Go RVing Vignettes Entertain, Inform Consumers
Custom-produced RV travel and camping vignettes are a key element of Go RVing’s all-new “Away” campaign, which launched in February 2012.
A dozen vignettes began airing and will be seen throughout the year on popular networks including SPEED, Great American Country, the Cooking Channel, the Outdoor Channel, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, the NFL Network, and CBS Sports. Go RVing will work with the involved networks to demonstrate and promote the various activities recreation vehicles can be used to enjoy.
Go RVing has teamed with SPEED personality Rutledge Wood for a 60-second vignette featuring his family enjoying a beach getaway in a Vesta motorhome provided by Monaco RV. This spot will air throughout the racing season on SPEED.
Two 60-second vignettes featuring country music artist Chuck Wicks were shot in Nashville utilizing a travel trailer that will be awarded as the grand prize in “Go RVing’s Ultimate Country Music RV Giveaway” sweepstakes with Great American Country. Mr. Wicks is shown enjoying a weekend getaway with friends in one spot and a hunting trip with his dad in the other.
Four vignettes featuring Outdoor Channel talent Pat Reeve and Nicole Jones, hosts of the hunting show “Driven,” and angler Mark Zona, host of “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show,” will promote the network’s Spring Fever sweepstakes sponsored by Go RVing. This promotion will award a new RV to an Outdoor Channel viewer.
In a continued partnership with both National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild, the networks will promote the new series “Untamed Americas” with three 30-second RV-related vignettes.
A first-time venture with the Cooking Channel includes a 30-second vignette highlighting simple, RV-friendly recipes in conjunction with “The Perfect 3,” a new show featuring recipes made from three ingredients. This spot will air during the program from April through June, including a Memorial Day marathon.
To promote RV tailgating, a vignette featuring NFL tailgating enthusiasts will air in the fall of 2012 on NFL Network. Meanwhile, CBS Sports will celebrate college football traditions with an in-studio feature about the unique tailgating traditions of each team’s fans during “Inside College Football” or “SEC Studio Show.” A Go RVing Football Series will feature on-screen custom RV animations and factoids during SEC football matchups.
Plan Your Alaska Adventure With The Milepost
The 64th edition of The Milepost ($29.95 U.S., $34.95 Canadian; Morris Communications) is now available for travelers planning a motorhome journey to Alaska or the northwestern Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory.
The 2012 version of The Milepost, which was first published in 1949, provides mile-by-mile logs of all northern routes and descriptions of many of the communities and attractions in Alaska and northwestern Canada. The book boasts nearly 700 color photos and more than 100 maps, including a 21-inch-by-31-inch pull-out Plan-A-Trip map that covers all routes leading to and within Alaska. Questions about when to go, crossing the border, road conditions, wildlife viewing, and dozens of other topics are answered in the 784-page book, which is touted as the “bible of North Country travel.”
A trip to Alaska or the northwestern regions of Canada requires more thought and preparation than a visit to a park or attraction in the continental United States, and The Milepost provides all of the information travelers will need to plan their adventure. The book includes mile-by-mile logs for all of the major highways, along with dozens of other routes throughout the northwestern area. It also includes information about ferry travel, with schedules for the Alaska Marine Highway, BC Ferries, and the Inter-Island Ferry Authority. Readers will glean details about the major attractions in Alaska; 60 side trips; camping and fishing, and more.
The Milepost is available in bookstores, through online booksellers, via www.themilepost.com, or by calling (800) 726-4707. A free digital edition is available to those who purchase the print edition.
Big Bend National Park Designated An International Dark Sky Park
The stars at night are big and bright at Big Bend National Park (BBNP) in Texas. The park was recently designated as an International Dark Sky Park, one of just 10 in the world. BBNP came in at the Gold Tier level, meaning that the skies above the park are free from all but the most minor impacts of light pollution.
Measurements by the National Park Service Night Sky Team show that the Big Bend region offers the darkest measured skies in the lower 48 states, making it a worthy jewel to the worldwide crown of dark sky oases recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). And with an area of more than 801,000 acres, Big Bend National Park is also the largest International Dark Sky Park to date.
Regional efforts to protect the night sky have made tremendous gains in recent years, with towns such as Alpine and Van Horn passing strict lighting ordinances. Active efforts by city councils and astronomy enthusiasts have helped lead the dark sky movement that involves BBNP.
The park has created lighting guidelines and has upgraded nearly every outdoor light fixture within the park with the help of a Best Practices grant from Musco Lighting. The exterior lights all conform to minimum lighting guidelines, and the park’s energy use for lighting has dropped by 98 percent.
BBNP?s stargazing program is held frequently throughout the year. Activities include night hikes, telescope viewing, and sessions that focus on night sky preservation. BBNP is discussing collaboration with two local astronomy societies and McDonald Observatory. The park also plans to unveil a K-12 education program via the National Park Service’s Teacher to Ranger to Teacher program that will focus on the significance of darkness, its influence on the earth, and its importance to our understanding of life. BBNP will be used as a “natural laboratory” for some lessons.
Grand Canyon National Park Eliminates Disposable Bottles
Grand Canyon National Park will eliminate the in-park sale of water packaged in individual disposable containers under a plan approved by National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional (IMR) director John Wessels. Free water stations are available throughout the park to allow visitors to fill reusable water bottles.
The park’s plan calls for the elimination of the sale of water packaged in individual disposable containers of less than 1 gallon, including plastic bottles and various types of boxes. The waste associated with disposable bottles comprises an estimated 20 percent of the park’s overall waste stream and 30 percent of the park’s recyclables.
“Our parks should set the standard for resource protection and sustainability,” said Mr. Wessels. “Grand Canyon National Park has provided an excellent analysis of the impacts the elimination of bottled water would have, and has developed a well-thought-out plan for ensuring that the safety, needs, and comfort of visitors continue to be met in the park.”
Grand Canyon National Park has experienced increasing amounts of litter associated with disposable plastic bottles along trails both on the rim and within the inner canyon, marring canyon viewpoints and visitor experiences.
For more information about Grand Canyon’s voluntary reusable water bottle program, visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/refilling_stations.htm.
City Walking Tours Available Online
Once you’ve arrived at a city or town in your motorhome, one of the best, most hassle-free ways to explore the area is on foot. Walkthetown.com provides access to walking tours for more than 300 U.S. towns via a variety of mobile devices.
Each tour from Walkthetown.com describes a mix of historical, architectural, cultural, and ecclesiastical landmarks. Street addresses and step-by-step directions lead the way. A quick primer to help identify architectural styles seen on American streets is included.
Each walking tour costs 99 cents and is available as an e-book formatted for Kindle, iBooks, the Barnes & Noble Nook, and others. The tours are also downloadable directly to a mobile device via Smashwords and can be viewed via the www.walkthetown.com mobile app. Some tours are available as printed guidebooks and can be purchased from the publisher, Cruden Bay Books, by calling (610) 917-1066.
Visit www.walkthetown.com for more information, including a list of available city tours.