Butterflies are our favorite insects to watch as we explore the outdoors, but when you want to see a number of varieties in a limited amount of time, you might consider visiting a facility that specializes in these showy creatures.

During our many years of travel, we’ve found that we not only change locations with the seasons, but we also change the focus of our attention. As the heat of summer slows down our midday activities, the flash of color that catches our eye is more likely to be a butterfly than a bird.

With a smart shopping list and strategic planning, you can have most of these main dishes on the table within 15 to 30 minutes after hooking up at your campsite.

Enough room

Dear Editor:
After reading “Make Room For More” in the May 2008 issue (“Full-Timer’s Primer,” page 110), the “rule” most of us live by came to mind: “The motorhome parties six, feeds four, sleeps two.” That seems to work for about 99 percent of us out here.

Describe your favorite ice cream parlor.

Keep the kids active and smiling while on the road this summer.

Your motorhome is “self-contained.” That means you have the ability to live in it for several days without hooking up to utilities.

Family Motor Coaching magazine’s annual guide to FMCA commercial member motorhome manufacturers and custom bus converters.

Host Industries, of Bend, Oregon, currently bases several motorhome models and coach lengths on the versatile Ford F-550 Super Duty 4×4 four-door crew cab chassis. These include the 300 TS, which I had the opportunity to evaluate just prior to FMCA’s February 2008 convention in Pomona, California.

We had arrived at the theater early, as it was a new location for us. Tour buses in the parking lot made it evident that this was a popular show. After finding our seats, we watched and listened as the stage technicians made final adjustments to the sets and sound systems.

FMCA’s national treasurer, Doug Key, reports on the financial status of FMCA.

The SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, has gone hog-wild, and a bronze statue of a farmer and his two pigs outside the building is just the beginning. Inside, playful porcine images float in cloud murals, and visitors play a SPAM game show.

On May 20, 1927, the Spirit of St. Louis, loaded to the brim with gasoline, lumbered down the runway at Roosevelt Airfield in Garden City, New York. With its single engine roaring, it strained to lift into the air, touched down again, lifted once more, and finally struggled off the ground, climbing slowly.

Motorhomers who make their way to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul for FMCA’s 80th International Convention, July 14 through 17, 2008, will find one of the highlights of the event is the impressive lineup of seminars presented.

Folks who “Navigate To The North Star State” for FMCA’s 80th International Convention, July 14 through 17, 2008, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, should keep their schedules clear for the evening hours, as they won’t want to miss the incredible entertainment lineup.

Greetings from Cincinnati, Ohio. As I write this month’s column, we are in the final two days of committee meetings at the FMCA national office. During the meetings, we stay at the FMCA campground at 3590 Round Bottom Road, located next to the building that houses FMCA’s Member Services Department. Since the campground is my current home, I thought this would be an appropriate time to bring you up-to-date on the functions and responsibilities of that department.

On April 2, 2008, FMCA reached a milestone in its history. William and Linda Lancaster joined FMCA and were assigned membership number F400000 by the FMCA computer. It’s impressive that in the association’s 45-year history, more than 400,000 families have joined FMCA.

Spider stopper

When I read Sally Peterson’s question in the January 2008 issue (“Unwanted Guests,” page 26) about spiderweb prevention, I thought of the advice given to us when we bought our first RV, which worked out very well. Purchase a dog or cat flea collar and cut it into pieces. Place the pieces in all the different compartments . . .

Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. has announced two separate NHTSA recalls.

The first is recall 08V130000, which affects certain 2008 and 2009 Pulse and Icon type C motorhomes manufactured from October 26, 2007, through February 29, 2008. The potential number of units involved is 166.

Water leaks

Dear RV Doctor:
Unfortunately, my husband did not properly winterize our 1986 Southwind. When we fill the fresh water tank, we have no problems, but when the water pump goes on, the leaks start.

Slideout measuring stick

My type A motorhome has a single slideout on each side of the vehicle. I took a wooden yardstick and put marks on it to denote how far each of the slideouts extends. Now, when I pull into a narrow RV parking spot, I use the yardstick to determine whether I can extend the slideouts safely.

It all started with an invitation dated October 18, 1965. It began, “Dear Minnesota FMCA members,” and it was from Don Beissel, the FMCA national director at the time, who lived in St. Paul.

Camera/Binocular Strap

The Superbungee Camera/Binocular Strap from Skooba Design is said to make carrying a camera or binoculars around your neck more comfortable.

National Park Centennial Projects Begin
 
The first round of national park improvement projects, funded by a combination of public and private funds under President Bush’s National Park Centennial Initiative, began this spring. 

FMCA’s Finance Committee has a broad level of responsibilities. Committee members need to have a firm understanding of FMCA’s financial affairs, serve as a board of review for budgets and salaries proposed by the executive director, recommend investment consultant(s) and review investment performance, and serve on the Audit Committee.

Writer and naturalist John Muir is one of our favorite outdoors enthusiasts. He’s been called a “Wilderness Prophet,” as well as the “Father of our National Parks.”

Birds tend to be found in predictable locations, and as experienced birdwatchers, we usually look for them in those places. Hawks soar on thermals, and ducks congregate in clusters on lakes and ponds. But the wood duck, as its name implies, is sometimes found on the branch of a tree.

New Wireless Phone Laws In California

When driving in California, motorhomers had better think twice before using their cellular phones, unless it’s for emergency purposes or they’re using a hands-free headset.

Rating campgrounds

Dear Editor:
The article titled “Campground Hospitality” in the April 2008 issue (page 78) was interesting to read. After seven years of motorhoming, we finally stayed at our first KOA this winter and had a very positive experience, as the writer did.

The final passport rule, home state considerations, finding a post-retirement job, and other tidbits to keep you informed.

My family enjoys RVing, as well as fishing, boating, and kayaking. For years, we faced a decision before every motorhome trip: whether to tow the boat or the car behind the coach. We couldn’t take both, and it often came down to leaving the boat behind or renting one at our destination. 

This luxurious diesel pusher stands out among others in its price range by boasting a floor plan with five slideouts, while receiving high marks for handling and cargo capacity.

Motorhomers enjoyed a late-February sojourn in Pomona, California, as they participated in FMCA’s 79th International Convention.

A capital assortment of attractions fills St. Paul, Minnesota, home to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, where FMCA’s 80th International Convention will take place.

Members are the blood flowing through the arteries and veins of FMCA. We’re constantly replenishing our supply, but we’re losing even more than we gain. This is not healthful. We all need not only to recruit new members, but we must learn how to retain them.

A slow-paced, back-to-nature experience awaits RV travelers along the state’s western edge.