Podcast 265: Why Electric Bikes are so popular with RVers

This week on the podcast we are going to learn about the booming popularity among RVers of Electric Bikes and out special guest is Ty Collins, the marketing director of Rad Power Bikes. Regular listeners know that Rad Power Bikes has been a loyal sponsor of this podcast for years now. But my interview with Ty is not a commercial. I asked him to come on the show to answer so many of the questions I get from RVers about ebikes. Show Notes for Episode #265 Oct. 23, 2019 of The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK JENNIFER It's been another busy week of RV travel for us. Friends have joked that the day after we had the first frost of the fall, we were on the road headed to warmer climes. That's true! MIKE We are now on Okaloosa Island on the part of the Florida panhandle they call the Emerald Coat and we'll stay here pretty much through Thanksgiving, driving a few hours every Friday to Southwest Georgia where our so Matthew is a senior playing his last year of high school football. JENNIFER But though we surely love it down here (October and early November are fabulous months weather-wise on this part of Florida), we'll head back to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas. MIKE And then it's our annual winter campout in the snow at Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's snow-covered Upper Peninsula. The dates for the gathering are January 10-12, 2020. Here's a link to the details on our special RV Lifestyle Winter Campout group on Facebook. You have to join the group to read it but if you've never camped in the winter and want to try it out, request to join and you can join our winter fellow travelers. It's a ball. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Dish Outdoors, which lets RVers pay as they go and watch HD satellite television from wherever they are camped with easy to set up gear made with the RVer in mind. Just go to https://rvlifestyle.com/dish for details on the service and special deal just for listeners of this podcast RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Check out this interesting feature on the lone federal judge who oversees the wild court of Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is one of Mike and my favorite American national parks. It is just such a unique place - so I read with interest a story that ran yesterday on the federal judge who works there. The judge handles all those crazy cases we write about from time to time - people trying to pet elk, walk on geysers, harass bison, etc. The judge also handles the more mundane things like drunk driving, domestic violence, and other issues that come up. If you are a person like us who is fascinated by everything Yellowstone, the story is well worth the read. MIKE Haunted campgrounds sure to send chills up your spine We've all heard of haunted houses, haunted corn mazes, but have you ever heard of a haunted campground? Outside magazine had an article on haunted campgrounds, just in time for Halloween. The story highlighted several campgrounds throughout the country that some considered haunted. Some of the places offer night time tours in late October. Halloween camping has become so popular many campgrounds sell out months in advance. JENNIFER Many express strong opposition at idea to privatize national park campgrounds and add WiFi, food trucks and other services As word spread of a proposal we shared with you last week to privatize campgrounds in some American national parks, so did opposition to the idea. An advisory committee recommended last week that American national parks turn to private companies to modernize the nation's campgrounds by adding WiFi, food trucks, limits to senior discounts, more rentals, etc. But opposition to these ideas is also rising, as various groups express concern saying they like getting away from modern life, enjoy the rustic feel, and are worried some would be priced out of updated, privatized campgrounds. This is a story we surely continue to be hearing more about in the weeks to come. MIKE Woman shares story of how her dog was possibly bit by bobcat when camping Ever let your dog go off leash and run a bit on a camping trip? A woman was in the news last week after she went camping in northern Michigan, let her five dogs off leash at her camping spot, and when she came home noticed a strange bite pattern on one of her dog's neck. She took the pet to her vet and the vet told her the marks appeared to be those of a bobcat. The story is worth checking out, and a good reminder of how our pets can be at risk in ways we may not even consider. JENNIFER Human noise pollution becoming greater problem at national parks, researchers say Human noise is getting harder and harder to escape even in the nation's parks, according to a new report. In a fascinating story out last week, researchers discussed sound recordings they are making at the nation's parks, and how prevalent human noise is - even in the most remote locations. They are analyzing the recordings to discover how often sounds generated