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RVing’s “Big 10”

Many serious big game trophy hunters make a goal of bagging North America ’s “Big 10” animals, which include mule and whitetail deer, black bear, and several other big game species. While many serious RVers are also hunters, there is another “Big 10” that I think all RVers should try to accomplish seeing or taking part in. These are places and events that are such ingrained and important parts of the RV lifestyle that many old timers will insist you can’t miss if you are going to be a real RVer. RVing’s “Big 10” includes something for everyone, whether you enjoy big gatherings of your fellow nomads, or prefer a bit of seclusion. A few “Big 10” events and destinations can be combined, giving you a two-for-one bargain. And the best news of all is that you don’t have to purchase a special hunting license, hire a guide, or find a wall to hang your trophy on!

Here are RVing's “Big 10.” How many can you lay claim to?

1. – Quartzsite: If you spend any time at all around fulltime or snowbird RVers, before too long someone will ask you if you have been to Quartzsite yet. Located on Interstate 10 about 125 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona Quartzsite is a sleepy little desert town of a couple hundred people most of the year. But every year thousands and thousands of   RVers descend on Quartzsite to boondock on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the surrounding desert and to attend the big Quartzsite RV Show and the numerous flea markets, rock and gem shows, and other events held in January and February. It’s big, it’s crowded, it’s dusty, and it’s fun! Some people love it and some attend once and seek quieter activities for future outings. If you have not been to Quartzsite yet, you owe it to yourself to experience it at least once.

2. - Rainbows End in Livingston, Texas: Rainbows End is the Mecca for serious RVers. National Headquarters of the Escapees RV Club, literally thousands of RVers “live” on Rainbow Drive in Livingston , the address of the Escapees Mail Service. Rainbows End includes a very nice RV park, the club’s National Headquarters, and CARE, the adult day care center the Escapees created to provide assistance to retired RVers and those recuperating from illness or surgery. RVers come to Rainbows End to license their vehicles and become “legal” Texans, to tour the club’s mail forwarding service, to meet friends and just hang out with like-minded folks.

3. - Life on Wheels: Called the “RV College,” Life on Wheels is the brainchild of longtime industry leader Gaylord Maxwell. Now celebrating their 10^th year, Life on Wheels is an education program held in four locations annually, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Des Moines, Iowa; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and the granddaddy of them all, at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Classes range from selecting and buying your RV, to outfitting your RV, the fulltime lifestyle, RV safety, an RV driving school. Boondocking, and much more. Life on Wheels instructors include some of the top names in the industry today. Every new RVer should attend at least one Life on Wheels conference, and many veterans of the RV lifestyle still return year after year

4. - Slab City: Located on an abandoned military base in Niland, California, Slab City is a popular gathering place every winter for RVers who come to boondock and enjoy what many call the last great bastion of freedom in America. Populated by serious RVers, snowbirds, eccentrics who live here year round, and an assortment of colorful characters, Slab City is another one of those places you either love or hate. Come check it out once and draw your own conclusions.

5. - Elkhart Indiana: Home to at least half of the RV manufacturers in the country, Elkhart, Indiana has a lot to offer RVers, from factory tours to RV surplus stores, displays of some of the earliest RVs at the RV/MH Heritage Museum, RV rallies, and lots of fun exploring the Amish countryside just east of town. 

6. - Padre Island: Every winter RVers come to Padre Island, near Corpus Christie, Texas to camp for free at Padre Island National Seashore. A $20 permit is required, and water and a dump station are free. There is no time limit, and many RVers stay the entire season.

7. - Great North American RV Rally: RV rallies offer the opportunity for fun, fellowship, and education, and the biggest RV rally is the annual Great North American RV Rally, where thousands of people come to camp, shop the vendors, attend seminars, enjoy entertainment from top named performers, visit with old friends and make new ones. Past locations have included Gillette, Wyoming; Louisville, Kentucky; Perry, Georgia; and Redmond, Oregon. 

8. – Escapade: Though not on the huge scale of the Great North American RV Rally, the two annual Escapees Club Escapades are events no RVer should miss. You will meet lots of nice people, attend some excellent seminars, and enjoy the entertainment every evening.

9. – Boondocking: To truly experience the freedom that the RV lifestyle has to offer, at least once you should spend a few days or even a week or two boondocking, also called dry camping. I define boondocking as living without being hooked up to a water source or electrical outlet, living off my RV’s systems. The feeling of independence you get when you sever the campground umbilical cord is something you must experience to understand. Whether you prefer to camp for weeks on end on BLM land in the desert or just cross the country spending the night in the parking lots of  RV friendly businesses like Wal-Mart, boondocking can save you a lot of money, and once you get used to it, it is lots of fun!

10. – The Alaska Highway: This is the ultimate RV destination for many. A trip up the Alaska Highway includes adventure, wonderful scenery, wildlife, history, and memories to last a lifetime. The road is not nearly as bad as some people would want you to believe, but the experiences you will have are more than anyone could ever describe.