Life on the Open Road

This week on the RV Podcast we hear from Joe Russo, who with wife Kait creates the popular  We’re the Russos YouTube Channel and blog. Joe has just written his second book, Tales from the Open Road, and in this episode of the RV Podcast, he drops by to share some of their adventures and misadventures.

Show Notes for Episode #251 July 17, 2019 of The RV Podcast;
WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK
 

JENNIFER - As this episode is released, we are in the Nashville, TN area on a family vacation. We’re spending a week in a rented house outside of Nashville with our three grown children, their spouses and our eight grandkids. We’re just hanging out together and touring the area. We rented a house in the horse country near Franklin and among our planned activities, taking in the historic Grand Ole Opry.

MIKE – We’re really trying to make this a true vacation, too, meaning we’re cutting back on work as much as we can. Bo is with us and we drove the RV down and will take our time heading home, doing some wandering and exploring. I’m sure will chase down a couple of travel stories as we slowly head north.

JENNIFER
If anyone is looking for an excuse to go camping and get outsides, I can help. Just 20 minutes a day spent in nature can help reduce stress hormone levels, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers. It concluded that an efficient "nature pill" — 20 to 30 minutes walking, sitting or completing a physical activity outside or interacting with nature — can reduce health issues such as chronic stress, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and weight. I like that. A “nature pill.” A great reason to go RVing!

MIKE
A very good idea.
It’s that time in the podcast where we want to give a shoutout to our reviewer of the week, whose screen name is MLV55… who left us this wonderful five-star review on iTunes:

“I have listened to several different podcasts on RV'ing and this by far is the best one. It is very professionally done with great tips and ideas for everyone no matter what size RV you own. We are in the research and planning phases of buying a class A motorhome and have found what we have learned from Mike and Jennifer's podcasts to be very valuable. Plus, the sound like really nice people and are a pleasure to listen to. Mike and Jennifer, keep up the great work!

Thank you, MLV55. We so appreciated those kind words and your review. And we invite you dear listener, to do the same. Please leave us a review and a rating on iTunes or Stitcher or whatever app you listen to us on. We so appreciate the feedback and we read every one! 
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK  
JENNIFER
Disabled can now hike Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park with special “Track Chair”

Trails through Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore can be steep or sandy -- but people who require hiking mobility assistance can now rent a motorized chair with treaded tracks to get around. The fact that the chair has tracks rather than wheels makes rougher terrain much more accessible. The program is run by volunteer group Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which wants everyone to be able to experience the park's natural beauty. The group says the program is the first of its kind at a national park. The group currently has one chair that is available through reservations, but it is hoping to buy another one later this summer for children. The chairs are pretty pricey, with the first one costing more than $13,000. However, it's free for visitors to use and can carry up to 350 pounds. Since the program launched in June, the group has had more than a dozen visitors use it Volunteers try to do one run in the morning and one in the afternoon, allowing for the chair to be recharged between sessions.

MIKE
Should we close some National Parks so others can survive?

We’ve reported extensively here about overcrowding in the National Parks as well as a woefully long backlog in maintenance and basic repairs.