Recently, we were thrilled to be the lucky winners of this Xantrex 400-watt Portable Solar Pack.

The pack was courtesy of RV Parking.com, the largest online directory of RV campgrounds and campsites on the web and the only one with a mobile app for your iPhone.

Stay tuned for an upcoming review of the solar pack, but meanwhile, we wanted to let you know about this fabulous new directory.

RV Parking: Over 19,000 Reviews to Date!

RV Parking is a new kid on the block, at just nine months old. But, this new site already features over 19,000 listings of North American RV parks and freebie spots.

The reviews tell you everything you could possibly want to know about a campsite or parking location and features photos, amenities and other information to help you decide where you want to spend your time.

RV Parking even has an iPhone app that will store your data locally so it’s still accessible even if you can’t get a signal.

There are other directories for RVers out there, and you’re probably wondering what makes RV Parking so special. With that in mind, we asked founder Erik Budde why he decided to undertake this huge project to catalog RV parks around the continent:

Besides your parents being RVers, what got you into creating the website?

“It just seemed to me that RVing was a little behind. I mean, the phone book died about 5 years ago, but still most all RVers are carrying around the equivalent and basing their decisions on an inch of text and maybe an ad. It just felt archaic.

I mean, before you drive 50 miles to camp somewhere, don’t you want to hear what other people think? Don’t you want to see some photos?

What makes RV Parking different from other campground review sites?

“So many of the main sources of information seemed inherently biased. Lots of websites might have info, but they are also taking money from the parks (one way or another) and not always being clear about it.” RV Parking takes no money from parks or campgrounds mentioned on the website.

Download RV Parking’s Mobile App Today

RV Parking is the only online directory with a a free iPhone campground directory app. Erik says he created the app because “no one had a mobile version of their web site (at least that I could find).”

RV Parking’s team wants to create all the tools (reviews, photos, directions, etc.) an RVer needs to find the right park, and to make these tools accessible on any device  from a laptop to a smart phone.

Expect to see more reviews and more photos on the site in the coming year. Erik wants to hear from as many RVers as possible who are willing to share both good and not-so-good park and boondocking experiences, so check out RV Parking to add your review.

Even though it’s still in its infancy, RV Parking’s content shows that Erik and his team have poured their hearts into this project. It’s the best online directory we’ve found to date, and we hope that you’ll visit this resource and add your two cents to campground reviews while you’re at it.

Check out RV Parking today!

It was over two years ago now that I first pondered publishing a post titled, “I Could Die A Happy Man.” Now that may sound morbid to most, but I meant it in only the most positive sense, and still do.

My reasoning at the time was that we had enjoyed a wonderful life with Jerry on the road, where he taught us – among many other enlightening lessons – that every day is a great day, no matter what life throws your way. I was recently reminded of this by a comment on some satellite radio show about coping with difficulties. It went something like this…

“You always have a choice. Even if your only choice is how you react to the situation, you still have a choice.”

So true. I choose to be happy. It sounds simple enough, but it can be harder than you might think, especially when life throws you a curveball. Or worse, beans you high and hard.

With the anniversary of Kris’ death coming up, and doctors suddenly telling another dear friend cancer is killing him, I thought it high time to share how I do it. Be happy that is. Consider it a bit of open source enlightenment.

Ever since we hit the road with our three legged dog after his cancer diagnosis and amputation, I have been privately working on this personal mantra…

“I am available to more good than I have ever experienced, imagined or known ever before in my entire life. So I open myself to all the wonderful gifts the universe has to shower upon me. And I am grateful for living a happy healthy life free of pain and discomfort, thriving in tune with the cosmic dance. I know the universe is conspiring on my behalf, so I free myself of guilt and blame and think kind thoughts, speak kind words, and act kind deeds toward myself others and the environment. Should I experience stress or pain, I choose to let it go knowing that I am completely free without it, because I am most happy and comfortable enjoying every moment to the fullest choosing to live life in the ever present now.”

It’s an ever-evolving work in progress but that’s what makes it work so well. I repeat it most often when out for my morning runs. Another friend, Dave Berman, found it enlightening enough to use a variation we agreed upon when he launched his Manifest Positivity blog. You can ask Dave how the differences he suggested I incorporate make the mantra more effective, he’s the certified NLP practitioner.

But I am a creature of habit, and I believe this is working for me. Call it mumbo jumbo if you will, but a little good juju can go along way if you ask me. So I recommend anyone seeking a little more happiness from life develop a mantra of their own. Below are a few resources that led to me developing mine.

Recommended Enlightenment

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Depak Chopra –  I first listened to this audio book on tape (yes, audiocassette) in my previous life as a marketing manager who spent hours a day in traffic.

Ethics for the New Millennium by his holiness the Dalai Lama – Could there be any greater path to enlightenment than getting it directly from the source?

The Secret – The law of attraction is no secret after all, and anyone who has read or seen this will recognize the first few words of my mantra.

Pronoia by Rob Brezsny – Never read it, but a few of the things I tell myself I learned from Dave, who swears by its teachings about how how the whole world is conspiring to shower you with blessings.

Am I Being Kind by Michael J. Chase – I still owe Dave a public thank you, and book review for this quick read about how asking one simple question can change your life, and your world.

Excuses Begone! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer – Didn’t read this one either but did take plenty of notes during Dr. Dyer’s seminar of the same name on PBS about how to change lifelong, self-defeating thinking habits.

Guardians of Being by Patrick McDonnell with words by Eckhart Tolle – Read our book review of this enlightening little treasure if you love Mutts, or wonder why it’s such a big deal to us.

Industrial tourism has a place in the American landscape. These sites are like train wrecks and natural disasters; you just can’t help but look twice at the horrific results.

From the world’s largest open pit ecological disaster in Butte Montana to the Lavender Pit Open Mine here in Bisbee, the North American continent is full of scenic locations that showcase man’s wanton destruction of the planet through the years.

Some of them make great attractions, while others make you want to turn your head and weep.

We’re here in Bisbee, ground zero of Arizona’s copper, silver and gold mining boom of the late 19th century.

This town once prospered because of man’s awesome ability to cut open the earth and extract riches.

Bisbee was a company town complete with housing, schools and stores for employees who took on this dangerous work to feed their families for a pittance of a salary.

Bisbee Today

There was once incredible wealth here and today many of the oldest buildings still stand.

Bisbee’s narrow streets and twisted pathways lead to houses stacked on top of eachother, perched alongside the steep hills this town was built on.

Funky thrift stores housed in historic buildings and cafes built into mountainsides give it a dusty Southwestern flair that’s attracted tons of creatives.

Soon after the artists arrived, however, so did the art buyers, which meant that real estate prices went sky-high and proprietors figured out how valuable those antiques in their junk stores really were. There are few real deals to be found here.

That’s alright though. Some of the “come here’s” progressive attitudes have really improved this community. There’s recycling on every corner and a true appreciation for public art, not just the kind that hangs over a wealthy person’s mantle.

Relics of Bisbee’s past blend with modern artistic touches that make it an interesting place to amble along on a Saturday afternoon.

While it’s somewhat out of your way to get here unless you’re going to the Mexican border, trust me when I say it’s worth a visit.

There’s no place like Bisbee.

This is a little something that former RVer Lisa Pucell told me about. Now, I’m telling you, because every RVer needs Skoy Cloths in their rig.

When you live in a RV, regular kitchen wash cloths take forever to dry out. If you’re somewhere like the damp Pacific Northwest or humid Southern states, they’ll get stinky and mildew after just a day or two. And forget those bacteria-factories known as sponges, they’re just as gross.

Skoy Cloths, however are different. These fabulous little eco-friendly clean up towels are super absorbent and meant to replace any paper towels, rags or sponges around the house. They’re so good that

Using a Skoy Cloth is equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.

These mighty little towels dry within minutes, even in the dampest climates.

This means that bacteria has no time to grow on them. If you suspect they’re getting icky, stick ‘em in the microwave. And when they get really dirty, you can throw them in the wash. They’ll last several months until you need to toss them. And when you do, you won’t clog up landfills either.

“Skoy Cloths are 100% biodegradable because it is made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp.  SKOY cloth is a chlorine-free product using water-based colors and inks.  After an independent composting test, SKOY cloth broke down completely within 5 weeks.”

I use Skoy Cloths in the kitchen and bathroom, and can’t imagine life without them now. I also feel great about buying this product from a small, woman-owned business. Skoy Cloths are simply awesome.