Shirley Slater and
Harry Basch are a husband-and-wife travel-writing team whose books, articles, and photographs have been published internationally over the past 25 years. Former stage, film, and television actors, they have written their syndicated column “Cruise Views” for the
Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers for more than 18 years, produced six annual editions of the
North American Ski Guide for Prodigy Computer Services, and written
Shirley and Harry’s RV Adventures (a monthly newsletter) plus four books on worldwide cruising.
In 1990, at the 60th World Travel Congress in Hamburg, Germany, the authors were only the third writers (and the first freelancers) to receive the prestigious Melva C. Pederson Award from the American Society of Travel Agents for “extraordinary journalistic achievement in the field of travel.” On assignment for publications as diverse as Bon Appétit and Travel Weekly, they have covered 188 countries by barge, elephant back, hot-air balloon, luxury cruise ship, cross-country skis, paddle-wheel steamer, and supersonic aircraft, but their favorite method of transportation is by RV. In their former 27-foot Winnebago Brave motor home and their new 36-foot Itasca Sunflyer, they have logged more than 80,000 miles traveling all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Aboard other RVs—from minimotor homes to 36-foot wide bodies with slide-outs—they have traveled an additional 60,000 miles exploring the back roads and campgrounds of America. These journeys are all based on the authors’ personal experiences.
Introduction: The RV Life & Reasons to Hit the Road.
You Set the Lifestyle.
RVing for Travelers with Disabilities.
PART 1: GETTING READY TO HIT THE ROAD.
1. Life on the Road: A Personal & Public History of Rving.
Excerpts from a Road Diary; or, If We Can Do This, Anyone Can.
How to Give Backing-Up Directions Without Destroying Your Marriage.
RV History: The Tin Can Tourists.
Thirteen Notable Dates in RV History.
Six Common Misperceptions About RVs & Their Owners.
2. Getting Prepared: RVing Tips & Hints.
Driving Schools.
Learning Your Vital Statistics.
Making a List, Checking It Twice . . . .
What Kind of Wardrobe Is Right?
Stocking the Larder.
Don’t Drink the Water.
Trimming Costs: Eight Money-Saving Tips for the Road.
Safety, Sanity & Insurance.
Ain’t Misbehavin’: Road Etiquette.
The Community of Man: Getting Together with Other Rvers.
3. Where to Sleep: Campgrounds & RV Parks.
Campground Glossary.
Should You Sleep by the Side of the Road?
Campsites:The Good, the Bad & the Ugly.
Using the Directories to Find a Campground.
A Recommended Series from Frommer’s.
Ten Ways to Save Money on Campgrounds.
Membership Campgrounds.
Special Camping Situations.
Ain’t Misbehavin’: Campground Etiquette.
Ten Tips for Cozy Winter Camping.
How to Become Campground Hosts.
Plugging in Your Rig.
PART 2: RV ADVENTURES.
4. The California Desert & Las Vegas.
RVing in the California Desert & Las Vegas.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Desert Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
On the Road.
Ten Scenic Side Trips.
5. Utah’s Parks & Canyons.
RVing Utah’s National Park Country.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Utah Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
Talkin’ Utah: A Glossary.
On the Road.
The History of Utah—And a Tasty Dinner, Too.
About Edward Abbey.
Ten Scenic Side Trips.
6. Driving the Alaska Highway.
RVing Along the Alaska Highway.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Alaska Highway Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
A Crash Course in Speaking Alaskan.
On the Road.
Seven Tough Side Trips & Three Easy Ones.
7. The Dakotas: Black Hills & Buffalo Burgers.
RVing the Dakotas.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Dakotas Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
On the Road: South Dakota.
The Custer Connection.
South Dakota Nightlife.
On the Road: North Dakota.
A Dozen Terrific Side Trips in the Dakotas.
8. The Rio Grande Valley & the Wilds of West Texas.
RVing Along the Rio Grande.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Rio Grande.
“I See By Your Outfit That You Are a Cowboy . . .”.
Horses, Dogs, Bulls & Goats.
On the Road.
Texas Talk.
The Comanche Moon.
The Sounds of the Rio Grande.
Five Ways to Enter Terlingua’s International Chili Cook-Off.
Six Special Side Trips.
9. In the Heart of the Heartland: Iowa, Illinois & Indiana.
RVing in the Heartland.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Heartland Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
On The Road.
Classic Americana.
Tender Tenderloins.
A Box Of Popcorn.
10. The Florida Keys (with Side Trips to the Everglades & Orlando).
RVing the Keys.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Keys.
Talkin’ Conch: A Keys Glossary.
On the Road.
“And Then I Wrote . . .”.
Miracle of the Keys.
Two Great Side Trips.
11. The Blue Ridge Parkway & Skyline Drive.
RVing the Blue Ridge Parkway & Skyline Drive.
Travel Essentials.
The Best Blue Ridge Sights, Tastes & Experiences.
Southern Accents: A Glossary.
On the Road.
Nightlife Alomg the Road.
Literary Lights.
Great Smokies RV Safety Tips.
12. The Lobster Coast: New England & the Canadian Maritimes.
RVing in New England & the Maritimes.
Travel Essentials.
Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Lobster Coast.
Lobster Trivia Quiz.
On the Road.
Investing with the Mashantucket Pequots.
The Museum of Family Camping.
The Beans of Freeport, Maine (and More).
The Loyalists & the Acadians.
Five Side Trips.
Anne of Green Gables Sites.
PART 3: HARRY & SHIRLEY’S RV BUYING & RENTING GUIDE.
13. RV Types & Terms.
The ABCs of RVs: A Glossary of Common RV Terms.
Types of RVs.
14. To Rent or Buy?
Three Ways to Check Out Campground Life Without an RV.
Renting.
Buying.
Useful RV Websites.
Appendix: Recommended Reading.
Index.