2009-2010: Ideas on where to go/what to do this year?

Mike · 01-09-2009, 05:27 PM

Where do you plan to go this year? Far afield, or close to home? The economy seems to be in a bit of trouble, but we're going to do some trips anyway. You only live once, and you can't take it with you, so they say.

Will you be doing a group meet up? I believe there's something coming up in Albuquerque New Mexico in April 17-20 - The Rally B meet. Have you ever been to one of these before? What are they like? Fun or chaos?

My "nice to sees" would be , Dunedin FLA for MLB spring training, then maybe west along the I-10 to California with stops along the way, possibly the Grand Canyon (we've been told it wasn't as crowded then) Bryce or Zion too, New River Gorge in WV for a bit, preferably in the fall around "Bridge Day", if we have time, we'd like to do western Canada for a bit too. We may do the western Canada thing combined with a trip up the coast to Alaska.
Not too aggressive in our plans are we???

Mike.

julievojo · 01-10-2009, 02:51 AM

I'll probably be heading to Ft Benning GA sometime in April (don't have the dates yet) to take my son's best friend's mom to his Army Ranger graduation. After that if I can get away long enough I may head into Tennessee for a dog show with some friends.

In September we're taking my son and his family to Reno NV for the National Championship Air Races. The kids are going to borrow a pop up from a family friend and pull it with our 4-Runner. From there Chino and I will most likely head even further west after the kids head back. Not sure where we'll go yet.... but somewhere along the west coast.

We rarely plan our getaways. Since we are still working we just leave whenever we get a chance and head back home when our client call and says they're sending files. Sometimes we get some pretty long trips that way, and other times it's just a few days, but we have to take what we can get!

What does everyone else have planned?

markopolo · 01-10-2009, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

.................... a trip up the coast to Alaska................

That's something I'd like to do when I have time. I looked into getting up there or back on a ferry.

Alaska Marine Highway
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/run_times.shtml

BC Ferries
http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/inside/

That won't be this year though.

We'll most probably go to the Oregon Coast for two weeks and to the Washington Coast for one week. We're not sure yet what else we'll do.

ennajean · 01-10-2009, 04:34 AM

Hope to head to Louisiana in April for a meet up with some other B folks. Then May going to go to Ohio for another meet with B folks. During the summer we pretty much stay in Wis. and enjoy camping in our state parks. In fall not sure yet what we'll do. Would like to go on another 2 month +trip like we did this past fall. We've always talked about following highway 2 across the top of the U.S. so that might be something to think about for fall.

Mike · 01-13-2009, 12:30 PM

Markopolo: I would have thought you'd have been to Alaska and back a few times, but then it took me over 15 years to do the CN Tower. I'd think it might be interesting to try a trip up the coast on land. No idea if there are any logistical barriers, but others on here have done it. I actually like the idea of seeing the Oregon and Washington coastal areas, so they're on the list as well.

Mike.

markopolo · 01-13-2009, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Markopolo: I would have thought you'd have been to Alaska and back a few times..........

I'd like to but it is so far away. We can't get away for that long. Driving 6 hours per day for 14 days would get me to Anchorage and back home. If I'm going to do that much driving then I'd want to add on at least another 30 days to do stuff and see things

Mike · 01-13-2009, 04:31 PM

I now realize how far it is, after I looked at the distance on Mapquest. It's FAR! It looked closer on a larger map I guess.

Still would like to do it in the summer with the extra long days. I might be able to get a few extra hours of drive time/day
and cut the # of days driving. It would still need a month to do proper, like you say. I really had no idea it was such a trek.

Sorry, bad call on my part,
Mike.

markopolo · 01-13-2009, 04:48 PM

Mike - you might enjoy reading this article:

To the North . . .Roaming Alaska, Yukon and NWT in a camperized van

http://www.rvtimes.com/arch/RVT86HTML/8 ... north.html

15,000 km trip !

Mike · 01-14-2009, 05:23 PM

I had a quick look. I wonder what additions they had added for their northern trip? I'm still just figuring out what "heat tape" is. abacusblack's winter RVing post mentioned it, and I'd never heard of it before, as such. I think it's been sort of mentioned on other threads as a way of making the external tanks less likely to freeze by adding a hot wire or cable to them inside or outside. I'm thinking it might be useful if we do decide to do the Grand Canyon and Bryce or Zion in the late winter/early spring. I wonder if Class B dealers or repair shops can retrofit that sort of thing to your existing plumbing, or is it a DIY possibility?
Anyway, thanks for the link, I'll have a more thorough read now.

Mike.

markopolo · 01-15-2009, 02:22 PM

Electric heat strip is taped to exposed pipes. You have to be camping with electric hook-up. Link:

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-easy-heat ... 92306.html

RV parts shop like Camping World have 12V/110V Dual Voltage Tank Heaters for sale:

Quote:

Description
Use your holding tanks in winter. Thermostatically controlled Tank Heater automatically turns on at 44° and cuts off at 64°, protecting your holding tanks from freezing. Easy pull and stick adhesive application.Coated fiberglass elements can withstand years of road abuse. Both elements serve a 40-60 gallon tank. One element serves 30-40 gallon tank. Catalog/Internet only.

Mike · 01-15-2009, 04:26 PM

That looks familiar. I wonder if this might be any better for us boondockers? They have 110V AC, 12V DC, and apparently a combo. The dual powered AM Model 3600 model tank heater is listed at $128.75 USD, for example.
http://www.ultraheat.com/
They're located in Elkhart, Indiana, but they appear to have online shopping.
Got the website from a discussion link on RVnet.
http://www.rv.net/FORUM/index.cfm/fusea ... 255393.cfm

Mike.

markopolo · 01-17-2009, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

................ I wonder if this might be any better for us boondockers? They have 110V AC, 12V DC, and apparently a combo. The dual powered AM Model 3600 model tank heater is listed at $128.75 USD, for example.
http://www.ultraheat.com ...........

That looks ideal. I'll have to catch it on sale..... 2 tanks

Davydd · 01-23-2009, 07:09 PM

We're chasing ennajean around the country.

It seems that way at least. We too are heading for Lafayette, LA for the BEE Social in April. We may extend that trip to Texas to visit cousins in Houston and my brother all the way over in El Paso. Then we are going once again to the RV.net B6 annual rally in Ohio. After that we will head for the Washington DC area to visit our daughter and return via Indianapolis for the Indy 500, back up through Michigan, the UP and home. We have discussed then heading for California in August for a wedding. At least that would be the excuse for going. In September we may then do a BEE social redux at Niobrara SP in Nebraska on our way to the 2nd B Out West in Pagosa Springs. In between we will most definitely will be exploring northern Minnesota as usual.

I guess the dream of driving to Alaska is out again this year. Pleasure-Way claims they've outgrown having a factory rally in Canada that I wanted to go to and are proposing one in New Mexico in April. I am not keen on that idea parked in a make do field I understand could be quite primitive and dusty or turn into a mud quagmire. You just can't do everything. I should be in Florida right now. It is going below ZERO again tonight here.

Mike · 01-24-2009, 04:15 AM

Are you still going to Niobrara first ? Before Pagosa Springs ? Just curious.
We're looking for something to do in September.
New River Gorge isn't until October (I think?).

Mike.

Davydd · 01-24-2009, 02:32 PM

The plan is to schedule Niobrara the week before Pagosa Springs so we and a lot of others can attend both. For us coming from the east heading west it is a natural with no backtracking. Even if there were no Niobrara BEE social we would probably stop at Niobrara SP on our way since it is just 5-6 hours away from our home. The main discussion on this is in the Rallies forum on RV.net but it is not an official RV.net event like the B6 rally in Ohio in May.

Mike · 01-25-2009, 09:27 PM

I saw it somewhere, maybe on a discussion thread on rv.net while looking for something else unrelated. Sounds like a nice
place from wherever I read it. Thanks for the info. I'll have a look at rv.net to see if I can find the thread.

Mike.

ennajean · 01-26-2009, 05:43 PM

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... 303977.cfm

This is the link for the Nebraska mini rally.

Mike · 01-26-2009, 08:31 PM

Thanks, sounds like it might be do-able.

Mike.

judyallen · 09-14-2009, 08:28 PM

We took a trip from St. Louis area, to Oklahoma City, and then up through Kansas to visit an old, family Cemetery. and back home last week. We resently bought a 1999 Dodge Leisure wide body. So this was a "test-trip" We, have always had "A's and C's", so this was to see if we could get along in a B.......it was GREAT!!, so comfortable. So this Oct. we are going to get up to Niagara Falls, and down to Ocean City. and hopefully go see our sons who live in St. Petersburg, and Bradenton, Flo. this winter. We absolutely love this B. We "boondocked" and thoroughly enjoyed our short trip.

Mike · 09-20-2009, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Thanks, sounds like it might be do-able.

Mike.

So much for Pagosa Springs CO. We did our summer trip in August and it was just enough to
get us through until fall. So, now we're thinking about heading west again to the Rocky Mountain
states and do a bit more canyon climbing. I've been doing some interest education courses the
last two weekends and so haven't been able to get away.
We'll have to get more organized next year, and I'll have to pay more attention to RVNet, as it
seems to be the place where more BEE rallies and get togethers are planned.
I hope you're all having or had a great time in Colorado, and we're sorry we missed it.

Next year, maybe????

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