Books and DVDs for RVers

Rest Areas & Welcome Centers
If you are traveling on an Interstate highway and wondering where to find a rest area, a Target, a Wal-Mart or an RV dump station, you can find the answer by thumbing through the newest edition of Rest Areas & Welcome Centers.

The book is a complete guide to the services available at rest areas and welcome centers along America’s Interstate highways. It tells you whether there are vending machines, pet walk areas, picnic tables and phones at each rest area. It also lists travel centers operated by AmBest, Flying J, Love’s, Petro, Pilot and Travel Centers of America and notes Interstate exits for Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, K-Mart, Target and Cracker Barrel.

Rest Areas & Welcome Centers is published by Roundabout Publications, P. O. Box 569, LaCygne, KS 66040. It is available for $14.95 postpaid at (800) 455-2207 or www.TravelBooksUSA.com and through other book outlets.

The Gourmet Toaster Oven
If your menu calls for quiche Lorraine, it might not occur to you to bake it in your toaster oven. But Lynn Alley, author of The Gourmet Slow Cooker, has been experimenting with toaster ovens and has compiled recipes for quiche Lorraine and dozens of other dishes that she has found to be suitable for the toaster oven.

She points out that toaster ovens are small, easy to clean, energy efficient and preheat quickly. Alley says, “The toaster oven is the perfect tool for cooking dinner when feeling rushed and you want something quick, or in a small quantity, or during those hot summer days when no one wants to light the conventional oven and roast themselves as well as the dinner.” Her 128-page book, The Gourmet Toaster Oven: Simple and Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook, offers 50 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers and desserts. It also contains advice on shopping for toaster ovens and offers wine suggestions to accompany various dishes.

The Gourmet Toaster Oven is published at $18.95 by Ten Speed Press, P. O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707. For information, call (510) 559-1600 or visit www.tenspeedpress.com.

Traveler’s Guide to Mexican Camping
The third edition of Traveler’s Guide to Mexican Camping describes popular travel destinations in Mexico and the campgrounds that are located nearby. It covers nearly 400 campgrounds and gives the sizes of RVs that can be accommodated at each. It also includes driving directions and GPS readings.

The book, written by Mike and Terri Church of Kirkland, Washington, is designed to answer all the questions RVers and tent campers might have about vacations trips to Mexico. Topics covered include border crossings, insurance, water, fuel and health. The book begins by outlining several popular trips, including a four-day drive of the Yucatan Peninsula, a trip down the Baja Peninsula, and a two-week trip into the northern state of Chihuahua and Copper Canyon.

Traveler’s Guide to Mexican Camping, listed at $21.95, is available at bookstores and from the publisher, Rolling Homes Press, at (425) 822-7846.

Better Business Bureau: Buying a Recreational Vehicle
This 50-minute DVD is designed for newcomers to RVing who are interested in learning how to choose the right RV for their needs. It helps buyers decide whether to buy a trailer, fifth wheel, motorhome or camper and explores related topics, such as the advantages and disadvantages of diesel engines. Chuck Woodbury, owner of RVtravel.com, who developed the DVD in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau, hosts the program. Joining Woodbury on the program are Gaylord Maxwell, founder of the Life on Wheels conferences for RV newcomers, and other experts who offer all sorts of helpful tips on selecting RVs, including advice on buying used vehicles. The DVD is priced at $19.95. For information, see www.rvbookstore.com or www.bbbvideo.com.