Michigan Adds RV Symbol
Michigan has become the latest state to approve use of the “RV Friendly” symbol on highway signs to point RVers to gas, food, lodging and camping facilities that can easily accommodate RVs.

The decision by the Michigan Department of Transportation permits the placement of the logo—a bright yellow circle with the letters “RV”—on signs at highway exits. The program also has been approved in Oregon, Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington, Florida and Texas.

Selkirk Loop Guide Is Available
A 64-page travel guide is available to help vacationers explore the 280-mile International Selkirk Loop in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho and southern British Columbia.
The loop circles the Selkirk Mountain Range along a route that offers access to outdoor recreation and numerous cultural and historic attractions. The loop incorporates four State Scenic Byways.

The travel guide includes a map that shows the loop’s main route and suggests six side trips that offer interesting places to explore. The International Selkirk Loop organization has produced 130,000 copies of the travel guide for distribution at 1,000 locations regionally and by mail. The guide can be ordered or downloaded through the website at www.selkirkloop.org.

RV Safety Group Sets Goals
The organization that has been known as the Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation is changing its name slightly and shifting its goals. The group is adding an ampersand to become the Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation.

Walter Cannon, the group’s executive director, said, “By adding an ampersand in our title, we feel we have broadened our mission and are now able to expand our focus and concentrate on education.”

Cannon said the group will continue its programs that inform RVers about tire safety and the hazards of overloaded RVs, but will also expand its efforts to educate consumers on the entire use of RVs. You can learn more about the organization at its website, www.rvsafety.org.

Florida Rally Expects 4,000 RVs
The Rally 2006, hosted by the Good Sam Club and its affiliated companies, is expected to draw more than 4,000 RVs and nearly 12,000 people to Daytona Beach International Speedway in Florida for four days of activities, starting April 7.

The Rally will showcase new products, present information on the RV lifestyle and offer entertainment, including performances by America and Juice Newton. Other events will include lunch with an astronaut at the Kennedy Space Center, a golf tournament, a lunch cruise and a ballroom dance competition. For more information, visit www.rv.net/rally.

Oregon Lighthouse Restored
The Umpqua River Lighthouse, which has stood at the mouth of the Umpqua River on the Oregon Coast since 1894, has a new front door and 12 new windows, thanks to a restoration project undertaken by JELD-WEN, a window and door manufacturer based in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

The company installed 12 architecturally correct, double-hung wood windows to replace inexpensive aluminum windows that were installed in the early 1980s. Some of the old windows were broken and leaking. The entry door, which was warped from exposure, was replaced with a door that looks like wood but is made of fiberglass and won’t expand or swell from moisture. The moisture protection is necessary because the area averages 70 inches of rain each year.

The Umpqua River Lighthouse is located in Reedsport and is one of eight remaining public working lighthouses in Oregon. It is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and operated by the Douglas County Parks Department. It guides ships and also serves as a tourist attraction that draws 10,000 visitors a year.

JELD-WEN, which began as a small Oregon millwork plant in 1960, has grown into a leading manufacturer of doors and windows with 20,000 employees worldwide. The company says it undertook the Umpqua River Lighthouse restoration to call attention to the fact that many lighthouses nationwide are falling into disrepair and need funding for maintenance.

California Visitor’s Guide Available
The California Travel and Tourism Commission’s new 2006 California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner is now available free by calling (877) CALIFORNIA or visiting www.visitcalifornia.com.

The 208-page guide includes a state map, regional maps, a list of attractions, and special sections on outdoor recreation, gaming, and food and wine. It also includes a calendar listing some of the best events in the state.