| Introduction: The RV Life & the Best of the Road | xi |
| You Set the Lifestyle | xii |
| Part I | Getting Ready to Hit the Road | 1 |
| 1 | Life on the Road: A Personal & Public History of RVing | 3 |
| Excerpts from a Road Diary; or, If We Can Do This, Anyone Can | 3 |
| How to Give Backing-Up Directions without Destroying Your Marriage | 8 |
| Public History: The Tin Can Tourists | 8 |
| Thirteen Notable Dates in RV History | 10 |
| Six Common Misperceptions About RVs & Their Owners | 13 |
| 2 | Getting Prepared: RVing Tips & Hints | 15 |
| Driving Schools | 15 |
| Learning Your Vital Statistics | 15 |
| Making a List, Checking It Twice ... | 16 |
| What Kind of Wardrobe Is Right? | 16 |
| Stocking the Larder | 17 |
| Don't Drink the Water | 25 |
| Trimming Costs: Eight Money-Saving Tips for the Road | 26 |
| Safety, Sanity & Insurance | 27 |
| Ain't Misbehavin': Road Etiquette | 28 |
| The Community of Man: Getting Together with Other RVers | 31 |
| 3 | Where to Sleep: Campgrounds & RV Parks | 33 |
| Campground Glossary | 34 |
| Should You Sleep by the Side of the Road? | 35 |
| Campsites: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly | 35 |
| Using the Directories to Find a Campground | 37 |
| Ten Ways to Save Money on Campgrounds | 38 |
| Membership Campgrounds | 39 |
| Special Camping Situations | 41 |
| Ain't Misbehavin': Campground Etiquette | 43 |
| Ten Tips for Cozy Winter Camping | 44 |
| Plugging in Your Rig | 45 |
| Part 2 | RV Adventures | 47 |
| 4 | The California Desert & Las Vegas | 49 |
| RVing in the California Desert & Las Vegas | 52 |
| Travel Essentials | 52 |
| The Best Desert Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 55 |
| On the Road | 62 |
| Ten Scenic Side Trips | 81 |
| Travel Quiz: Astronaut Underwear | 84 |
| 5 | Baja Bound: From Tijuana to Los Cabos | 85 |
| RVing on the Baja Peninsula | 86 |
| Travel Essentials | 88 |
| The Best Baja Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 92 |
| A Baja Road Glossary | 97 |
| On the Road | 98 |
| Seven Swell Side Roads to Explore | 108 |
| Travel Quiz: Name That Road | 110 |
| 6 | Utah's Parks & Canyons | 111 |
| RVing Utah's National Park Country | 115 |
| Travel Essentials | 118 |
| The Best Utah Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 120 |
| Talkin' Utah: A Glossary | 126 |
| On the Road | 130 |
| The History of Utah--and a Tasty Dinner, Too | 136 |
| About Edward Abbey | 146 |
| Ten Scenic Side Trips | 153 |
| Travel Quiz: Location, Location, Location | 156 |
| 7 | Driving the Alaska Highway | 157 |
| RVing Along the Alaska Highway | 161 |
| Travel Essentials | 162 |
| The Best Alaska Highway Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 166 |
| A Crash Course in Speaking Alaskan | 168 |
| On the Road | 172 |
| Seven Rough, Tough Side Trips & Three Easy Ones | 184 |
| Travel Quiz: Bye, Bye, Mister Eskimo Pie | 187 |
| 8 | The Dakotas: Black Hills & Buffalo Burgers | 189 |
| RVing the Dakotas | 192 |
| Travel Essentials | 193 |
| The Best Dakotas Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 195 |
| On the Road: South Dakota | 208 |
| The Custer Connection | 210 |
| South Dakota Nightlife | 212 |
| On the Road: North Dakota | 217 |
| A Dozen Terrific Side Trips in the Dakotas | 223 |
| Travel Quiz: Way Out West | 226 |
| 9 | The Rio Grande Valley & the Wilds of West Texas | 227 |
| RVing Along the Rio Grande | 228 |
| Travel Essentials | 230 |
| The Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Rio Grande | 232 |
| "I See by Your Outfit That You Are a Cowboy ..." | 235 |
| Horses, Dogs, Bulls & Goats | 241 |
| On the Road | 241 |
| Texas Talk | 245 |
| The Comanche Moon | 246 |
| The Sounds of the Rio Grande | 247 |
| Five Ways to Enter Terlingua's International Chili Cook-Off | 253 |
| Six Special Side Trips | 258 |
| Not Quite a Travel Quiz: The Horror, the Horror | 260 |
| 10 | Arkansas, the Ozarks & Branson, Missouri | 261 |
| RVing the Ozarks | 262 |
| Travel Essentials | 264 |
| The Best Ozarks Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 265 |
| Speaking Ozark | 269 |
| On the Road | 272 |
| Ten Scenic Ozarks Side Trips | 285 |
| Trivia Quiz: High on the Hog | 288 |
| 11 | The Florida Keys (with Side Trips to the Everglades & Orlando) | 289 |
| RVing the Keys | 289 |
| Travel Essentials | 292 |
| The Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Keys | 294 |
| Talkin' Conch: A Keys Glossary | 296 |
| On the Road | 303 |
| "And Then I Wrote..." | 311 |
| Miracle of the Keys | 313 |
| Two Great Side Trips | 314 |
| Travel Quiz: Monster Mash | 320 |
| 12 | The Blue Ridge Parkway & Skyline Drive | 321 |
| RVing the Blue Ridge Parkway & Skyline Drive | 324 |
| Travel Essentials | 326 |
| The Best Blue Ridge Sights, Tastes & Experiences | 328 |
| Southern Accents: A Glossary | 337 |
| On the Road | 338 |
| Nightlife Along the Road | 342 |
| Literary Lights | 344 |
| Great Smokies RV Safety Tips | 352 |
| Travel Quiz: Hello, Dolly! | 354 |
| 13 | The Lobster Coast: New England & the Canadian Maritimes | 355 |
| RVing in New England & the Maritimes | 356 |
| Travel Essentials | 358 |
| Best Sights, Tastes & Experiences of the Lobster Coast | 361 |
| Lobster Trivia Quiz | 372 |
| On the Road | 378 |
| Gambling at Foxwoods | 380 |
| The Museum of Family Camping | 383 |
| The Beans of Freeport, Maine (and More) | 384 |
| The Loyalists & the Acadians | 388 |
| Five Side Trips | 390 |
| Travel Quiz: Name That Rock | 392 |
| Part 3 | Harry & Shirley's RV Buying & Renting Guide | 393 |
| 14 | RV Types & Terms | 395 |
| The ABCs of RVs: A Glossary of Common RV Terms | 396 |
| Types of RVs | 398 |
| 15 | To Rent or Buy? | 415 |
| Three Ways to Check Out Campground Life Without an RV | 415 |
| Renting | 416 |
| Buying | 420 |
| 16 | RV Manufacturers: Who Makes What | 423 |
| Index | 433 |