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Our Top 10 Favorite RV Adventures (Videos)

| Updated Jan 18, 2024

Here are 10 of our favorite RV adventures to give you some inspiration about what's waiting out there for you…

As I write this RV Lifestyle blog post, Jennifer and I are starting to pack our RV for our next RV Adventure. And as we do so, with Bo giving us impatient barks and tail wags to hurry up so we can get going, we've been remembering some of the best times we've had over the past dozen years.

We'll first share a video overview of our favorite RV Adventures – so far – but we bet you'll want to learn more about each of our best RV adventures. So, we also included written summaries and more in-depth videos for each below.

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Overview of Our Favorite RV Adventures

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From the Kansas prairies to the natural beauty of Glacier National Park, there is always an adventure to find when you are out looking for it. And, as you can see in the above video, we've been on some amazing RV adventures.

If you want to see those RV Adventures in more detail, here are the original, full-length videos with some of the backstory that made them so much fun…

1. The Minnesota Sled Dog Marathon in -21 Degree Cold!

When people ask us what's the coldest weather you have ever camped in, this favorite RV Adventure is at the top of the list. The actual temperature for this weekend in the wilds of Northern Minnesota along the Northshore of Lake Superior was -21F. If you factored in the wind chill, it was about -50.

But we stayed snug and warm in the RV, sleeping in the woods near the tiny town of Finland, MN, where at daybreak, serenaded by a pack of wolves, we videotaped the teams they were leading the race. 

2. The Gator Ranch and Swamp Ride in Mississippi

This RV Adventure was actually a Harvest Host overnight in Mississippi and turned out to be one of the best photoshoots I've had with real gators, up close and personal. A raised dock-type boardwalk let us walk right over massive alligators sunning themselves, swimming, or giving Bo the evil eye as he accompanied us on this “gator stroll.”

Afterward, we took an exhilarating swamp boat ride, Jennifer got to hold a two-foot-long gator and the locals entertained us with stories about when a hurricane flooded the swamp and the gators made their way out to US Highway 98.

We slept in the RV in the parking lot, and they warned us not to do too much exploring after dark because there were a lot of “free-range gators” thereabouts.

NOTE: We can save you 15% off the cost of a Harvest Host membership. Just CLICK HERE for the special discount.

3. The Oregon Trail Covered Wagon Adventure in Wyoming 

This RV Adventure had us riding by horseback and covered wagon right next to the still-visible wagon ruts made by the original Oregon Trail settlers from 1830-1840. 

Our host was Morris Carter, who built wagons that replicated those used by the pioneers. Carter also actually made the 2,600-mile wagon train trip himself, from its start in Independence, Mo. to the final destination in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

After taking us on the trail, he let us go back and get our RV and spend the night in it next to where his wagon tour camped for the night. One of my favorite photos was of the RV next to the wagons and the Indian TeePees used for his guests.

4. The Underground Mine Tour in Arizona 

This was such a surprise. We saw a small sign pointing off a two-lane Arizona highway about a mining museum and, on a whim,  decided to take it.

Ten miles down the bumpy, dusty desert road, we came on a wonderfully restored gold and silver mining town. We met the owner, whose property has several abandoned mines and he took us deep underground where he showed us a wall of fantastic colors.

And he showed us to some old Levis and jeans left behind by the miners over a century ago – original clothing that is worth tens of thousands of dollars.

5. Climbing Quartzsite Mountain

Like what you see in these videos? We'd appreciate it if you would Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us. 🙂 Thanks!

The Arizona desert community of Quartzsite draws tens of thousands of RVers each winter, most of whom boondock in the desert within sight of the big Q painted on the rocky rise that everyone around here calls “Mountain,” for Quartzsite Mountain.

It's really not a mountain, just a steep hill of a couple of hundred feet. But climbing it is a sort of rite of passage for those who come to Quartzsite and thus, on a beautiful late January day, that's what Jennifer and I did.

We scoffed at how easy we thought it would be.

We ended up huffing and puffing up at the top as we took the obligatory selfies next to the big flag mounted up there overlooking all the desert campers. It was a terrific way to spend a few hours in the desert and one of those unexpected little RV Adventures that makes for great memories.

6. The Kansas Prairie Roundup & Cowboy RV Adventure

This is one of those RV Adventures that brings a smile whenever we hear the word “Kansas.” We spent a long weekend home on the range here with a bunch of our RVing friends on a 7,000 acre working cattle ranch in the heart of the Flinthills region of Kansas and the largest remaining expanse of tall grass prairie in all of North America.

It’s a marvelous place filled with cowboy culture and grand adventures.

We went hiking, toured the area, stargazed, took in the local music scene, and learned about the amazing prairie ecosystem. 

We actually got to ride horses right out among the longhorns with the real cowboys

7. Mississippi River Canoeing

This RV Adventure had me paddling a handmade custom canoe down the Mississippi River with a former hospital CEO who took his early retirement to open a handmade canoe company along the mighty river.

The canoes were works of art, and we so enjoyed seeing how beautifully they were constructed. But the paddle in the Mississippi? One of our all-time favorite RV adventures.

This story reminded us that you're never too old to start something new!

8. White Water Rafting & Zipline in North Carolina 

Speaking of water, our white water rafting trip on North Carolina's Nantahala River was another one of those RV Adventures that seemed larger than life. The air was 90 degrees and dripping with humidity.

The river water was 52 degrees… and if you rode one of the rafts down it, you can count on dripping that water, too.

But there was also an awesome zip line ride, a visit to a road that leads nowhere, a train ride and an exciting trip on a switchback road called the Tail of the Dragon.

9. A Herd of Bison Crossing the Yellowstone River 

Sometimes, a great RV Adventure is not so much what you do as what you see. Jennifer and I visit Yellowstone National Park at least once every year.

We love the park, and we especially love the iconic bison that roam freely.

But when I think back about Yellowstone, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful experiences I ever had was at sunset on a perfect summer day when I got to watch a huge herd of bison swim across the Yellowstone River.

10. The Bear & Moose Encounter at Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is also a favorite. In terms of sheer drama with its mountain peaks and gorgeous scenery, Glacier is hard to beat. It is also our favorite place for wildlife photography.

On one of our gatherings out there, Jennifer and I were leading a hike along a lakeshore when we came across a huge bear, just 15 yards off the trail. The bear was oblivious to us because it was stalking a newborn moose calf. The moose's mother, seeing the approaching bear, made a choice to come towards us for protection. We were slowly backing away. A stalking bear on one side and a frightened Mama Moose and her baby on the other.

For several long minutes, the moose and her calf stood no more than ten feet away, warily watching the bear. The bear then noticed us. We had no way to go. Finally, with a look of disgust, the bear turned away and the Mama Moose and her calf moved past all of us,

I swear the baby moose looked at one of our hikers and said, “Thank you,” before skedaddling off down the trail into the woods – far from the bear.

What Are the Best RV Adventures You've Been On?

So there you have it, our 10 favorite RV Adventures – SO FAR! We'd love to hear about yours, too! Please share your best RV adventures in the comments below!

Happy Trails!

Like what you see in these videos? We'd appreciate it if you would Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us. 🙂 Thanks!

Mike and Jennifer Wendland's Yellowstone Travel Guide

At the top of every RVers bucket list, it is a place so majestic, so wild, and so big that it calls us to return, to explore, to get to know the diversity of its land and animals over and over again.

Everywhere you look are waterfalls, fast-moving rivers, geysers, sheer rock faces, towering lodgepole pines, all framed by mountains under the bright blue cloudless sky.

It’s spectacular for those who love the wilderness and getting up close and personal with it. Enjoy Yellowstone for RV travel.


Mike Wendland

Published on 2024-01-17

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

2 Responses to “Our Top 10 Favorite RV Adventures (Videos)”

September 25, 2020at11:41 am, Jammie said:

Do you ever do trips in the South parks.

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September 19, 2020at2:31 pm, Matthew Asai said:

I guess I missed the boat. The Flying W ranch is probably less than 100 miles from Lawrence Ks where my daughter lives. I was hunkering down there this summer. Unfortunately, the Flying W ranch experience is a victim of Covid 19, as they have decided to take a permanent break from Guest Ranch Operations. I’ll have to try some of your other adventures.

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