Looking for the ultimate vacation idea? Or ready to take your road tripping to the next level and avoid the tourist traps? Renting an RV may be the solution!
Cruise America with an RV and move at your own pace, avoid the familiar tourist traps and pesky crowds, and discover some unexpected journeys that become uniquely yours. Friends and family will marvel at your epic adventures and drool over your vacation photos. The memories you create on your RV road trips will last a lifetime.
Little Surprises Along the Backroads
Traveling in an RV lets you explore the backroads. Get off the interstate, slow your pace, and explore areas not frequented by everyone else.
Backroads in Texas may lead you to discover old ruins near Hondo or the Cartoon Saloons (yes, there’s more than one!) near Comfort. Backroads along the coast may lead you to sleepy towns with quaint architecture and a hidden fishing dock where you can buy fresh fish and oysters as the boats come in.
But how do you find the backroads?
The Waze app on your smartphone is the next best thing if you don't have a GPS or Google maps on your phone. Install the app, set up an account, and then go into Settings > Navigation to “Avoid Freeways.” You can also change the settings for Paved/Unpaved Roads, Difficult Intersections, and Ferries.
Pro Tip: Don’t avoid ferries if you’ve never been on one — these add to your experience. Just check with the ferry line about size limits for vehicles.
Keeping a paper map handy is also a good idea, although some are not always the most current. However, rural areas may drop cell or GPS service anytime. A trucker’s atlas or individual maps for that specific area are good options, too. Offices at National Parks and Forests also provide detailed maps, especially if they offer dispersed camping, so be sure to stop in and pick up anything available. Even if the offices aren’t staffed, they may provide a box with maps and other information near the building.
Technology is your friend during road trips. Many camping, Overlanding, and RV apps are free or for a small fee. Apps can help locate unusual and unexpected camping sites. One app may point you to a city park that allows overnight camping, where you’ll drink your morning coffee listening to the sounds of geese on the lake or watching boats maneuver the locks on the Erie Canal.
Get as Remote as You Want or Join the RV Block Party — the Choice is Yours
Are you seeking solitude? Just want to get away from the hordes and unwind, unplug, unplan?
An RV provides the perfect escape to find peace, even in a national park, forest, or grassland.
Often overlooked, national forests and grasslands offer remote campsites off the beaten path. Some campgrounds provide nothing more than a place to park, others may offer only vault toilets, but with an RV and dispersed campsites, you can park in the middle of nowhere and still vacation in luxury — without all the masses.
Head to the Sheyenne National Grasslands in North Dakota. There, you’ll find nothing. Nothing except the sounds of nature and perhaps an occasional clop of a horse if you park near the riding trails. The breeze whispers lightly through the fragrant grasslands, where sunsets are golden, and sunrises are majestic pinks and purples.
Or maybe you prefer forest lands in the southeast. Plenty of national forests to choose from in the south, their tall pines shading you from the sun’s glare. (If you need sun for your solar panels, look for a sunny spot instead!)
Rather hang with the crowd than be alone? Quartzite, Arizona is known as the “block party” for RVers from all over the country. With over 11,000 desert acres of camping, you can decide how close or far away you want to be from all the other campers, depending on the season. Many of the spots are free, too!
Or maybe you’re longing for a beach vacation? Coastal campgrounds offer waterfront campsites, and some beaches even allow overnight RV camping. (Traction boards will give you peace of mind about getting stuck.) Most beachfront campgrounds are a fraction of the cost of beachfront hotels, too.
With an RV, you can camp off-season when the crowds have gone home, and you may have the beach to yourself.
https://youtu.be/yziFsG90OXISmall Towns Big Rewards
Small Town America is the best way to experience the US. In many small towns, you can find a good restaurant, a clean (or at least serviceable) laundromat, a helpful library (for questions, resources, and information), and always friendly people willing to share some of the hidden destinations in their town or county to avoid the tourist traps.
Restaurants and laundromats are great places to meet people and ask questions. Explain that you’re passing through, looking for unique places to visit — you may get more information than you can use in one trip! But you may discover a hot spring, which hasn't appeared on any map, but where locals frequent. Or a mom-and-pop restaurant that makes authentic regional food that may not be Michelin-star rated but is rave-worthy enough that you’ll be talking about your meal months later.
Small towns also offer something you won’t find anywhere else — one-of-a-kind parades, concerts, fireworks, and fundraisers selling delicious and affordable regional foods. You never know when you might encounter a parade for a hometown hero, a town BBQ cook-off, or a watermelon seed-spitting contest.
Fall carnivals, county fairs, arts & crafts festivals, and unusual competitions are always exciting. Corn mazes, chainsaw carving competitions, ax-throwing tournaments, lumberjack championships, clogging competitions, and even small concerts by some of the biggest names in the music industry are just some of the offerings at these events. (Not to mention the possibility of fair food! Funnel cakes, anyone? Or is a deep-fried Oreo more your style?)
Pro Tip: Some fairgrounds allow overnight RV parking, sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee, so ask if you’re in the area.
You Can Stop Running from the Weather — and Bears, too!
Weather is no longer your enemy with an RV — you can stop running from the weather and stay comfortable and dry in all seasons. Stay cool in the summer and warm during the winter — unless you join the snowbirds in warmer climates. Traveling in an RV, no worries about late-night thunderstorms soaking your tent or a river running through all your gear.
In some areas, tents and soft-sided campers (pop-ups) are prohibited because of wildlife. But with an RV, you can enjoy bear country and all of nature and sleep safely in comfort and luxury.
PS - Save Money While Experiencing More
RVing is all about the experience. Sleeping in the same bed every night and enjoying your favorite coffee in the morning gives you more money to spend on experiences like restaurants, local attractions, or the area’s unique adventures.
Boondocking also helps you save money. Boondocking lets you camp for free or on the cheap, without using hookups.
With a National Park Pass, you’ll get a discount on campsites in the national parks, Corps of Engineers properties, and perhaps even some state parks as well. The discount is usually 50%, but ask to be sure or check the rules and regulations board for remote locations.
Prefer to eat in more than out? With an RV, you can stop by a local farmer’s market or roadside stand and get the freshest local produce to create gourmet meals in your RV kitchen or on the campfire. You may even find some locally made wine, cheese, or baked goods to complete your meal.
Freedom, Flexibility, and Fun Awaits
Renting an RV gives you the freedom and flexibility to avoid the tourist traps and make your next vacation an epic one. Exploring the backroads creates memories for you and your family that you’ll recall forever. If you’re unsure what size RV is right for you, check out our article to help you decide.
What are you waiting for? The Backroads are Calling!
Don’t forget to read our article, The Cheapest Way to Rent an RV, to start planning your next vacation!
Be sure to read our Road Trip Packing Check List and Great Meals For Road Trips.