Award-winning travel writers Shirley Slater and Harry Basch had tried just about every mode of transportation known to humans in their travels through 186 countries, but it wasn't until they drove an RV in 1991 that they found their passion. In the decade that followed they racked up 120,000 miles, avoided freeways whenever possible, and focused on discovering the offbeat and the best of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While Exploring America by RV is aimed particularly at novices--with detailed advice on buying and renting RVs as well as RV'ing tips and hints on such things as what to look for in campsites, the miracle of bubble wrap, and "how to give backing-up directions without destroying your marriage"--it also outlines 10 excursions through the U.S., Canada, and Baja with enough unusual stops along the way that the book is a veritable gold mine. To get an idea of the sort of travel Slater and Basch prefer, here are some of the highlights of the California Desert & Las Vegas excursion: the Hullabaloo World Tobacco Spitting Championships, endangered desert pupfishes in Anza-Borrego State Park, and sand sailing in a dry lake at 70 mph with no brakes. Off-the-wall attractions in Alaska include the world's largest chopstick manufacturing plant, a collection of 3,600 billed caps, and the town of North Pole (where Santa gets his mail). Slater and Basch are fond of lists with names like: Ten Terrific Spots Where History Comes Alive (in the Blue Ridge Mountains); Ten Terribly Texas Things To Do; and Seven Swell Side Roads to Explore (in Baja). For each trip you'll find tips for keeping costs down, as well as suggestions for splurging (say, a helicopter ride around Mt. Rushmore or a stay on little Palm Island), a list of campground oases, and where to find some incredible-sounding treats (like bumbleberry pie at Zion National Park and the best lobster in Maine). Slater and Basch have had a good time demolishing the myth of RV'ers as national park lemmings who never leave their rigs: these guys know where the fun is.


Book Description
In this guide, renowned  travel writing team Harry Basch and Shirley Slater offers updates on their favorite RV trips around the U.S., including scenic routes along Virginia's Skyline Drive and the New England coast, plus jaunts through the Heart of the Heartlands (Indiana, Iowa and Illinois) and to Alaska via Canada. On each trip you'll get all the famous, infamous, and off-the-wall attractions; campgrounds along each route, from luxurious private RV parks with heated swimming pools and golf courses to quiet, forested campgrounds in state and national parks; tips for making life on the road easier and more comfortable; and a complete guide to buying or renting an RV, with tips on how to decide which type is right for you. All this, plus information on wildlife watching and scenic views, the best parks and beaches, quick-and-easy recipes, packing suggestions, info on road etiquette and safety, and more. Head off the beaten path with Frommer's, to discover the real life lurking around the bend.


From the Back Cover
Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer’s, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer’s. Your guide to a world of travel experience. Choose the Only Guide That Gives You: Tips for choosing and outfitting your home on the road. Locations, rates, and amenities for hundreds of private and public campgrounds. Short- and long-haul journeys you can take from Alaska to the Everglades. A buyer’s guide and glossary to the different types of motor homes and their manufacturers.


About the Author
Shirley Slater and Harry Basch are a husband-and-wife travel-writing team whose books, articles, and photographs have been published internationally over the past 25 years. Former stage, film, and television actors, they have written their syndicated column “Cruise Views” for the Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers for more than 18 years, produced six annual editions of the North American Ski Guide for Prodigy Computer Services, and written Shirley and Harry’s RV Adventures (a monthly newsletter) plus four books on worldwide cruising.
In 1990, at the 60th World Travel Congress in Hamburg, Germany, the authors were only the third writers (and the first freelancers) to receive the prestigious Melva C. Pederson Award from the American Society of Travel Agents for “extraordinary journalistic achievement in the field of travel.” On assignment for publications as diverse as Bon Appétit and Travel Weekly, they have covered 188 countries by barge, elephant back, hot-air balloon, luxury cruise ship, cross-country skis, paddle-wheel steamer, and supersonic aircraft, but their favorite method of transportation is by RV. In their former 27-foot Winnebago Brave motor home and their new 36-foot Itasca Sunflyer, they have logged more than 80,000 miles traveling all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Aboard other RVs—from minimotor homes to 36-foot wide bodies with slide-outs—they have traveled an additional 60,000 miles exploring the back roads and campgrounds of America. These journeys are all based on the authors’ personal experiences.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this guide, renowned  travel writing team Harry Basch and Shirley Slater offers updates on their favorite RV trips around the U.S., including scenic routes along Virginia's Skyline Drive and the New England coast, plus jaunts through the Heart of the Heartlands (Indiana, Iowa and Illinois) and to Alaska via Canada. On each trip you'll get all the famous, infamous, and off-the-wall attractions; campgrounds along each route, from luxurious private RV parks with heated swimming pools and golf courses to quiet, forested campgrounds in state and national parks; tips for making life on the road easier and more comfortable; and a complete guide to buying or renting an RV, with tips on how to decide which type is right for you. All this, plus information on wildlife watching and scenic views, the best parks and beaches, quick-and-easy recipes, packing suggestions, info on road etiquette and safety, and more. Head off the beaten path with Frommer's, to discover the real life lurking around the bend.

SYNOPSIS

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer’s, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer’s. Your guide to a world of travel experience.