RV Canucks

Today, we have a fantastic location to talk about, the one and only Anza-Borrego State Park. So grab your camping gear, and let's dive into this beautiful desert oasis!

Anza-Borrego State Park, located in sunny Southern California, is the largest state park in the Golden State. It's a vast, sprawling natural wonderland that covers over 600,000 acres, with the vibrant colors of the desert landscape providing a captivating backdrop for your camping adventure. The park is famous for its fascinating geological formations, rich history, and, of course, the stunning spring wildflower blooms that bring a riot of color to the desert floor.

Now, let's talk campgrounds! There are several wonderful options to choose from within the park, with the most popular being Borrego Palm Canyon Campground and Tamarisk Grove Campground. Both offer a range of amenities to make your stay comfortable, including restrooms, potable water, picnic tables, and fire rings for that cozy evening campfire. Plus, the park offers numerous primitive, backcountry sites for the more adventurous campers who prefer a more remote and rugged experience.

But there's more to Anza-Borrego than just the campgrounds! As you explore the park, you'll find plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, birdwatching, and stargazing. There are over 500 miles of trails, catering to all skill levels, and the park is home to some of the darkest skies in Southern California, perfect for an unforgettable night of stargazing.

And let's not forget about the unique opportunity to spot the park's most famous residents, the bighorn sheep, or "borrego" in Spanish, which gave the park its name. Anza-Borrego State Park is truly a gem, and I cannot recommend it enough for your next camping adventure. RSSVERIFY

Picking up where we left off, We were detailing the Great Canadian Roadtrip of 2021 which saw us travel West through Alberta  and back. When we last left off we promised to come back and detail our stay at Pike Lake Provincial Park…and we will get to that but first, I want to detail why you shouldn’t sleep on Saskatchewan as a vacation destination.

Saskatchewan has a broad reputation in much of Canada as a fly-over or drive through Province, Saskatchewan, however is among the most fascinating provinces you can visit, with warm people, small town charms and a ton of different, and fascinating eco systems to explore.

Known as the “Land of the Living Skies” SK does have amazing views of the sky from pretty much everywhere, given the flat prairie landscape, but it is so much more than flat and boring.

Did you know, there is a Buoyant Salt Lake, known as the Dead Sea of Canada in SK? That located at Little Manitou Lake near Watrous SK. The home of buoyancy and famed healing waters, you can also camp at the Manitou and District Regional Park, which has 108 fully serviced, sites as well as a variety of electric and non electric sites ranging from $24-37 per night. This park also has a pretty nice playgrounds, a golf course and beach area and is well worth the visit.

There is also an amazing Sand Dunes Provincial park which is so far North it’s almost in the Northwest Territories? How about Coulees, Bison, Rattlesnakes and Even Quicksand? All of those can be found at Grasslands National Park, as well as a Boreal Forest in Prince Albert National Park. All of that and 100,000 lakes to keep you swimming and fishing to your hearts content.

All of this and provincial camping fees that offer amazing amenities for camping fees which are 40% cheaper than Ontario Parks

One of the best of those is Pike Lake Provincial Park

PIKE LAKE

Located 20 minutes south of Saskatoon, Pike Lake Provincial Park is the perfect home base visiting Saskatoon and surrounding area. Lots of shaded sites and situated on the South Saskatchewan River, the park offers various recreational opportunities for visitors to enjoy including water activities, playgrounds, tennis, pickle ball and beach volleyball courts, mini golf and a popular outdoor pool with a waterslide. There is a 1.5-km Nature Trail begins at the interpretive centre and provides a great opportunity to experience the diverse wildlife and ecosystems contained within the park. 

Best, the Barrier-Free playground and Lakeside Promenade Trail features a level boardwalk surface and enables anyone to take advantage of what the park has to offer.

220 Sites. All Electric except sites 211-220. Rates are $33 for electric and $20 for non-electric. 

Fee for pool of $5/$2 youth or family rate of $15 

Hello everyone! We're BACK for Season 3 with even more goodies from our cross-Canada tour in 2021. Today we talk about Jasper, Alberta. More specifically:

• The places you need to pay to play (or drive)
• Length restrictions in Campgrounds
• The town of Jasper
• Things to do
• How to add another province to your list in less than an hour
• Where to shower;
• ...and much more!

Well, we did it. Teahouse Challenge is Complete and we are all better off for it. In today's episode we cover:

• The parking problem at National Parks
• The closest campgrounds to Lake Louise
• How the Chateau is the nicest hotel you'll never see (maybe)
• Why Lake Louise is SO turquoise
• Who Lake Louise is named after
• the Lake Agnes Tea House
• the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse
• What the Teahouse challenge is
• Our two favourite tips and tools for this trek
• Everything you wanted to know about alpine outhouses

Today, we review three quick days camping in Banff National Park and the town of Banff.

We'll talk Parking, food, park entry and campgrounds for RVs as well as tips for making sure you can snag that coveted Parks Canada Booking.

Helpful tips included in this episode:

• Booking a National Park Video
• Best Pizza EVER!
• Banff Ave. Brewing Company
• Banff Trail Riders
• Banff Gondola

Well, here you have it, folks! Our Annual Spooktacular! Today we (okay, just Melina) are detailing 5 more places we've laid our heads which are completely, and totally haunted (alledgedly). Today we're talking about:

1. Letchworth State Park and the Legend of Mon-a-sha-sha
2. Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and RV Park
3. Albuquerque New Mexico and the Myth of La Llorona
4. Thunder Bay and the Ghost Ship SS Bannockburn
5. Drumheller and the stories that will have you saying "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!"

Here is the link to the Drumheller GPS-guided Ghost Tour

Here are the two Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trailers:

Official Trailer #1
Official Trailer #2

Remember - if you have any spooky stories to send us, give us a shout hello@rvcanucks.com

In the third and final installment of our series on the Alberta Badlands (yes, it's that good that we need three episodes), we welcome Ben and Janine to talk to us about a family of 7 in a Motorhome, newbie travels, and of course, we'll learn all about Dinosaur Provincial Park and what sets it apart from Drumheller.

Dinosaur Provincial Park is 48km from Brooks Alberta, about 2 hours Southeast of Drumheller, and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the park on this trip, so we've brought our good friends and RV newbies, Ben and Janine to tell us all about their adventures at Dinosaur Provincial Park and give you the highlights you need to know.

This is episode two of our two-part series where we visit the Alberta Badlands. In Episode One, we covered Drumheller, Dinosaurs, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. In today's episode we dive into the fascinating, storied, and sometimes tragic past of Coal mining in Canada, as well as travel to the world-famous hoodoos and go for a walkabout in Horseshoe Canyon.

Today is Episode 40 – and we are continuing our coverage of the RV Canucks 2021 Grand Tour with a two-part profile of the Drumheller Valley, AB. On the next two episodes, we’ll talk about the unique geography of the Alberta Badlands, the sometimes dark history of the Coal Capital of Canada—and of course look at the unique reasons Drumheller is considered the Dinosaur Capital of the World. 

Today we Discuss:

• RVing options in and around Drumheller
• The River Grove Campground and Cabins
• Downtown Drumheller and why we're in love with it
• the Royal Tyrrell Museum

Be sure to keep your eye out for Episode 41, when we continue our journey in Drumheller by visiting the Hoodoos, Horsehoe Canyon, and learn a little about Drumheller's Coal-Mining Past.

today is episode 39, and we have a pretty exciting interview for you with Revolution Trailer Uplifting in Winnipeg MB, who we met and fell in love with on Instagram, and asked if we could interview them for the show. Lucky for us, they agreed and Fiona and I got to fill our little HGTV-obsessed hearts full.  If you’ve ever even thought about casting the beiges and browns of your rig aside and renovating your trailer to a more relaxing esthetic (a la RV Fixer Upper – if you know, you know) – this is the Canadian place to do it. 

On our way West, we stopped by to tour the Revolution Studio, and chat with Meghan who coordinates nearly every aspect of the process with clients and we were thrilled to see how the work gets done and learn a little more about the process in general.

For more on Revolution Trailers, or to see their work - Check out their website , Instagram , or Facebook

Driving through Northern  Ontario is unlike no other road trip you're likely to take in your RV. Even if you're someone who doesn't think twice about hitching up and towing down to Florida on a whim, each thousand kilometers is a completely different experience. 

Wildlife, traffic, bumps, winding roads and fatigue all play a part in making Northern Ontario a little more difficult to travel - but well worth the trouble. On this episode, we give you the tips you need to get through Ontario in one piece. Specifically:

• Where to stop for gas
• How to navigate places to pull over
• The beauty of boondocking
• Why nighttime is no time for driving
• The astronomical price of gas
• The best things to see along the way

This episode isn't a trip guide to Northern Ontario as much as it is a trip guide through it; so click that seatbelt and hit the road with us as we head to Banff.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for pics and updates of the #rvcanucksgrandtour2021

Have you ever run into a problem and realize, you REALLY needed a particular tool to get out of that jam, but you'd never really considered buying one prior?

Today’s episode is focused on the underrated tools you may not know you need until you need them – and by giving you our top picks we’ll hopefully help you avoid the tears, alcohol consumption and relationship stress that crops up when things go awry.

If you think this sounds familiar, we did talk about some handy items on our Top 10 RV Essentials episode, but this one focuses specifically on the tools you need when you need them.

This may not be the sexiest episode we've ever done, but it might ave your relationship...and that's kind of sexy, no?

Ah, the RV GPS debate. It's as iconic as the toilet paper in the black tank debate and just as heated. In today's episode, we begin with the general best rules for GPS, whether you're using your phone, or a state-of-the-art navigation system. Then, we talk about the major players when it comes to GPS options and weigh in with our pros and cons. Specifically, we talk about:

• On-board Nav (if your vehicle is so equipped)
• Google Maps
• Waze
• Stand alone GPS (Garmin, Magellan, Tom-Tom, etc)
• RV Specific GPS Apps (the built-in ones for Togo and RV Trip Wizard)

Don't forget to head over to the Blog to find out where it's ILLEGAL for you to use a windshield-mounted GPS. You may be suprised.

Our episodes are not sponsored, but as always, you can get $10 off your first year of Togo RV Plus with discount code "RVCANUCKS21" or by clicking HERE

Have a favourite method of getting where you're going? Reach out on Facebook or Instagram to let us know your favourite GPS picks.

Today, we're joined by Terri Ney to talk about Nutrition, how to pack light when it comes to food, and the wild world of trekking the backwoods with small kids.

Terri is a registered dietitian and nutrition educator with nearly 15 years of experience working for interdisciplinary health teams. Terri was drawn to pediatrics early as she understood this as an opportunity to foster lasting and healthy relationships and habits with food in the next generation. Because of this, she founded Tiny Bites Nutrition in 2018 a nutrition consultancy with the aim of providing parents with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to meet their family goals, wherever they are at with whatever barriers they may face.

In 2018, Terri also decided to begin her passion as a backcountry camper, going solo with her then 8 year-old, learning as she went. Since then she's wrangled her entire family of 5 into the adventure and you'll hear all about it on today's show, as well as how she provides nutrition to keep everyone fueled in the backwoods. This is a different kind of camping for us, so we're THRILLED to have Terri join us with her expertise.

Links for Today's Episode

• Tiny Bites Nutrition
• Paddle In
• We Get Outside
• Algonquin Outfitters
• Man Camping
• Kelly Kettle camping stove
• Terri’s One Pot Vegan Chili Recipe

Located in the heart of the GTA, Bronte Creek Provincial Park is located on the western border of Oakville, Ontario, bordering the nearby city of Burlington. This 6.4 square-kilometre park packs a punch in terms of amenities including a children’s farm, turn of the century house/museum with costumed interpreters, over 10km in woodland and ravine hiking trails and one of Canada’s biggest pools. There is an abundance of scheduled programming (though some are interrupted in 2020, due to covid-19) but Bronte Creek Provincial Park remains an oasis in the city as well as the perfect home base when visiting Toronto or Niagara Falls both within an easy hour by car.

For more on the Haunted History of Bronte Creek - Check out Episode 12

Follow us on Facebook, Intagram and soon to be Youtube! 

In today's episode, we talk about how COVID is continuing to affect our summer camping plans, why Dan's been so absent lately; and we review Togo RV and Roadtrippers as a trip planning solution for the technologically inexperienced (aka: Dan)

We also provide some updates on Sally the Vintage Trailer, and talk about tips for booking National Parks, so stick around for all things summer 2021!

To get $10 off Togo RV with all the extra discounts that offers like: Harvest Hosts, Thousand Trails, and free access to Overnight RV Parking and all the checklists you could ever want as an RVer, click HERE and use code RVCANUCKS21 

To 

You've heard it all: Irish Spring Soap, Moth Balls, Peppermint Oil, Dryer Sheets...but the question is: Do any of these popular methods actually deter pests in your RV? We do a deep dive into the data and bring you the truth in our first ever fact or fiction episode. Join us as we decode RV myths and give our verdict on what works best on the road. Check out the episode webpage for links to the videos we talk about today.

Don't get caught on an episode of 'Border Security'! In today's episode, we discuss the subtle but very important differences between crossing North to South and Vice Versa, and you'll find out why Dan's a wanted man in Oklahoma. But first:

• Our top 8 tips for border crossing that apply to anyone, in any direction
• 3 Critical trips for Canadians heading south
• The 4 things you need to know for Americans heading North

Get ready to hit duty-free and get in line for a great show and be sure to leave us a star rating and review on Apple podcasts if you like the show - it helps us get found by more listeners like you!

Resources mentioned on this episode:

USA to Canada Travel

Driving to Canada Border Checklist - Government of Canada

What you Can Bring into Canada (Qualified Exemptions for Canadians returning Home)

Searchable Database for Bringing Food into Canada

Canada to the USA Travel

For Canadian Citizens traveling to the USA

Bringing Food into the USA

This episode is short, sweet, and super important because it all revolves around a piece of listener mail we received asking if someone who was not mechanically inclined could even join the RV community.

Our answer is a resounding YES!! The RV community is a great bunch of folks who are ALL former newbies and we want the best for everyone who wants to give this lifestyle a try.

In this episode, we'll go through why you can still have fulfilling RV adventures even if you don't know your way around a fuse panel, a black water tank or a propane system.

Have tips of your own you want to share? let us know!

Send us an email to hello@rvcanucks.com or reach out on Instagram or Facebook

On today's show, I welcome Marianne Edwards, fellow Canadian and Founder of Boondocker's Welcome to share some of her best tips on finding free camping no matter where you travel.

Marianne is also the author of The Frugal Shunpiker's Guides, the popular e-book series that guides you to the best free camping sites throughout the Southwestern United States. We have the ebook on Southern Utah, and I can attest, they are informative, witty and in-depth. You can check those guides out on Marianne's other website: Frugal RV Travel

A Few Things we Talk About on This Week's Episode:

• Boondocking defined
• How Marianne's expansive 20-year travel history spurred the advent of Boondocker's Welcome
• How Boondocker's Welcome works and how to participate as a guest or a host
• Other options 
• Boondocking etiquette tips for camping off the grid
• Dispelling myths around boondocking with a large rig
• Boondocking Safety
• How Boondocking saves money

We'll even discover two of Marianne's favourite places to experience as a camper, so stay tuned!

Links Mentioned In this Episode:

• Boondockers Welcome
• Boondockers Welcome (Facebook)
• Boondockers Welcome (Instagram)
• Frugal RV Travel
• Overnight RV Parking
• Harvest Hosts
• Campendium
• iOverlander
• FreeRoam

Marianne has become an industry expert in how to enjoy big travel on a small budget. She has been profiled in the New York Times and has contributed to many RV industry magazines and newsletters where she has shared her vast knowledge about finding free scenic RV camping on public lands. We're always excited to sit down and have a chat with RV experts and we thank Marianne for joining us today!