Issue 1205
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Today’s thought
“Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” —Theodore Roosevelt
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Garlic Day!
On this day in history: On April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the start of an eight-year armed conflict between American colonists and the British Army.
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Featured news
Is Cracker Barrel banning “overnight camping”?
While cruising across America, having an overnight spot while transiting between destinations is great. Cracker Barrel Restaurants offer good food at reasonable prices, and many have designated parking spots for RVers. Now, “news” is circulating on the internet that RV overnighting at Cracker Barrel is being shut down. Is that the truth? What’s going on?
Dilapidated, graffiti-tagged trailers moved again: Locals afraid, angry
Wildomar, California, is facing backlash after 70 dilapidated, graffiti-covered Black Series trailers appeared on a city vacant lot, months after being removed from the City of Industry. Residents of the Southern California city are raising concerns about safety, fire hazards, and neighborhood impact as these RVs cluster near homes and businesses. Read more and watch a TV news segment.
Tire dealers speak out: Tariffs are where the rubber hits your budget
It doesn’t matter if you’re a motorhomer or flavor your RV as a towable, we all have something in common: We have to buy tires. There’s a certain amount of anxious suspense as to just where, when, and how tariffs will affect us. So are we going to pay more? Find out here.
RV business leaders explain why Canadians are canceling travel plans
Earlier this month, RVtravel.com ran a story by Gail Marsh, Canadian RVers rethink U.S. travel plans. Judging from the volume—and volatility—of readers’ comments, the story struck a nerve. Some readers suggested this was a “much ado about nothing” story. The cause of Canadian RVers staying home—if they even do stay home—was questioned. Is it true that Canadians are canceling travel plans? If so, what is the cause? RV business people who stand to be hit the most now give their side of the story.
Campground crowding, comments & concerns
Ways to connect to the internet while traveling, and the pros and cons of each option
Last week in this column, we asked how, or if, our readers get internet connections while RVing. A lot of people commented and emailed in, too. This week Nanci Dixon shares some of your comments on how you connect, with recommendations, and why some intentionally don’t connect. (Remember the good ol’ days?) Get some good tips here.
News briefs
There are plenty of apps RVers can use to find campgrounds. Trouble is, they’ll tell you “how far” it is to a campground, but when it comes to how long it takes to get there, forget it. Now, an RV-familiar app, The Dyrt, says plug in how much time you want to spend on the road, and it will tell you all the campgrounds within that time frame. It’s the new Drive Time app, and it’s pretty neat.
Want to catch a ride on a piece of American history? It’s possible, as Love’s newest travel stop that offers RVers full hookups is just up the road from one of the last Mississippi river boat crossings—and you can take your rig across to Kentucky on a riverboat ferry. How cool!
It’s officially National Park Week! This year, National Park Week is from April 19–27. The coming days provide RVers the perfect opportunity to appreciate the great outdoors along with its natural wonders. Here’s what to expect and how you can plan your visit.
Yellowstone National Park has reopened its West entrance after being closed for the season.
Speaking of openings… After a four‑year hiatus, the marble‑lined passages of Sequoia National Park’s Crystal Cave will open again on May 23, 2025. Visitors can take advantage of the 50‑minute guided tours through a half‑mile loop of glittering stalactites and rugged corridors. Learn more.
The National Park Service is getting real with a photo guide to wildlife poop. Think you know bear poo from cougar poo? Know what fox poo looks like? Bison? What about Ringtail Cat? Well, take our quiz and see how well you know the poo!
Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has transitioned to a fully cashless fee system and only accepts mobile or electronic payments for entrance, camping, and permit fees. Credit and debit sales already represent as much as 95% of in-person sales in the park.
President Trump claimed on Thursday that some states saw gas prices fall to just $1.98 on Wednesday. AAA disagreed, saying the lowest price in the U.S. on Wednesday was far higher, at $2.70 a gallon in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Cortes Campers has announced the release of the Cortes 18 RV travel trailer with two interior floorplans and featuring a licensed integrated composite chassis.
New Mexico’s Bandelier National Monument will resume its free summer shuttle service to Frijoles Canyon on May 14.
A solid majority of people believe the current trade war will have a major negative impact on the RV industry in general and their business in particular. In an impromptu poll this week, 55.6% of the respondents think the flurry of tariff activity will increase retail RV prices by at least 20%. Another 14.8% said it would raise retail prices between 10% and 19%, and the same percentage said it was simply too soon to tell.
Terminix announced this week its annual list of the Top 50 Most Mosquito-Infested Cities in the U.S. based on 2024 service data from more than 300 branches nationwide. California and Texas lead the rankings, with Los Angeles taking the top spot, followed by Dallas (#2), New York City (#3), Atlanta (#4), and Houston (#5).
California’s State Parks are celebrating the fourth annual California State Parks Week from June 11-15. The weeklong celebration includes more than 170 events highlighting the people, places and programs at the state’s 280 parks. Here’s a list of all the special events.
Record flooding that swept down the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky knocked the park’s ferry out of service. Traditionally in April, the water level at the Green River Ferry crossing averages between 15 feet to 22 feet with a water flow just under 5,000 cubic feet per second. During the recent flood, the river reached 59.54 feet with a water flow of just over 55,000 cubic feet per second.
Severe thunderstorms are forecast through this weekend along a slow-moving cold front and secondary storm system that will impact areas from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes. Large hail and isolated damaging wind gusts are the main threats with these storms, along with a risk for heavy to excessive rainfall which could bring flooding.
There’s a lot happening in Acadia National Park! Yesterday, park staff reopened many park roads, including Park Loop Road and Cadillac Summit Road, for the season. The park also released Cadillac Summit Road reservations on recreation.gov. Vehicle reservations are required to drive on Cadillac Summit Road May 21 – October 26, 2025.
KEEP OUR CAMPGROUNDS OPEN! Reader Randy G. commented, “This newsletter has a lot of readers. If you’ve been paying attention, many COE and Forest Service campgrounds will not open this year due to budget cuts. I have written to my congressman, one senator, and the president. I don’t believe they realize that these campgrounds bring in revenue for the government through campground fees. They also bring in revenue for local businesses. If we start an email or letter-writing campaign, maybe we can get these campgrounds back open. I don’t want this to be a gripe session about the president or anyone else. I want it to start a movement and use our numbers to get something done.”
RV and RV-related recalls
• Forest River issues recalls over sewage venting into living space
Reader poll
At the grocery store, would you prefer to use a self-checkout or go through a line with a “real human” to check you out?
Latest fuel prices
The latest U.S. average prices per gallon of fuel as of April 14, 2025:
Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.17. Down 8 cents from last week; down 46 cents from last year.
Diesel: $3.58. Down 6 cents from last week; down 44 cents from last year.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: Never transport a propane tank inside your RV. Never operate a propane space heater inside your RV. Be safe, not dead.
Upcoming RV shows & seminars. Click here.
Trivia
Anyone who spends any time on the internet knows about the website Yahoo. But do you know how it got its name? Its founders, Jerry Yang and David Filo, then Stanford engineering graduate students, named it “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.” But that was quite a mouthful. “Yahoo” was better!
Laugh of the week
Today in history
Today’s weather forecast across the nation
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Visit Current National Radar Weather Map
Headed on an unfamiliar highway? Learn if it has low bridges you might not fit under.
RVtravel.com All Star Team
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AAA must mean “average cost”. I filled up on Thursday for $2.42 in Kyle, TX.
It says average price.
Nope, it says “the lowest price in the U.S. on Wednesday was far higher at $2.70 a gallon in Mississippi and Tennessee.”
Just be happy with getting gas at a bargain price.
Thank you Diane!
National media finally got something correct ! Trump said that gas prices were down to $1.98 in 2 states.
This is like the old days when the comment used to be about One Oh Sh*t ! Takes away all Attaboys!
It’s grossly petty.
Where was the media in the days of the Biden Regime? They should have been having a full-time field day.
Here’s one for you👍surprised by all the negative thumb votes…sorta showing the climate of the readers…I’m surprised. You stated the truth…as I see it, too.
it didn’t even make sense. Media was all over inflation and his age.
The “transitory” inflation? His age….. yup, right after his debate debacle they got right on it….. after covering for him for 4 years. The MSM was actively engaged in the greatest cover up in political history…. and look what it got them, 4 more years of the one they call ‘NAZI’.
🌟
Not until they had to…remember the so called “debate” Dave?
They simply soak up the Main Street media and have no clue there are other sources of news that lead to knowledge and Truth. It’s a great time in America and it’s sad that many are lost in the “narrative” they choose to live by. Thank you Sandi for your comment!
Congratulations MevetS…that’s a high number of negative thumbs which means you stated the Truth! Thank you!! 🇺🇸
$2.499 Waco. TEXAS. All week.
Everyone can reach out to their representatives very easily. Tell Congress to take back tariff power as it is reaching extreme abuse by one person most likely sending us to a purposefully crafted recession.
Please explain why this one person wants a “purposefully crafted recession” .smh. Thought I was get through this without someone griping about the greatest President ever.
Many have found It’s easier to be a sanctimonious follower and parrot than to be a free thinker who seeks knowledge and Truth. Thank you Matt for calling Dave out! Great times ahead! 🇺🇸
Turn off the national news.
Dave has no idea what you are talking about…could there possibly be another source of news? 🤣
Tariffs do not create instantaneous gratification. How many days do you expect it to take to correct 40 – 50 years of over-spending, not holding the remainder of the world to fair trade, and politicians becoming multi-billionaires on politician’s salaries? At least we now have a President with the intelligence and backbone to start fixing these problems.
Amen! By the way, amid all the whining, I must have missed the memo containing all the suggestions from the opposition on what we should be doing instead to solve this situation which has us way too close to financial ruin. My bad, I’m sure it is well defined and a much better approach. Can someone please forward me a copy?
There is never a response or idea given…just anger and name calling.
Still about $4/gal in Washington (broken state), $3.81. The State hasn’t figure out how to spend within their means yet and fuel tax is the easiest to raise.
I think Yaho started as Yahoo as in Yaaa Hooooo! (adding sound effects)
At least you called him “President”. The left-wing rags constantly print “Trump falsely claimed this” or “Trump falsely claimed that”.
He prefers dictator
What ever. 😁
Dale is right and was actually acknowledging a positive. You of course simply chose to be ugly…why? Another grand example of the divide. Truth vs Vicious…
More like Truth vs Ignorance.
Gas $2.55 here in Savannah, TN
Gas at $2.31 in Tyler TX area.
Anyone else coloring eggs today?
Yes! We always colored (and hid) eggs when our kids were little. They are now both in their 30’s and married but my husband has kept the tradition going by getting a Paas Classic egg decorating kit and boiling up some eggs whenever he knows we will be together! It always causes a lot of fun and laughter! 😃
Where is the “Perfect Scam”, and the “Brain Teaser”?
Hi, Stinger45. I don’t know why the Perfect Scam wasn’t put in.🤔 But when I asked Emily about the Brain Teaser, she explained that there’s an Easter-themed word search puzzle in tomorrow’s issue instead. Have a great day. 😀 -Diane at RVtravel.com
Why would you even go here? “President Trump claimed on Thursday that some states saw gas prices fall to just $1.98 on Wednesday. AAA disagreed, saying the lowest price in the U.S. on Wednesday was far higher, at $2.70 a gallon in Mississippi and Tennessee.” I paid $2.39 just outside Oklahoma City…
Because it’s important to clarify misinformation when it occurs. I appreciate the clarification in this case.
AAA issued a false statement on gas prices. On Wednesday prices ranged from $2.69 to $2.49 per gallon in my, West, end of the Rio Grande Valley. Our lowest price was mid February at $2.29 at Sam’s Club in McAllen
Trump issued another false statement, surprise!
I want self-check out, when available, so I can sort and bag things how I want them, and get through faster, without having to take more plastic bags. I have my own reusable ones.
My parents filled up at a Love’s off I-75 near GA/FL border for $2.39 on Tuesday, 04/15/2025. So I bet there were places even lower somewhere in the US. 🙂
Gas at $3.99 per gallon for regular this morning at Costco in Santee, just east of San Diego.
Paid $3.09 in Yuma AZ and gas in El Centro CA (60miles West
of Yuma) was $4.59
I paid $2.399 in the middle of Texas Hill Country yesterday – mind you that was only after stacking all my applicable club memberships (oh yeah, I paid an annual fee didn’t I?) and coupons. Most stations had sign prices a chunk higher than that. I was in Texas. How much closer to the wells and refineries do you have to get for $1.98?
Not $1.98 anywhere, period!
Just curious, how long did it take you to visit/contact every establishment in the United States that sells gasoline?
I was thinking the same thing…
Keep in mind – EACH state/local area ADDS tax to the GAS PRICE for roads etc.
Great point!
Thank you, Emily and Diane! Have a great day and safe travels!