5 Reasons Why Gas Prices Shouldn’t Cancel Your Summer Fun

Everyone seems to be complaining about the high cost of fuel causing them to cancel their summer vacation plans. Carol White, co-author of the book “Live Your Road Trip Dream”, says, “I don’t like the higher prices, but if you take a realistic look at it, it’s something that most of us can deal with.”

Did you cancel last year’s plans? According to AAA, gas prices have increased an average of $.56 a gallon since this time last year. Let’s go crazy and say it has been $.75 a gallon in your area. If your summer trip is 1000 miles long and your car gets an average of 23 MPG, your fuel will cost $32.60 more this year than last. One dinner at home instead of eating out before you go will save that much. Is $32 any reason to cancel your vacation?

What does it really cost? When you add up all the expenses of a vacation, fuel only counts as about the second or third highest expense. Typically food and lodging will cost more than fuel. If you need to cut back, consider RVing or eating more meals in, or renting a slightly less expensive lodging.

How can you afford to RV? According to a study done for the RV Association, RVing is still less expensive than piling a family of four into an airplane and hotels for vacation. Using a similar example to the one above and a typical mid-size RV fuel economy of 12 MPG, the additional fuel cost for RV fuel this year would be $62.50. This is easily off-set by the lower cost of campgrounds vs. motels, resorts or cabins at your favorite destination.

What about family bonding? One of the best parts of taking a road trip or an RV get-away is the extra time you get to spend with your traveling companions. In the close quarters of automobiles, RVs, campgrounds and motels, a family has the opportunity to enjoy old-fashioned fun like cards, board games, campfires and more. It really is fun talking to your kids. Ditch the electronics just for the week and see what might happen.

And the final reason you shouldn’t let fuel get in your way? You and your family deserve the time together and the time away. Have everyone work together to be able to afford the extra cost of gas. Go on a Starbucks-free week, check for the best fuel prices, just say “no” to an evening at the movies, or take a pass on that cute new pair of shoes and you will have the added money to cover fuel. Don’t let the “psychology of price,” rather than real price get the best of you.

Have fun and enjoy your summer vacation.

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Carol White is the co-author of the award-winning book, “Live Your Road Trip Dream” (www.roadtripdream.com) – the ultimate road trip planning guide for extended road trips. Carol and her husband Phil have traveled over 50,000 road miles in the past several years, visiting all fifty states and having visited all of the National Parks in the “lower forth-eight.” As national spokespeople for the RV Industry, they now spend their days speaking, writing, and helping others to live their dreams.

Small Business Grows "Green" Results

How can a small publisher who produces paper books be sensitive to the environment? It seems almost like an oxymoron for such a paper-intensive business to be "green."

Oregon-based RLI Press, the publisher of travel information including the award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream, had been struggling with this dilemma since their inception in 2003. Early efforts included obvious efficiencies like recycling and/or reusing all paper products in their office, recycling of ink cartridges from printers, using electronic communications instead of paper communications whenever possible, and recycling cast-off office goods on freecycle.org. But their consumption of trees and other environmentally-sensitive products in their book production activities continued to bother them.

While recycled paper has been around for quite some time, it wasn't of the quality that was needed for their products. That is until this spring's release of the second edition of Live Your Road Trip Dream. Print broker, Bob Smith of BookPrinters Network, was able to secure from Bang Printing in Minnesota a white, recycled paper (containing 30% post-consumer recycled fiber), of high enough quality for the new edition. It is this "eco-friendly" paper that becomes the basis for the savings calculation of trees, water and energy below. Another feature that was attractive about Bang's environmental commitment is their use of all vegetable-based inks in their printing process.

And what about the subject of their award-winning book? Road trips consume a lot of fuel energy, don't they? The authors, Phil and Carol White, are quick to point out that they advocate traveling in smaller, more-efficient RVs (they got over 20 mpg on their recent publicity tour in a Roadtrek Class B motorhome) and also point out that while they consume more auto fuel while traveling, they aren't consuming energy in a house that requires far more fuel than an automobile or small RV; or consuming airplane fuel and hotel energy jetting around the country.

When RLI Press realized that their printing "dream" could finally come true along with their authors' travel dreams, they joined the Green Press Initiative (http://www.greenpressinitiative.org) in support of other publishers and printers, like Bang Printing, who were making the environment a priority in their businesses. As a result, the second edition printing of "Dream" will save 13 trees, 617 pounds of solid waste, 4,804 gallons of water, 1,157 pounds of greenhouse gases, 9 million BTUs of energy. An e-book version of their new edition will also be available this spring in order to further their environmental commitment. Not bad for a now "green" small business from Oregon.

Hollywood Goes Road Tripping

From Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman to Joan Allen, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange, Hollywood is going on a road trip.

With terror threats abroad, the dollar getting hammered, air travel becoming so difficult and the economy sliding, many vacationers with wanderlust are again looking at the US as a great travel bargain. And Hollywood producers are confirming that taking the all-American road trip is not only a great way to live out life dreams, like in "The Bucket List", but a great way take off with friends for the time of your life, like the girlfriends in "Bonneville" (release 2/29).

Phil and Carol White already did part of their "Bucket List", when they took off and traveled the US for an entire year, then wrote a book to help others do the same. The book is a must-have planning tool to plan "Bucket List" trips, or to head out with girlfriends ala "Bonneville."

These veteran road trippers are National Spokespeople for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association's "Go RVing" campaign, and know a lot about what makes a successful road trip. They could have saved the Hollywood types some heartache on their road trips.

The Whites speak at such prestigious conferences as AARP's Life@50+, and national conventions like The Good Sam Club's Great North American RV Rally, and talk to the press frequently as experts on road tripping. The Whites are also frequent guests on TV and radio and have been featured speakers for AAA in their home state of Oregon.

Live Your Road Trip Dream has been heralded as the ultimate road trip planning guide by both journalists and readers alike:

• Beth Harpaz of the Associated Press calls it "practical and inspirational"
• Bonnie Neely of Real Travel Adventures dubbed it "the Encyclopedia of Planning"
• "[their] book was head and shoulders above the rest" says road tripper Steve Albrecht who planned a trip based on the book

Join the Hollywood trend and get planning your road trip today with the help from Live Your Road Trip Dream.

Best Selling Authors Conduct First East Coast Media Tour

Come Meet and Hear Phil & Carol White

Best-selling authors Phil and Carol White will be making their first-ever
East Coast Media Tour in September.
Their tour starts with an appearance at the

National AARP Convention in Boston, MA September 5-8

Carol will speak at noon on September 8th at one of the stages on the show floor. Be sure to stop by the Go RVing booth (#1929) and say hi - or get your autographed copy of Live Your Road Trip Dream directly from them. They will also sign copies that you have bought from Amazon or other retail locations.

After leaving Boston, the White's will appear in the following cities - watch your local media for times and locations or visit their website's appearance page for further information.

September 10 - Springfield, MA

September 12 - Albany, NY

September 14 - Binghamton, NY

September 17 - Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA

September 19 - Harrisburg, PA

September 21 - Baltimore, MD

If you would like the Whites' to speak to your club or organization or appear at your book store or library, contact them at 888 522 8747 for information and availability.

RVIA Chooses Phil & Carol White as National Spokespeople

RVIA’s 2007 Spokesperson Lineup Finalized

RESTON, Va. — Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA’s) media spokesperson lineup includes some new additions for 2007 along with some familiar faces. Pro bowler Walter Ray Williams and RV authors Carol and Phil White will join tour veterans David Woodworth and Brad and Amy Herzog on the road this year.

For 16 years, RVIA has fielded a diverse group of spokespeople to meet with local media and talk about the advantages of RV travel. RVIA spokespeople have been interviewed in cities and towns across the United States, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Spokespeople have occasionally enjoyed the national spotlight in such important media outlets as NBC Today, CBS Sunday Morning, MSNBC, USA Today, Fox Network News, People, HGTV, History Channel and the Travel Channel.

Here is an introduction to this year’s media spokespersons.

Professional bowler Walter Ray Williams has won more titles and earned more money than any player in the history of professional bowling. He has won 42 titles on the PBA tour and earned more than $4 million during his brilliant 21-year career. He credits traveling in his motorhome from tournament to tournament for the past 16 years as having a positive impact on both his game and his family life.

He is promoting RVing in media interviews during stops of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour on ESPN from February to April.

Carol and Phil White had always dreamed of seeing the United States by RV, so they bought a Type B motorhome and toured the continental United States in 2004. They learned so much about road trips that they published a travel book called Live Your Road Trip Dream. The book contains step-by-step information on planning the perfect road trip.

The Whites are an active empty nester couple who will appeal to the huge baby boomer market. They will promote the fun and freedom of RV travel in media appearances this September, starting with an appearance at the annual AARP convention in Boston from September 6-8.

David Woodworth, noted RV historian, will begin his 16^th National RV History Tour for RVIA this spring. Over the years he has reached millions of Americans with his message about America’s love affair with RVing and the open road. The 2007 tour will also promote the new RV/MH Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, which recently acquired Woodworth’s valuable collection of antique RVs.

Brad and Amy Herzog are quintessential Generation Xers, who travel by RV with their two young sons Luke, 6 and Jesse, 5. Inspired by his family RV travels, Brad has published several travel books including the acclaimed States of Mind and Small World.

Starting in June, the Herzogs will begin their eighth media tour for RVIA. Once again, they will be delivering their message that RVs are the most affordable, hassle-free way for young families to travel. Like all RVIA spokespersons, they also promote GoRVing.com as the best place to go for information on RVing.

“With a pro athlete, active empty nesters, a Generation X family and an RV historian, RVIA spokespeople will reach a wider spectrum of the population than ever before with appealing messages,” said Gary LaBella, RVIA’s vice president of public relations and advertising.

RVIA (rvia.org) is the national association representing 500 manufacturers and component suppliers producing approximately 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States.

--jl--

Editor’s Note: Photos of Walter Ray Williams, David Woodworth and Brad and Amy Herzog can be obtained by contacting Kevin Broom at (703) 620-6003 x304 or kbroom@rvia.org.

CONTACT: Christine Morrison Kevin Broom

Sr. Dir. of Marketing Communications Director of Public Relations

(703) 620-6003, ext. 344 (703) 620-6003, ext. 304

cmorrison@rvia.org kbroom@rvia.org