RT37: How to Find Great Places and People: Head West On Route 66

If you listen closely to this week's Roadtreking RV Lifestyle podcast, you can hear birds chirping in the background, a light breeze blowing, and our dog Tai playing around camp.

It may not seem like a big deal but it is, especially after what happened to us just a week ago.

That's when our RV was illegally entered and ransacked by thieves who took a lot of our stuff. Of course, dealing with that was an unexpected speed bump in our journey to get where we are as we recorded this week's podcast – the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

Though the burglary and theft is still very much on our minds as we deal with replacing stuff and dealing with insurance, we are delighted to be in the west again.

Speaking of our journey here, we took Route 66 for a good part of the way, breaking off near Albuquerque to head southwest to Tucson, where I picked up a satellite Internet system for our RV. As you read this and listen to this report, we're headed back north again, in Flagstaff, Ariz., right back on Route 66.

On this episode of the Roadtreking podcast, we talk to two groups of people we didn't plan to meet: a bunch of travelers from outside the United States and an outdoor adventure group of RVers who call themselves the Sisters on the Fly and have three rules: no men, no children, no dogs.

That, plus listener questions, the latest RV news, traveling tech and a great RV bucket destination list- all on this week's Roadtreking RV Lifestyle podcast!

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Show Notes for Episode #37, May 27, 2015, of Roadtreking – The RV Lifestyle Podcast:

First Things First: Following Up From An RV Burglary

Mike and Jennifer Wendland check in from the road to give an update on how – following last week's burglary just outside St. Louis – they have quickly been able to get back on track with their extensive travel plans west. They thank everyone for the tremendous amount of support received and provide an update on what – if anything – the insurance companies involved are doing and also some more detail on how the actual break-in may have occurred.

Listener Questions: Why Do I Need a Mobile WiFi Hot Spot Device If I Have a Smartphone?

A listener asks a very good question about why anyone would consider a separate WiFi hot spot device like Verizon's JetPack if they have a smartphone that can “double” as a WiFi hot spot device. Mike answers why it's not exactly apples-to-apples.

Listener Feedback: Why Did You Get An Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL?

Listener Jeff asks why we went with a Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL and asks specifically about the robustness of the electric system.

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, Mo.
Van City RV only sells Class B. RVs. Owner Ray Dwyer has been in the RV business for 44 years and is considered the dean of Class B RVs. Nobody knows more about small motorhomes that Ray and his crew. They have new and used Class B motorhomes in stock from the major manufacturers. When you fly in to buy your RV from Van City, they'll arrange to have you picked up from the airport and will reimburse you $500 toward your airfare. Then, your RV will be fully prepared for travel, complete with full tanks of fuel and propane. After a complete orientation with their staff on your new RV, you can take delivery and set out for home. Dan the Van Man gives the week's specials on the podcast.

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RV News of the Week: Flooding in Oklahoma and Texas; Bear Attack in Colorado.; Fire at RV lot in Florida

Massive Flooding in Oklahoma and Texas: Torrential flooding caused millions in damages, destroyed homes, and caused at least three deaths during the Memorial Day weekend. (Read more)

Bear Attack Serves as Warning: Two men who appear to have been homeless and illegally camping near the Durango Tech Center in Colorado were transported to a local medical center last Saturday after being bitten by a bear. The story is the most recent illustration of the importance of dealing with bears. (Read more)

Fire Hits Fla. RV Dealer: Fire ripped through the North Trail RV Center in Lee County, Fla. last Wednesday. causing an estimated $600,000 in damages. That's compared with $1 million in damages caused by a fire at the same dealer just this past March. (Read more)

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Alde Hydronic Heating, the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV
The Alde system brings many features and benefits not found with any other product, including:

• Silent Radiant Heat – providing a warm even natural heated interior. Great for pets. (And Humans)
• Increased Interior Space by combining two systems in one.
• Efficiency. The whole system draws less than 1 amp on 12V DC and will extend the life of your propane roughly 40 percent over forced air.
• Heating on Electric or Gas.
• Multiple Options and Amenities: Towel Warmers, Floor Heat, Tank Heating, 4 Season Camping, Engine Heat, Driver Comfort.
• Modern Programmable Color Touch Screen Thermostat and Interface
• Minimal Side-Wall Penetration. Small combined intake and exhaust eliminate big cut outs and sidewall congestion.

Traveling Tech: Password Managers and Orbicule

Mike talks about the importance of having a password manager in place so you can manage your passwords from from any device. He talks about a report he did for NBC that can be found via the PC Mike Techcast blog. (Read more)

He also talks about Orbicule, a great service that provides in-depth details about where and how your laptop is being used in the event of it being stolen. This one is for Mac users. (Read more)

This podcast is brought to you by Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

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Remember, no matter how much data you have, it’s only as good as the network it’s on. So, don’t settle for a sub-standard network; find one that can keep up with your mobile lifestyle.

Consistently ranked no. 1 for network performance by third-party testing companies, Verizon continues to listen to what’s important to customers and is committed to providing the best network experience. Verizon’s 4G LTE network is now available in more than 500 markets to 98 percent of the U.S. population and covers nearly 308 million people.

Visit your local Verizon retailer today to learn how you can take advantage of Verizon’s Best Ever Pricing and join the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

Visit Roadtreking.com/vzw for stories about how technology can enhance and improve your life

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RV Bucket List Destination: Saguaro National Park

Mike and Jennifer report from near the Saguaro National Park – http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Tucson, Ariz., is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.

The park is divided into two sections, called districts, lying approximately 20 miles east and 15 miles west of Tucson, Ariz. The total area is about 91,000 acres of which about 71,000 are designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each of the two districts. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into the park.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Backcountry hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

Here is a link to the Desert Rails RV Park where the Wendlands stayed while in the Tucson area: http://deserttrailsrvpark.com/

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This part of the podcast is brought to you by Leisure Time RV, serving central Florida and the Internet from Winter Garden, Fla.

• One of the oldest Roadtrek dealers in U.S – Family-owned and 45 years in business;
• Selling Roadtreks over 25 years;
• Consistently among top 10 Roadtrek dealers in U.S.;
• Fully-stocked parts store- Factory-preferred parts dealership for Roadtrek (see Maureen!);
• Knowledgeable staff /sales/service. (general sales manager and one of top salespersons both own Roadtreks).
• Convenient location – Destination location in Florida;
• Full-line Roadtrek inventory;
• Leisure Time RV supports Roadtrek Rallys;
• Pet friendly dealership;
• Member, Route 66 RV Network – National Service Network;
• Accessible Management / Friendly Staff;
• Factory-trained staff;
• Free overnight camping available;
• Free WiFi;
• Comfortable customer lounge;
• Free airport shuttles;
• Thorough product demonstrations;
• Two convenient camping resorts within minutes of Leisure Time RV.
• Convenient dining and shopping options nearby;
• Dealerships specializes in fuel-efficient RVs;
• Air-conditioned showroom.

Interview: Sisters on the Fly, European Travelers on Route 66

Mike talks to Connie Anderson, a member of Sisters on the Fly, a group of women who live by three rules while RVing: no men, no kids, no dogs. Sisters on the Fly descibes itself as an outdoor adventure group for solo women travelers http://www.sistersonthefly.com/ with currently over 6,000 “Sisters.”

Mike also talks to some of the many European travelers encountered on Route 66. You can see Mike's photo montage at: https://rvlifestyle.com/route-66/

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Please Subscribe and Give Us a Rating and Review!

Many listeners are asking how they can subscribe, review and rate the Roadtreking Podcast on iTunes. With a new podcast like this, those reviews and ratings are really important to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your review.

Here’s how:

First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts up on the top
> From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in Mike Wendland or Roadtreking RV Podcast.
> Click on the logo image of the Roadtreking RV Podcast on the search return page
> From there (see photo above), you can…

1) Subscribe

2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much.

3) Leave a written review.

Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. That got us noticed by Apple/iTunes as “New and Noteworthy.” I appreciate every review!

And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments about RV topics by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at Roadtreking.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your words.

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