Episode 123: What you need to know to plan an RV trip to Alaska

The RV Podcast

Episode 123: What you need to know to plan an RV trip to Alaska

Survey any group of RVers about what’s number one on their bucket list and inevitably, one destination will be at the very top: Alaska, a wilderness land of majestic mountains, spectacular scenery and wildlife and grand adventure.

Every RVer needs to experience Alaska at least once and in this episode of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle Podcast, we learn from perhaps the top expert when it comes to RVing in Alaska – author and fulltime RVer Ron Jones.

Ron tells us that if you are planning to visit Alaska this year – right now is when you should start planning and he dispels some myths and false notions, replacing it with solid, practical and expert advice on making this long journey. You will not want to miss my interview with Ron, coming up soon.

Also in this episode, RV travel, tech and pet tips, news, your questions and comments and much more.

Show Notes for Episode #123 Jan. 18 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast:

JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK

This tip comes by email from one of our listeners named Wendy… who came across an inexpensive little gadget that can help with staying clean and showering on camping trips and hikes.

It’s called the Simple Shower and it is a specially designed portable shower that attaches to just about any one or two liter bottle to convert them into a shower.

That’s right: It turns an empty water or soft drink bottle into a makeshift shower.

Here’s how it works:

Simply fill a plastic 1 or 2 liter bottle with warm water, or leave the bottle in the sun to heat up, and attach the Simple Shower device in the open neck of the bottle for a quick and easy shower.

It's ideal for backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, hunting, camping, emergencies, cleaning pets, washing utensils, at the beach, and anywhere else a steady stream flow shower can be used.

A two liter bottle can hold pretty close to a half gallon of water and the Simple Shower attachment pours it out in a nice stream, not all at once

And if you have a couple of them, you could even wash your hair.

It costs just $12.99 on Amazon.

Thanks, Wendy, for sending me that tip.

And I invite all our listeners to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox.

I love hearing from you!

Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by T RadPower Bikes (www.RadPowerBikes.com_… an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes.

LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

A listener wants to have her own website to post pictures and tell her story. She wants someone else to build it for her but to teach her how do updates.

Mike suggests several resources and services:

www.blogger.com

http://www.wix.com/

http://www.weebly.com/

http://blogstarting.org/

And a reader wants to see an eTrek at an RV show. Mike suggests visiting the biggest one near or to call their local Roadtrek dealer and ask where they will be displaying one.

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations.

PET TIP OF THE WEEK

We all know how important it is not to sit for long periods of time and, on long RV trips, to get up and walk around.

But you know it’s just as important, if not more so, for our dogs. In fact, exercise is a necessity for maintaining a dogs optimal physical and mental well-being. As with people, obesity is becoming a major health problem in today's dogs.

Between 20 and 40 percent of all dogs seen by veterinarians in the United States are considered overweight, and many are clinically obese. Obesity prevents dogs from enjoying many physical activities; it also decreases speed and stamina and makes it more difficult for dogs to deal with heat.

Obesity is also associated with certain medical problems, including arthritic changes in overly burdened joints, increased risk of torn ligaments, back problems, cardiac problems, difficulty breathing, increased surgical risks, skin problems, whelping problems and a possible increase in risk for some cancers.

So, experts say that, like with people, your pets should be able to get out and move around frequently during the day as you travel. About every two hours is the longest you should go without a stretching exercise break – for you and your dog!

Mike and I are big believers in leash-free dogs parks for our Norwegian Elkhound, Bo.

He runs and plays and gets rid if all that excess energy… plus he stays in great shape. Sometimes, we have been known to take him to a park twice a day. A typical visit is a half hour to an hour. Bo loves it and we also enjoy visiting with other pet owners and enjoying the fresh air, especially during long travel days.

As we travel, we use a website called dogfriendly.com to locate those dog parks. They have the best list we’ve found. Just click on the state you’re in and it lists all the nearby parks. Again, the website is dogfriendly.com

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dozers Dental Chews, an all natural and healthy treat your dog will love. Available direct through Amazon

INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Ron Jones, RVing in Alaska

Alaska is the number one travel dream for many an RVers… the ultimate bucket list destination. But a lot of RVers make a lot of mistakes, or have a lot of wrong notions about Alaska. For one thing, they don’t do enough planning. And they often miss a lot of things because they didn’t allow enough time.

My guest this week is Ron Jones, who probably knows more about RVing to Alaska than anyone else you can find. He has put on seminars all across North America on RVing to Alaska and he has written a series of books on the topic.

If you plan to head to Alaska in tur RV... listen up!

Ron’s blog – www.aboutrving.com

Ron’s Alaska books - http://www.aboutrving.com/store/

For free travel planning, things to do and maps from the State of Alaska go to www.travelalaska.com

The interview of the week is brought to you by http://sunshinestatervs.com/, where every new or used Roadtrek motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country

RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Three RV News stories this week…

Zion National Park Road Closes Indefinitely because of Rock Slide

Tampa-area owner of an RV consignment business arrested for defrauding customers

New 750-mile hiking/biking recreational trail planned for New York

This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV

TRAVELING TECH TIP:

Verizon's Steve Van Dinter reports on Prepping for Severe Weather

This past week’s ice storm wreaked havoc across much of the central United States leaving accidents and power outages in its wake.

Preparation isn’t something a lot of us feel we have time for but it’s moments like these that it truly pays off.

For instance, did you know that Verizon’s network is built with redundancies and battery backups to ensure you can stay connected? Everything from the individual cell towers to the switching centers that route all your calls, text and data.

You, too, can take steps to be prepared for any type of severe weather.

Store phones, tablets, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location. Zip-lock storage bags will do the trick or look into waterproof phones, cases or other protective accessories.

Keep Your phone and tablets fully charged – in case local power is lost – well before warnings are issued.

Have additional batteries and car-chargers available for back-up power. A nice variety, including solar-powered devices, make it easy to stay powered up.

Maintain a list of emergency numbers – police and fire agencies; power and insurance companies; family, friends and co-workers; etc. – and program them into your phone before an emergency arises.

Use your tablet to photograph and catalogue your valuables and other household belongings for possible insurance claims.

Choose from hundreds of free weather-, news- and safety-related apps and services for smartphones and tablets - in particular I like the American Red Cross app, Weather Underground, and NOAA Now.

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon, which operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 112 million retail connections nationwide.

RV CALENDAR

Here’s the schedule of RV shows around the country for this weekend…

Florida RV SuperShow January 18-22 Florida State Fairgrounds Tampa, FL

Inland Northwest RV Show January 19-22 Spokane County Fair & Expo Center Spokane, WA

Tacoma RV Show January 19-22 Tacoma Dome Tacoma, WA

Austin Boat & Travel Trailer Show January 19-22 Austin Convention Center Austin, TX

Toronto RV Show & Sale January 19-22 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto, ON, Canada

Northeast RV and Camping Show January 20-22 CT Convention Center Hartford, CT

Chattanooga RV Show January 20-22 Chattanooga Convention Center Chattanooga, TN

New Jersey RV & Camping Show January 20-22 New Jersey Convention Center Edison, NJ

For a complete list of RV shows this weekend and for the rest of the year, click here.