January 2018

The Conch Republic is a small island located at the southernmost reach of the continental United States. Most folks know it as Key West, Florida, the last in a string of islands marking the boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. But there's much more to the Conch Republic than geography.

As you travel in the United States, chances are you have passed through or been near a national forest. You may have heard or thought the parking aprons would be too small for your RV, or the hookups you want wouldn’t be available. At one time, that was true. But today, 26 U.S. Forest Service campgrounds with full hookups — most of them with 50-amp service — are scattered across the country.

I had lived 30-some years in the Pacific Northwest, and had become used to being saturated to the bone. One winter day, an opportunity arose to do a work assignment in San Diego, California. With thoughts of losing my webbed feet, I packed up the motorhome and headed south, not knowing what I was getting into.

It’s January, which means Doc and Laurie Scranton’s Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome is parked at Paradise Oaks RV Resort in Bushnell, Florida. The Scrantons, F219098, will spend much of the winter there, with Doc in a light shirt, shorts, and a pair of sandals most days.

Check out the latest RV News and Notes for January 2018!

As you’re reading this, my husband, Brandon, and I will be entering our fifth year as full-time RVers, with a few additional years under our belts as weekend campers. RVing has helped open up new worlds and new experiences to us. We’ve been able to go places we never would have visited while living in one spot, and to meet people we may never have seen. Traveling the country in our RV has highlighted three universal truths for us.

Check out the latest RV Products for January 2018!

So, you’re new to RVing and have a lot to learn. Or maybe you’re a seasoned traveler, already having enjoyed oodles of adventures in your rolling home. Perhaps you’re somewhere in between. Regardless, FMCA’s upcoming international convention in Perry, Georgia, will include some seminar sessions you may conclude were designed especially for you.

Colorado Columbines members gathered July 6-9, 2017, at Mountaindale Cabins & RV Resort for a special event: the chapter’s 25th anniversary celebration. The location was significant. Founding member Dick Greener explained that the idea to form the chapter was hatched in 1992 at Mountaindale, which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Antebellum Trail was created by Georgia Tourism to show travelers what life was like before the Civil War. Many towns along the route were untouched by the war’s destruction. The trail is roughly 100 miles long, from Macon to Athens; along the way is a mixture of lush countryside, casual travel, rich historic architecture, and Southern charm.

The Lone Star chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary with a rally September 7-9, 2017, at the Durant/Choctaw Casino KOA in Durant, Oklahoma. Lone Star received its charter in June 1967 and is the ninth-oldest chapter in FMCA.

A guide to 2018-model-year vehicles that manufacturers have indicated can be recreationally towed behind a motorhome without significant modifications.

If we know of a farm that offers tours near a Mohawk Roamers rally, we likely will visit it. We enjoy fun activities, and it just so happens that our area has plenty of farms!

Check out the latest Tech & Travel Tips for January 2018!

Check out the latest House Calls with the RV Doctor for January 2018!

As I sit down to write my January column, it is late November, and all I can think is, “Wow, what a wild month it’s been” — in a good way!

You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. January is traditionally a time for looking ahead to a bright new year. In planning for the future, it is really important to study the past to see where we have been.

New Orleans, Louisiana, calls itself the Festival Capital of the World, and honors Mardi Gras as a legal holiday. It celebrates its extraordinary Spanish roots with special events such as San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, also known as “The Running of the Bulls” (July 14, 2018). It honors its French side during a weekend-long party around Bastille Day (July 12-15, 2018).

RV owners seeking to upgrade their furniture often find what they are looking for at Lambright Comfort Chairs, located 4 miles south of Shipshewana, Indiana, near the heart of the RV industry.