Episode 124 -What to do with all those photos you take on your RV trips?

The RV Podcast

Episode 124 -What to do with all those photos you take on your RV trips?

RVers love to take photos and these days, it’s more apt to be with our smartphones. But what do you do with them? How do you keep from running out of space? And what’s the best way to share those great memories? To help us answer those questions we talk with our RV buddies Jim and Chris Guld – better known as the Geeks on Tour.

Chris has just written a great book called Mrs. Geek’s Guide to Google Photos and we chat about why – no matter what platform your smartphone is on Apple or Android – this amazing and totally free app need to be on your device.

Plus RV Tips, suggestions about RVing with pets, traveling tech suggestions, RV News and much, much more!

Show Notes for Episode #124 Jan. 25, 2017 of Roadtreking - The RV Lifestyle Podcast:

JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK

As we said earlier, we are just back from our annual Roadtreking winter campout in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Like all our gatherings, I love meeting fellow RVers and picking up valuable tips from them about little things that make the RV lifestyle more convenient. And I came back with a bunch of them from our latest adventure.c

Here’s one you will find particularly helpful if you camp in snowy or muddy country. Nobody likes the thought of getting stuck in your RV. Our friend Jan Matthews found a very handy little product that she always carries with her…after learning the hard way why such a product is needed.

The product is called the Mr. Emergency Snow n’ Mud Track. Jan found hers at Walmart. It’s also available at Amazon for $28.

And be sure 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 RadPower Bikes (www.RadPowerBikes.com_… an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes.

LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Jim asks about Mike’s experience with the Professional Grade weBoost Drive 4G-X + RV Trucker Essentials Kit – 470510-RV. It comes with a big external antenna. It is most powerful in-vehicle booster certified in the US and Canada and enhances 4G LTE, as well as 3G and 2G network signals, up to 32x. Mike shares his thoughts. Jim also asks about Wi-Fi boosters and if Mike recommends them. Mike shares why he doesn’t.

An Oregon listener with a new Navion Motorhome isn’t sure whether he needs to winterize his RV and wonders about using the bathroom at night and having the black water tank freeze. We explain that RVs used in below freezing weather for extended periods of time should be winterized. And you flush the toilets with antifreeze.

An email asking about winter RV use came in from readers Sue ands Bob, who ask: What do you use for traction? RT says no chains and I can see why as there is little to no clearance and if they broke they could do some serious damage. In Oregon they will not let you, in some circumstances go over a pass without traction devices. Plus, I'm not so sure how comfortable we would be driving in snowy or icy conditions.

We talk about it and how we have never had a problem with traction or the need for chains.

A California listener asks how long they can boodock on the Pacific Coast Highway . Here’s a post Campskunk did on the blog about the area - http://roadtreking.com/boondocking-pacific-coast-highway-north-ft-bragg-ca/ There’s a stretch of the Pacific Cast Highway there where you can honest to goodness boondock – camp right on the side of the highway overlooking the ocean.

To understand this, you have to look at the tangle of regulations governing boondocking. First and foremost, there’s the California Vehicle Code dealing with how long you can park (not camp, park) alongside highways on the right of way. It’s eight hours. Then there are all the municipal and county exceptions to this statewide rule. Good boondocking spots are defined by what they are not. Don’t try to boondock in state parks or vista points. They are great day spots, but be out of town by sundown. Stay out of small towns, make sure you are outside the city limits of them before you try to spend the night.

But there are three good night spots and a variety of day spots we move up and down this ten mile section of highway, staying mobile and not aggravating the local constabulary or landowners. We have stayed a week or so.

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

Just like we have packing lists for our RV trips, every pet should also have their own pet travel kit. You need to bring food, treats, a bowl, leash, a rope to keep them confined outside the RV when you stop for the night, plastic bags to pick up their waste, grooming supplies, medication and first-aid, and a list of their health records from your vets, showing vaccinations and any health issues they have.

Be sure to pack a favorite toy or pillow to give your pet a sense of familiarity.

And bring a supply of water from home. Drinking water from an area your pet isn’t used to could result in stomach discomfort. We give Bo bottled water, at home and on the road and have never had a problem.

Your pet's travel-feeding schedule should start with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure, and avoid feeding your pet in a moving vehicle.

We keep all this in a special bag. We call ours the “Bo Bag.”

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 – What to do with all those photos you take on your RV trips?

RVers love to take photos and these days, it’s more apt to be with our smartphones. But what do you do with them? How do you keep from running out of space? And what’s the best way to share those great memories? To help us answer those questions we talk with our RV buddies Jim and Chris Guld – better known as the Geeks on Tour.

Chris has just written a great book called Mrs. Geek’s Guide to Google Photos and we chat about why – no matter what platform your smartphone is on Apple or Android – this amazing and totally free app need to be on your device.

Plus RV Tips, suggestions about RVing with pets, traveling tech suggestions, RV News and much, much more!

Jim and Chris Guld are Geeks Who Teach. They’ve both been in the Computer Training and Support industry since the early 80s. Now they live fulltime in a motorhome and tour the country presenting Technology Seminars at RV Rallies, Computer Clubs, and even people’s homes.

Jim and Chris have the Geeks On Tour website at http://geeksontour.com/

Mrs. Geek’s Guide to Google Photos is available at http://geeksontour.com/google-photos-book/

And their “What does this Button Do?” You Tube videos can be accessed at https://learnbuttons.blogspot.com/

RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Three RV News stories for you this week…

• Heath advisors urging campers to take precautions as study confirms Lyme disease carrying ticks in nine east coast national parks.Read more
• Company wants to build a marijuana friendly RV park in Oregon.Read more
• Eighty-one false killer whales breech themselves in Florida everglades and die, mystifying scientists.Read more

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 Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge

This week I wanted to take a little time to give a tip of the hat to some of the brightest middle and high school students across the nation.

This past fall, Verizon kicked off it’s innovative learning app challenge - calling out to all middle and high school students to form teams and come up with ideas for smartphone apps that could make a positive difference in their communities.

And did students ever answer the call!

All told, more than 1,800 teams from across the country participated with some truly unique ideas.

And recently Best in State winners were announced - one middle and high school team from every state - to receive a $5,000 grant and free tablets for each member of their team.

Now they need your help. Because the team that gets the most votes as fan favorite wins an additional $15,000 for their school, an all expenses paid trip to Orlando to a tech conference and most importantly, the opportunity to work with MIT experts to create their app!

To vote, visit verizon.com/appchallenge. There you’ll see the list of Best in State winners. Find the one you’d like to support and then text in their code to, 22333.

Voting is open until February 14th and the winner will be announced on Feb 15.

Again that website is verizon.com/appchallenge

Best of luck to all teams in the running!

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.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT – Crystal Geyser, Utah

By Tom and Patti Burkett

Winter is here, and as much as we enjoy winter camping, we also are thinking about getting warm. We don’t think there’s any better way to warm up than in a hot spring. Sitting in a natural spring on a winter evening, as a light snow falls is about as perfect as it gets. There are a number of great sites around the country for this, although some of them rarely get snow. Classic old-time commercial institutions like the ones in Arkansas and North Carolina are at one end of the spectrum, and some of the absolutely solitary spots along US 50 in Utah and in the Rocky Mountains are at the other end.

Although hot springs got us thinking, this report is about another sort of geological feature. As you drive along I-70 in Utah, it’s easy to put on the playlist and blow through without looking left or right. If you do, you’ll lose out. For example, the little town of Green River has several things to recommend it. If you happen to be there in September, you can spend the weekend at Melon Days. This classic small town festival celebrates all things green and stripey. Pancake breakfasts, seed spitting contests for all ages, a 5K run, and a parade are on offer. Enjoy live music, brush up on your square dancing, or just sit back and watch the softball tournament.

What has this to do with hot springs, you’re wondering? Well, the most underrated feature of the Green River area is a few miles out of town. When we visited, it was five miles of driving down badly washboarded rural roads. At the end we found Crystal Geyser. Several times a day, water spouts from the ground here along the banks of the Green River, sometimes rising more than a hundred feet in the air. What makes this spot unique, one of only a handful in the world, is that it’s not geothermal. the eruptions are powered by dissolved carbon dioxide in the groundwater, and the erupting stream is cold. The water tumbles down to the river, and has left shelves of orange colored travertine.

Amazingly, this wonder sits entirely unremarked on public agency land. We came in after dark and parked twenty yards from the geyser. By morning one other camper was sharing the large two-level undeveloped parking area with us. As the morning wore on, a couple of families arrived in bathing suits, a few fishers ranged themselves along the banks, and a group of canoeists launched nearby. The geyser burbled off and on, water running down the shelves. We enjoyed the wildflowers and chatted with the regulars. We chose to move on before a major blow, but the locals assured us it would happen several times that day.

Green River also offers the John Wesley Powell Museum, with information about his river trips as well as local geology. Slow down in those long stretches of seemingly barren country. Look around. You’ll be glad you did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elxfvPCYiuQ

http://melon-days.com/schedule/

https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/cities-and-towns/green-river/john-wesley-powell-river-museum/

RV CALENDAR

Three shows this weekend…

Louisville Boat, RV Sport Show January 25-29 Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville , KY

Fort Myers RV Show January 26-29 Lee Civic Center Fort Myers, FL

Atlanta Camping & RV Show January 27-29 Atlanta Exposition Center South Atlanta, GA

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