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Remember books? Those bulky, unwieldy things we used to carry around, occasionally read, even check for reference? They still exist, although their days seem to be numbered.   More often than not, when anyone has a question or longs to know who, what, when, where, why or how, Google is the first one consulted. C’est la vie. Sometimes, though, the Internet goes down. Curses! Or, even worse, there’s no Wi-Fi to be found. That’s when it’s nice to have one of those old-fashioned thingies with paper inside that can always be counted upon to offer up the goods. Here are a few handy books that I’ve come to rely upon for their interesting information that has proven useful on the road. “Healthy Highways,” by Nikki and David Goldbeck ($19.95, Ceres Press) We all know that eating healthfully on the road is a losing battle – and certainly not a weight-losing one. The Goldbecks have scoured the nation in search of natural food markets, organic groceries, vegetarian restaurants and other health...

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...

There you are, surrounded by 12 hungry campers in various stages of sweaty, cranky exhaustion after a day of hiking through the woods, all eagerly awaiting the famous Goulash on a Stick that you’ve been promising to flambé over a roaring campfire all day. The food has been prepped, the plates and utensils sit on a checkered tablecloth ready for action. And you would fire up a grill or a stove or some wood, if only…you hadn’t forgotten to pack the lighter. Or some matches. Or something, anything that would ignite and turn your culinary creation into something edible. Sigh. It’s another reminder that pack lists are the bomb, although they certainly aren’t a guarantee. Proof: a trip to a ritzy resort area where one of my daughters confessed just before we headed to the swimming pool that she’d forgotten her bathing suit, even though, as I pointed out repeatedly as we traipsed all afternoon from store to store, that she had checked it off her list as packed. That was a costly one, because ...

There are so many times, especially after a long day of sightseeing, when we come back to the camp and no one feels like cooking. It’s tempting to go out for something that’s cheap and bad for us, and more often than not, that’s what we do. I try to have a few things on hand, though, that will keep us from doing that too much. All it takes is a couple of chicken breasts in the freezer and some freshies – maybe a little bit of broccoli and a red pepper, or some celery and carrots – on top of steamed rice (even instant is better for you than a Big Mac) and we’re good to go.  Healthy and delicious!  Here’s our family’s favorite fast stir-fry. Super-fast Stir-fry The sky’s the limit with vegetables in this – we’ve used carrots, celery, all manner of bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms (shiitake, button, portobello), bok choy, onions and baby corn, all to good effect. We make a steamer full of brown rice, but it's faster with instant if that's what you have on hand. Serve...

The Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs for 469 miles from Virginia in the north to North Carolina in the south (and a tiny bit over the border into Tennessee), is one of the most scenic drives in the United States. It's famous for not being particularly RV-friendly in parts -- many big-rig drivers tote along another vehicle and park the RV at a centrally located campground to go explore chunks of the drive. The route is well marked by milepost (the spots below are so marked), and a good place to start your trip planning is at the official site . The views along the Blue Ridge Parkway are hard to beat. However, with the exception of the tunnels around Asheville, N.C., most of the road can be done in a motorhome; you just want to get a good map of the highway and pay attention to the warnings about tight sections and watch for the turnoffs that are marked as larger, as well as keeping an eye out for tunnel heights all along. Highlights include Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North...

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...