No matter what you think about the Occupy Wall Street campaign, ya just gotta love it when people jump on a bandwagon without any idea of where it’s headed, or more importantly, where it is coming from.

See our Scary Americana Gallery for more fun photos.

Even if they lack a cohesive message, those who are occupying Wall Street and a growing number of locations throughout the country are doing so with a common purpose. They disagree with the establishment they are protesting. So what exactly are people saying by placing an “Occupy Your Bible” sign in their front yard? I don’t even think they know.

One thing I enjoy about traveling the back roads of America is discovering all the micro-cultures and political climates that make this country the beautiful melting pot it is.

Where have you enjoyed visiting where you may not have necessarily agreed with the general consensus of the local population in terms of politics or religion?

When we first hit the road one of the must-have items we kept hearing about was a decent pair of walkie talkies. We were told these were vital for communicating to avoid mishaps while backing up the trailer. I’m glad we opted for a decent set of radios, but not so I can hear the navigator telling me to turn right when the trailer needs to point left. She shouts plenty loud enough.

They come in much more handy for weather reports!

Ever since that Wisconsin tornado warning, Rene cannot stand the sound of that voice on the NOAA weather band. But many a time it has saved us getting into a sticky situation. And since we spend our summers in Colorado, with solar panels on the roof of our rig, it has provided ample warning for us to protect them more than once.

When boondocking, we’ll often keep the radios charged with our Xantrex solar battery pack accessory charger we won from the fine folks at RVParking.com.

That way they’re always ready to pick up the nearest weather broadcast, and keep us informed of impending doom with that ever so soothing voice.

Very rarely have we ever been in a spot where our trusty Motorola Talkabout radios haven’t picked up the local weather report. And with 22 channels to scan, much fun can be had eavesdropping on others trying not to run into each other in a busy RV park.

Keep Motorola TalkAbout Radios in Your RV Toolbox

Do yourself a favor and pick up a pair of radios to make parking easy and keep an eye ear on the weather. Newer models have a range up to 35 miles! Save on these Talkabouts at Best Buy, or check out the selection of Motorola radios at Amazon.

Motorola Talkabout 16-Mile, 22-Channel FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radio (Pair) Keep in touch while traveling with a group with these 2-way radios that feature a range of up to 16 miles and 22 channels that ensure clear conversations. The rugged design protects the radios from damage.

Motorola Talkabout 35-Mile, 22-Channel FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radio (Pair) This pair of 2-way radios features a range up to 35 miles and 22 channels, each with 121 privacy codes, for long-range, secure communication. The extra-large buttons provide easy operation while wearing gloves.

Motorola Talkabout 28-Mile, 22-Channel FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radios (Pair) – Khaki Be aware of the conditions around you with this handy 2-way hazard alert weather radio that features 11 weather channels. SAME technology allows you to filter out unnecessary and distant broadcasts for ease of use.

Motorola Talkabout 10-Mile, 22-Channel 2-Way Radio (Pair) – Brown Use this pair of 2-way radios to stay in communication with another person up to 10 miles away. The lightweight, durable design features side grips for easy handling, and the keypad lock conveniently prevents unintended use.

What items do you recommend every RVer have?

Putting in a good hard day’s work is good for the body. Put one in with good people, beautiful surroundings and fresh mountain air and it’s good for the soul. Do it on a ranch and you’ll likely get a chance to give your mind a good workout too.

I sit in front of a computer most the year, and have done so in fact for the past 25 years or more. There’s a scary thought.

While maintaining the leading WordPress mulisite community for canine amputation offers a daily mental challenge, working the hay fields at Vickers Ranch brings total peace. Just ask Perk Vickers.

Don’t be fooled by the plaque atop Gold Hill. At 96 years of age, Vickers Ranch patriarch ol’ Perk is alive and kickin’. His secret? It must have something to do with his outlook on life – that and a daily dose of whiskey. Just ask him how he’s doin’ and he’ll tell you, “Every day is a great day.”

Every day is a great day indeed when working with the Vickers. Ranch work at 10,000′ requires one to be fit for sure. And you can’t beat the beauty of mountaintop views or the calls of the coyotes for a good dose of awareness. Counting bales and troubleshooting a broken stacker or determining proper blade rotation on a multi-head mower tends to put the old noggin’ to work too. 

This kind of workamping sure beats staring at a computer screen all day. What do you do to exercise your mind, body and soul?

It won’t be long now before we’re headed back to Slab City, so it’s high time we post a video from a night at the Range last year. Enjoy this medley of favorites by Chance. Better late than never, eh?

Are you a Snabber? If so, how long do you stay? You can’t beat the price, but we don’t stick around as long as we did during our first visit to the Slabs. If you haven’t been there yet though, ya gotta give it a go at least once.

I recommend leaving your expectations in the rig, and being there for the eclectic mix of live music you can catch at the Range on a Saturday night. During the day you can get a few holes in at Gopher Flats and have a good soak in the hot springs or see how the Slab City Library is holding up. See ya there!

PS: If you have any videos from the Range or Slab City, comment with a link!

At the risk of offending anyone about what they drink, life is simply too short to drink cheap liquor.

I’ve never liked gin. And tonic water is just nasty. But I discovered long ago that something magical happens when you mix the two and add just the right squeeze of lime.

At some point I learned that Beefeater and the like belong only in the well of a cozy dive bar.

Tanqueray became the gin of choice. Then Christopher turned me on to Bombay and I never looked back. Thanks to the liquor guy at Wilbur’s, Hendricks is now the top shelf gin of choice. And with its sturdy compact bottle, it travels well too!

Debating over the cost of Sapphire at Wilbur’s one day, a clerk noticed us spying the unique Hendricks bottle. He explained the new microdistillery craze and described how Hendricks is handcrafted in small batches, goes down smooth with much less botanical complexity and is great with key limes, or cucumber. How could we resist?

I gave the cucumber a try, but as refreshing as it was, I’ll have to pass. The key limes, however – with Hendricks and brand name tonic over ice – redefine freshness, and they take up less room too! Go ahead, call me a mixer snob too. But it’s true, generic tonic water simply does not do good gin justice.

“Small Batch” distillation typically yields 1,000 or fewer liters. Hendricks is distilled with two distinct spirits in 450 litre batches and infused with rose and cucumber.

What’s your favorite RVer cocktail? Republic Texas Tea perhaps? Or maybe a Nü Hawaiian? When we hit the road we usually limit the cabinet to one concoction at a time. This season, Hendricks should fit nicely under the couch. And it’s best we do not leave the tonic at home!