clair034

Boulder City recently hosted the 24 Hours of Bootleg Canyon , a hardcore mountain bike race, but you don’t have to be that crazy to enjoy the more than hundreds of miles of bicycle-friendly routes, lanes and paths in the area, including the tough but easy-to-navigate River Mountains Loop Trail. Boulder City borders picturesque Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in the country, and not only is there plenty to do on the lake itself, but Las Vegas is only about a 40-minute drive away, as is the funky, old-school Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino , which holds the oldest active gaming license in southern Nevada, in nearby Henderson. The view of Lake Mead from the River Mountains  Loop Trail. (roadtripster) But why would you spend time inside when there’s so much to do out in the nice, warm temps this time of year, especially if you come from somewhere cold? There was a bit of wind – ok, that’s an understatement; we nearly got blown off the trail – one day, but otherwise it was toasty enou...

My favorite foods on the road are the ones that can be cooked in the RV, keep well, feed a lot of people and make most of them happy. If they’re incredibly delicious, that’s a bonus. This kalua pork recipe definitely qualifies on all counts. You can find recipes all over the Internet for this Hawaiian-style meat, but most of them put the pork butt in the oven, and oddly, even when they cook it in a crockpot, they call for way too long of a time, which dries out the meat.  The pineapple salsa moistens the pork or rice.  We have become addicted to the little slider buns you can now find in most grocery stores, which are made by Sara Lee and Pepperidge Farms. They cut down on the number of sandwiches every eats, which makes for natural portion control, and they’re tasty (count on at least two per person). We’ve also served the pork in tortillas with all the fixings – onions, cilantro, tomatoes, etc. Barbecue sauce is great with the pork, but the pineapple salsa recipe that follows is ex...

Camping and RVing doesn’t just involve the pulling up to a site, pitching a tent or hooking up and kicking back – there are usually activities planned, and that means gear. It seems as though every time we head out, someone brings along a new piece of gear that I wind up coveting, and it’s a struggle to keep from running out after the trip and buying it. Not only is the cost a factor – we just can’t afford every new gadget and gizmo – but there are also the considerations of space and weight. In addition, I think we can all count the number of items collecting dust in the corners of closets and storage spaces. But every once in a while, a piece of equipment turns out to be truly revolutionary, a top-notch replacement or so useful that it does wind up being worth the money. Here are a few that have earned a permanent spot on our excursions: Topeak Harpoon S2 Harpoon Master Blaster Bike Pump Not only is this now the bike pump we carry while we’re actually biking – it’s so small, it works...

Summer isn’t quite over, it’s true, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the cooler weather – especially if, like us, you’re in one of those areas where it feels like the heat will never break. Fall temps mean fall leaves, and the frenzy over where to peek at those leaves is always fun. Here are some options around the country where the drive takes you through some of the best and most colorful views. And, as always, visit the Go Camping America site to check out the great options for campgrounds and RV parks along the way. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon From late September through mid-October, the area along the Historic Columbia River Highway, which starts 13 miles east of Portland, Ore., on Interstate 84, is a smorgasbord of color, with maple trees, ash and cottonwoods all vying for best in show. The waterfalls en route   – check out Multnomah or Wahkeena falls – are dramatic against the brilliant foliage, and there are other attractions, as well, including the Bonnev...

We’re in the thick of family vacation time, and money isn’t getting any easier to come by. The most expensive components of a road trip continue to be gas, lodging and food, but with RV travel and camping, the lodging part is usually significantly reduced compared to those traveling with hotel destinations in mind. Here are a few tips for lowering the bill for some of the other things you’ll come up against. Plan ahead. This always sounds great, but it’s the hardest thing to do, especially with a day job and multiple people to coordinate. It’s the one thing, though, that will make the biggest difference. At the very least, try to come up with an idea of the most important places you want to visit – museums, theme or water parks, historical sites – and things you want to do, such as hiking or horseback riding. Then sketch out an itinerary and a budget. Having something written down helps you stick to a spending plan, simply because it keeps you on track. It also helps to have a good pa...

Thank heavens companies keep coming up with ideas for keeping kids occupied on camping trips, although a recent river camping trip found the adults trying to muscle out the kids to play a game I’d never seen before. Called Tailgate Toss , this simply constructed item involves two large, wooden boards with legs on one end that hold each board up at an angle. Teams divide into two groups – two to four people usually play – and each side then throws beanbags into the hole in each board. The scoring initially seems complicated, as it’s more involved than regular old bean bag toss, which is what this resembles, but eventually you get the hang of it. Tailgate Toss, or "Corn Hole," is a big hit with all ages. Some of the people in our group knew this game as “Corn Hole” –apparently it depends on what part of the country you call home –but the result was a hotly contested battle that got so involved, we stuck flashlights under the holes and played it well into the twilight hours. You...

My friend Pete swears by crockpot meals on RV trips, plugging one in before heading out for the day so there’s a hot meal ready when everyone’s too tired at the end to throw anything together. RoadPro makes a 1.5-quart, 12-volt slow cooker that plugs into the cigarette lighter and works like a charm. The stoneware insert is dishwasher safe, and there’s a stretch cord that keeps the lid on so that you can drive while it’s cooking, too. Cost: $28 Get it here: amazon.com Speaking of cooking, if you find yourself at a campground with fire rings and are looking for a more efficient way to put your food over the flame to cook, the Tripod Pioneer Grill by Rome is great. The tripod is adjustable and breaks down for storage, and the rack one which you set the cooking pans, Dutch oven, coffee pot or even some foods directly is completely adjustable via chains, so that you can raise and lower it to control the amount of heat. The contraptions sometimes swings around a bit, but works especially we...

Old time charm meets newfangled recreation when you take a road trip near New Haven along the Long Island Sound in lower Connecticut. Many folks think of Yale University when they think of New Haven, and rightly so – it takes up the western edge of town and is a fun tour (free, visit the site for more info ). But there’s a lot more to this architecture-laden place that started as a colony in 1638: churches, art galleries, libraries and museums are tidily interspersed around well-manicured squares. If it’s a nice day for a picnic, Lighthouse Point Park is suitable for swimming, and has a cool old carousel. Stony Creek is just southeast of Branford and a destination for those looking to take a cruise around TheThimbles , tiny islands with their own weird and unique histories. Just east of this is Hammonasset Beach State Park , two miles of soft, clean sand with amenities such as restrooms, showers and picnic areas. Start driving east along Interstate 95 into the Lower Connecticut Rive...

So you're going to do it – you're going to drive a vehicle the size of your first apartment to some cool part of the country, maybe with kids in tow, and there's a chance you're a little bit nervous about that. And understandably so...RVs are large, a bit more complicated than your car and come with a lot of bells and whistles. Here are a few handy hints that may help the first time out. Rent the right RV for your trip type and group size Talk with the folks at the place where you’re renting about how many people you are taking, what you plan to do on the trip (such as whether you’ll be hauling bikes or other toys) and where you’re headed (for instance, will you be driving on a lot of narrow roads?). Try to avoid the common pitfall of renting too large an RV for your needs. It’s fun to have space, but the truth is, you don’t spend as much time moving around in it as you think – when you’re driving, you’re sitting, and when you’re parked, you’re sleeping the majority o...

Cooking for kids on a camping trip can be…fun. Often it goes something like this: You’re 20 minutes into trying to find the griddle that you know you put at the bottom of that one box, and then Jimmy asks what we’re having for breakfast, and then you find the griddle, but now where is the mix? Then Ashley wants to know where the Band-Aids are, and can you get poison ivy if you touch it with your clothes on? And, by the way, she announces, she hates pancakes. Jimmy comes back to announce that he’s hungry, right now. The banana-peanut butter recipe makes great waffles. They want this, they want that. “Ewwwww” to that. Are we having (fill in the blank with something you didn’t bring)? And you’d better have the stuff for s’mores on hand. Cooking with kids, though, that can be a different story (a messier one, yes, but it’s all trade-offs here…). When they’ve had some say about what’s being made and they’re invested in the outcome, they’re usually – well, I say usually because we all know ...

Most campers have a love-hate relationship with gear – love to get a shiny-new toy, hate it when it breaks or wears out. And there’s nothing worse than gear that doesn’t work as advertised, or winds up not being worth the money in the first place. The roadtripster feels your gear pain, and so is always on the lookout for gadgets and gizmos that live up to their billing. Here are three that recently passed the road -test: Rio Adventure Roll-Up Table Finding a reliable, sturdy table that you can eat at or let kids play games on but still fold down into a reasonable size for transport can be a challenge. This has long been my favorite camp table, and now I have several. When open, the table top measures 32” square, and it sits 26 inches high. The slatted top rolls up for  easy storage, and the X-frame sides give it extra stability, but they’re still narrow enough to get your legs under. Made of easy-to-clean, very lightweight aluminum that’s nonetheless hearty, and best of all, you...