The Happy Camper Club's directory lists more than 700 RV parks where RVers can enjoy 50% off at RV Parks Reviewed by none other than "Mr. RV" himself, Chuck Woodbury, this one seems to be the real deal. After reviewing many so-called discount camping clubs, when he came across the Happy Camper Half-Price Club he declared it a winner. The club is a family-owned and operated business that owns two private campgrounds. Just like savvy hotels, they realized that most of their fellow campgrounds owners would rather fill their extra campsites (rooms) at discounted rates than have them go vacant.

RVers joining the club can choose from nearly 1,000 private campgrounds including dozens in Canada. In most cases, a full-hookup space is less than $10, and sometimes even as little as $6! A one-year membership is $49.95 plus $5.95 for postage and handling of the comprehensive directory they send you. Members receive a membership card, plus an informative 270-page directory Campground Locations List that shows each participating half-price campground, its amenities, driving directions and even its rules about pets. Most of these quality campgrounds are operated by their owners, are in popular locations, many even lakeside or within sight of the ocean.

Memberships come with an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee and unlike other membership campgrounds like Coast to Coast and Thousand Trails, no contracts are required. And believe it or not with this club there are no hidden fees! The annual $49.95 membership is the total dollar commitment except for the (discounted) nightly camping fees.

The club is doing well these days partly owing to high fuel and RV park prices. People on a fixed retirement income will appreciate any legitimate discounts they can get, not just those where you might run into Clark Griswold and his family (remember the 1983 movie, National Lampoon's Vacation?) Clark pays a fortune to a guy spitting watermelon seeds (Brian Doyle Murray) host at Kamp Komfort.

Members of the club can camp at participating parks as often as they want and can enjoy half-price camping that very day! Campgrounds are located all across America and Canada.

Baby boomers launch RV Boom

Whether you realize it or not us baby boomers are right smack in the middle of an RV boom! Travel trailers like the McKenzie Lakota (Native American word meaning dialect of the Sioux tribe) pictured here are selling like crazy to those of us baby boomers who want to venture out and discover the world - one mile at a time. And thanks to RV manufacturers like the folks at McKenzie you can have all the comforts of home - on the road!

RV growing popularity with baby boomers no surprise 

Why it would surprise anyone, especially baby boomers, that RV travel is growing in popularity, is beyond me. After all it's the number one thing a boomer wants to do when they retire. You can read the article by Sharon OBrien in the Senior Living Section of About.com that inspired this commentary. It was written in July 2007 so it is relevant news that reinforces my views about a trend that I believe will not be too much affected by the current economic climate and/or the price of gas. I can only speak for myself as a soon-to-be-retired baby boomer that I have been looking forward to the purchase of my RV for a long time. I am less than four years away from retirement at age 62 (fingers crossed). After retiring I will not have an extravagant lifestyle, spending my days in a private golf club community, not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not my style. An RV of some kind is in those plans and it's going to be fun and challenging to find it, negotiate the price, and drive it off the lot.

Full time RVers or bust? 

Whether our RV turns out to be the kind where we sell the house and seriously downsize our knick-knacks, spending the rest of our days on the open road or a just a three-month romp with family and friends when the mood strikes, has yet to be determined. This is the one thing you need to figure out pretty quickly before you jump into any RV purchase. Is this case bigger is not necessarily better!

But even if I was retiring tomorrow I still wouldn't let the price of gas dictate where I go or how I do it. I am a baby boomer for pete's sake, I not only have money for gas to take me where I want to go but I like to eat out occasionally too! I don't intend to spend my money foolishly but I am not going the cheap route either. Am I going to be irrational like my mom and dad and do without so that I can save, save, save, and my kids can fight over it after I'm gone? No way, not this boomer! Read the rest of this entry »

Social Security welcomes baby boomers

Our Social Security Administration's Press Office kindly allowed me to borrow their "First Baby Boomer Files For Social Security-Online!" headline by way of announcing some good news and some bad news to our boomer audience. The good news is that it is now easier than ever to apply for retirement benefits when you become eligible. The bad news is you have to be almost 62 to apply!

A baby boomer dream or a boomer nightmare!?

Can it really be happening?, us guys and gals that grew up in the midst of a sexual and social revolution, vowed to never trust anyone over 30, can it really be true that we have grown old? We fought hard on so many fronts; Viet Nam, Kent State, JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Civil Rights, Watergate, Nixon, The Beatles, anti war protesting, rock music, The Women's Movement and the rights of minorities. Can it be that we have survived the worst and now get to reap the rewards of a peaceful and fulfilling retirement? Baby Boomers hung it all out there, changed the world and made it a better place. Music, sexual mores, fashion, religion, politics and yes, even the scandals that kept us entertained, during the turbulent 50's, 60's and 70's all played a part in building our futures. I won't be the first one to play the "O" card because even at 58, I don't feel old, but I was a 19 year-old Marine in Viet Nam in 1969 so you do the math. Read the rest of this entry »

I may have been a little young at the time "Sheena" Queen of the Jungle came along on TV in 1955-56, to appreciate  the curvy frame of former pin-up model, Irish McCalla, the blond bombshell that portrayed the Jungle Queen. But I do remember, as a wide-eyed 7 year old, relishing every single one of the 25 episodes made, spell-bound by the daring escapades of the "Jungle Queen" Set, of course, in the deepest, darkest heart of Africa! (They were actually filmed in Mexico but back then I didn't care about those kinds of minor details even if I had known about them) Or ask myself stupid questions like some would today - being the politically correct society that we are; how could a barely legal, half naked gal, barefoot, no less, be allowed to expose herself in that manner? Where were her parents when all this was going on and did they know she dressed like this in public? The only question that would have been on my mind was, just how does one get to hang out with this Sheena - she is the coolest!

Even a boy as young as I could appreciate her physical prowess, along with her blue-eyed innocence as she swung from the trees righting the jungle's wrongs. Too young to recognize the emotion of envy, I never debased the idea of a girl being able to do these things but rather I remember feeling like I did when a friend of mine got a new bike or went to Disneyland on vacation. I was happy for them but why couldn't I have a new bike? Why couldn't I go to Disneyland? Regardless, I admired her strength, her independence and Sheena became my first female role model. If Sheena could face all of the demons in the jungle including giant alligators and pythons, I could sure do with my old bike until I could earn a better one.

I understand that she did all of her own stunts until she slammed into a tree swinging from an unsecured vine and broke her arm. Those in the business of producing such shows felt that Irish McCalla gave more than a credible portrayal of Sheena that was totally true to the character from the comic book. The stories which featured Sheena and hunter guide Bob Rayburn fighting all sorts of bad guys in the jungle are largely reminiscent of "B" movies, produced cheaply and with little supporting cast (about 17 of 26 episodes can be found on video with Amazon) but I loved every one of them!  

But did you know?  McCalla, formerly a Varga Girl model for pinup girl artist Alberto Vargas was born in in Pawnee City, Nebraska. She was one of eight children to father Lloyd, a butcher, and mother Nettie McCalla. The family moved often and at 17 she found work as a waitress in Southern California. It was actually on a beach in Malibu that she was "discovered" by a Nassour Studios Rep. What was she doing to attract their attention - why, throwing a bamboo spear, of course! Impressed by her athletic, 5'10" frame, they knew right away they had found their "Sheena", Queen of the Jungle.

In 1951, she married and had two sons with insurance salesman Patrick McIntyre. Her popularity as a pin-up model soared and by  1952 she and some other models were appearing in a film called River Goddesses, which was basically a bunch of sexy, young, scantily clad (for those days) babes frolicking in the Grand Canyon. Following the disappointment of a one-season Sheena, McCalla appeared in five films from 1958 to 1962, with guest roles on the TV series Have Gun — Will Travel and Route 66. She didn't think much of herself as an actress proclaiming of her role as Sheena, "I couldn't act, but I could swing through the trees". McCalla  divorced in 1957, and the following year was married to British actor and James Joyce/Sherlock Holmes scholar Patrick Horgan.

She was pretty much removed from the spotlight by 1963 when she moved from Malibu to Prescott, Arizona. Not much else is known about her from that period until in 1982, aged 73, Irish McCalla died of a stroke and complications from a brain tumor - her fourth. Carol Hatfield, author of The Realist may have said it best about the impact of the character she portrayed so well. "When I was eight years old, Sheena was the only female portrayed on TV who didn't conform to the fifties stereotype of women. Sheena was a  rugged individualist. Watching her struggle with a new adventure every week made me feel more capable at a time when everything was so unexplored. If she could handle the jungle, I felt sure that I could handle my world"

See the stars of the past at your favorite RV Resort

When I first saw the article in the Arizona Republic (Jan 9, 2008) about stars of the past being booked into RV Resorts, celebrities like Franky Avalon, The Smothers Brothers, Brenda Lee and even Patti Page, I have to admit that my first reaction may have been less than positive. Other than reminding me that I am smack in the middle of Boomerdom at the tender age of 58, I couldn't figure out why it should bother me. Then it hit me, that sinking feeling I got when I first saw Robert Wagner (with a paunch) selling that Senior Lending Network reverse mortgage stuff on TV. Being of a generation that scoffed at aging actors appearing in commercials, I just couldn't get past the stigma that I had bought into. All that is changed now, as I got older, I got over it.

Baby Boomers with targets on their backs.

These mortgage guys are smart to use a guy like RW, They are targeting us boomers with a plan for us to get cash for the equity in our homes - but, unlike our parents, does our generation really need something like a reverse mortgage? I don't much care for the term "reverse", but heck, maybe it's a good idea, I don't know. That's one reason (among others) they didn't hire me as their pitchman, they brought in the big gun, the aging but still, ultra-hip, Robert Wagner. The strategy here is that only a guy like Bob could ping our memory banks with enough nostalgic sonar waves to make us reach out and dial that reverse mortgage hotline, hypnotizing us with visions of where we were when Hart To Hart was a hit show and just what were we going to do with all that cash!  Shhh, don't tell the kids! Read the rest of this entry »

Fury - The black stallion owned by Joey Clark of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the TV series "Fury" This was a favorite show with us kids on Saturday mornings a million years ago, sandwiched between Sky King and right after Captain Midnight, remember Ovalteen?

But did you know? Fury, a contemporary western ran from 1955 -1960 with a 114 episodes. It was the story of Joey, an orphan boy befriended by Jim Newton (Peter Graves) a recently widowed horse rancher, who's wife and son were killed in an auto accident by a drunk driver. Joey was brought to court for breaking a window. Jim had seen the whole incident and went to court with Joey, he told the Judge that Joey was innocent, and convinced the Judge to let Joey come stay at the Broken Wheel. Jim had captured Fury a wild stallion after three years of trying, and Pete his foreman named him during a conversation where Pete said the horse was full of "Fire and Fury." Joey soon made friends with Fury, and was the only person who was able to ride him after saving his life. Later Fury was known to let others ride him, but only with Fury's permission. Each episode took Joey and Fury to new adventures, along with his two pals Pee Wee and Packy. The show ran in syndication from 1960 until 1966 under the name "Brave Stallion."

Bobby Diamond played Joey on the TV series "Fury", The story of a horse and a boy who loves him. Bobby later went on to do guest appearances on other TV shows while still a young boy and had a couple of other roles in TV series. He attended U.S. Grant High School, in Van Nuys, CA. 1964.

Courtesy: http://www.brokenwheelranch.com  

Judy Carne - the cute little red-head who made body paint sexy. Covered in graffiti and appearing in a bikini on the comedy sketch series, Laugh-In, she cheerfully invited her tormentors to "sock it to me!" Which they happily did with buckets of cold water, paint, beer and other substances, much to the delight of the studio audience and viewers at home.

The show ran on NBC for 140 episodes from 1968 to 1973 and was the creation of  comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. Originating as a one-time special on September 9, 1967, it was such a hit that it was made into a series, replacing the once-popular spy spoof Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Mondays at 8pm on NBC.

Baby Boomer Bytes

Did you know? In 1969 Judy Carne decided not to renew her contract with Laugh-In. She wanted to do other things before she became so stereotyped as the "sock it to me" girl that she would not be able to do other roles. The regular Laugh In cast members wished her well and threw her a going away party but, alas, George Schlatter (the Laugh-In producer) blamed her for breaking up the family. In the days following "Laugh-In" she would hear people yell "Sock it to me!" and she would instinctively duck, having had popcorn, peanuts, water and beer all thrown at her.

Her first post-Laugh-In-job was in "Cabaret" playing Sally Bowles. The production was off Broadway in a theater in Westbury, Long Island. While in this production she was offered a part as a lead in a revival of "The Boyfriend" on Broadway. She portrayed Polly. In September of 1971 Judy was back on T.V. again. She was in a reunion of "Laugh-In." In October she appeared on "the Tonight Show" which was being hosted by Burt Reynolds. He had specially requested her. When she asked him why he told her that she was the first person that popped into his head.  

One of Judy's last T.V. appearances was on "Hollywood Squares." The show was taped 5 times in one day. One time when they took a dinner break, she had one too many cocktails. Once back on the set she went through a lull where no questions came her way and she began to doze off. When she became the secret square that night she jumped awake. The producer became upset and that was her last "Hollywood Squares" appearance.  

Courtesy: http://judycarne.com

Named "Our Gang" after MGM bought the rights from Hal Roach in 1938.

But did you know? The series, one of the best-known and most successful in cinema history, is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way. While child actors are often groomed to imitate adult acting styles, steal scenes, or deliver "cute" performances, Hal Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular kids. Our Gang also notably put boys, girls, whites, and blacks together in a group as equals, something that "broke new ground," according to film historian Leonard Maltin. Such a thing had never been done before in cinema, but was commonplace after the success of Our Gang.

So many RV's to choose from

RV or Bust - This site is about our search for the perfect RV and the helpful people that we meet along the way; the dealers, the owners, the part-timers and the full-timers, the 5th wheelers, the luxury motorhome set, adventurous cabovers, toyhaulers and the hardiest of all, the pop-up people. As a baby boomer husband and wife that just turned 60 we are looking forward to the day (just about two years from now) where we can thumb our nose at corporate America and discover the real America on the open road in our perfect RV.

RV as home or as weekend warrior

Stop! Look, then look some more -  Over the last year and a half (mostly weekends) we have toured the insides of at least a thousand RV's, sat in hundreds of slide-out dinettes, pretended to prepare meals (checking counter space) in just as many kitchens and squinted our eyes while trying to imagine the view (out those gorgeously expansive windows) as being that of the ocean or forest. Takes a vivid imagination, I know, but those days will come. Who was it that said, "if you picture yourself there, it will happen"?

Get to know different kinds of RV's

Once we decided that the RV life would be a big part of our retirement we formulated a three year plan to research the in's and out's of RV living that first had us addressing our mis-conceptions. For example: We didn't know a slide out from a pop up and we certainly couldn't use a public restroom - yuck! I will never forget the first RV we looked at was a 35 foot beauty and when my wife saw the bathroom in it she just about pulled out her checkbook right there on the spot! From then on we began to wonder if three years would be enough! Read the rest of this entry »