At 6,684 feet, the highest point in the eastern US is Mount Mitchell, in North Carolina. Idaho, where I live, has several peaks over 12,000 feet. They’re beasts.

Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, where I grew up, reach heights of 13,000 feet. They’re mega-beasts.

And when I spend time in Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks for work, I breathe fairly well but my nose tends to bleed. Those peaks are beyond beasts. They’re pushing more than 14,000 feet above sea level.

I share these stats to illustrate why mountains in the East are considered hills in the West. When you go West, you go up. The higher you go, the more you need to plan and prepare — and the more time you need to take it all in. Views above treeline are unmatched; alpine lakes seem almost ethereal. The national parks and forests, the craggy peaks and deep valleys; they all demand your time and attention.

And to have that luxury, you’ll want a home on wheels. You’ll want an RV. Yes, you need to be mindful when camping at elevation, but it’s always worth the extra effort. Here are nine tips for RVing successfully and safely in the mountains.

Torn between camping in the woods and crashing into some waves this season? Spend your summer doing both, and have the best of both worlds!

Want to go hiking and wakeboarding on the same trip? We’ve got you covered. Traverse the American landscape this summer and visit cragged mountain terrains, beautiful seascapes, and lush forests by the lakeshore. Here we list 8 outdoor activities to do when you combine camping and watersports: The perfect summer combo is right at your fingertips.

Camping

After a long and hard year, it’s finally summer. Ease into the backcountry and embrace the wilderness through these outdoor activities.

Hiking

Camping is not complete without this classic outdoor activity. Explore the wilderness while setting your own pace, taking in your surroundings, and enjoying the tranquility of the woods.

After a fun-filled RVing experience, you’ll want to thoroughly clean and disinfect your RV. Why? Prompt RV cleaning extends its life, helps retain its resale value, and keeps your RV in tip-top shape for more memorable adventures. Plus, post-trip RV cleaning lets you see any damage more easily to catch potential maintenance issues before they become costly problems.

The sooner you clean your RV after a road trip, the better. Here’s how to do it.

RV Detailing

Detailing the interior and exterior of your RV is worth the effort. Save time by outsourcing this to professionals. Or, save money detailing it yourself.

Clean the RV inside and out after each trip.

What Do I Use to Clean My RV?

Around the campground and online, you’ll find many well-meaning opinions to this question. The answer is always:

“Use the manufacturer recommended cleaning products and guidelines to clean your RV.”

As travelers with pets, my husband and I have an extra responsibility onboard. We also have an extra element of fun, adventure, and excitement when we take our fur-kids with us on the road! It’s our job to make sure our pets have as much fun traveling as we do. And the most important component to a good time for all is feeling welcome and comfortable at the campground we choose. 

When we first began our travels almost five years ago in our RV, we took for granted that we would be welcomed with open paws at any campground. We found out quickly that every campground will have its own pet rules and guidelines. Some have breed restrictions. Others weight restrictions and limits on the number of pets we camp with, and a few have restrictions on all of the above. Doing your research ahead of time, and asking questions upfront, will ensure that you are not disappointed when you arrive. More importantly, this extra step ensures your pet is not disappointed! There is a perfect campground for a family with pets–and you can find it!

We have traveled to all of the 48 contiguous states with our dogs Peanut Butter Brickle and Digby Pancake. We have cut some campground stays short due to disappointment, but we’ve also extended our stays at some of the most pet friendly campgrounds around! Just like every person is different, every pet is different. Take into consideration your pet’s age, health and activity levels. There is a campground that is incredible for you and its waiting for your reservation!

Hanna Park

Mayport, Florida

Hanna Park is a county owned park near Jacksonville, Florida. If your dog is a beach lover, this campground is “pawfection”! Park your RV and set up camp in the wooded and shaded campground and then walk to the dog friendly beach at night. The staff is welcoming to pets and their people. I know this firsthand as we’ve visited this park for long periods at a time. We just couldn’t leave! Brickle loves the beach and Digby loves the wooded trails. This may be our perfect campground, but try and keep the secret!

Return to the road in a big way. Embark on an ecotourism adventure to see nature in its most raw form, from sprawling wetlands to towering trees. The following wild spots will make you forget about the past year’s Zoom calls, lockdowns and mask mandates.

Eco-tours are available in the locations below, giving visitors a chance to learn about spectacular flora and fauna that have to be seen to be believed.

Denali National Park, Alaska

Denali National Park is home to North America’s highest mountain, Denali, which stands 20,310 feet above sea level. But you don’t have to climb the peak to get an appreciation for the six-million-acre park. Denali harbors some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, including grizzly and black bears, caribou, wolves and moose. Even though roads are limited in the park, tourists are bound to see some of these creatures roaming the rugged terrain. Visitors can see animals from a bus tour or take the designated bike trail between the Nenana River and Denali Visitor Center. Observe park warnings about wildlife near bike trails.

Stay: Cantwell RV Park, located a half-hour south of the entrance to Denali National Park, is close to berry picking, hiking, fishing and water excursions.

Now’s the time or order your 2022 RVs from a dealer near you. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the best upcoming floorplans that are on order today. You’ll get a glimpse at travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes that will help your family find adventure wherever you go.

2022 Grand Design Imagine 2400BH Travel Trailer

Get the space your family needs to enjoy a weekend or extended stay at the campground with the 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2400BH travel trailers.  These floorplans feature double-sized bunk beds to give everyone a comfortable place to rest at the end of the day.  You’ll love the shoe storage near the door that makes it easier than ever to keep your floors clean during your stay.

Additional Features:

Double-Size BunksBike StorageWardrobe/PantryShoe StorageOutside KitchenSolar Power Inlet

2022 Jayco Eagle 332CBOK Travel Trailer

Get a lightweight RV in the 2022 Jayco Eagle 332CBOK travel trailer, which is an ideal couple’s coach for anyone who loves to travel with ease.  This trailer is excellent for entertaining guests at the campground, thanks to the bar with stools and the theater seating in the living room.  The entertainment center features a 50″ HDTV so that you can catch the big game with your crew.

If you’re planning to visit a national park on your summer RV trip, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans flock to our national parks during family summer vacation. However, you don’t have to let the crowds put a damper on your fun. Follow these tips for enjoying the national parks during the busiest time of year.

Before we begin, don’t forget to plan ahead for bringing your pets to National Parks. And, make sure your rig is an allowed size for national park campgrounds, as they do not often accommodate big rigs.

Go Early or Stay Late

Image by Keith Luke from Unsplash

Many of the busy parks limit the number of visitors that can enter on any given day. By getting up a little earlier than usual, your family can be first in line.

This will be easy to do if you take a few minutes to prepare for your trip a day in advance by packing a lunch, a blanket, and some games. Then get a good night’s sleep so you can an early start to your day. Once you arrive at the park, you can go ahead and visit the most popular sight or two on your list right away before the rest of the crowds arrive.

As the park begins to fill up, you can find a shady spot to put out your blanket and have a relaxing picnic lunch. Stick around a little longer playing cards or other games so that later when everyone else is hot and tired, you’ll still have plenty of energy for more activities.

There’s so much to love about traveling and vacations, but meals and food prep isn’t usually one of them. It can definitely get tiresome eating out every day for an extended period of time, or having meals that only consist of shelf-stable packaged foods. That’s why we love traveling by RV. Having a kitchen in our RV means that we can create our own meals!

But it can also get complicated to prepare meals for a lot of people in a small space. And with a family of seven, we’re always cooking for a crowd! Whether you’re preparing food for just your family, or whether you’re RVing with friends or relatives, here are some tips on how to cook for large groups in an RV kitchen!

Get Organized

An organized kitchen is the key to efficient meal making in an RV.

The number one most important thing for us to be able to use our RV kitchen in a functional way is to organize our food and supplies! It can be maddening to try to cook and to either not know where to find the things we need, or to know where they are but not be able to quickly and easily access them.

In our particular RV, we have a sink and cabinet area that has our most frequently used food storage. The cabinet right under the sink has some basic cleaning supplies, and the one right next to it has our dishes and shelf-stable breakfast foods. That way, if our kids wake up early, they can easily and quietly get themselves breakfast. The drawers under the sink hold utensils, spatulas, ladles, and other kitchen supplies, while the cabinets above the sink hold more lightweight items like bread and crackers.

Store high-use items within easy reach.

We also have a fridge, which is wonderful! It’s not as big as our fridge at home, so we try not to overpack it but it’s great to keep perishables like yogurt, milk, cheese, berries, and fresh veggies. The cabinet underneath holds heavy grocery items like canned beans.

Towing can be one of the most stressful things about RVing. Even for veteran RVers and professional truckers, towing isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Whether you tow a vehicle with your motorhome, or an RV with a tow vehicle, you need to know the hitch and tow fundamentals to travel safely. Choosing an RV setup that works best for you is the first step. There are so many configuration setups to fit an RV lifestyle. As a rule, it’s best to practice with your setup to really get a feel for how it tows.

Consider these things when selecting your RV setup:

What type of towing are you most comfortable with for your ability level?What is the overall traveling length of your RV, tow vehicle, and hitch you can manage?What vehicle capabilities do you already have (truck, SUV, motorhome, toad)?What type of terrain will you encounter on your road trips?What destinations are you dreaming of visiting in your RV?What are your general transportation preferences at any given destination?What are your RV ownership maintenance preferences—money-saving DIY, versus time-saving outsourced to trained RV maintenance professionals?

Your choice here is key because your RV and tow vehicle must be compatible. This is where RV hitch types join the conversation.

Hitch Types for RVs

With motorhomes you’ll use a tow bar or a tow dolly to pull a towed vehicle. You can also use your motorhome to pull a boat trailer or haul toys, like ATVs.

Lewis-Clark Valley AVA is home to 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year as well as 2020 Idaho Winery of the Year. Wine judges are consistently ranking Lewis-Clark Valley wines among the best of the best in northwest competitions and beyond. Lewis-Clark Valley gained a lot of notoriety over these past years for our wine, landing us on the map as a go-to destination for wine lovers.

The Lewis-Clark Valley is the first and only wine region to be nestled in the unique mountainous backbone of the Bitterroot Mountains. With steep river canyons and plateaus, it is home to the lowest elevation vineyards in the state at 950 feet. It’s also unique in that it spans both Idaho and Washington. Nearly 72 percent of the land is in Idaho, while the rest lies in Washington State. The area is home to 16 vineyards growing more than 80 acres of grapes, including 14 red and 9 white wine grape varieties.

Wine Frontiers

This region is considered part of the new frontier of wine-growing areas in the United States. But the region actually has a long wine history. Grapes were introduced into the Clearwater Valley in 1872. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of two Frenchmen, Louis Delsol and Robert Schleicher, and one German immigrant, Jacob Schaefer, the region rapidly become known for its wines.

Learn about our area and its rich wine history by booking a wine tour with Twisted Vine Wine Tours. Customize your winery and vineyard tour for groups of 2 to 7 people. Your guide, Clint Hoiland, will take you to each location while narrating the rich history of the Lewis Clark Valley along the way.

RV safety practices put you back in the driver’s seat…literally! There will always be factors outside of your control, but a checklist of safe practices leaves less up to chance. Foresight, contingency planning, and practicality make up the bulk of RVing safety essentials. At the end of the day, being safe is a habit–one that could save you time, money, and heartache. But remember, when you’re out there one the road, it’s not what happens to the RVer that’s defining, but how the RVer responds to the situation.

Implement these simple precautionary actions to strengthen your safety readiness level. Afterwards, you’ll find that you truly have more control than you realized. An ounce of prevention outweighs a pound of cure.

Customize Checklists for Detailed RV Trip Prep

Cover road trip planning details that matter to you (Image from Glenn Carstens-Peters via Unsplash).

While the journey and destinations are unique and often spontaneous, the preparation process is routine and predictable. Organize RV planning and prep with manageable checklists. As your RVing experience grows, you’ll collect checklists along the way. Customize these checklists to match your RV lifestyle.

Checklists for the RV lifestyle:

Roadworthy RV preparationKids and petsPacking supplies, food, propane, equipment, and toolsPre-departure checksPost-trip RV cleaning and maintenance

Practice Driving, Parking, and Towing Your RV

Traveling unfamiliar roadways poses a challenge to safely operating your rig. Gaining confidence as a driver takes time and practice. Before setting out for your road trip, practice somewhere safe. Make turns, change lanes, get a feel for braking at various distances, back it up, and park it. Practice communicating with your spotter using radios and hand signals. If you still don’t feel comfortable towing your RV, you can always schedule a pick up and delivery to the campsite.

Among the RVing community, you’ll find many campground neighbors are especially gracious with first-time RVers to ease the learning curve.

Whether you’re a Florida native or you’ve only traveled there a few times, one thing you can’t help but notice is the advanced canal system that runs through all the cities and towns dotted across Florida.

This state is known for some of the best fishing in the world but what a lot of anglers don’t realize is that you don’t need to charter a huge fishing boat at sea to take in some awesome fishing. A lot of the best fishing happens in these canals and the goal of this guide is to teach you how to fish the canals, where to go, and what to expect when you’re there.

Best Canal Fishing in Florida

Here are some of the best canals you’ll want to plan a trip around.

Tamiami Canal

This canal rests right in the center of Miami-Dade County in southeast Florida. It drains eastward and provides 27 miles of accessible canals by boat and shore. There are also plenty of small lakes throughout those miles.

One big advantage of owning your camper is being able to style it your way. Creating the specific look and feel for your home-on-wheels is a breeze with these inexpensive fixes.

Even the least crafty among us will find some painless options in this article for making their rig feel more like the home they imagined. And the best part? Most of these options were designed with renters in mind, so they’re not only easy to install: they’re easy to remove. No matter you sense of style, there are plenty of lighting and decor options to choose from.

Try some of these DIY options and see how it transforms your space. If interior design isn’t your strength, have the Camping World team bring your vision to life with their renovation services.

Peel and Stick Backsplash Tiles

Hi all! Hope your summer of RVing is off to a great start! This month we’ve got some questions on common RV problems. Remember to send your RVing questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Howdy Mark,
What product can I use to remove “sap” from my rubber roof and travel trailer?
Thank you,
Frank

Hi Frank,
This is a common problem, and the rubber roof complicates it a bit as you should not use petroleum solvents on it. You can always use a cleaning product designed for rubber roofs, like Thetford’s Rubber Roof Cleaner & Conditioner, but there are some other possible solutions. Folks report good results using rubbing alcohol (or drinking alcohol), and some folks have successfully used Goo-Gone, but I would suggest caution as it is powerful stuff! You may think I’m a loony when I tell you that mayonnaise is very effective on tree sap. Really! I read about it somewhere years ago, tried it, and was amazed at how well it works. It will dissolve tree sap on skin, clothing, auto paint and even on rubber roofs. Spread it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and wipe off. Then clean the area with soapy water to remove the residue.

Hi Mark,
What is the best way to flush out the galley tank and the grey-water tank? For the black tank, you can pour water down the toilet. Do you do the grey water and galley the same way? It would take a while to fill the two tanks that way.
Sincerely,
Tom

While the downtown core of Grande Prairie is bursting with fantastic urban adventures, there’s a lot to do beyond the central streets of this beautiful city. With the Grande Plan, come explore the excellent shops, strolls and sports of the South Bear Creek neighborhood. There’s both indoor and outdoor fun for the whole family, so pick your favorites from the list and get ready for an unforgettable time together!

A great place to start is at the Bear Paw Par 3 Golf Course & RV Park, which is a perfect excuse to practice your short-game skills while still spending quality time with the family. It features a shortened 9-hole golf course that’s suitable for kids, and great for sinking those long-distance putts. After polishing up your game, kick back for some relaxation at your campsite. The Bear Paw Campground is the perfect site to explore this area!

Nearby in South Bear Creek is the Bike Skills Park. If you have an aspiring mountain biker or BMX rider in the family, this is a place for them to practice their wheelies, balance and descents before tackling the real thing on a bigger scale. Nothing builds confidence like getting better at something that was once difficult.

You, the pup, and the open road. It doesn’t get much better than that.

You might not be surprised, but over 60% of the RVers we surveyed said one of the main reasons they wanted an RV was to get out into nature with their dogs! In fact, if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them! Most people I know wouldn’t dream of traveling without their dogs and I’m in the same boat.

We travel with a 65-pound Norwegian Elkhound named Bo. He’s 5 ½ years old now and has literally grown up RVing.

He is very popular among our followers. In fact, the other day at a gas statio off I-65 in Alabama, I was with him in a doggie exercise area when a couple who follow us on our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel recognized Bo. They pulled over and jumped out to come meet him. They were so excited it was as if they met a celebrity. They would have asked Bo for his autograph if he could hold a pen. When Bo went off sniffing, they turned to Jennifer and me and asked what is probably the most common question we get from our followers who travel with dogs:

“How do you keep Bo safe and happy when you bring him on an RV road trip?”

Every good road trip starts with a theme. If you’re a fan of craft beer and cool small towns, brew up your next RV adventure to these three awesome brewery towns in the west. Each of these western craft beer destinations has scenery and vibe unlike anywhere else, and they’re all home to some of the tastiest craft beers in the country. Here are my three favorite beer town getaways with convenient RV camping.

Eureka, California

My old hometown not only has several award-winning craft breweries but also lies in a region with such ideal summer weather that locals call it “The Santa Barbara of the North.” When everywhere else is baking in scorching hot temperatures, the cool, salty ocean breeze in Eureka and surrounding Humboldt County makes it one of the best brewery destinations in the west. Point your rig to Arcata, where RVs of any size can make Mad River Rapids RV Park home base. This oceanside resort is where we kicked off our full-time RVing adventures, and it makes a perfect spot to begin your North Coast brewery adventures. For the most authentic taste of Humboldt, add these three brewery destinations to your Humboldt County itinerary:

• Get a feel for the local lifestyle at Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, one of the U.S.’s first certified organic breweries and also founded by one of the first female brewmasters in the nation, Barbara Groom. Hang out and get to know locals in the downtown Eureka restaurant, then take a free Lost Coast Brewery tour just down the road.

• Roll south on US Highway 101 to Eel River Brewery in Fortuna. Situated more inland than Eureka, it’s where you’ll find sunnier skies and many RVers’ favorite Riverwalk RV Park and Campground, located within walking distance of the brewery’s award-winning certified organic beer. Grab a bite from the pub menu that features steaks and burgers made from the brewery’s ranch operation. They take “locally made” to an all-new level, by raising Black Angus beef cows on diets of organic sweet alfalfa and brewery malt grown on the Eel River Brewery’s land.

After Phil Mickelson’s incredible win at the PGA Championship, he spoke about some of the techniques that he’d been using to prolong his career and become the oldest winner of a major at the age of 50. The longevity of Phil’s career (his first PGA Tour victory was over 30 years ago) is not only because he stays physically strong and flexible, but because he strengthens his mental game too. He said:

“I’m trying to use my mind like a muscle and just expand it”.

Whatever goals you are pursuing, whether in golf or otherwise, here are 5 mental skills that you’ll need to hone if you are to achieve them.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how he:

Improves his focus and ability to stay presentCalms his nervesCreates a picture for each shot and commitsKeeps a “Beginner’s Mindset”Uses a Mental Scorecard

1. Phil improved his focus and ability to be present

After the Wells Fargo Championship a few weeks before the PGA Championship, Phil said:

During our search for the next adventure vehicle, one option that was recommended to us over and over again were flatbed truck campers. Unlike the ... Read more

The French five-star resort Terre Blanche, one of Europe‘s most prestigious destinations for golf and gastronomy, has announced its reopening date and new Michelin-starred head chef.

The resort, set among the rolling hills and vineyards of Provence, less than an hour from Nice and the stunning coastline of the Cote d’Azur, is home to two championship level golf courses and a state-of-the-art golf academy, as well as luxurious suites and villas, an award-winning spa and Michelin-starred dining.

Following restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the resort will now fully reopen on June 17.

The resort has also appointed Christophe Schmitt as the new Chef des Cuisines, who will take over the reins at the resort’s restaurants including the Michelin-starred ‘Le Faventia’. Chef Schmitt built his reputation at Michelin level establishments including Le Diane in Paris where he was awarded a Michelin star.

Like Provence itself, Terre Blanche is a food lovers’ paradise. There is something for everyone with light lunches at Les Caroubiers with a view over the golf courses, Michelin-starred dining on the terrace at Le Faventia overlooking the local hills, the stylish Gaudina with its brasserie ambiance, and poolside meals at Le Tousco. Le Pitchoun caters just for children and, in summer, Le Patio and terrasses restaurants are perfect to enjoy meals outdoor.