9/26/2026 Some Drives Not to Miss

There are dozens of beautiful drives you can take in the U.S, but here are some of my favorites that you might not be aware of. 

• Natchez Trace:  Hard to know where to start with this one, so I'll start with my first experience.  Way back in the 1990s, I worked for a training and consulting company and took a wrong turn on a business trip to Jackson, Mississippi.  I ended up on something called the Natchez Trace, which turned out to be a 444 mile scenic parkway that goes from Nashville, TN, to Natchez, MS.  I ended up making a U-turn a few miles down it, but promised myself I would someday drive the whole thing, and I have!  The history is that way, way, way back before steam engines and gasoline engines, people made rafts and rough boats and floated them down the Mississippi River, carrying cargo.  They had no way to get back upstream, so they abandoned their rafts and took a wagon, rode a horse, or walked back to Nashville on an old Indian trail.  This trail has been so heavily used over hundreds of years that in some places, the original Trace is as much as 12' deep because of the wear of feet, hooves, and wagon wheels.  Large trees now grow in the middle of some sections, which gives evidence of its age.  The parkway is very scenic and has a lot of historical sites, including the cabin where Meriwether Lewis was shot and died.  It is two-lane the entire length, as I remember it, and because it goes from northeast to southwest, it is a great way to get from the northeastern states to the southwest, and back again.  There are lots of scenic pull-offs and not a single stop light in the entire 444 miles, but there are two, free rustic campgrounds you can stop at if they are not full.  Plan on taking at least three days to drive this parkway, and do stop at Natchez and visit this historic town on the Mississippi.  Check it out at https://npshistory.com/publications/natr/index.htm   Below is a photo of a small section of the parkway, and below it  is a photo of the old Trace:
  
   

   
  
  
• Oregon Coastal Highway:  While the entire Pacific Coast is a terrific drive, I think the section through Oregon is the most scenic and least crowded, at least compared to the California coastal drive.  Start from the town of Astoria on the Columbia River and drive all the way to Brookings at the California Border.  (Before you head into Washington State at Astoria, don't miss the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, and grab a salmon fish sandwich at the booth across the highway.)  Note: The reason for driving north to south is so you can more easily pull off as scenic rest areas along the Pacific.  There are quite a few excellent Oregon State Parks along the way, and two of my favorites are near the towns of Bandon and Yachats.  (The latter is pronounced "yah-hots", by the way.  And don't miss the tide pools in Yachats.)  Most of the state parks in Oregon have full hookup sites, as well as partial hookup sites.  Take at least a week to drive this and stop often along the way.  The area south of Yachats is called Cape Perpetua, and don't hesitate to drive even a big rig up the cliff to the visitor center south of town.  Also don't miss the drive up to the top of the Cape, near the campground.  The road looks steep, but really is not, and the views here and at the visitor center are incredible.  https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/destinations/parks-forests-wildlife-areas/cape-perpetua-scenic-area/  Also, check out photos from my blog here:  https://grandmajjb.blogspot.com/2024/10/1025-cape-pertetua-yachats-oregon.html   Below is a photo of the area south of Yachats.
  
  
  
• Columbia River Drive:  This is also a great drive, but you must start at the mouth of the river where it intersects the Pacific Ocean at Fort Stevens State Park on the south side of the river.  Follow the path and walk out all the way to the mouth of the river.  (This is a good state park to camp in also.) It is also worth visiting is Cape Disappointment State Park on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia, as both are good camping places and have Lewis and Clark historical things to view.  BUT, UNLESS YOU HAVE A SMALL AND NOT TOO TALL RV, YOU SHOULD NOT DRIVE FURTHER EAST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER AS THAT SIDE HAS SOME LOW TUNNELS!!!  Some places to stop along the Columbia River are:

• Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria
• Portland, actually not one of my favorites, but other people like this town.  Very hard to drive RV here, and a lot of streets are filled with homeless encampments.  
• Multnomah Falls. Hard to miss the parking lot for this one as it is right in the middle of the I-84 freeway! There are a few large-vehicle parking spots at the east end of the parking lot.  Hopefully, you will be visiting this place off-season.  
• Bonneville Dam. Don't miss this. There are two parts to this facility.  If you drive in and then turn right, you will be at the dam visitor center parking area.  The visitor center has tours of the dam and fish ladders, plus a nice display in the visitor center.  They might search your RV for bombs and such, but that only takes a couple of minutes.  If you turn left near the entrance, you will end up at the fish hatchery.  Nice visitor center here, also, and this place is especially interesting as they raise the enormous sturgeons here.  These are 8' - 10' long prehistoric fish that were once plentiful along fresh water streams and large lakes.  Plan on 3-4 hours here at least. 
• Cascade Locks.  This is a nice little town with a riverfront park and places to walk and enjoy.   
• Hood River. This is a bigger town and a good place to shop for groceries and such.  There is a waterfront park and a history museum here.  
• Memaloose SP.  Good place to camp if you do not mind the sound of trains. 
• The Dalles.  This is the next and last fairly big town for quite a few miles, so stock up on stuff if you did not do so earlier. 
• Maryhill Museum of Art.  This is an interesting place on the north side of the river.  It is OK to cross over here because there are no tunnels near here.  Nice view of the river from the small park next to it, and an interesting museum.  The mansion was built for Queen Marie of Romania by her husband, but she did not like it and never moved in.  Good for a couple of pleasant hours.  Nice views of the Columbia River from here, as  well. But afterwards, you need to cross back to the southern side of the river to visit one of my favorite COE campgrounds just east of here!
• LePage Park.  This is a Corps of Engineering (COE) park and campground along the John Day River that empties into the Columbia River.  Cost if you have a federal senior pass is only $15 per night for sites with electric and water.  My favorite sites are along the river at the south end.  Very pleasant and quiet almost all year.  (Exception is when a bunch of jet boat owners congregate here!)  Interesting area at the north end is where the local Native American tribes store their fishing nets and equipment.  
• Other Campgrounds East to Snake River Confluence.  I mention these because they are inexpensive and very pleasant, especially slightly off-season.  They are Plymouth Park Campground on the north side of the river, Hood Park on the south side of the Snake River, and Charbonneau Campground on the Snake River a few miles farther east. Warning: Last time I was at Hood Park, I discovered electric hookups were more reliable in the east end of the park, per the rangers.  
• A really nice, but longer drive, is to continue along the Snake River into Idaho, but I'll leave those areas for you to discover yourself!!!  
  
  
  

• Million $$ Highway - Ouray to Silverton, CO:  Some people refer to this as the highway they would not drive for a million dollars!  And I was told by my RVing cousin that under no circumstances should I take this road because it was so dangerous.  Well, I am really glad I ignored that advice!  This is a gorgeous 25 mile piece of highway that goes from the town of Ouray (7,792' in elevation) to Silverton,CO, (9,318' in elevation.  Both towns and the road between them are surrounded by incredibly high peaks and wonderful scenery.  Yes, there are sheer drop-offs without guard rails, and yes, I would not drive this road in rain or snow, however, the speed limit is only 45 MPH and even lower around curves.  Anyway, I drove this road north to south in my 32' motorhome and would not hesitate to drive it again, assuming good weather.  Tip: A good place to stay a few days before you head on this road is Ridgeway State Park, which is just a few miles south of Ouray.  
   
  Just take it easy and drive slow on this road.  It will be worth it! 

 Anyone have any other great drives in the U.S. they'd like to share?  

 

9/25/2026 Tips for New RV Owners!

In the last couple of weeks, I have met and chatted with a couple of new motorhome owners.  After so many years on the road, I am always happy to share some of the things I have learned over the years, so I decided to put these suggestions down in case anyone else is interested.  First, you need to know that RVs are not made like cars on an assembly line that makes hundreds of almost identical cars every day according to strict quality processes.  (I spent a lot of years visiting factories and writing training materials in the auto industry, and I made a point to visit RV manufacturing plants before i bought my rig.  The RV industry is at least 20-30 years behind modern manufacturing techniques.  Most important to know is that in most RV factories, each RV is made by a team of assemblers, not one person doing a single task with hundreds of vehicles each day.  The result is that your vehicle will not be exactly like the one next to it while it was made!) 

Here is my new motorhome the day in March, 2012, the day I picked it up.  My son is checking something out before I drove it away: 

 

Ask around to people who have bought multiple RVs and I think you will find that they will support my tips.  Onward!!!

• Warranty Items:   Unfortunately, RV dealers have learned that most people buy only one or two RVs in their lifetimes, so they are not concerned with your coming back in a very few years as a repeat customer.  Once you are out the door, your dealer will not be as friendly and helpful he/she was before you handed over that big check.  SO, DOCUMENT EVERY WARRANTY ISSUE WITH DATED PHOTOGRAPHS AND KEEP NOTES IN A NOTEBOOK OF SOME SORT.  Write down what happened and when, and what the response was when you brought the issue to your dealer.  My dealer refused to fix most of the issues I had with my brand new motorhome because they said the problems were my fault as I had caused things to break.  For example, the drawer under my refrigerator flew open as I was driving on the third day I owned it and bashed a hole in the paneling around the stove because I had overloaded it.  I called the factory customer service people to ask what the weight limits were for each of the cupboards and drawers in my rig and was told there was no such thing.  Ditto for other problems like the trim piece that fell off when I hit a bump and the side door which could be opened even when locked.  I ended up getting everything fixed at the factory several months later in Indiana.  
• Electrical Schematic:  Before you go on your first trip outside of your local area, try to get an electrical schematic from the dealer or from the factory that made your vehicle.  I was originally told that none existed, but managed to get one several years later from a friendlier dealer.  This would have helped when a dealer who did not have such a document had to have its service people search for three hours to find the fuse for my slides.  They ended up having to trace wires and remove inside paneling, leaving nail holes.  Where was the fuse???  Not with all the other fuses in the fuse box, of course.  It was hidden inside a wooden box under my bed that enclosed the rear furnace motor and the converter.  Who would have thought??   
• Problems While on the Road:  If you have problems with something while you are traveling and don't know what to do, and you have at least made it to a campground. don't hesitate to find someone in your campground who has a motorhome or trailer similar to yours and ask for help.  Most RV owners LOVE to share horror stories and/or help you find solutions to your problem.  If you pull out a tool box and open your hood around dinner time, you are likely to attract a crowd, which may be just what you need!
• CoachNet Road Service:  Know that most auto insurance companies like AAA and State Farm may not have the skills or contacts to find an appropriate wrecker that can actually lift your rig and change a tire or tow it to a repair facility.  Many people, including me, have had EXCELLENT service from a company called CoachNet that specializes in big motorhomes and trailers.  They will send someone who has a big enough jack and knows where to attach it and how to safely lift your rig without it falling or causing damage!  It may take a couple of hours, but hopefully you will be in a safe place and can  turn on your generator and AC, and fix yourself a meal while you are waiting.  CoachNet can also give you technical advice over the phone so you can possibly fix it yourself, or they can send a mobile technician who might be able to fix it on the spot.  (There are mobile technicians that can assess or hopefully fix things that go wrong on the "truck" part of your RVs, and there are also mobile RV technicians that can assess or even fix the RV part, like manually getting a stuck slide in or removing a torn and flapping awning that is preventing you from driving your rig.)  CoachNet will pay for the technicians to come out, but you will still have to pay for any repairs that they do, but that is still a lot better than being towed to a garage or RV dealers.  They will also tow you to an appropriate repair place, and they do a great job of selecting a place that will work on it immediately, instead of leaving your rig in that park when-we-get-around-to-it area.  Cost of an annual subscription to CoachNet is $250 the first year and $180 every following year.  Worth every penny.
• GPS Systems:  Do you know how tall your rig is??  Or how wide or how heavy?  Most of us are used to using our phones to guide our routes, but a good RV-specific GPS will ask you to enter information about your rig and use that info to keep you from going under bridges or gas station awnings that are too short and damaging things on your roof.  I know that my motorhome is a bit over 12' high, so I set the GPS for 13' high just to be safe, so this does not happen to me:  https://www.youtube.com/yovo68  My RandMcNally 7" GPS is out-of-date, but it still finds me campgrounds in an emergency and makes sure I do not get into trouble.  
• Trees:  Trees, especially the really big ones, have an amazing capability to move to where you cannot see them.  Nearly all of us who have been on the road for a significant period of time have had an incident with a tree, post, or telephone pole.  My best advice is to try not to have such an incident during the dinner hour when a lot of fellow campers are outside and watching you pull in or out.  To look most impressive, follow the GOAL (get out and look) technique, making care to not just look behind your rig, but to look on both sides and above it as well for low-hanging branches.  If you are alone, don't hesitate to ASK for help!  
• First-Aid Kit: Put together a good first aid kit, and most importantly, STORE IT IN A PLACE YOU CAN EASILY ACCESS!  I know all about this because I cut my hand badly while making a sandwich in a scenic pullover on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I was alone, and there was no one else in this pullover.  I had wrapped my cut hand with a clean dishcloth and had to hold it tightly to keep it from bleeding.  So, where was my first-aid kit?  In a bottom drawer in my bedroom that could not be accessed without putting the slides out, and that was not possible with my bleeding hand.  I finally found a large bandaid and put it on tightly to stop the bleeding.  Also, make sure the kit is clearly labeled as first-aid and let everyone traveling with you know where it is located!  
• Pests:  We are not talking about the neighbor kind, but the tiny things that crawl into your RV and help themselves to food and other things.  I have mostly had experiences with ants and mice, though there was one incredibly memorable incident near Denver one year when I was invaded with hundreds of moths.  (Avoid Denver in June, or at least call and check about moth hatchings before you go.) But first, the ants and mice.  Before you go anywhere, make sure you have a collection of mouse traps and ant killers, and have stored them in a place you can easily find at 1 am.  Surprisingly, most of my mouse encounters have been in the southwest deserts.  Some campgrounds are teaming with mice who live there in hoards because there is always food and water around campgrounds.  They seldom live in your RV, but they can easily get in through cracks in slides and from underneath where hoses and wires come in.  Ditto for ants in the desert.  A common ant killer is borax. It can be bought in the detergent aisle in the grocery store and works very well on ant hills you can see.  A handful of borax will wipe out a colony fast.  However, this does not work for all ants, and if you pull into a paved campsite that is covered with white powder, know that someone already tried borax, and you really need more powerful stuff, so come prepared.  
• Pack Rats:  Yes, there really are creatures called pack rats.  They are really fascinating desert animals in the mouse category, but they are bigger and like to eat wiring in and around your engine.  If you see a lot of vehicles with their hoods up and lights underneath them, there is almost certainly a pack rat problem. Putting a string of lights under your rig near the engine will deter them.  And actually, pack rats are really fascinating creatures when they aren't nibbling on your wiring.  You might find one of their nests if you are look carefully as you walk in the desert.  They protect their young by building a semicircle of cactus pods around their nests to keep snakes away.  Very smart animals!  
• Black Vultures in Southern Florida:  Black vultures are a little smaller than turkey vultures, and they hunt in packs.  They are apparently a lot smarter than turkey vultures and turn up at carcasses that a turkey vulture is feeding on and scare them away because they travel in numbers.  However, they are a problem in that black vultures are often bored, so they look for ways to entertain themselves--notably tearing anything rubber off a vehicle.  They love to tear windshield wipers and any rubber trim they can find and remove!  They don't eat it, they just like the challenge of destroying something for fun. In some areas of the everglades, rangers have strung up strings of dog and cat toys for them to play with so they don't damage cars.  Some visitor center areas in the Everglades actually provide you with tarps to put on your car while you are visiting.  Best thing is to carry plastic grocery bags and rubber bands to cover your windshield wipers and side mirrors.  They won't hurt you or your pets, but they do like to have fun at your expense!!  Frankly, I really like these birds because I once was watching one in a large cage at a rescue facility, and after a few minutes, it flew down, picked up a pumpkin squeaky toy, and dropped it in front of me!   Birds really just want to have fun!! 
• Taking Along Extras:  You probably ought to carry extra things like engine oil, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, and any spare parts for things that break often.  Other essentials are duck tape, nylon rope, large nylon ties, super glue, and anything else that would help you make a temporary repair to something.  If you don't need something, maybe one of your camping neighbors will.   

To Be Continued As I Think of Things!

9/25/2026 Getting Ready for a Three-Day Trial Run

 I spent a lot of time when I was returning from Florida last winter to get ready to move into my new home in Ohio emptying everything personal from my motorhome and cleaning it out.  I did leave things like the ladders for the bunks and hoses, and spare parts, but everything in the kitchen, bedroom, and living area got boxes up.  Ditto for almost everything in the "basement" or underneath storage areas.  It was an amazing amount of stuff -- at least 20+ boxes that went into my new house garage and eventually got unpacked.  

So now, since I am planning on keeping my motorhome and taking it to Florida for several weeks, I have had to pull together a lot of stuff and put it back.  As a full-timer for over 13 years, I have been spoiled and have only a very few times put my rig into storage and empty the refrigerator while I went to England or Scotland for a few weeks.  I have heard all the complaints about the work of packing and then unpacking for a weekend or short trip, and I sympathize with all of you who do that now!!  It was SO much easier to just leave almost everything I owned and only have to add food when I was ready to go again. 

So, tomorrow I am off for a three-day local trip.  This will enable me to find out if I have put back the essentials and am ready to head south in a few weeks.  It will also be a trial for the Half-grown, six-month-old kitten I have acquired.  I took one two-day trip with her a few weeks ago, but I did not even try to cook and managed on fast food sandwiches I took along.  This time, I will cook, and it will let me know what I still need to add.  

 So, check back in a few days to see how my trip with the kitten went.  My biggest fear is that she will escape and get loose because in the past month she has perfected her skills of slipping out the door.  On that last trip, she had to ride in her carrier and did non-stop meowing and scratching for the hour to and from the campground!  She does NOT like to be confined, especially in a small place.  

This time, I purchased a soft-sided dog crate that fits underneath my two-person rear dinette.  The carrier has a mesh top and sides and a zipper entrance.  It is 21" wide by 21" high, and 30" long, so this should give her a lot more space and hopefully encourage her to nap.  I have had it set up in the house for the past two days, and it has been her favorite space for napping and just relaxing.   

 Well, except for my half-packed suitcase:

Luckily, she is not shedding much yet.  The other thing I bought for her is a collar with a space for an Airtag.  I have been trying to change the battery in it and have not yet gotten it back together yet, but I am going to work at it a bit more.  This way, if she does escape, at least I will be able to find her.   

 

Keeping my fingers crossed!!