RV Podcast 224: America’s National Parks During the Government Shutdown

Most of our National Parks remain open… but the partial governmental shutdown is causing some major problems across the country. In this episode of the podcast, we’ll update you on the latest. Plus, we talk about the controversial practice of wolf hunting near Yellowstone National Park. And, as always, we have your questions, comments and tips. And this week, we also have a huge list of the many RV Shows being held around the country over the next couple of weeks. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE: We’re excited and packing for one of our favorite camping adventures of the year, our annual Winter Freeze Out gathering up at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. JENNIFER: We literally had to stop the packing to sneak into the studio here to record this episode but as soon as we’re done we’ll be back loading our RV with snow shoes, ski poles, extra boots and our warm weather clothing. MIKE: It is going to be cold up there. I just looked at the forecast and it’s going to get down to the lower single digits Fahrenheit Thursday through Sunday. The gathering officially runs Friday through Sunday but it has become so popular that many of the attendees, us included, are coming up early. We’ll actually be in the UP from Wednesday through Sunday. JENNIFER: We were worried that there wouldn’t be much snow up there because it’s been a very mild winter so far. But they got hit by a big snowstorm Monday and it is supposed to snow a couple inches just about every day this week. Of the 40 or so sites that the ark plows out for winter camping, our group has reserved about 35 of them. So we’re talking a lot of RVers. MIKE: We’ll leave there on Sunday or Monday but then we have to skedaddle south… all the way to sunny and warm Tampa Florida where we will be attending the huge RV Supershow at the Florida State Fairgrounds January 16-20. Talk about contrast: We’ll be leaving a place with a foot and a half of snow on the ground and replacing our parka with shorts and sandals in the land of palm trees! JENNIFER: The RV Supershow is one of the largest RV shows in the country and we’ll be doing several reports from there on the Roadtreking.com RV Lifestyle blog and on our Facebook Page and RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel. And we’re really excited that we’ll have a meet and greet with our followers on Saturday Jan 18 from 11AM-2PM at the Roadtrek display area at the show. It’s always fun to get to meet folks in person. MIKE: There are so many RV shows over the next few weeks. We’ll itemize a bunch of them at the end of the podcast. But RV Shows are THE best place to shop for a new RV, or to find the perfect accessories you need, JENNIFER: Let’s remind everyone on where they can find more information about the topics and stories we report in this episode. A lot of people are driving as they listen, or hiking or walking the dog or working out and can’t necessarily write down the resources we share. But they are all available in the shownotes for this episode, which can be found on the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle blog at Roadtreking.com/224. We build in links to everything we talk about here and the shownotes are like a detailed transcript. MIKE: Reminder about new phone number to call in questions and comments for the Podcast - (586) 372-6990. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Plan now to see the 'Super Wolf Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse' coming later this month Have you heard about the Super Wolf Blood Moon Total eclipse? It's coming Jan. 20-21, and has many star gazers excited. A super moon is when a full moon is closest to the earth in its orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than normal. A lunar eclipse is when the earth gets between the sun and the moon, casting the earth's shadow over the moon, and the term blood comes from the moon having an orange or reddish hue during the eclipse. And what about the name wolf? Well, apparently wolf moons happen in January because, according to ancient lore, it is in this time of year when the wolves howl outside villages. If you are somewhere away from light pollution, try to catch sight of it. The show starts around 10:30 pm eastern time and this will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2021. To read more click here or here. MIKE: RV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, going strong Have you ever been to the RV/Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana? The museum details the history of the RV industry, and was in the news this past week for being about to pay off its construction debt. Jennifer and I visited the unique museum last year, interviewed the president for our podcast and YouTube channel (click here) and absolutely loved the place! The museum has some 60 RVs, some dating back to 1913, and it is really a fascinating place. To read last week's story, click here. JENNIFER If you're in Florida and like large alligators, check this out! For those of you in Florida, or with plans to visit soon, you know of the importance of watching out for alligators near fresh water. Well, a video of a giant gator - and I do mean GIANT - strolling across a trail in a preserve near Lakeland, Florida, left me speechless. This gator looked like a dinosaur - I have never seen one so huge. And it was recorded at Circle B Bar Reserve, a protected land area in Polk County, Florida, last week for all to see. Apparently this gator has been spotted several times, just meandering about, and has even earned the nickname Humpback. To see for yourself, click here. JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK I love getting your tips on our new Voice Message Line. One came in this week that I am delighted to share. Meet Heidi, who shares a tip on using inexpensive furniture blankets in the RV This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK A listener took offense to the way we recently talked about the wolf killed by a hunter just outside Yellowstone National Park back in Episode 222 of the RV Podcast… That wolf was very popular with Yellowstone visitors, much photographed and… well… beloved by many, many people. Anyway, the caller objected to the word “beloved.” And in the interest of honest and respectful discussion of controversial isues, we will play her message. The message cut out at the three minute mark, because that’s the limit for Google Voice. But she sent me a copy of her comment. Some excerpts: “The other disturbing part of that report was the note of disdain in your voice when you used the word hunter. I am a 60 year old woman. I am an Rv'er and a hunter. Both of these titles get me maligned at times. That's why labels are not good things. But that is another rant. … You may not like the idea of animals being killed. Even as you eat chicken, beef, pork. you may think that anyone who can kill an animal for sport is a horrible person. But remember that not too long ago we all had to kill animals in order to survive. It's still in us to hunt and gather and protect ourselves. If you don't care for it I understand. But try to understand for many people hunting is about getting out in the wilds, and pitting yourself against nature. It's important, vital to our makeup. Kinda like you enjoying talking to people and reporting on it. Some would say that your traveling around the country collecting stories is an unnecessary waste of fossil fuels that pollute our atmosphere. That you and all those RV people put drain on community resources of the places you travel to and through. And so much other silliness. But I hope you get my point without taking offense. All issues are complicated and multi-faceted.” Here are email questions that came in this week: From Mike and Kathi - Happy New Year to you and Jennifer! We are thoroughly enjoying your website and YouTube channel. You are performing a great service for RVers everywhere. I was going to try to participate in your live Q&A last night to pose my question, but a family commitment came first so I decided to reach out by email while my questions are fresh on my mind. I should say we have a Roadtrek Adventurous CS XL on order (2019 chassis/ 2020 model year) and are using the time until delivery to do as much research and forward thinking scenario planning as possible. My question is about winterizing and de-winterizing. We live in Fort Collins, CO and plan to travel south to warmer areas in the winter. Its very possible we won’t head south before it gets pretty cold in Fort Collins and we certainly will be coming back and forth from warm climes to our sticks and bricks in Fort Collins while it’s still cold in CO. With your sticks and bricks being in Michigan and with you not living full time in your class B, I figured you may have confronted this issue. My question is what do you do and how do you handle this? Do you winterize at home, de-winterize on the road in warm areas, and then repeat as many times as you go back and forth? Can this be done easily? How labor intensive is it to winterize and de-winterize? I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Also, if you have references on how this is done , either your own experience or those of others, I’d appreciate you passing along those links or sources as well. We have a whole playlist filled with winterizing and dewinterizing videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NANFhFK4y8s&list=PLomKLKY-E0ScsKe3QPQHprQ_3saqS0Llz From Chris - Just finished your book (cover to cover) "The beginner's guide to boondocking." My wife and I will be purchasing a Hymer Aktiv later on this year (I retire in June). I have been doing a lot of research so I won't be clueless when we hit the road. Your book, far and away, has been the most helpful for me. Thanks! A quick question, does parking a class B on a slope impact its functionality?