RV tales

My name is Lynne Benjamin and my partner’s name is Fred. We’ve been RVing since the early ’70s and have literally been on the road since 2001. We call ourselves turtles. Even though we are most-timers (as opposed to full-timers) we think of the RV as our home while our condo in Lethbridge, Alberta, is the place we go when we're not at home (that turns out to be maybe two to three months a year).

The months between 2007 and 2008 proved to be our big travel year. When I completed my book about our seven years spent on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, we were furnished with a wonderful excuse to travel back to Cape Breton—and we thought we might as well follow the changing of the fall leaves down through the eastern states and we’ve never been to Texas and so on and so on.

We invite you to join us on our eight-month adventure. Our first installment highlights our experience in Quebec City, Quebec.

Good, bad and . . . bizarre

Despite its name, Slab City is nothing like an official city. In fact, part of the attraction is that there are no rules and no fees—so they say.
The ghosts of peoples past

Columnist Lynne Benjamin muses on the daily lives of the Mogollon peoples, who inhabited the Gila cliff dwellings of New Mexico.
Meet me at the oasis

Just off the highway between Yuma, Arizona, and El Centro, California, is an area they call the Dunes—an area consisting of mile after mile of hills of fine, silty sand.
All about organ pipe cacti

We were surprised to realize that the Ajo/Why, Arizona, area offers so many great sights and things to do. Our first outing was to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Welcome to Kitt Peak

We talked about the observatory at Kitt Peak and decided that on this trip we just had to check it out.
The desert I know and love

We woke up Tuesday morning to bright sunlight, quail scurrying through the wash and the smell of creosote…now that’s the desert I know and love. Monday night was quite an ordeal, however.
Quartzsite after the shows and vendors

They say you can get anything you want in Quartzsite, but you have to wait until the vendors show up. Before that all you see is an outline of what’s coming.
Multifaceted Quartzsite

Quartzsite attracts a lot of interesting/different types, musicians, artists, as well as, some burned-out desert rats. Come show time, the populations explodes.
Sun, sand and rocks

Even if geology isn’t your thing, approaching and driving through Death Valley gives you a sense of all the tremendous geological happenings throughout the ages.
Reaching up to the gods

Check out these hikes and climbs in Zion National Park
Beyond Laughlin

More than just casinos and bright lights—unique and unusual attractions surround Laughlin, Nevada
Snowbird connections

Some snowbirds (even in RVs) like to go to the same place and stay in the same park with the same people year after year.
Living in the desert

Exploring the desert can mean living in the desert. It’s not always easy to find your own comfort zone.
Our road always leads to Yuma

Yuma is a winter destination for many RVers and snowbirds but for us it’s the place we go to restock, plan and re-energize for the next leg of our adventure.
Call of the desert

“This is the setting for almost every old cowboy movie I’ve seen (Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, Shane)” was my thought the first time I encountered the desert.
California, here we come!

We left Oregon in a flurry of rain, mist and fog—surprise!—but that did make for some incredible seas.
To the Gorge and beyond

The Flatlanders head for the Oregon Coast, to see that the Columbia River Gorge is a sight to behold.
Drawn to the ocean

Charming communities, historical sites and endless beaches beckon along the Oregon coast.
Explore the Elk Valley

Cabin fever, itchy feet—whatever you want to call it we really needed to get away. Someone suggested that there was a nice little campground in the Elk Valley at Sparwood, B.C.
Zion and home

We set up overlooking the Virgin River and our view was of an incredible red-streaked rock formation interspersed with cactus and desert brush.
Arizona delights

Casa Grande was our first stop in Arizona. One of the fascinating things about RV travelling is that you continually find other RVers you have met along the way.
Treasures in southern New Mexico

The history, archaeology, mix of cultures and people all contribute to making New Mexico a very special place. It is one of the most diverse and fascinating states in South-Western U.S.A.
Texas has history

Lynne and Fred discover unique attractions, charming communities and rich history in Texas
Stars fell on Alabama

After travelling through Tennessee and Georgia, the next leg of our journey led us to the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
Chasing the changing leaves

We met some folks in Saint John, New Brunswick, who suggested that if we were going to Maine, we had to see Acadia National Park. We then had our next target destination.
Exploring on the east coast

Lynne Benjamin and her partner Fred experienced the culture and breathtaking scenery of Nova Scotia
A cross country adventure

An RVing couple recount their journey across Canada and through the U.S.