My blog is dedicated to folding trailers (AKA PopUps or PUP’s). Hopefully non-PUP owners will find some of the posts of interest/value.
I’ll cover equipment, modifications, maintenance, camping stories, and of course SPUT’s (Stupid Pop Up Tricks). Please forgive my rants & raves and posts on my camping buddy – my granddaughter.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I try and keep the post short but augment them with pictures from my SmugMug gallery.
Enjoy.
He Ruide
I’ll cover equipment, modifications, maintenance, camping stories, and of course SPUT’s (Stupid Pop Up Tricks). Please forgive my rants & raves and posts on my camping buddy – my granddaughter.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I try and keep the post short but augment them with pictures from my SmugMug gallery.
Enjoy.
He Ruide
The Next Exit
Created 3/23/08
It is rare that I get excited over a book but I have to admit that I’ve done that with a book called “The Next Exit”.
I stumbled onto it while browsing the shelves in Camping World. Then I had a chance to put it through its paces on a trip from Houston to Cincinnati. It met and exceeded my expectations. Result… a week later I got a copy for my daughter and son-in-law.
So what is so great about this book? Well as the title describes… It list all the services - gas, food, lodging and others - including camp grounds and hospitals at each exit on all US interstate highways. Of special interest to those that stay overnight at Wal-Mart parking lots, they are listed in bright red. In addition to gas stations, it lists automobile, tire and RV dealerships – so if you need a part or repairs you’ll know how far help is. It tells you which services are on the East/West or North/South so you don’t have to rely on the little arrows on the signs that you normally fly by while making sure you don’t run into the vehicle in front of you.
The book is divided by state and each state has a small map. Each page list the city associated with each exit. With all that information, I still have to say that it will not replace your GPS or map book, but it sure comes in handy.
Now this is not the first book that I’ve had with road exit information. In the days when I travelled up and down between Florida and Ohio I had a book called “Interstate 75” with me. Unfortunately it was limited to just one Highway and I’ve found a recent edition to have too many omissions. Plus it has morphed into a travel guide with descriptions of cities, attractions and even coupons… I just wished they had focused on ensuring the exit data were up to date.
I also have an electronic device called the Autopilot - Talking Road Navigator. It has been around way before GPS and I guess you could call it a poor person’s GPS device. I should disclose that I’m a gadget person and so you would think I would love this device.
However, my biggest beef was that it would not remember where you were. In other words every time you turn it on you had to tell it the “state, highway, direction, exit or mile post” before you query it for food gas, rest area, hotel, etc. Of course to get all the next exit information you have multiple key stokes versus looking at a description in a book.
My only regret is that I did not have “The Next Exit” when I was travelling with my daughters. I’m sure it would have provided endless hours of entertainment and I would not have to answer the “Are we there yet?” But it might be the first reading book my grandbaby learns to read.
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