The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association is planning to host the second Recreation Vehicle World Conference in Tampa, Florida, January 17-20, 2013. The first world RV conference was held in Germany in 2008.

The 2013 event will take place in conjunction with the Florida RV SuperShow.  Participants will share information, discuss technical and standards issues and explore how RV companies can work together. The RV industry is expanding from North America, Europe and Australia to China, South America and South Africa.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has initiated major cutbacks in the state park system that will keep parks open but will reduce staffing. About 160 employees are receiving notices that their jobs may be eliminated or changed.

CHICAGO, IL - Encore RV Resorts, announces the 4th annual Yuma Concert Series, which is attended each year by RV enthusiasts from across the country, as well as local residents. The series will begin its run on January 8, 2012 inside The Yuma Art Center (254 S. Main St.) in downtown Yuma, Arizona. The concert series will run from January through March 2012. All shows will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 per concert.

RV manufacturers will ship slightly fewer RVs to customers in 2012 than they did in 2011, according to a forecast by Dr. Richard Curtin, director of the Survey of Consumers at the University of Michigan.

Oakhurst, CA. – A surprising lack of snow in Yosemite National Park has opened up some unique travel opportunities for people looking for a quick winter getaway.

MT. PLEASANT, Pa. – Recently, Columbia Northwest announced that it would begin producing its newest line of high-quality pop-up tent campers, Somerset Camping Trailers. With three tradeshows behind them, Columbia Northwest is finding this product launch to be a huge success.

Elkhart, IN - Thor Motor Coach announced the promotion of veteran sales executive Adam Gudger to the position of National Sales Manager for the diesel division. Gudger brings with him eleven years of diesel motorhome sales experience.

Bring binoculars for a chance to view Gray whales during Winter Whale Watch Week, December 26 - December 31.

"The 24 designated ‘Whale Watching Spoken Here' sites were selected because they are the best viewpoints to spot some of the roughly 18,000 whales that cruise past Oregon on their annual southbound migration," said Dave Newton, Whale Watching volunteer coordinator. Trained volunteers will be available along the coast 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. daily to help visitors learn about the whales' migration and feeding habits, and offer tips on how to spot the whales. 

GALESVILLE, Wis. – When Lori Severson bought the Champions Riverside Resort in Galesville three months ago, she had her work cut her for her.

Not only was its parking lot full of weeds, but there were potholes in the roadways and big piles of debris that needed to be hauled away.