Popular Guides for Summer Travel

If you have been out in your RV recently, you’ve likely noticed that campgrounds are filling up a whole lot faster than a month ago. Summer is definitely here, and RVers are out in force.

And just in time for the season are new editions of three popular guidebooks. One is a terrific reference for when you’re rolling down the Interstate, another is great for finding some of the best public campgrounds in America, and the third is the only guidebook I know about what to see and do at the Navajo and Hopi Nations of the Southwest.
Rest Areas and Welcome Centers Along U.S. Interstates (Roundabout Publications) has been a favorite at RVbookstore.com for a couple of years, but the new—and vastly improved—edition is a whole lot thicker with a whole lot more information. It helps RVers locate rest areas and roadside turnouts, and many other popular stops, including Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart and Cracker Barrel. It also points out scenic areas, truck stops and RV dump stations.

Rest area listings include information about amenities available such as restrooms, telephones, picnic tables, vending machines, dump stations and designated pet walk areas. You’ll also find general rest area usage rules and information about state tourism offices. The 192-page book, published in May, will come in handy for RVers who travel the Interstates.

Corps Camp Sites
Camping With The Corps of Engineers (Cottage Publications), also released in May, includes details about every U.S. campground developed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sites are listed alphabetically by state with maps included. They range from free, primitive locations to modern, full-service campgrounds. All corps campgrounds offer a 50 percent discount to U.S. citizens 62 and older.

The Corps of Engineers is one of the nation’s largest providers of outdoor recreation, operating more than 2,500 recreation areas at 463 projects (mostly lakes) and leasing an additional 1,800 sites to state or local park and recreation authorities or private interests. Sites vary from small flood control projects to large lakes with multiple purposes, such as hydropower, navigation, water supply, flood control and recreation. Most projects have a full range of recreation facilities, such as campgrounds, picnic areas, visitor centers, boat ramps and marinas. This book describes more than 900 campgrounds across the United States.

While all RVers will benefit from the information in this popular guide, it will have special appeal to RV travelers who enjoy boating and fishing because all the sites are located on or near lakes or streams. The book contains complete listings of facilities at each campground and directions on how to get there.

Indian Lands
Summer is the most popular time of year to visit the lands of the Navajo and Hopi Nations in the American Southwest. The Navajo lands occupy parts of three states, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico—roughly in the four corners area that also includes Colorado. The Hopi Nation is entirely in Arizona, and much smaller than the Navajo.

The 304-page second edition of Native Roads, The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations (Rio Nuevo Publishers) is a superb guide for anyone who plans to visit the area and surrounding communities. The guide is organized by highway, explaining what there is to see and do on each. Learn about visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Window Rock, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Flagstaff, Canyon de Chelly and the Hopi’s First, Second and Third Mesas.

The guidebook covers the culture of the tribes, their history, and the landscape, and even includes camping information. On Hopi lands, for example, camping is allowed in approved areas, but only for two days. This is a wonderful guide to a vast area with stunning beauty and a rich history. Author Fran Kosik has lived in and traveled throughout the Navajo and Hopi Nations for more than 30 years.

For the kids
The Kid’s Road Atlas from Rand McNally’s Backseat Books is great fun and a good way to keep children occupied while the family rolls down the highway. Kids can plot the family course right along with Mom and Dad with this fun-packed road atlas. It’s a great way to introduce youngsters to map reading, and keep them entertained at the same time.

Not only are maps provided for every state, but also each one is accompanied by games, mazes, crossword puzzles and more. This colorful road atlas will be most appropriate for children between about 6 and 12 years old. And the really good news about the book: It costs a mere $3.95!

See you here next month. Drive safely!