Since I like things to come in fives (and tens), here are five things YOU need to know TODAY!
1. Even in Nature, There’s an App for That
Even in nature, “there’s an app for that.”
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced a new mobile app for both iPhones and Androids. The Georgia DNR Pocket RangerMobile Tour Guide uses some of the most advanced GPS smartphone technology to provide outdoor enthusiasts with features to enhance their visits.
Developed by ParksByNature Network, the free app is available by visiting Apple iTunes, Android Market, or StateParkApps.com.
From activity searches and park descriptions, to current weather reports and trail maps, Pocket Ranger has a wide range of benefits. App users can find state parks near them, browse events, apply for boat registration, see campground maps, and more.
Agency leaders also hope that Pocket Ranger will help incite a love of nature in children who typically spend a great deal of time inside with electronics. By using the app, parents can involve the whole family in deciding which state parks to explore during free time.
To learn more about the free app, click here.
2. Determining Proper Tire Pressure
Let's Go RVing to San Antonio. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
To determine the correct tire pressures for your motorhome, neither Michelin nor Goodyear recommends using the inflation pressure (psi) imprinted on the tire sidewall. That psi is correct only for carrying the maximum weight, which is also imprinted on the sidewall.
Instead, motorhome owners should consult the RV tire guides provided by the respective tire manufacturer. You will see that these companies do not have a single recommended tire pressure for each size tire. They provide a chart wherein the correct pressure is based on the actual weight supported by the tire.
3. RV|ID System Assists Highway Patrol to Nab Motorhome Thief
A stolen motorhome worth nearly $100,000 was recovered and the thief who took it apprehended in less than two hours because the vehicle was equipped with an inventory monitoring service that allows dealers to monitor inventory in real time, according to a news release.
Let's Go RVing to Quartzsite. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
The Pleasure-Way Excel motorhome was taken from the dealership in Irvine, California, by a woman identified as 51-year-old Terri Gibson. The Irvine resident had been on a test drive, but when the salesman briefly left the vehicle, Gibson drove away.
After contacting the police, McMahon’s used the RV|ID monitoring system to pinpoint the RV’s precise location as it traveled north through the Mojave Desert at a high rate of speed. This information was communicated to law enforcement in real time enabling the California Highway Patrol to apprehend the surprised thief and recover the RV within two hours of its theft and less than 20 miles from the Nevada state line.
4. Save with Good Sam Club Pilot Flying J RV Plus Card
Members of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owner’s organization with over 1.3 million members across North America, now enjoy a new exclusive money-saving benefit with the Good Sam Club Pilot Flying J RV Plus Card.
Good Sam Club members can apply for their Pilot Flying J RV Plus Card which will allow them to save up to $.06 on each gallon of gasoline purchased and $.08 on diesel fuel purchased; 10 cents per gallon on bulk propane purchased, and 50 percent on holding tank dump station charges at all applicable Pilot Flying J locations in the United States.
Member discount is tied to length of time as an active Good Sam Member. The longer the card holder has been active member, the larger the discount.
The RV Plus Card must be used as the method of payment in order to receive the fuel discounts.
To read more, click here.
5. Jasper Park Glacier Walk Approved
Let's Go RVing to Jasper National Park in Canada's Rockies. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
A controversial multimillion-dollar interpretive glacier boardwalk will go ahead in Alberta’s Jasper National Park, the environment minister said yesterday (February 8).
The proposal by privately owned Brewster Travel Canada received a vigorous environmental assessment, substantial input during open houses, and consultations with aboriginal groups, Peter Kent said in Ottawa.
“Brewster Canada is a model corporation in Canada’s mountain national parks,” he said.
The company’s “Glacier Discovery Walk” consists of a 1312-foot trail with a glass-floored observation deck extending 98 feet into the Sunwapta Valley near Highway 93.
Once finished, the boardwalk is expected to be a large tourist draw and become an “iconic” destination for visitors, Kent said.
Brewster’s plan was criticized as a step toward the privatization of Canada’s national parks.
Parks Canada will retain ownership of the site, but it will be operated by Brewster.
Pardon me while I rant.
To the purists who are about to have a heart attack because of this walkway, take a look at the one that was built in the Grand Canyon. The canyon has not been destroyed, and the planet has not stopped turning. The opposition is basically driven by xenophobia, international activists, and by green socialism which is trying to take us back to agrarian days in the early 19th Century. Get a life!
Have a great weekend.
Until next time, safe RV travels, and we’ll see you on the road!
Worth Pondering…
Got a dream, a long-held wish of traveling to a special place you hope to see—someday? If so, you’re like many of us, waiting for mañana; for tomorrow or next month or next year—always waiting for the right time. Question is, will there ever be a time that’s right?