Baby It’s Cold Outside. It’s Ice Fishin’ Time!

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Ice-Fishing-headerThe winter solstice has arrived and the long days of winter are here to stay for a while.  There are plenty of winter outdoor activities to participate in especially if you love the opportunity to breathe the cold, clean air, spend some time outdoors with family and friends or relax with one’s own thoughts away from all the hustle and bustle of the world. Ice fishing is one of those activities that seem to fill the bill on all of the above.

Although it may not appeal to everyone, ice fishing is often preferred over open water fishing. If you consider the lake is frozen, anglers can access just about everywhere on the lake without a boat and virtually every fish that’s available to anglers in the summer can also be caught through the ice – some are even caught more frequently in the winter.

So, how do you get started ice fishing?  Safety should always be a primary consideration whenever you begin any outdoor activity. Consider the following when it comes to ice fishing safety:

  1. Never fish alone.ice fishing2
  2. Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.
  3. Steer clear of dark spots or places where the snow looks discolored.
  4. Always test the ice with a spud (more on this later)
  5. Take a cell phone with you in case you need to call for help
  6. Take emergency items such as a life jacket and ice picks
  7. Dress appropriately in your warmest winter clothes

The Basics

The basics of ice fishing are quite simple. You’ll need something to make a hole in the ice, something to clear the hole and keep it open, your fishing equipment, shelter and apparel.

Making the Holeauger

The two basic tools used to make holes in ice are spuds and augers. A spud has a long shank with an end that looks like a chisel and will be used to chip a hole in the ice. A spud is only used when the ice isn’t too thick. An auger resembles a corkscrew with a blade that operates like a hand drill to make a hole. For extremely thick ice, there are power augers that run on batteries or small gas engines that will make your life easier when creating holes in thick ice.

Clearing the Hole

A skimmer (or slush scoop) is a long-handled cup with holes in it. A skimmer is used to clear the hole right after it’s made as well as throughout the day if additional ice forms within the hole.

skimmerKeep in mind the size of the hole is important. It must be big enough to get a fish out but not so large that it may be a danger to someone’s safety. It is recommended to keep the hole to a maximum of 8-10 inches in diameter.  Conscientious anglers will mark an abandoned hole with sticks, tree branches or ice chunks to alert others of the hole’s presence on the ice.

What’s Next?

Although the idea of ice fishing may not appeal to every and seem daunting to others, many fishing clubs and sporting goods stores hold annual ice fishing clinics where anglers can learn the basics. Check your local area to see what is available to get you introduced to this unique sport.

Watch for Part 2 in this series which talks about more  of the basics of ice fishing – your equipment, shelter, and apparel.

Thanks to our Coach-Net Fans for a Fabulous 2014!

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Thank-you-headerAs the year comes to a close, we want to pay a special thank you to our fans – especially on Facebook. We’ve heard some great stories and seen some beautiful pictures of your road travels. We wanted to recap for you!

Snow More Winter

We started the year with a contest asking our fans to share with us their best snowy photos. Our fans voted on a winner in 3 different categories:

Most Enviable: A Walk in Central Park by Lloyd Lonergan

A Walk in Central Park

Most Beautiful: Untouched Snowfall by Madeleine Lonergan

Untouched Snowfall

Funniest: The Not Faceless Snowman by Maria Sotto

The Not Faceless Snowman

Pet Photo Contest

Late summer this year, we asked you to share pictures of your pets on the road with you. We had over 200 entries and couldn’t pick just one! We enjoyed these adorable pets so much that we put together this video of the entries.

https://animoto.com/play/PQcBmravuvbrXcFPRPBIvg

RV Winter Travel Safety

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RV-Safety-headerMost people who travel during the winter know that extra precautions are needed before hitting the road.  Winter weather can change in an instant, so you must always be prepared for rain, snow, sleet, ice, and fog.  Be sure to check the weather forecasts and road conditions along your route and at your destination.  Also, let others know your route and time schedule; contact them if you must deviate from that route.

To help you stay safe on your winter travels, we have compiled a list of items you should always carry in your vehicle in the event of an emergency or inclement weather.

Winter Travel Emergency Kit

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Great Gifts for RV Owners

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Gifts-for-RV-OwnersThere is nothing like traveling around the country in an RV. You get to see the world from a different perspective. Living an adventurous life on the road can be exciting and exhilarating with new experiences, meeting new people and viewing new scenery.  So what type of gift can you get for the RV owner? There are many choices depending on how much you’d like to spend.

Gifts below $25:

Lasko Personal Heater Portable RV heater– This ceramic heater is excellent for the individual who tends to get cold easily or travels a lot during the cold months. It draws little power and delivers plenty of power at the same time to make you feel completely warm. This item runs from $15 to $25.

Flexible cutting boards – These cutting boards come in a variety of sizes and colors. This is a perfect idea for your RV chef to make clean up a breeze, not cross contaminate during food preparation and still fit in an RV kitchen. Prices start at $6.99.

Really Good Maps – A GPS is handy but sometimes it’s fun to travel out of cellular range. These Benchmark Maps and Atlases are detailed and helpful – especially when boondocking. Great for the RV-er and the outdoor enthusiast in your life. All the maps are priced around $20.

Portable Stool – A collapsible stool that you can take practically anywhere comes in Portable stool for your RVhandy and is highly convenient when you need to reach high up on a cabinet or if you need to clean the windows to the RV. The stool makes a great gift for any traveler with children as well so they can reach the sink to brush their teeth or clean hands. This is an inexpensive gift that costs about $17.

Gifts More than $25:

Portable Picnic Table – If there are not enough tables for the RV family in your life, Roll Up Camping Tablea portable folding picnic table is a thoughtful gift. This table can be set up practically anywhere, is easy to open and close and light enough to carry around. This gift costs around $80.

Thermal Gun – What a cool gift to give the RV-er and it sells for slightly less than $45. This non-contact infrared thermometer is used for checking temperatures at a distance. Check the ground temperature. Check your grill temperature. Check your tire temperature. The uses are endless!

Portable Dog Fence – For the pet owner who travels with a pet, this portable dog fence will allow the dog and this dog owner to relax. Easy to setup and store, there are several options and sizes to choose from. Price may vary.

Stocking Stuffers

There are plenty of different types of gifts to get the traveler in the family for the holidays. They come in small and large packages, but they will all make the RV-er in your life happy that you recognized their love for traveling across the country.

Eggnog Dip

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eggnog-dip

This dip is AMAZING! It’s so full of delicious eggnog flavor and so easy to put together. It pairs perfectly with some gingersnaps or graham crackers!  It’ll be the talk of any holiday gathering.

What’s your favorite holiday treat?  We’d love for you to share with us and our readers.  You can add your thoughts in the comment section at the end of this article.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup eggnog, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp rum extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat the soft cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Mix in the vanilla extract, rum extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  3. Beat in the eggnog, and then the powdered sugar.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  5. Serve with graham crackers or ginger snap cookies.

Source:  www.wineandglue.com

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12 Best Coach-Net Blogs

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Best-of-2014-headerChristmas day is less than two weeks away! We won’t quiz you to see if you know the lyrics to the 12 Days of Christmas but we thought we’d share 12 of the most viewed blog posts from 2014.

Common RV Driving Mistakes

We all know that towing or driving an RV is not the same as driving your every day vehicle. We researched the most common RV insurance claims and came up with this list of common RV driving mistakes. This is a list that will help all year long.

Preparing Your RV for Winter

Maintaining your RV is of top concern for our Coach-Net blog readers. We offered some helpful tips in this post to prepare your RV for the winter months so she’ll be healthy and ready to go when it gets warm again.

Water Heater Love

If you take good care of your RV, your RV will take care of you. In this post, we gave your water heater some love since it should have a maintenance check every 6 months. Check this one out especially if you’ve been traveling somewhere with high mineral content in the water.

How Shocking

Another maintenance blog, this post centers around taking care of the electrical systems in your RV. We’re happy that our readers are keeping their RVs well maintained but we want to make sure you’re safe while you’re doing it.

The Best Snowbird Destinations

It seems that many of our RV-ers are living the full RV lifestyle by going some place warm for the winter. We put together this list of the best snowbird destinations for that reason. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a winter vacation by warm water?

What Was I thinking? Things to consider before embarking on an RV Remodel

Bravo to our Coach-Net member who took on an RV remodel and lived to write about it! In this post, he shares the ups and downs and whether it was worth it. If you’re considering starting your own remodel, read this post first.

Campfire Pumpkin Pie

During the fall and winter months, who doesn’t love a pumpkin pie? But a pumpkin pie recipe for over the campfire? We absolutely had to share this delicious recipe with our readers and you all clicked to read. Cooking over a campfire makes everything taste better, doesn’t it?

Fall Festivals in North America

There’s something about hitting some awesome fall festivals during your travels in your RV. We found everything from leaf peeping festivals to wine, apples and, of course, Oktoberfest. We’d love to hear your stories if you attended any of these.

Thanksgiving on the Go

Living the RV life doesn’t mean that you don’t get to celebrate the holidays on the road. We found a lot of options for celebrating Thanksgiving on the go. It’s nice to have the option of finding a dinner at a local restaurant or cooking it right in your RV.

Crisp Temps, Juicy Ripe Apples – It Must Be Fall!

By the time this blog was published, our readers were ready for the cooler temps. With the autumn comes apples and apple recipes! Caramel Apple pie? Yes please.

Most Common Reasons for Tire Failure

Driving hundreds of miles in your RV, you can expect some glitches in your get-up. Our readers like to stay ahead of a challenge by being prepared for the worst. This post offered some insights on tire failures and why they happen. Having knowledge of some preventative measures helps you stay on the road safely and with less headaches.

A Few Campfire Stories to keep you Warm

What better way to stay warm than to snuggle up around a campfire and share a few campfire stories? We enjoyed digging up some stories to share with your families. Hope the kids got as much of a kick out them as we did.

From this list, we gathered that our readers want to take great care of their homes away from home and enjoy a great recipe or two along the way. We look forward to creating even more posts along these lines in 2015!

 

How To Decorate your RV for the Holidays

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Holiday-Decor3When you hit the road in your RV during the fall and winter, the holidays provide a great opportunity to start a new tradition and cruise the country in style. Just as you travel for a change in scenery, holiday decorations on your RV can give your home on wheels a cheery facelift that will get you and your family in a festive spirit. From a simple statement piece to an all-out holiday explosion, the only limit on decorating your RV this holiday season is your creativity.

Simple Ideas for Your RV

      • Holiday escape: If the interior of your RV has a monochromatic color scheme, Country Living recommends decorating one wall with festive wallpaper. You can recreate the same look and save money with wide holiday-themed wrapping paper. After cutting it to the appropriate dimensions, use double-sided tape to secure the paper to a wall.
      • Flat Christmas tree: To get the glowing look of a Christmas tree without sacrificing space, buy a large picture of a Christmas tree on canvas. Alternatively, take a picture of your Christmas tree at home and have the image mounted onto canvas. Gently punch small holes in the canvas and place a bulb from a strand of LED lights in each hole. Hang the picture on the wall and plug in the lights.
      • LED window decorations: To give your RV a simple festive flair, hang an LED window decoration on the back window of your rig.
      • Show off your favorite decorations: If you like looking at your decorations more than trimming a tree, Apartment Therapy suggests hanging them from picture frames. Simply install hooks along the inside border of the frame, at the top, and use pretty string or ribbon to hang the frames and decorations. Alternatively, install a screen with small mesh onto the back of frame, then hang ornaments on the screen so they form a tree shape. Hang your masterpiece on a wall.
RV Christmas tree

as seen on the Into Vintage blog

Ideas for Interior Holiday Décor

      • Deck the main cabin: Purchase a garland with integrated holiday lights and hang it along the walls of the main cabin. If you have a slide-out, hang the garland from the top of the frame where your rig pops out, as seen on The Fun Times Guide. Hang small stockings and ornaments from the garland. If you find garlands too blasé, consider hanging strings of pearls or ribbons instead.
      • Dashboard winter-scape: When parked at a campsite, give your dash a dreamy holiday look. Place a strand of white LED lights on the dash and cover it with fake snow. Then place holiday figurines in the snow, including those that light-up and small Christmas trees. Hang icicle lights from the top of the windshield. Complete the look with a snowyscene mounted on cardboard that you place on the seats to serve as a background image. Similarly, you may create a nativity scene on your dash with strategically placed lights and all the essential characters.

      • Mistletoe: Make a small kissing ball with mistletoe and hang it by the door.
      • Switch up the staples: Give the inside of your RV a more festive look by switching your everyday décor with their holiday counterparts. For example, slip holiday-themed pillowcases over the throw pillows on the sofa. Use festive placemats instead of your regular ones and place a red, gold or white table runner on the dining table. If you like to burn candles, use scented ones that remind you of the holidays or use holiday-inspired votive holders. Similarly, place flameless candlesticks on each windowsill.
      • Complete the atmosphere: Decorating for the holiday should involve all the senses. Go RV Texas suggests playing holiday movies or seasonal music at a low volume to fill your rig with interesting background noise.

Outside Decorations for Your RV

      • Take advantage of awnings: If you have an awning on your RV, extend it (if the weather permits) and adorn it with holiday lights. For example, wrap strands of lights along the posts that extend from the awning and hang icicle lights along the top of the accessory. If the weather is warm enough to eat or sit outside, hang an inexpensive chandelier from the awning.
      • Moving lights: Use animated outdoor lights to line the exterior of your camper. For a more high-tech approach, use a laptop to program outdoor holiday lights so they pulse to the beat of music or create an animated scene.
      • Create a walkway: Use small candy canes that illuminate to create a walkway to your camper’s door.
      • A small winter wonderland: If space (and the campsite) permits, tastefully place illuminated holiday lawn ornaments around the outside of your RV. For instance, make a small forest with illuminated fir trees, deer and a snowman. Or, show off your collection of inflatable snowmen andSantas.

        RV Christmas Outside

        Photo via DoItYourselfRV

Being on the road doesn’t mean your holiday traditions have to stop. Take the spirit with you wherever you go. We’d love to see your ideas. Please comment below or share some photos to our Facebook page.

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Hitting the Road with Rover: RVs and Dog Shows

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Hitting-the-Road-with-RoverIn 1960, John Steinbeck converted his truck into a personalized camper. He then named it Rocinante and launched on one of America’s great recorded journeys of a man and his dog. Charley was a 10-year-old French Poodle, and was the partner in many of Steinbeck’s mental conversations during the trip. Millions of readers have lapped up his “Travels with Charley,” and many of those have set out to replicate his adventure.

Rocinante

No Longer an Oddity

While Steinbeck was one of the first to venture forth with his canine buddy in an RV, dogs and RVs are now a common sight across the country. Traveling in an RV provides the flexibility not typically enjoyed through other means of transportation like flying directly to a destination or driving the family car and staying in hotels along the way. After all, in an RV, you can bring just about anything you want – and that includes your dog!  Many RVers have even started taking their RVs and their dogs to dog shows, not only to spectate, but also to compete.  Many dog shows are located at fairgrounds which also include campsites.  This combination makes dog shows the perfect RV travel destination.

Championship Shows

Westminster_Dog_ShowDog shows can be found in just about any state at any time of the year.  We have picked a few occurring over the next couple of months that might pique your interest:

  • Imperial Valley Kennel Club. A leisurely drive to the west will place you in Yuma, AZ on December 1, 2014 for the Imperial Valley Kennel Club show. This is part of the AKC’s National Owner-Handled Series. This is a great place to be while the snows begin in the northeast.
  • Shoreline Dog Fanciers Association of Orange County. You can continue your time in the sun by heading to the Orange County Fairgrounds for the show scheduled December 06, 2014.
  • Malibu Kennel Club. Just a couple of days later you can catch another popular show, also at the Orange County Fairgrounds.
  • Western Reserve Kennel Club.  Set in Cleveland, OH, on December 14, 2014.  All AKC-Recognized Breeds will be shown.
  • Westminster Kennel Club. This granddaddy of American shows is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The first Westminster show was held in 1877. For 2015, the show is scheduled for February 16 and 17.  Live streaming of all breed judging will be available on westminsterkennelclub.org and on the official 2015 Westminster Show App.

We would love to hear about your adventures, so check back with us and feel free to share in the comments section below.

We Want To Know

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Tell-Us-About-YourselfWe want to get to know you better — your likes, habits, hobbies, etc.

The Thanksgiving Holiday is the busiest travel time of the year. With the roads and highways filling up, will you be traveling in your RV this Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving on the Go

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Happy-Thanksgiving-blog-headerTraveling around during the holidays is pretty common for most people, but what about when you’re looking for that next great destination and adventure in your RV? For Thanksgiving, RV campers and travelers have a unique opportunity to celebrate this great American holiday in a whole new way. What are some ways you can celebrate Turkey Day in your RV? Here are some tips to get you into the festive mood.

Thanksgiving specials in a new city
chef holding turkeySome restaurants will feature a full Thanksgiving dinner for those interested and this can create some brand new memories and traditions for your own traveling family. You can meet other travelers and the best part about it all? You don’t have to worry about all the clean up! All you have to worry about is catching the football game or getting your Black Friday shopping plan in place.

Some cities will have Thanksgiving harvest festivals or “all-in-one” Thanksgiving meals you can take on the go. You can enjoy your turkey dinner in the comfort of your RV or camper while taking in the beautiful sights of the changing seasons.

DIY Thanksgiving right in the RV
thanksgiving dinner RVYou can try out several different travel friendly recipes that are absolutely perfect for a Thanksgiving on the go. Here are some to get you started:

  • Put everything into one hearty and warm meal with a slow cooker turkey dinner! All you have to do is throw everything in together, sit back, relax and enjoy spending time with your loved ones.
  • Traditional style southern biscuits are also a great on the go meal that can be topped off with some gravy or mashed potatoes. They are soft, chewy, and will keep you filled up during your travels.
  • Or you can get really adventurous and try out a gelatin salad or molded salad like back in the 1950s and 1960s! Make it a retro Thanksgiving with a great dessert (or full dinner) that is easy to make with an RV kitchen at your disposal.

Lakeside (or Ocean side) Thanksgiving celebration
scarecrow by lakeFind a nice and secluded spot out in the forest, near a lake or right on the oceanfront for a gorgeous but simple Thanksgiving to recall how the holiday used to be celebrated. Give thanks to your camping lifestyle with seasonal vegetables and even ditch the turkey for some venison or other wild game meats to make it even more memorable and exciting. Who says you need to have the “normal” Thanksgiving in order to have an enjoyable holiday? You can take in the sights right from your RV and enjoy some great food with loved ones.