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In this guide, renowned travel writing teamHarry Basch and Shirley Slater offers updates ontheir favorite RV trips around the U.S., including scenic routes along Virginia's Skyline Drive and the New England coast, plus jaunts through the Heart of the Heartlands (Indiana, Iowa and Illinois) and to Alaska via Canada. On each trip you'll get all the famous, infamous, and off-the-wall attractions; campgrounds along each route, from luxurious private RV parks with heated swimming pools and golf courses to quiet, forested campgrounds in state and national parks; tips for making life on the road easier and more comfortable; and a complete guide to buying or renting an RV, with tips on how to decide which type is right for you. All this, plus information on wildlife watching and scenic views, the best parks and beaches, quick-and-easy recipes, packing suggestions, info on road etiquette and safety, and more. Head off the beaten path with Frommer's, to discover the real life lurking around the bend.

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.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.