Puyallup RV Show coming May 1

The 2014 edition of The Puyallup RV Show is coming May 1-4 to the Washington State Fair and Events Center in Puyallup, Washington. This year's event will expand in both size and scope.

More than 16 RV dealers (four more than last year) are expected to exhibit at this year’s show providing more variety of RVs of every size and shape. The motorhome market has been rapidly expanding over the past year with production up nearly 40% since 2013, assuring the best selection of motorized RVs since the recession.

The show will display RVs to meet every leisure need from a tent trailer to a vacation home suitable for your lakefront. Not only will there be hundreds of RVs to browse, but vacation homes, too.

Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor

This year’s Puyallup RV Show will include two seminar rooms with a full slate of speakers. Currently scheduled are technical seminars by nationally renowned Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor), RVing in Alaska, proper dinghy towing, home schooling on the road, RV financing, travel trailer hitches, boondocking & backroads, choosing a firearm for RV travel, fifth wheel hitches and concealed carry permits for RV travelers with more topics in the works. Stay tuned to this blog and the show website for additional details.

Author and pro RV driver Lorrin Walsh will present a RV driving school where “students” can get a taste of the ins and outs of maneuvering a RV. Tips will be supplied for owners of motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth wheels.

Retro is all the rage these days and you can expect to see some classic RVs at this year’s show. Vintage RV clubs from across the northwest have been invited to display at the show. Currently the oldest RV to be shown is a 1947 Westwood Coronado. If you have a vintage RV and would like to join in on the fun, send an email to: showdirector (at) mhrvshows.com.

By attending The Puyallup RV Show you will also be supporting Washington State Parks. One dollar out of every $10 adult ticket and $9 senior ticket purchased at the box office will be donated to the state parks system with show sponsor WSECU matching the donation.

Dead, dying trees in Northwest may force campground closures

Recently, in the Idaho panhandle and eastern Washington, an alarming number of trees infected with root rot have been identified in developed campgrounds. The Forest Service has been trying to remove hazard tree with minimal impact on the campground and campers. However, the problem is reaching levels where the Forest Service feels, for camper safety, campgrounds may temporarily need o be closed.

If you plan on camping in the above mentioned area, please call ahead for current conditions to ensure you will find that your campground is available.

To recognize a hazard tree, first look up! Tips to identifying a hazard tree from Hazard Tree Safety brochure are: broken branches scattered on the ground, signs of disease such as mushrooms, split bark or a cracked trunk, soil heaving around the base of the tree, and the tree leaning at more than a 10% angle.

What to do
Move your campsite out of the danger zone. In other words, if the tree is 20-feet tall, your campsite should be at least 25-feet away from that tree. And never under-estimate the danger posed by a hazard tree of any size. Camp safely.




Source: ForestCamping.com

2014 Oregon State Parks Guide now available

"The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department has released the 2014 Oregon State Parks Guide, a full-color, magazine-style brochure featuring detailed information about more than 200 of Oregon state campgrounds, day-use areas, trails, bikeways and heritage sites." (Terry Richard, The Oregonian)

“The Parks Guide is a great resource for our visitors,” said Chris Havel, spokesperson for the Department. “It’s one of our most popular publications because it gives them essential information about the location of each park, its unique assets or activities, and the facilities and campsites available there.” 

Heceta Head
State Scenic Viewpoint

The guide has been thoroughly updated for 2014, with revised or expanded listings for each property, up-to-date rules and regulations, and the addition of several parks and scenic bikeways. Special icons denote parks with pet-friendly yurts or cabins, day-use parking fees, scenic views, and other features as well as facilities that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Silver Falls
State Park

Notable enhancements to this edition include an enlarged statewide map, an index that can be used to look up individual parks, and a new “snapshot” design with photos that convey the diversity of each region. Feature stories explore new trails in development, the 20th anniversary of yurts in Oregon State Parks, and the new nature play area at Silver Falls State Park. There are also recommendations for tidepooling and wildlife viewing spots and profiles of Golden State Heritage Site, the historic Wolf Creek Inn, and the newest state park, Cottonwood Canyon, in north-central Oregon.

Smith Rock
State Park

The 2014 Guide is available in print from OPRD’s offices in Salem and Portland as well as online: the electronic version has virtual pages that can be turned as well as clickable links to park webpages.

Detailed information about any park is always available by calling the toll-free State Parks info line at 1-800-551-6949. Camping reservations can be made through Reservations Northwest (1-800-452-5687) or by visiting the website.

For your online 2014 Oregon State Parks Guide, click here.
For the Oregon State Parks website, click here. 

All photos courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.