Family get together's during the holidays should be something to look forward to. It’s a time to carry on traditions, create new memories, and simply enjoy the company of our loved ones. One advantage of being an RV owner, is that if parking space allows, you can “camp out” at your relatives house and enjoy being in close proximity without feeling like you’re imposing on their day to day living. Allowing everyone to have their own space to retreat to and unwind after the festivities can really be a blessing and can even help avoid some of those dreaded family quarrels that have a way of sneaking up during the holidays. Another option is to let all the children camp in the RV, and let the grown ups shack up together in the house. The children will love the independence and the adventure, and the adults can enjoy some child free time. Speaking of children, this brings up another point. If you're traveling with your children or grandchildren this holiday season, you're going to want to keep them entertained while you're on the road. It's always a good idea to be prepared with some activities and games to keep their minds busy and prevent the dreaded, "Are we there yet?" question from popping up every five minutes. We found some super fun ideas to occupy the kids at gorving.com. Most of them require no special supplies, and others require no more than a pad of paper and a pen. It's so easy, and you just may find that having a little fun makes the trip go faster for you too!

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Are you planning on spending Thanksgiving in your RV this year? Don’t think you have to miss out on all your favorite dishes just because your space is limited in comparison to a stick home kitchen. You can have all your classic favorites, it just takes a little pre-planning and some forethought on your part.  You’ll want to simplify all of your cooking/serving ware to save space. Choose items that can serve dual functions to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your space. Prepare and pre-package what you can and get as much prep work out of the way ahead of time as possible.  You may need to think outside of the box... or outside the kitchen, as it were... For starters, with a smaller oven, or maybe no oven at all, you may want to consider cooking your turkey outdoors in a deep fryer (we found this propane fueled one for only $65!), or barbeque pieces of turkey rather than cooking an entire bird. Most side dishes, such as everyone’s favorite sweet potato casserole, can be prepared a day in advance, and will only require reheating on Thanksgiving day, leaving your available cookspace to be dedicated to the last minute items. Don’t worry about not having a broiler to brown up those marshmallows on top, a simple kitchen hand torch will do the trick. Rather than baking an apple pie, switch it up with this recipe for a crock pot apple pie that can cook overnight while you’re sleeping... It doesn’t get any easier than that. Do you have any holiday meal tips or RV friendly recipes you would like to share? Comment here and let us know!

photo credit: whatscookingamerica.net

Redding.com has reported that “A little more than a month after Gov. Jerry Brown set aside money to help keep California's state parks open, officials came to Redding on Wednesday to tell local stakeholders how to get their share of the funds.
Included in the $20.5 million Brown allocated are $10 million to match donations generated by private groups and local government.”.

The $10 million is to be used for personnel and maintenance expenses and must be used by June of 2014.  It is reported that the 70 parks that are currently under threat of being closed down will receive top priority. To read the full article published by redding.com, please click here.

Any RV’er can understand the frustration that comes with attempting to back up and maneuver your coach into a narrow or tricky spot. You crane your neck out the window attempting to read the flailing hand signals from your parking partner, and on a wing and a prayer, you move gingerly backward hoping that you don’t accidentally hit that giant boulder that has you on the edge of your seat. It can be very stressful to say the least, and has been responsible for more than a couple of arguments. At last there is a simple and affordable solution. We think it’s a must have for any RV’er. For $89.95, you can order the RV Headset from www.rvheadsets.com. You will receive two hands-free headsets complete with their own carrying case. These headsets run on 9 volt batteries and since they do not have a push to talk button, you can speak and listen with ease. Gary Lewis, the new owner of RV Headsets told rvdailyreport.com "We were using these devices in our training and found them such an awesome device for spotter/driver communications that when the business became available we had to buy it."  And we’re glad he did! Wouldn’t this make an excellent holiday gift for the avid RV’er in your life? For more information, you can visit their website at www.rvheadsets.com or just call 866-976-7878.

What’s the only thing that can make “The happiest place on Earth” happier? Not having to wait in those long lines! This is one reason why now is a great time to go to Disneyland! The summer crowds are long gone, and the holiday crowds have not yet hit the park. The weather is still great, it’s not yet rainy, and no longer sweltering hot, and the lines are the best they’ll be until February rolls around. Park entrance fees remain steady all year long, but it’s so much more fun when you can spend more time playing and less time standing around waiting. Business is at it’s peak during the holidays, so you’ll want to get there before Thanksgiving time. From Thanksgiving to New Years (while the decorations are awesome and there are a lot of fun celebrations) the place is a zoo! You can save some money by forgoing the expensive resort hotels and instead, stay in your RV! There are several nearby RV parks, but one we really like is the Anaheim Harbor RV Park. The park features accommodations for up to 40 foot RV’s with slide outs, Full hook-ups with 30 and 50 amp service, wifi, a heated pool, a 5 hole putting green, a playground, a small store, and much more. The best part? An inexpensive shuttle that runs back and forth to the amusement parks every 20 minutes! You can purchase your shuttle tickets at the campground and you choose when you want to come and go. So if you’re looking for something to lift your spirits and make you feel like a kid again, now is the time! Remember how much you loved Space Mountain? Guess what... It’s still just as cool!

Photo credit: gottagodisney.com