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Thursday, Apr 25, 2024
Around March and April, some of our favorite RV destinations can become overrun with spring breakers. From Myrtle Beach to South Padre Island, Lake Havasu to Galveston, the party atmosphere kicks up in top spots around the country come spring. Fortunately for the under-25 set, destinations like these offer lots to do, fun in the sun and a much-needed break from the long-standing winter weather in other parts of the United States. Unfortunately for you, these destinations can also be some of the best for RVing.
If you’re not keen on sharing your favorite beaches and watering holes with the partygoers (or, as of late, red tide blooms, if you prefer RVing in Florida), you may want to pick up camp and head elsewhere in April, somewhere quieter, but that still provides a lot to love, including warm temps (if not always a seaside setting). Here are some of our top recommendations.
You’ll find loads to keep you occupied in Palm Springs, California, and the somewhat higher travel prices in this area keep some of the crowds low. Whether you want to relax at a spa, check out the shopping options or go hiking in the nearby nature, you can do it here.
If that mention of hiking in Palm Springs piqued your interest, go somewhere where the hiking is the top attraction, like Bryce Canyon National Park. This Southwest locale is a must-visit if you’ve never been before.
The Texas Hill Country comes alive in the springtime with gorgeous wildflowers, but that’s not the only thing that’ll catch your interest when you visit this part of the state. The Hill Country is also famous for its wineries and breweries, so be sure to make time in your itinerary for lots of tastings and tours.
Charleston offers the best of many worlds. You can enjoy history and haunts. There’s a stellar food scene. There’s a beach. There’s shopping. And, yes, if you want a little nightlife, you can have that, too, and even enjoy it in a more adult setting, sans college kids.
Another Southwestern hot spot (quite literally), Phoenix ticks a lot of boxes for discerning retiree travelers. The food scene is great. Art galleries and museums abound. Shopping will yield lots of unique finds, too, and there are numerous outdoor recreation options.
Do you firmly set up camp in your favorite Florida RV park and hunker down for spring break season, or do you get out of Dodge to find quieter pastures? Let us know your favorite spots to spend spring in your motorhome, and send us an email at info@motorhometires.com
If you’re a long-time RV enthusiast, then you likely were fully aware of the big changes that occurred in the industry over the last few years. The pandemic and the following demand for travelers to enjoy travel, but safely, meant more families and younger folks were flocking to the RV lifestyle. This led to more crowded RV parks and outdoor destinations like national parks.
However, most of the world has now gotten back to a more “normal” kind of travel and living. Air travel is regaining popularity and many families are traveling just as they might’ve in 2018 or 2019.
So, what can you expect at your favorite RV parks this summer? Will the crowds be down? Or have many of those first-timer RVers from the last few years fallen in love with this mode of travel, planning to stick around?
Here are what the experts say to expect.
According to RV Share’s 2023 travel trend report, “99% of Americans are planning leisure travel in 2023, with 51% planning more than last year. Among them, 61% are planning on taking a road trip or vacation in an RV. As Americans plan to book more leisure travel in the next year, RV interest has continued to grow with 62% likely to consider renting an RV for a trip in the future, a 9% jump from 2022.”
Additionally, the report found that about half of surveyed travelers now claim that an RV is among their top accommodations preferences.
While your favorite RV park near your favorite national park may still continue to be booked up well in advance of the travel season, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find quieter spots elsewhere. To avoid the crowds, you’ll want to keep clear of RV Share’s top RV travel destinations.
In a separate report that was updated in Q1 of 2023, RV Share indicated that the large majority of surveyed travelers planning a 2023 RV trip were most likely to visit a national park so, if you choose to go off the beaten path a little bit, you’ll already be well on your way to avoiding the largest crowds. Still plan to visit the regions you love best, but see what the nearby state parks have to offer!
Additionally, RV Share noted that its most popular destinations for 2022 included those where large festivals and/or events were taking place, so, before planning your next trip, take a look at the area’s event calendar. Is something big coming up? Then you might want to head elsewhere.
Let us know! Send us an email at info@motorhometires.com and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of the Motorhome Tires newsletter.
Solo female travel has been growing exponentially over the last few years, and for good reason. Single gals of any age love to travel just as much as anyone. While the most popular forms of solo female travel typically revolve around visiting major cities or joining up with other solo female travelers for group tours and itineraries, RVing is a great fit for the solo female traveler for a few key reasons.
The top concern for every female solo traveler is always safety, no matter where they’re headed or what their mode of transportation. The good news? While a hotel or home rental in an urban neighborhood might not feel that safe, many RV parks and campgrounds are designed for families and retirees, and that family-friendly vibe can put many female solo travelers’ minds at ease.
Before you book your spot, just check out the park reviews and see what type of crowd usually heads there, and then make your decision accordingly.
If you want to head out on the road, but you don’t have anyone to watch the cat or dog, or if you’re focused on your career at the moment, the good news is, you can take all of the above with you on an RV trip. Working from your RV is easy with the right prep and most RV parks and campgrounds are pet-friendly, so there’s no need for boarding or pet-sitting fees while your pet sits at home, waiting for you to come back.
The great thing about the RV community? We’re a friendly bunch that’s always willing to help and always looking to make a new friend. You’ll find that there’s plenty of support for solo female travelers within most broader RV communities. Whether you want to find a camping buddy, have questions and need advice, or are looking for a meetup or event to attend, you can find all this and more.
Are you a solo female traveler who’s gone on a solo RV trip? How did it go? What did you like or not like about it? What did you learn? Let us know! Send us an email at info@motorhometires.com and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of the Motorhome Tires newsletter.
Remember how we recently gave you a series of quick tips and tricks for making upgrades to your motorhome with just some basic DIY skills and tools? Well, our friend, who requested he be called by his online moniker “Blind Guide,” spotted a few tips on our list that he’s already put into action, and sent us some pics to prove it!
Full-timing in a 40-foot, quad-slide motorhome, he and his wife made some ample changes to the kitchen and bathroom, including some changes that you might want to make for yourself.
“Since ours is an Alpine APEX, the Corian (faux granite) counters and 12-inch backsplash matching the rest of the interior finish need no sprucing up,” he said. “However, the wife surprised me by picking up the deep red color in her Pfaltzgraff "Delicious" stoneware to accessorize her kitchen. Rugs, towels, dishcloths, a utensil-holder vase and living flower plants spread around made quite a difference. I love the pop of passionate red! An AFA stainless motion-activated high arc faucet from Costco also changed the look and added some very functional fun.”
He added, “With counter space always at a premium, but especially so when using the range top, I broke down and added one more step to travel set-up and tear-down: a portable, expandable butcher-block and wire shelving island. Buffet dining with guests is now a much better experience, plus the shelves keep all our snacks visible and close at hand.”
In the bathroom, the Guide notes that the APEX does come equipped with lots of towel racks, but he and his wife needed more storage space.
“The answer: suction-cupped stainless hooks and baskets mounted everywhere on the glass enclosure and shower surround. We were even able to decorate with a few small orchids inside!” he said. “And you're right, a WaterPik massaging shower head is a great improvement over the usual RV fixture, especially if you also have an on-demand water heater. Albeit not ideal for water conservation when boondocking, our Brondell Swash bidet toilet seat has meaningful benefit in our RV lifestyle beyond the obvious: that is, minimizing hard-to-digest paper products in the black tank. This is my answer to the much-debated RVers question: ‘Which is the best toilet paper?!’”
Great job, Blind Guide! We love these upgrades and how they make a meaningful difference in your RV experience!
Have you made similar upgrades to your motorhome? Let us know! info@motorhometires.com
