Motor Home Enthusiasts Enjoy the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is an American landmark that everyone has to see at least once in their lives. It is one of the most popular motor home destinations in the United States.
You can see a picture of the canyon and get an idea of how beautiful it is, but it is nothing like actually sitting on the canyon’s edge and looking down.
The Grand Canyon is inspirational. When you look into its depths, the walls of rock chiseled over thousands of years lead you to contemplate how vast nature is. It is truly awe-inspiring.
You can watch the shadows creep along the buttes as the sun moves across the sky. It is a natural light show with changing colors.
The Grand Canyon has a south rim and a north rim. These two areas of the park are very different.
The south rim has more to do. There are lots of overlooks, hiking trails, museums, information centers, and lodging.
The north rim is somewhat more desolate, cooler and at a greater elevation.
Because the south rim is so popular, it is often crowded. During the summer months, you’ll see tourists climbing over each other to get a look at the breathtaking view. If you want to avoid crowds, it’s best to go during the off-season, in the winter or fall. Many prefer the north rim, where there are fewer people and you can enjoy the peace and quiet.
The most popular activity on this kind of trip is backcountry hiking. While you’re hiking, you will see rock formations and views few have seen before. Hikes range from day trips to overnight backpacking adventures. Hiking here is very strenuous so be prepared.
It can also be dangerous. There are temperature extremes similar to the desert: very hot during the daytime and very cold at night. This is desert hiking at its most extreme; bring plenty of water and food. You also have to know when to take a rest. Before setting off on a backcountry hike, make sure that you are fully prepared, and it can be a wonderful adventure.
Getting a spot at one of the popular campsites during the summer tourist season can be a challenge. Wherever you plan to stay, you should make reservations in advance if possible. If space is important, you might try sites a little ways away from the bustle.
North Rim Campground
At the North Rim Campground, you can be right on the north rim, just minutes away from some wonderful hiking. The North Rim Campground has no hookups and very limited services. However, this site is as close as you’re going to get.
The North Rim Campground fills up quickly because of its prime location, so it’s a good idea to book your stay well in advance. They take reservations as early as five months ahead.
Demotte Campground
For a little more luxury, try the Demotte Campground, about 15 miles from the north rim. They allow small RVs, but there are no hookups. There is a convenience store, restaurant and flushing toilets. You can also be close to hiking trails and horseback riding activities.
The Demotte Campground doesn’t take reservations, and it fills up fast. It can be a gamble. But, it’s well worth it because the high elevation of the campground ensures that you’ll have nice cool sleeping weather.
Desert View Campground
Desert View is located on the south rim, and named after one of the south rim’s most famous lookout points. It’s 25 miles from the canyon, and operates from May until October. There are no hookups for your motor home, but the low nightly charge and proximity to the canyon make it well worth it. They don’t take reservations.
The Grand Canyon KOA
If you want to spoil yourself a little, why not try the Grand Canyon KOA? It’s actually a ways away, just north of Williams, Arizona. But it is a comfortable and not that far away, and features fun amenities like barbecues and an indoor pool.
The Grand Canyon is truly one of the wonders of the world, and it makes for a great motor home holiday.
One of America’s greatest natural wonders is The Grand Canyon. The area caters to motor homes and RVs so you can motor in and feel right at home. Bankston Motor Homes can set you on the path to your Grand Canyon adventure. http://www.bankstonmotorhomes.com
Motor Home through the Australian Outback
Driving cross country in an RV is an old tradition in Australia. With its wide open spaces, vast star-filled skies, and gorgeous natural beauty, Australia is a motor home owner’s dream.
So, why not head down under and rent a motor home for your adventure? Here’s a taste of what Australia has to offer.
- Wide Open Spaces. Try the Outback! There are places where you won’t see another human being, and you can park your motor home anywhere you please.
From Sydney on the east coast, to Perth on the west coast, it’s 2,500 miles. That’s only a few hundred miles less than a trip from New York to Los Angeles! Out in the western part of Australia, there are 100-mile stretches with no services. No wonder it’s such an RV-friendly place!
The weather is mild all year round. On the coasts, the temperatures are moderate, although it heats up once you get into the interior, with temperatures reaching well over 100 degrees in the daytime.
- Natural Beauty. The outback is unlike anything you’ll ever see anywhere else. Australia’s beaches are also world renowned for their pristine beauty.
- RV Services. The land down under is probably the world’s most motor home friendly country. You can rent RVs just about anywhere, and drop them off at a location you didn’t start from.
There are lots of sights to see, and once you’re there you can explore on your own, but here are some of the big ones.
Ayer’s Rock, or Uluru, is one of the natural wonders of the world. It’s just what you might imagine it to be – a giant rock. It is the second largest rock in the world (second only to Australia’s Mt. Augustus) at 1,000 feet high, 5 miles around, and 1.5 miles below the Earth’s surface!
It is also a magnetic rock, which means it has strange effects on electronics. The natives believe that it is a giant generator, with a current of energy flowing out to the entire world. For RVers, it is a great area to camp, in view of the rock where you can see it change colors as the sun moves across the sky.
Ayer’s Rock is located 250 miles southwest of Alice Springs and is part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
There are some pretty desolate spots on Australia’s west coast, but Shark Bay is not one of them. It is a recognized World Heritage site, full of colorful natural beauty and endangered species. Shark Bay is an interesting place, too, because of the fossils that have been found there, dating from the beginning of life on Earth.
Shark Bay is full of great areas to see, including Hamelin Pool, where the water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom. There are big sandy beaches, and you can see dolphins at a beach named Monkey Mia.
It may seem vast and empty, but actually the Outback is rich in sights to see. There are national parks and historic sights everywhere.
- Mungo National Park, located in The Willandra Lakes heritage area, has the “Wall of China.” This one isn’t man-made, but made by thousands of years of wind. It is made of clay and sand, and the formations caused by the wind and erosion are fantastic.
- Kinchega National Park is an area where there is water – sometimes! The Darling River winds through this area of red sand dunes and dry lakes. There is an abundance of uniquely Australian wildlife, including exotic birds like emus and others like kangaroos.
- Sturt National Park is an arid land in the Strzelecki desert, where you’ll be surprised to find among the crags and dunes a wetlands area and forest. There are also white sands and red dunes for hiking.
In every part of Australia there are national parks worth seeing, and since motor homes are the most popular way to travel, you’ll find plenty of places to stay. The state of New South Wales alone has more diversity than almost anywhere else, with land features like deserts, swamps, coasts, forests and grasslands.
If you’re an RVer, consider the land down under.
There are many natural wonders you can visit in a motor home. Australia has a unique variety that you won’t want to miss, plus the country is very RV friendly. Bankston Motor Homes can se you on the path to a fabulous RV vacation. http://www.bankstonmotorhomes.com
ATV Racing – An Addictive Sport With A Need For Safety
ATV Racing is fast growing sport with many longer term enthusiasts. In practically every state you will find Motocross venues. You will have your survival skills tested as you will find any kind of terrain you wish from dirt track to cross country events. Many seasoned individuals consider cross country to be one of the most mentally and physically draining sport that can be attempted even when compared to other demanding sports such as cross country skiing.
The terrain that can be encountered can include hills, rocks, mud, cliffs, dirt, as well as thick density forest. Different races can cover many miles and can continue for several miles. There are numerous differing monetary awards available for the winners of the race. Smaller race purses can get $1,000 although professional arenas can pay up to $500,000 or more. Winners of the first, second, and third place are usually given monetary rewards.
For those with a feint of heart ATV racing is not an option. It has the potential to cause significant personal injury as well as loss of life. The participants of ATV racing must adhere to a stringent set of rules whose primary purpose is to render the sport as safe and fun as possible for all those involved. All racers in this port are urged to either have or obtain health insurance.
Every rider is accountable for their actions in addition to the actions of their pit crew as well as team members. In the event of accident or injury participants have to agree upfront to go into the race at their own risk and will not hold anyone but themselves responsible. Enforcement of these rules are very strict and any person not in compliance will then be required to give up their right to enter the race. Before race day happens it is important that each participant know the set of rules of that particular place that they are racing at.
ATV Racing – Preparation
Wearing the right protective gear is one of the most crucial elements of ATV racing. One of the most significant pieces of riding equipment you can own is a SNELL or DOT certified helmet. The best protection of achieved by wearing a full facial helmet. A respectable dealer can counsel you on the variations in protection and padding.
Regardless of whether your helmet is full faced or not you should still wear goggles. Body armor that protects the front and back will help in the event of impact and additionally protects from flying objects. Wearing shirts that are long sleeved with elbow pads, pants with subsequent knee pads, and gloves all serve you to give the needed protection. Proper footwear such as boots should constantly cover the ankle as well as provide support.
Your ATV needs to have never-ending maintenance when doing ATV racing. It is critical that you either inspect the equipment yourself or have a qualified professional do it for you prior to every use. Success in this field of racing can hinge very much on locating a dealer that is reputable.
Numerous dealers sponsor various race teams and they realize the significance of maintaining your ATV in topnotch condition. They also have the knowledge to give you advise on the best quality wheels and tires as well as other ATV parts.
ATV racing is a sport that instructs control as well as being responsible. In contrast with team sports, each individual rider is responsible for their own actions. They need to discipline themselves so that they can learn to deal with the potential for disappointments and to solve the mistakes they have made.
They need learn to develop the habit of practicing at all available opportunities. This includes practicing on numerous different kinds of terrain. Getting familiar with your ATV and the way it operates had better be a top priority if you wish to be a serious-minded race competitor. The crucial element of ATV racing is educating yourself about safety as well as having fun.
Listen to Corbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of extreme sports. If you would like to learn more go to http://www.atvproonline.com/ and at http://www.atvproonline.com/atv-accessories/atv-plows/
Winterizing Your Motorhome
When you think of a motor home owner, you usually think “Snowbird” right? You know those people that follow the warmth to wherever it happens to be that season. They may be from Calgary, but they spend their winters in St. George, Utah.
A lot of these folks have motor homes – in fact they live in them. The Snowbirds don’t have to worry about winterizing their coach because it’s never going to sit in the freezing cold during the winter months. That’s not true for many other motor home owners though.
If you live in a cold climate you need to properly winterize your coach to avoid having your plumbing explode in the cold. Nothing is going to ruin your cheery spring mood like have to spend thousands of dollars repairing your pipes before you take your first road trip next summer. Here’s the recommended process for protecting your motor home plumbing.
1. Drain the water from the plumbing system and fill the plumbing with potable antifreeze.
On the undercarriage of your rig you’ll find a low-point valve. You need to open it; this is where all the fresh water that could freeze and destroy your pipes will drain. It’s going to be a little tough to get to.
After that valve is open, get into your coach and open all the sink and shower valves and flush the toilet (you don’t want a frozen exploding throne do you?). Turn on all sink and shower faucets so those can drain too.
2. Install an anti-freeze installation kit.
All you have to do is insert the valve after you detach the inlet line from the water pressure pump. Any installation kit you buy should come with a graphic showing you the process.
You’ll want to point the valve handle toward the transparent hose that comes with the kit, and you’ll want to put that hose in a jug of potable anti-freeze. That takes care of getting anti-freeze into all your plumbing. Remember – you want potable anti-freeze (not the stuff for your car)!
3. Install a water-heater bypass set, which is a series of valves that keep the antifreeze from going into your water heater. This part may be a little complicated. You only have to do it once, so I recommend taking it to your local motor home mechanic and having him do it.
4. Drain any water out of the water heater; if any is left in there, it will freeze and burst the heater. That’s another expensive repair!
You’ll need to open the drain petcock on the heater, but you’ll have to be firm because finger-operated valves have a tendency to get stuck after being heated and cooled off several times.
Open the relief valve on the heater so air can get in and push the water you’re trying to drain out. Otherwise this one part of the process could take hours. Just don’t forget to close the petcock and the valve after you’re done draining the water heater. Those are little details you don’t want to remember next spring when you’re de-winterizing your motor home.
5. Now that you have your anti-freeze installation kit ready, get in the coach and turn on each sink and shower individually (both the cold and hot faucets) and run them until you’re not seeing any more water, just the potable anti-freeze. Do the same thing with your shower and the shower wand so you know there isn’t any fresh water left to burst your pipes or other plumbing fixtures.
You also want to let enough anti-freeze run so your sink traps and drains get covered with the anti-freeze. One final note: if you have a water filtration system make sure you disconnect it before running anti-freeze through the whole system. It will make your filters unusable.
Jeremy is a big football fan and shows his spirit with college hitch covers. You can read more of his work by visiting: http://www.trailerhitchuniverse.com