brought extremely high water levels to the park, and with it very powerful currents, making it important to stay out of the water. This is a problem at parks throughout the west. To see pictures of Zion's Virgin River, from a trip Jen and I made there several years ago, click here. Bears getting into campers food closes small section of Shenandoah National Park until further notice  A small section of Shenandoah National Park is closed to camping after a black bear got into campers food twice in recent days. Hiking is still allowed in that section of the Appalachian Trail, but camping will be forbidden until further notice so bear in the area will not become accustomed to getting food from campers. This is a good reminder to always check park news before heading in to boondock or hike back trails, and always carry bear spray. For more information on bear spray check out our report form some time back here.  Utah's Capitol Reef National Park seeking help finding vandals  Officials at Utah's Capitol Reef National Park are seeking the public's help to find vandals who defaced a towering redrock in the park's Cathedral Valley. The carving of an eye is so deep in the sandstone, officials are not sure they can remove it. Graffiti is apparently a growing problem in some of the nation's iconic parks.   This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping  Mention RVLifestyle at checkout for an additional $75 off. Plus free shipping on all their bike models  Use the coupon code rvlifestyle for an additional $75 off LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK EMAIL FROM THIS WEEK: If you always stay in parking lots that's not called RV lifestyle, it's called being homeless. How about an article telling people to clean up after then boondock somewhere and not leave all their garbage behind. It's getting worse every year. STEPHEN Hi Mike Any suggestions on RV camping in the Upper Peninsula of MI? We are planning on pulling our 37' fifth wheel up the first two weeks of September 2019 and we are looking for the best place to stay. We have never been to that part of the country with our camper and would like any feedback you can provide. -Mike Smith (Naturally, we suggest our 7 Day Adventure Guide to the Up at https://rvlifestyle.com/up) We have been watching your videos and enjoying them greatly. We currently have a class A gas engine (2004 Damon Intruder, 37 foot), and I am planning to retire next year so we can start traveling more and enjoying life. We have made a lot of trips in our RV so we have been able to make our list of things that we want in a new RV - and the Leisure Travel Wonder / Unity meet all our requirements. However I am really trying to understand how choosing the sprinter engine might affect us when it comes to the diesel MB5 requirements. Based on your experience, is it hard to find the right diesel gas when you are traveling, or should I assume that it usually won’t be a problem.  I would really appreciate your thoughts on the Ford Transit diesel vs Mercedes diesel fuel availability. -Tim in Arizona Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990.  If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK John, KC and Kai outside their Winnebago Travato So many people plan and dream about pulilng up roots, selling the sticks and bricks house and going fulltime in an RV. But what’s it like… a little scary, to be sure. But also very rewarding, as our guests this week share in an Episode we call… Livin’ the Dream. We met this couple last week up in the Adirondacks, John and K.C, who have been fulltiming in a Class B Winnebago Travato for a year and a half now. As we heard their story we just knew we had to get them to share it with you, too. So we whipped out the recorder, gathered round the campsite picnic table and recorded the conversation. Let’s pick it up as John describes just what it was like too leave their New Jersey home of more than three decades for a new life as fulltime RVers on the road. The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new  motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT    By Tom and Patti Burkett For years we’ve had the City Museum of Saint Louis on our list of travel stops, so recently when we went to visit out park ranger daughter in the Ozarks we piled into the vehicle and drove the two hours north.  We were advised to arrive early, because the museum is a popular destination for school groups.  We’d echo that advice for anyone attending.  The museum is in downtown Patti and Tom Burkett St. Louis, just a few blocks from the Gateway Arch.  The adjacent parking lot will suit a class B or smallish class C RV.  Anything bigger, and you’d better look for parking elsewhere. Bob and Gail Cassilly built the museum in 1997.  It’s housed in an old warehouse, and the structures inside are made from reclaimed parts of buildings, factories, and industrial demolition.  Everywhere you look is art, too, mostly sculptures by the Cassillys and other local talent.  Fanciful animals, objects morphing into other objects, tiny landscapes, and greatly magnified everyday things appear around every corner or above your head or below your feet as you move through the museum.