Making a commitment to travelling in a smaller RV comes with its own challenges. Think small. Think simple. With the right mindset and a little preparation, you’ll find it’s a breeze.

ECO-ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Investigate solar panels, to create your own mobile power supply. Better yet, think about the ways you use/need energy and make an effort to reduce demand. We find we can go several days on our leisure battery without losing lights at night, laptop operation or energy to our water pump. Mind you, we don’t run toasters, coffee makers or other energy-hogging devices. If you are smart about it, the leisure battery can take you a long way. It recharges while we drive, which makes travel days a snap. We haven’t run out of juice yet.

LOSE THE CLUTTER
No matter how little room you have at home, we can guarantee there will a lot less space to store, stack and squirrel away items onboard a Class B RV. The trick is to separate “need” from “want” and focus on the “need” items first and foremost. After the essentials are taken care of, assess the storage space left before adding more items. You’ll likely find that you can live quite comfortably with much less than you think. By the time you get back home you’ll wonder why in the world you have all that other “stuff” filling your house.

KEEP YOUR RV SPACE TIDY
If you and your significant other have a difference in how clean and tidy things are around the house, before you depart on an RV vacation is the best time to settle. Leave it until you’re on the road, and things could get “complicated” (think: nasty). Be clear about expectations, set the ground rules and do your best to follow them. Besides, messy in a large space (like a house) is a whole different creature than messy in 120 square feet.

FOOD SAFETY
Make sure your fridge is operating at a safe temperature. Don’t stock up too much on perishable items like meat, cheese and eggs (food tip: “liquid” eggs in a carton make omelettes that are just as good as the more fragile ones in the shell). Buy as you go is the best strategy. Have a supply of vacuum plastic bags and hard-sided tubs to pop things into the fridge and freezer.

LEARN SOME BASIC MAINTENANCE SKILLS
Things break down. It helps to keep a supply of smaller items (fuses and tools, anyone?) so you can repair things enough to limp into the mechanic.

HANDLING THE DOLLARS & CENTS
Set up a system to pay your bill online. We’re not fans of automatic payment plans (we like to see the bills long beforehand and make sure there are no errors in charges). Others find the auto payment system works well. Others still, arrange for someone back home to collect and pay the bills on time. Find a system that works for you. What not to do: ignore the bills, leave them in a pile waiting back home, cross your fingers and hope for the best!

HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN
Breakdowns happen. Bad weather happens. Bookmark the websites for Environment Canada, the National Hurricane Center and your favourite online weather websites. Learn the seasons for bad weather (June through November for hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines; April through May for tornados through the Midwest). Check before heading out on a long drive. We know of what we speak: we rode out a tornado in Kentucky and it is not an experience we’d care to repeat!

It was a long, intense trip – six weeks and 9,000 km exploring the roots of American music across the Southeast. By the end, it had been like following one long, serpentine music trail and we began to appreciate how the various musical genres were intertwined and cross-influenced. Craig’s fingers got a workout on his guitar, as he jammed and played with the talented musicians from old-time to Zydeco to the Delta blues. We had the time of our lives.

MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL

All across the state are markers for the Mississippi Blues Trail, telling the story of powerhouses like Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf and Sam Cooke who defined the blues, giving it legs for its journey into the mainstream.

Best musical stops: Clarksdale, B.B. King Museum, Po’ Monkeys, Elvis Birthplace Museum, Delta Blues Museum, Highway 61 Blues Museum, Cat Head Blues & Folk Art, Red’s Lounge, The Blues Archive at The University of Mississippi (Oxford)

Backstory: America’s great gift to human civilization (blues and its little brother, jazz) was born from its greatest shame: slavery. The importation of blacks from Africa and their brutal treatment – coupled to their exposure to European and South American traditions – birthed the field hollers and work songs.

And life in Mississippi – the life from which the blues emerged – was particularly harsh for the slaves who sang in the fields or in prison to distract themselves from the brutality and boredom of their existence, and consoled each other on the Sabbath Day. It’s this fusion of reflection on the real world with longing for the next, that Mississippi bequeathed to the world – and which became the basis for gospel, rock ’n’ roll, soul, Motown and much of 20^th-century popular music as it migrated to Memphis, Kansas City, Chicago and eventually the rest of the planet.

If you love the blues, you really need to go to the well, to the source: to the Crossroads at Highways 49 and 61 at Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta, where myth says Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil for guitar mastery. Every April, Clarksdale hosts the Juke Joint Festival,  half music festival, half small town fair and all about the Delta. The last survivors of the original blues tradition – before it travelled north to assume its Chicago style – play on the sidewalks and in the small juke joints. But hurry: there are not many of the original bluesmen left as the relentless passage of time carries them off the stage of history.

You really can’t fathom the blues without coming to grips with the human suffering associated with this region. Large swaths of the Delta were made possible by enormous serpentine levees to hold back the water of the Mississippi, virtually all constructed in the harshest conditions by generations of African-American slaves. Greenville, Mississippi, was the epicentre of the catastrophic 1927 levee breach that devastated the economy and people of the Delta, forcing the out-migration of thousands of sharecroppers to the north in search of high ground and jobs. The town’s 1927 Flood Museum tells – through a combination of artifacts, photographs and video – of the flood’s impact on life and death during the four months Greenville, and much of the Mississippi Delta, was underwater.

As blues museums go, the best we saw was the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola. Because he’s still alive – and still gigging – the museum is overflowing with artifacts from B.B.’s long history on the road, in the studio and as America’s emissary of the blues. For added effect, the Center is built onto a former cotton gin where young Riley B. King ran a tractor before breaking into the blues. It’s a grand story that needs several hours to absorb.

Back in Clarksdale, the excellent Delta Blues Museum is only steps from two authentic blues joints: Ground Zero Blues Club (co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman) and Red’s Lounge. Both are gritty but authentic: as true to the blues as blues is to the life of the Delta. Billy Gibbons – leader of ZZ Top – has taken a role in perpetuating the legacy of Muddy Waters, a Delta bluesman who made his career in Chicago, contributing a guitar fashioned out of a board from Waters’ childhood home, which is reconstructed inside the museum.

The authentic roots of the blues are everywhere across the Delta: at places like Dockery Farms where it’s said that B.B. King claims “it all started,” at the remains of original juke joints like Po’ Monkeys still standing in a cotton field outside Merigold, and in the Mississippi town of Tupelo, home of Elvis Presley who was heavily influenced by the Delta blues that surrounded him as a child. Tupelo is filled with Elvis highlights: the shotgun shack he was born in, the family church where he learned his love of gospel music, the hardware store where he bought his first guitar, the burger joint where he hung out after school and the excellent Elvis Presley Birthplace museum (in our opinion, even better and more authentic than glitzy Graceland in Memphis). Elvis’s mammoth contribution to music was how he sanitized African-American music for white people, blurring the lines between the roots music of blues, country, bluegrass, rockabilly and gospel (and in the process, birthing rock ‘n’ roll).

At The University of Mississippi in Oxford, The Blues Archive project took off when B.B. King contributed his 8,000 volume record collection. Call ahead to ask archivist Greg Johnson to pull something of interest from the impressive stacks – they’ve got material that has never been posted on YouTube or on the web, rare concert footage, interview tapes, original Robert Johnson 78s and sound recordings in formats from wax cylinders to DVD.

Classic artists and tunes:
Hoochie Coochie Man, Muddy Waters
Dust My Broom, Elmore James
Crossroad Blues, Robert Johnson
The Thrill Is Gone, B.B. King

THE BASICS

We are Class B RV people. For those of you new to the world of RV travel, a Class B RV is a camper van conversion. The big names you’ll find of Class B campers are Roadtrek, Pleasureway and Leisure Travel. The two other motorized types are Class A (bus style) and Class C (the mid-size motorhome with a boxier style built onto a commercial chassis).

We write what we know about (i.e. tips for buying a used Class B RV) – our current Class B camper van is our fourth. The first three were older models and our current one is a new-to-us 2006 Roadtrek 210 in pristine condition with low mileage.

A lot of the questions and tips below would apply to the process for buying any used RV, regardless of the class or size.

First – and most importantly – determine exactly what sort of traveller and camper you are:

• Are you comfortable driving a larger unit?
• Who’s going to be doing most of the driving?
• What are your budget limitations? Obviously, the larger the unit, the thirstier the engine. There’s also the question of gas vs diesel fuels (diesel gets better mileage).
• Are you looking to visit out-of-the-way places? Some campgrounds – some of our favourites, as it turns out – have narrow roads and tight campsites. You don’t want to be trying to do three-point turns to shoehorn a Class A into a Class B-sized site. Some older cities like Santa Fe and New Orleans have narrow streets that would be a nightmare for larger motorhomes to navigate.

When we ticked the boxes, we found that a Class B vehicle is our best fit. It’s our comfort zone: smaller environmental impact, more flexibility, easier to manoeuvre. We lean toward the minimalist approach (don’t need or want TV or toasters). But it’s important to find your own level of comfort and to determine what bells and whistles you want.

It makes sense to invest a little to save a lot. Rent (or borrow) the size motorhome you are thinking of buying. Take it for a weekend and see if it is a good match for your needs and lifestyle. Last fall, we rented a larger Class C in Florida and it was just too much vehicle for our lifestyle – sure, there was more space inside but we couldn’t find parking spaces or back out of anywhere without it becoming a big production. You’ll either be smitten (as we were with our Class B) or totally turned off (as we were by the larger Class C). Only you can decide.

NEW OR USED?

Ahhh . . . that is the question. It’s a matter of how deep your pockets are, and again, finding your comfort level with the mileage on the odometer. Campers and motorhomes are no different from passenger vehicles: the more miles on the ticker, the more wear and tear, the chance that something will eventually wear out or need to be replaced.

Just know that the motorhomes on the road these days can be very expensive new: $150,000 for a decked-out Class B would not be unusual. Class C motorhomes start at around $60,000 and rise rapidly and a bus-size Class A can easily top $250,000.

If you’re on a budget, it’s easy to make a case for buying used. May we suggest:

1. Start searching now. The more units you see, the better idea you’ll have of the different models, interior layouts, price points and conditions. Look online at the manufacturer’s spec sheets (they are available for years gone by). We needed standing room (Craig is 6’2″) and once I looked at the spec sheets we were narrowed down to just a handful of makes and models. There’s a lot of variety on the market. That way, when you find the right unit for your needs and wallet, you’ll know right away. Check Kijiji, autoTRADER, RVT.com, local newspaper ads, online discussion boards for RVers and local RV dealers. Keep your eyes open when you’re driving around town – some units are parked in the driveway with “For Sale” signs in the window.
2. Keeping an eye on ads at autoTRADER, RVT.com or Kijiji gives you an idea of what sale prices are for units by year and mileage. It’s all part of the education. You can also search online at the NADAguides – although the prices given are tracking U.S. sales.
3. Talk to other RV owners to ask what they’d wish they’d known when they purchased their first unit.
4. If buying an RV is a new venture for you, try to bring along a friend who has been down that road before. They’ll have ideas for what to look for and a familiarity with the basics of a camper van.
5. When you find something you’re interested in begin with a phone call and a list of questions (see below). If things look good arrange a time to see and test drive the unit. When you call, ask that the camper features be up and running so they can be tested: the propane for the fridge and cooktop, the fridge should be turned on and running, etc. Bring along your full checklist of things to ask and features to test. Take a lot of notes.
6. Seeing makes all the difference. Layouts vary from one model to the next and you’ll need to find the one that works for you. Craig is over six feet, so testing the comfort of the driving compartment, the length of the bed and headroom standing in the living quarters of the van were make-or-break.
7. Make sure to connect with your insurance agent to get a quote. It’s an important budgeting step.
8. Be patient. Look around and sooner or later the right one will come onto your radar. It took us 14 months of searching to find our current Roadtrek but we looked around a lot, so as soon as we found it, we knew it was the right one.

FEATURES TO THINK ABOUT

• Type of fuel and rate of consumption.
• How comfortable are you backing up? A back-up camera may be for you. Some new models combine GPS and backup camera.
• In our experience, as the bed goes, the trip goes. If we sleep well, we travel well. In our Roadtrek, the back dinette becomes a king-size bed (we keep it in bed mode the whole time rather than switching back and forth). We top it with several inches of memory foam, then a mattress cover, sheets and duvet. The memory foam smooths out the dips and crevices between the couch bed sections. Make sure you can comfortably make up the bed – in some cases it requires a certain amount of gymnastic prowess.
• Is a shower in the unit important? Or will you be relying on showers in campground comfort stations? Check the one inside and (if equipped) the outdoor shower.
• Do you need a microwave? We had one in our old Leisure Travel and never used it once.
• Planning on camping in either hot weather (need an air conditioner?) or cold weather (need a heater?).
• Make sure to run the Fantastic Fan (or similar ceiling exhaust fan). This is one piece on equipment you want to have in tip-top shape. It keeps things cool and the air fresh.
• How about a generator? Some people claim they need it for boondocking, but we’ve spent many days in non-electrical sites and never run down our shore battery. I guess it depends on how many and what kinds of electrical do-dads and gadgets you use. We keep to lights, pumps and recharging our laptops and cameras . . . and that’s pretty much it.
• Space requirements: length of the bed, height inside for standing, size of the driving compartment, inside table space (for working or eating), storage space for clothing, instruments, fishing gear, etc.
• If you plan to do a lot of cooking, you’ll want adequate pantry space and storage for pots and pans. A large enough drawer for utensils and cutlery is really, really nice.

BUYING CHECKLIST

• Why is the current owner selling? How long have they owned it?
• Year and odometer reading?
• Is the body dinged up? Has it ever been in an accident? Ask about any body work (accident related and not).
• Gas consumption – gas or diesel, miles per gallon? City or highway driving?
• How has the camper been used – how often, what times of the year, long trips or short trips, everyday driving or vacation travel? According to our mechanic, infrequent use is not necessarily a good thing.
• How has it been stored – especially over the winter months?
• Who does the regular maintenance – owner or mechanic? Are there records showing regular oil changes, tune-ups, etc.?
• Wear and tear on the tires? Check the condition of the spare.
• Test the batteries – both the engine battery and the leisure/shore battery (the one that runs the interior lights, water pump to the sink and toilet, etc.).
• Have major mechanical parts been repaired or replaced. This would include transmission, brakes, shocks and struts, timing belt, alternator, etc. Are there any written records of this work that show the date/mileage point and the work done?
• Run the water systems: turn the taps on at the sink, flush the toilet, run the showers (inside and outside if there is one).
• Test the propane burners on the stove.
• Inspect the propane tank and, if required, check the certification date. In Ontario, propane tanks need a clean bill of health every few years or the filling stations will not refill your tank. Propane regulations vary and are different in each province or state. Replacing the propane tank is . . . expensive.
• Run the generator. Our manual suggests we run the generator for 20 minutes every month. Ask if it has been used regularly.
• Test the microwave if there is one – you’ll need to be connected to a land power source.
• Turn on the heater and play with the thermostat to make sure that it blows hot air.
• Turn on the air conditioner (you’ll need to be hooked into land power for this).
• Test the ceiling vent fan. The brand Fantastic Fan is the most common and it moves a lot of air very efficiently.
• Test all the inside lights.
• Test the fridge on all settings. We have three-way fridge that runs on 12V, electrical hookup and propane. Chances are you’ll be using the propane hookup and the electrical connection at a campground.
• Inspect the condition of the carbon-monoxide alarm, smoke detector, fire extinguisher.
• Check the condition of walls, ceiling (have there been any leaks?) and flooring.
• Check the condition of the cushions – especially on the bed area – and the curtains.
• Check the outlet valves for the grey water and black water (sewage) tanks.
• Unroll the awning (if equipped) and check for rips, tears and condition of the mechanism. Did you know the number 1 RV insurance claim is awning related?

The chances are that the unit you’re looking at will need some modifications and/or repairs. Best to know what they are right from the start.

For a printable version of this checklist, click here: Camper van – inspection checklist

Picture the foods of the American Southwest: fiery dishes, cold drinks and incredible flavours. It turns out that these are an everyday part of the smaller communities as well as the chic urban eateries across New Mexico and Arizona. The desert of the Southwest is a backdrop where the green chile reigns supreme and the locals will happily share their secrets of freshly made salsa.

COOKBOOKS: If you can find copies of these cookbooks, grab them!

• Southwestern Kitchen, by Jane Butel
• Fiestas for Four Seasons, by Jane Butel
• The Great Salsa Book, by Mark Miller
• Arizona’s Salsa Trail, The Official Guide by Christine Maxa

5 BEST WAYS TO TASTE THE FLAVOURS

1. Follow Arizona’s Salsa Trail in the southeast part of the state. The stops along the trail include a dozen family-run eateries that will set your tastebuds ablaze (and we mean that only in the most positive of ways). Stop in at a grocery store and check out the staggering selection of salsas. Then, bypass the big name brands and buy local.

Our top picks:

• At the tiny El Mesquite Taqueria in Pima, owner Jesus Cabrera roasts his green chiles over fragrant mesquite wood. Jesus serves dishes like Carne Asada Burrito or Birria Tacos with a side of very spicy Sonora style salsa.
• Locals have been stopping in for three decades to eat tasty Huevos Rancheros, the signature dish at El Coronado on Safford’s Main Street. The dish is smothered in homemade salsa – the recipe hasn’t changed in 30 years – tomatoes with oregano, cumin, garlic, onions, cilantro, jalapeños and serrano peppers.
• El Charro boasts three homemade salsas: the signature hot sauce on the menu since 1979, a thicker and spicier chile caribe salsa, and the flaming hot jalapeño salsa.
• The Manor House Restaurant has been on the Salsa Trail since its inception. Their award winning salsa (heavy on the cilantro) flies out the door. They make it in five gallon pails at a time.

2. Look for the green chiles.
You can be methodical about this. Follow New Mexico’s official Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail or just try it scattershot. The chances are you’ll find the ubiquitous green chile on virtually ever menu, breakfast, lunch and dinner. We stopped by the local grocery store to pick up canned, chopped green chiles to try to recreate the recipes back home in the middle of a cold Canadian winter.

Our top picks:

• In Roswell, a stop on New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, they serve up a tongue-sizzling Fire-Roasted Green Chile Cheeseburger at downtown Peppers Grill & Bar. A handmade beef patty is topped with Monterey Jack and a thick slice of roasted Chaves County-grown hot green chile. For added heat, the burger is served on a jalapeño bun and a side of green chile enchilada sauce for dipping.
  
• We found lots of local colour (and chiles) in historic Pinos Altos, a small New Mexican community where the dining magnet is definitely the Buckhorn Saloon. Behind its thick adobe walls is the real deal, complete with a bison head above the bar and a pot bellied stove that’s been a fixture since 1897. Chef-owner Thomas Bock serves up bowls of thick, meaty green chile stew, flavoured with onions and served with soft, warm tortillas for sopping up the drippings. The Saloon’s signature Green Chile Cheese Fries are a plate of fries smothered with a green chile sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese. The juicy, cooked-to-order Buffalo Burger gets its extra kick from a slice of fresh green chile.
  
• 66 Diner on classic Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque, NM has been named one of the top 10 diners in America by Huffington Post. The menu includes a massive Green Chile Cheeseburger, a New Mexican staple and their thick milkshakes consistently win awards as the city’s best.
• The Green Chili Beef Burrito at El Charro in Safford, AZ is a house speciality – an enchilada-style flauta, deep-fried and topped with cheese and sauce, and very filling.

3. Open your tastebuds to frosty margaritas

Our top picks:

• The Classic Margarita at Stables Ranch Grille (in the Tubac Golf Resort) spoiled us for life. Patrón tequila and a splash of Grand Marnier served in two versions: frozen with salt and lime or traditional with rough kosher salt on the rim.
  
• Elvira’s in Tubac where they have nine margaritas on the menu in flavours like agave honey, mango and tangerine-orange. We tried the Tamarind Margarita made with tequila, tamarind pulp, lime and served in a Tajin chile-rimmed glass.
• We loved the House Margarita at La Paloma in southeast Arizona where their advice is to “drink it right off the rim to get a hit of salt.”
• Silver City’s Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery serves a Jalapeño Rita, a Southwest style margarita created with vodka infused with muddled jalapeños. Think: traditional margarita meets Southwest heat.

4. Look for dishes with the trinity of ingredients – corn, chiles and squash.

Our top picks:

• Frida Kahlo Chile Poblano at Elvira’s in Tubac. Stuffed with squash blossom, roasted corn, queso Chihuahua (a Mexican semi-soft cheese made from pasteurized or raw cow’s milk), covered with a bean chipotle sauce. The vibrantly decorated restaurant is considered one of the best Mexican eateries in the state.
  
• One of the best meals we ate in the Southwest was the Tres Queso Relleno at Sandiago’s Mexican Grill in Albuquerque (right at the base of the Sandia Tram). It was a tortilla-encrusted poblano chile filled with goat, Cotija and Monterey Jack cheeses and topped “Christmas” style (with both red and green chile sauces).

5. Embrace Mexican
New Mexico and Arizona are heavily influenced by the flavours from south of the border. Virtually every city or town – no matter how small – has a stable of Mexican restaurants that can satisfy every budget. We travel on the frugal side and luckily there is no shortage of Mexican foods that fall in line with our finances.

Our top picks:

• Chiles Rellenos at La Paloma in Solomon (also a stop on the Salsa Trail) – roasted, mild Anaheim chiles are stuffed with cheddar cheese, fried in a light batter and then doused with two scratch-made enchilada sauces.
• Start with Spinach and Queso Dip (spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, spinach, poblano and Mexican cheeses) and follow up with the signature dish, Carne Seca, at El Charro Café in Tucson’s El Presidio Historic District. The Carne Seca is made of marinated, lean Angus beef sundried on rooftop racks, then shredded and grilled with green chile, onions and tomatoes.
  
• They say Tucson has the best Mexican food north of the border. Testing that claim along “The Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food” requires stamina and a love for dishes like pico de gallo and local specialties like the cult-status Sonoran Hot Dog (a large hot dog wrapped in bacon, and topped with pinto beans, grilled onions, fresh tomatoes, jalapeño sauce, mustard and mayo).
• Pulled Pork Tacos at The Mission in Scottsdale, a moderate-size city that is home to more than 600 restaurants (more per capita than Manhattan – this is foodie heaven). The pork has been marinated overnight (for a minimum of eight hours), topped with Cotija cheese, dried cabbage, pickled jalapeño and a signature pineapple glaze served on a hand pressed corn tortilla.

Think of this page as a “sampler plate.” To completely cover the range of Southern cooking would require pages and pages (and pages . . .). These are the tastes and flavours we thought of as classic Southern, the must-trys, the belt-looseners. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

1. GRITS

Sign outside a typical Southern restaurant (which, of course, serves grits):

The Nuts & Bolts: As Canadians, we don’t think we’d have a hope of finding them on the shelf in our local grocery store. This quintessential Southern dish is made from finely ground corn cooked with milk or water and enhanced with cheese, eggs, butter, hot sauce, shrimp, etc. It shows up on breakfast menus south of the Mason-Dixon line but is just at home on a lunch or dinner menu.

Must-Eat Experiences:

• After a month of ordering Shrimp and Grits at every possible opportunity, I tried one that was completely different – and also delicious – at the Early Girl Eatery in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is a mountain city (read: far from the shoreline) but that didn’t seem to matter. The dish was yummy: jumbo shrimp sautéed in a spicy brown sauce with peppers, green onions, tomato and andouille sausage that had a bit of a kick. Served over stone-ground cheese grits (the chef swears by the stone-ground variety of grits) this version of Shrimp and Grits had a more creamy than tomato base. Loved. Every. Spoonful.
• Shrimp and Grits at the Front Street Grill at Stillwater in historic Beaufort (North Carolina) were calling to me. Really loudly. To think that I almost ordered something else from the menu (having loaded up on shrimp as we travelled down the coast the previous week) . . . best not to think about it. It was an amazing meal of enormous, local shrimp in a tasso gravy with sundered tomatoes and mushrooms, served over stone-ground cheese grits. I am a fan for life.
• The signature dish of Shrimp and Grits at City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi. In 2009 the restaurant won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Southern Chef. We snagged a table at the window and had a great view of the main courthouse square in downtown Oxford. It was like watching the set of a John Grisham novel (in fact, Grisham used to call Oxford home). The dish starts with Original Grit Girl cheese grits and adds plump, sautéed shrimp, garlic, mushrooms, scallions, white wine, lemon juice and local Big Bad bacon. Shrimp and Grits has been on the menu for 21 years and nobody’s talking about taking it off.
• Thought I’d died and gone to heaven with the Shrimp & Grits at the Breakwater Restaurant in small Hatteras village near the bottom of the North Carolina Outer Banks. If you’re unsure about grits, the flavour-filled stone-ground grits of this dish will convert you for life. The grits were the perfect backdrop to soak up a flavour-filled mixture of sautéed Carolina shrimp, spicy Andouille sausage, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic. One of the best meals of our travels.

The Final Word: Grits vary from plain (for those who like their foods tilting toward bland) to a wonderful backdrop for Gulf Coast shrimp, hot sauces and creamy cheese. We’ve learned that not all grits are created the same – they’ve ranged from “meh” to “gimme more” so we’re always willing to give them a try.

2. BISCUITS AND GRAVY

The Nuts & Bolts: Biscuits and gravy are not haute cuisine, but they are classic Southern breakfast comfort food. It is a caloric blowout, for sure. They are so passionate about it across the South that the second week of September has been crowned National Biscuits and Gravy Week. Who knew?

Must-Eat Experiences:

• The chief of police was settled into the booth next to ours at the Blue Ridge Restaurant in Floyd, VA. Two tables over there’s a spirited discussion about local politics. If ever there was a place to experiment with authentic biscuits and gravy, this was it. The serving that arrived was enormous – easily enough to feed two – home-style biscuits doused with a white gravy peppered with sausage bits and a serving of Virginia ham on the side. The Blue Ridge is in the former Floyd County Bank Building – they still use the walk-in vault as a cooler.

The Final Word: It’s definitely “a Southern thing,” showing up on menus from McDonald’s restaurants to virtually every breakfast diner, in every state across the region. Locals we spoke to crave their biscuits and gravy hit in the morning.

3. BARBECUE

The Nuts & Bolts: We think there’s no such thing as bad barbecue . . . some just tastes better than others. But talk about regional rivalries – roasted with sauce, sauce added at serving; dry-rubbed, moist marinade; hickory wood, maple wood. One could spark a bar brawl with this kind of talk.

Must-Eat Experiences:

• We visited months ago but we’re still dreaming of the pork barbecue at Ubon’s Barbecue, just outside Yazoo City, MS. Ubon’s award-winning pork ribs and beef brisket are to die for. Five generations of the Roark family stick close to the original recipes – back in the day they cooked up their sauces in a five-gallon washtub. “Best funeral a dead pig could ever have” boasts a sign outside the kitchen.
• Jim ‘N Nick’s in Birmingham, AL is the original restaurant, the mothership of their locations across the South. Their conviction is that barbecue is the union of hickory and fire. All else stems from this one truth. The sandwich board on the sidewalk claims “the best pulled pork anywhere,” blues riffs drift from the open doorway, and the tantalizing smell of barbecue reaches out and yanks you inside. The meat arrives fresh and is slowly smoked over the low heat of a hickory wood fire (14 hours for the pulled pork). The slow-smoked meat shows up in all quadrants of the menu – in sandwiches, loaded on top of nachos, on baked potatoes, and mixed into salads.
• In Abingdon, VA – along The Crooked Road music trail at the heritage centre called Heartwood the small restaurant serves barbecue including delicious pulled pork on a bun with blue cheese coleslaw, baked beans and sweet & spicy dill pickles. Heartwood holds a free Thursday evening open jam where local musicians play old-time and bluegrass.

The Final Word: Sampling barbecue is the dream assignment. Pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs served with classic Southern sides like baked beans and homemade coleslaw. As one local told us: “My grandfather used to say they’d eat everything but the squeal.”

4. FRIED CHICKEN

The Nuts & Bolts: What can we say? They like to fry things across the South. And they especially like to fry chicken. Southern fried chicken is a religious experience: chicken pieces are battered and then pan-fried or deep-fried in sizzling oil. Seasonings may or may not be part of the equation. There’s a law in the South: Everyone’s mother makes the best fried chicken.

Must-Eat Experiences: 

• In historic Vicksburg, MS – a stop along the beautiful Natchez Trace Trail and the location of the Vicksburg National Military Park – the Walnut Hills Restaurant served us their delicious Blue Plate Special of cayenne-sprinkled fried chicken, fried corn, okra and tomatoes, mustard greens, coleslaw and a tall glass of sweet tea.

The Final Word: You cannot escape from the South without bellying up to a picnic table meal of fried chicken. Our main takeaway? Chicken + batter + hot oil = everyone’s  mother makes the best fried chicken (natch).

5. FRESH SEAFOOD

The Nuts & Bolts: It should come as no surprise that we ate fresh seafood every day while visiting the Gulf Coast states. We asked locals where to find a supplier at the docks, and often there was a shrimp boat tied up outside. Two family-run favourites were 13 Mile Seafood Market (great shrimp and oysters) in Apalachicola, FL and Joe Patti’s Seafood in Pensacola, FL. Without a word of a lie, you can literally jump from the shrimp boat into the side door of Joe Patti’s, one of the largest fresh seafood markets in the whole Southeast.

Must-Eat Experiences:

• Every once in a while a meal lands on the plate that makes us salivate for weeks afterwards, aching for a repeat performance. Such was dinner at the Breakwater Restaurant in the village of Hatteras, well down the coastline of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It would be hard to beat the starter of Steamed Shrimp (21/25 count size) pulled from the sea just a short distance up the NC coast. The moist, meaty, enormous shrimp were seasoned with Old Bay, steamed, and served with melted butter for dipping. We ordered the half-pound and quickly wished we’d indulged in the full pound plate. Their Shrimp & Grits main dish (see Grits, above) was just as amazing.

• Joe Patti’s will steam a bucket of shrimp for you to eat in the car. Grab a handful of napkins and chances are the shrimp won’t even make it out of the parking lot. We bought a pound of shrimp, took it out to the van and cooked it up right away, then ate picnic style.
• The Steamboat Warehouse is one of the few remaining cotton warehouses on the banks of the Bayou Courtableau in tiny Washington, LA. The Eggplant Belle Rose appetizer is worth every one of its seafood-laced gazillion calories: fried eggplant medallions are topped with Gulf shrimp and fresh crabmeat, then smothered with a creamy seafood sauce and chunks of fresh bluepoint crabmeat. So rich we had to share.
• Remoulade (in the French Quarter) serves New Orleans specialties like seafood gumbo, crawfish pie, soft-shell crab and fried catfish. We downed a platter of Shrimp Creole and practically licked the plate.
• It’s crowded. It’s loud. It’s so way bigger than popular. And the seafood is off-the-boat fresh. It’s an Outer Banks classic: Sam & Omie’s in Nags Head, North Carolina. We gorged on seafood with their signature Shrimp Burger (an enormous pile of fried shrimp loaded onto a coleslaw-lined bun). It’s messy but delicious — if you’ve eaten one and don’t have the juices running down your arms . . . well, then you haven’t eaten one.

The Final Word: One can never have too much fresh seafood. And South is the place to get it.

6. CAJUN

The Nuts & Bolts: Cajun cooking is, ahem, “different.” Some might describe it as an acquired taste but for the Cajuns who settled in the bayou and the remote prairie of Louisiana, they depended on a diet that leaned heavily toward seafood, local wildlife (think: gators and shrimp), heavily seasoned dishes and hearty meals, like stews and gumbos.

Must-Eat Experiences:

• Crawfish Town USA in Breaux Bridge, LA specializes in Cajun favourites – gumbo, étouffée, cracklin’, boudin, bisques and crawfish boils. We had a delicious Spicy Shrimp and Chicken Pasta – which sounds ho-hum but was anything but bland.
• Tabasco sauce is made from peppers on a family-run specialty farm on Avery Island in rural Louisiana. Getting to the factory was a drive across miles of low bayou country, past fields of sugar cane and rice but once there we indulged in the short factory tour. They don’t serve full meals at the site but, no matter, you can get Tabasco sauce at virtually every restaurant across the state (and much of the world). It’s a tabletop staple.
• Everywhere across the small towns and down rural roads we saw signs for boudin, gator-on-a-stick and cracklin’.

The Final Word: Sometimes we couldn’t get enough – dishes like shrimp étouffée and pecan pie. Other unique dishes – deep-fried cracklin’ and boudin – were new to our tastebuds but beloved by locals. There’s lots to choose from in Cajun cuisine, so we never went hungry. Loved the spiciness! Best of all, food and music usually went together.

This is bound to be highly subjective since it depends on the road, region, and mood you’re trying to evoke. Take these as suggestions and please offer other worthies.

So, in no particular order . . .

Running On Empty, JACKSON BROWNE
Route 66, NAT KING COLE
Reach Out (I’ll Be There), THE FOUR TOPS
Take It Easy, EAGLES (*check out the actual corner at the town of Winslow, AZ)
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Born To Run, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
I Walk The Line, JOHNNY CASH
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, THE TEMPTATIONS
Cinnamon Girl, NEIL YOUNG
Graceland, PAUL SIMON
Sailin’ Cross The Devil’s Sea, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Roll On Down The Highway, BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE
Blue Suede Shoes, CARL PERKINS
Good Golly Miss Molly, LITTLE RICHARD
(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay, OTIS REDDING
Green Onions, BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s
Heatwave (Your Love Is Like A), MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS
Dancing In The Streets, MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS
Soul Man, SAM & DAVE
Highway 61 Revisited, BOB DYLAN
Callin’ Baton Rouge, GARTH BROOKS
The Bug, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER
Let It Roll, LITTLE FEAT
The Way, FASTBALL
Born To Be Wild, STEPPENWOLF
On The Road Again, WILLIE NELSON
Going Up The Country, CANNED HEAT

Rigby is an easy-travellin’ kind of dog, so we have it made. In fact, she opens doors and brings down barriers with everyone she meets. We’re often astounded at how many dog positive people we encounter – at campgrounds, along city sidewalks, in shops, museums and at parks. We’ve got some general tips of how to source out pet-friendly stays, a list of some of the exceptional dog-friendly destinations we’ve had the pleasure to visit and even a link to a unique dog service in Canada to help if you can’t take Rover with you.

FINDING DOG-FRIENDLY STAYS

Destination websites often are great resources about the where-and-how of visiting with your pet.

Many towns, cities and parks welcome dogs and almost certainly have leash laws (usually a 2m/6ft leash). Off-leash parks may be the exception and a quick Internet check lists those golden spots for romp ’n’ run (kennel cough vaccination is a must-do if using these spaces).

Recognizing the trend for families and snowbirds to travel with pets in tow, many destinations are marketing themselves as dog friendly. In Florida, Panama City Beach boasts two beaches where owners can splash in the waves with their leashed pets. A Pensacola dog park includes a fenced dog beach where off-leash pooches can swim and cool off in the water. In Knoxville, TN, dogs are allowed on dozens of restaurant patios as well as into the famous Blue Plate Special noontime concert series at the city’s visitor centre. The International UFO Museum in Roswell, NM and the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson open their doors to well-behaved dogs on leash.

When it comes to hotel and motel stays, it’s always best to call ahead: some hotels forbid pets, others allow well-behaved pets that are not left unaccompanied and additional charges vary (from outrageous amounts exceeding the base room rate to reasonable fees to cover cleaning). Set a good example: no dogs on the furniture, regular trips to use the outdoor facilities and definitely no barking.

Policies vary at campgrounds as well. While most accept pets (leash regulations apply) it’s best to check in advance. In Ontario, all 30 provincial parks have designated exercise areas and some keep things separate with pet-free campground loops. Check out the Ontario Parks blog posting that details stays with your dog. Each campground website should let you know the do’s and don’ts.

LOOKING FOR DOG CARE?

While we haven’t had to use this service, we’ve heard that in Canada and the U.S. you can find a pre-screened, insured dog sitter who provides a cage-free environment through DogVacay. Rates include pet insurance and a daily photo, so you can stay updated. Can’t vouch for the service but we’d love to hear from those who have!

OUR FAVOURITE “DOG-POSITIVE” STOPS

We are always on the hunt for attractions, parks, etc. where we can include Rigby in our explorations. We know we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s out there, but here are some of our favourites and a few photos to get you thinking of what’s possible:

McGee’s Atchafalaya Basin Swamp Tours, Louisiana
Why we love it: Getting out on a pontoon boat tour is the best way to really understand the Atchafalaya Basin, America’s largest freshwater swamp. The Basin flows between Lafayette and Baton Rouge and its nature-rich waters are largely inaccessible by car. So, boat is the way and McGee’s welcomed Rigby aboard. With gators in the water we were especially vigilant.

International UFO Museum, New Mexico
Why we love it: It can get pretty steamy in southern New Mexico and rather than have dogs left in overheated vehicles, the UFO Museum in quirky Roswell welcomes them into the facility. Rigby was oblivious to the displays of alien sightings and lifeforms but we thought it was pretty cool (even if improbable).

Pima Air & Space Museum, Arizona
Why we love it: One of the world’s largest aerospace museums is on the edge of urban Tucson. Dogs are welcome in both the indoor hangars and the acres and acres of hundreds of aircraft on display outdoors. Walking the grounds covers the entire history of flight from Kitty Hawk to supersonic across 80 acres of American aviation technology. From propeller-driven to jet engine fighters, cargo, reconnaissance, transport and bombers – if American aviation made it, it’s here. 

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, Arizona
Why we love it: We have a soft spot for historic destinations and the ruins (and partial reconstruction) of the original presidio (fort) at Tubac fit the bill. Dogs aren’t allowed in the museum or the buildings but it’s a nice hour-long walk around the grounds. The presidio was built in 1752, establishing Tubac as the oldest European settlement in Arizona.

Tubac Golf Resort, Arizona
Why we love it: To say that Rigby was welcomed here would be an understatement. The golf course and bar are familiar to Kevin Costner fans – parts of Tin Cup were filmed here. Complementing the luxurious surroundings, when we checked into our villa there was a doggie welcome package complete with swag for Rigby. Outside, a spiderweb of trails for an on-leash walk.

Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Why we love it: Twenty types of snakes, 17 species of bats and dozens of varieties of prickly cacti are good reasons to keep your dog on leash. While dogs are not allowed on trails, they are allowed on roadways and in picnic areas (while leashed “with a human attached at the other end”). But the view from a walk along the roadways is still spectacular – forests of cacti, including some of the densest stands of the giant Saguaro cacti, the sentinel of the West only found in the Sonoran Desert. There are approximately 1.6 million Saguaro found in this park near Tucson.

San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Arizona
Why we love it: Many prime birding sites don’t allow dogs, but San Pedro (just outside the snowbird haven of Sierra Vista) welcomes leashed dogs along the largely level trails that wind along a river lined with giant cottonwood groves. Oh yeah, there are birds too. And lots of them – the NCA is a designated Globally Important Bird Area, with more than 100 species of breeding birds and another 250 species of migrant and wintering birds. We shared the trail with binocular-toting birders from around the world who were also enthusiastic dog lovers.

A Taste of Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona
Why we love it: It’s a match made in heaven (consume the calories and then immediately burn them off while walking the dog on this downtown Scottsdale food tour). Most of the time Rigby needed to wait outside the eateries (although some with patios did welcome dogs) but moving from place-to-place was a great way to explore the Old Town district.

Veterans Oasis Park and Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Arizona
Why we love it: The sprawling Phoenix metropolitan area is actually sprinkled with fantastic, natural parks tucked into urban settings. Our two favourites (dog friendly, on leash) were the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, the place for birding with more than 200 species and Chandler’s lake-spotted Veterans Oasis Park. Both have miles of trails for walking through wetlands, riparian and desert settings, and lakes for fishing.

Moab Area Hiking Trails, Utah
Why we love it: Dogs are not permitted on the trails within nearby Arches National Park, but there are pet-friendly trails on much of the public lands that surround the park. While a leash is only recommended in the backcountry, dogs do need to be under verbal restraint and not chase or harass wildlife. We hiked Mary Jane Canyon, soaked our feet in the red mud of the stream and generally just gobbled up the delicious red rock scenery.

Self-guided city walking tours
Why we love them: Most visitor centres have self-guided walking tours of the city core. We check it out every time and can recommend any one of these:
Old Town Albuquerque where paw prints painted on the sidewalks lead from one pet-friendly shop to the next; the old copper mine in Bisbee, Arizona may be long closed, but the downtown has seen a remake of the old Brewery Gulch neighbourhood and the hilly shop-lined streets; Silver City near the Gila National Forest is know for its arts community, colourful murals and brightly-painted storefronts; strolling along one of the Natchez Trails above the banks of the Mississippi River through Bluff Park in the Southern town of Natchez; the historic streets of tiny Lincoln, New Mexico have been preserved as the Lincoln Historic Site, forever associated with the history of Billy the Kid, the charming gunslinger who became the iconic character of a wild and untamed territory;  taking in the mural painted floodwalls in Paducah, Kentucky, a UNESCO Creative City and home to the National Quilt Museum; the whole easily-walkable town of blues-inspired Clarksdale, Mississippi is dog positive; Louisville, Kentucky is a large city with an extremely walkable downtown with a playful spirit. We checked out the enormous baseball bats outside the Louisville Slugger Museum, the giant golden David statue and the curvaceous exterior of the world-class Muhammad Ali Center.

Not saying that Rigby has her own personal physician, but there is a “doctor in the house” so to speak. A member of the family is a practicing veterinarian in Canada and we tap into her words of wisdom for keeping our dog healthy and safe.

1. You can’t leave dogs unattended in vehicles – so plan your trip so you have provisions for an air conditioned place to take them if it’s warm.
   What we do: There are some national parks and attractions with kennels for your pooch to relax while you are hiking (in non-pet areas) or taking in the theme parks, etc. At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in southern New Mexico, there are shaded kennels (free) at the base of the trails. The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson treated Rigby like royalty in their free, climate controlled kennel. Major resorts like Walt Disney World often have onsite kennels for overnight or daytime stays. There are even some museums and attractions that are dog friendly – we found that they welcomed dogs, as well as aliens, into the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico.
2. Watch for ticks – especially in the woods and long grass.
   What we do: Rigby gets checked every day, especially after a romp through the woods or the tall grass. If we find a tick, the tweezers come out and it gets pulled immediately. There’s tough to find when they’re small, so we make sure to do a tactile check every day. But, as they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – we make sure she gets the proper dose of anti-tick meds through the season (we use a product like K9 Advantix).
3. Heartworm disease is a problem, even in the south in the winter months.
   What we do: Heartworm is easy to prevent – through regular testing and regular preventative medication through our vet. The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association says: “the preventive program involves giving the dog a pill or applying a solution to the skin once a month during mosquito season . . . this medication destroys the immature heartworms transmitted by the mosquitoes and stops the cycle of the parasites.”
4. If your pet suffers from anxiety, talk to your vet about medications or behaviour modification strategies. Be aware that medications may have stronger effects if you are at higher elevations.
   What we do: Rigby is just about as laid back as they come, so this hasn’t been a problem for us. Calming routines and the chance to exercise has been our ticket to keeping her a happy traveller. Off-leash parks are a dog owner’s nirvana. Ask around and check out the page on dog-friendly destinations.

MUST HAVE

• leash & collar with ID tags
• veterinarian certificate/immunization records – rabies, Lyme disease
• medications – tick/flea meds, Heartgard, any prescription medications
• dog food (in original packaging) and treats
• food and water bowls
• poop bags (what goes in, must come out . . .)
• “poo finding flashlight” (for those nighttime runs)
• paw towels
• ball and thrower
• brush
• dog bed
• favourite chew toy
• photo of your pet, in case you (gasp!) get separated
• finally . . . don’t forget the dog!

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• microchip number
• collapsible water bowl for hikes
• dog backpack
• dog PFD/lifejacket
• crate
• harness/restraint for inside the RV
• pet shampoo
• with a vet’s approval – antihistamine for allergies, motion sickness medication, anti-diarrheal

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Pet Poison Hotline 24/7 (Canada and U.S.)  1-800-213-6680
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (Canada and U.S.)  1-888-426-4435

PRINT HERE: Dog packing checklist

There are three types of people in the world: those who make lists, those who follow lists and those who have no need for lists. If you fall into the third category . . . well, can’t help you. But we are list makers (and followers) because it’s a time saver (why reinvent the wheel each time around?) and it helps us avoid the hair-tearing-out frustration of needing to buy Item A, when we know we have a perfectly good Item A at home.

To make your life easy, we’ve assembled a Packing checklist that’s divided into camping items and people items.

If you’re travelling with a dog, you’ll find a detailed Dog Packing Checklist at this page.