While there are numerous RV campgrounds on the outskirts of Vancouver and in nearby communities, only one commercial RV park is located near the downtown area and it already has a waiting list of 100. The park board’s commendable decision to open beach parking lots puts 365 more RV camping spots downtown close to Olympic venues.

If you travel to the Olympics make sure to take the Aquabus ferry across the bay to Granville Island for lunch at the indoor Public Market. Savory scented stalls sell and cook everything from fresh fish to exotic produce. It’s a good place to stock your larder. You’ll find lots of excitement and live music downtown, but if you want to experience the true flavor of Vancouver, locals say you’ll have to venture out to the city’s collar neighborhoods. That’s where you’ll find Vancouver’s funky boutiques stocked with Canadian designer fashions, Lebanese delis, Italian coffee shops and other avant-garde delights.

Enjoy the games if you RV to Vancouver, but spend some time exploring the city, too. It’s a place worth savoring.

Today we continue our list of can’t miss holiday light displays. See our last post for more Top 10 Christmas light shows.

Magical Nights of Lights in Lake Lanier, GA from Nov. 22-Dec. 30 is known as the world’s largest animated light extravaganza. Six miles of twinkling displays and live nativity with actors and animals.

Holiday Festival of Lights in Charleston, SC from Nov.14-Jan.4 turns Charleston’s main park into a magical fairyland.

Enchanted Garden of Lights in Chattanooga, TN from Nov. 21-Jan. 3 transforms the natural beauty of Rock City’s gardens. Millions of lights illuminate rock formations on the Enchanted Trail.

Southern Lights in Lexington, KY from Nov. 22-Dec. 30  is an exciting electric fantasy with petting zoo, model railway, Santa, crafts and more.

Mission Inn in Riverside, CA from Nov. 28-Jan. 4 transforms the grounds into a beautiful Victorian fantasy with Dickens’ Carolers and romantic carriage rides.

Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO from Nov. 1-Dec. 30 is transformed into a winter wonderland with millions of lights. You’ll be mesmerized by the 5-story Special Effects Christmas Tree with 250,000 lights that blink in time to Christmas songs.

Oglebay Festival of Lights in Wheeling, WV from Nov. 4-Jan. 5 has one of the largest light displays. Drive along a 6-mile drive through 300 acres filled with spectacularly lit scenes.

Fantasy of Lights in Pine Mountain, GA from Nov. 14-Dec. 30 features a 5-mile drive past 13 gorgeous holiday light displays. Eight million lights make it the brightest Christmas display in the South.

Smoky Mountain Winterfest in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN fill the mountains with a fantasy of lights from late fall through February. Gatlinburg’s Christmas Parade features lighted floats, marching bands and giant balloons.

Trail of Lights in Austin, TX from Dec. 14-23 is a beautiful mile-long display of 42 lighted scenes. On Dec. 6 watch the lighting of 39 lighted streamers 155 feet tall suspended from historic Moonlight Tower. Wow!

More Wednesday.

Growing RV sales have been one of the few bright lights in an otherwise dim U.S. economy. Increasing interest in the RV lifestyle has increased both new and used RV sales which has caused RV manufacturers to ramp up production, rehire laid off workers and hire new workers. The RV nation is certainly doing its part to light up the economy.

As the RV industry prepares to celebrate its centennial next year, 2010 is expected to herald new trends in the industry. Simplicity, discretionary thrift, mercurial consumption and green living are expected to drive the RV sales market in the coming year.  Among the highlights of the RVIA RV show will include a presentation by Silvio DiSalvatore, father of the family that won NBC’s hit summer reality show Great American Road Trip. DiSalvatore, who has repeatedly said the RV trip was the best time he and his family have ever had, will talk about his family’s summer RV experience.

Placing a classified ad on RVT.com couldn’t be easier. Just click on “Sell RV” on our homepage and follow the five simple steps to creating an online ad. Along the way we offer plenty of tips and suggestions that will drive maximum traffic to your ad. RVT.com gives you 12 photos and unlimited text space to show off your RVs special features. There’s an option to add more pictures, a floor plan and even video of your RV to enhance your ad. If you don’t have computer access, you can submit your ad and photos to RVT.com by mail using our handy Mail-in Form.

Before you place your ad, read RVT.com’s valuable RV Selling Tips and check our articles and newsletter files for more online sales tips. Get ideas for how to word your ad and what to include by checking out current RV ads listed on RVT.com. If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to contact our helpful support team. We’re here to help you sell your RV.

Sometimes called “snow birds,” these savvy RVers have discovered a lifestyle that is not only promotes good health and happiness but is kind to the environment. Compared to the energy expended by a typical home, RVing is a particularly green way to live. Relocating twice a year minimizes heating and cooling use, reducing energy consumption even further.

Not only does living year-round in a sunny, outdoor environment encourage exercise, boost vitamin D absorption and promote RVers’ good health, but green RV living gives a nice boost to the planet’s health too. As RVers will tell you, it’s the best of both worlds!

Are you ready to embrace the RV lifestyle? RVT.com makes it easy to buy the RV of your dreams online.

While you’ll still have to pay for RV camping, concessions and a few other premier services like heritage expeditions, you’ll save on waived entrance fees, boat launch fees and other normal recreational expenses.

A number of state’s are following the fed’s lead and also waiving fees on Veterans’ Day. Florida State Parks will waive day-use entrance fees for all visitors. Check state park websites to see who is participating. Certain rec sites may be excluded from the offer.

If you want to get a quick overview of state parks near you or along your travel route, StateParks.com gathers them all onto one easy to navigate website. From the U.S. map on the homepage, you can quickly click from state to state to get a list of parks. Locations, directions, amenities and user reviews with links to individual park websites are provided for each park. A great RV resource.

Back in the early days of automotive history, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and Thomas Edison were camping buddies who, like President Theodore Roosevelt and other manly men of the day, often set out into the wilds to commune with nature. According to the post, Firestone is rumored to have built an RV on a 1929 Studebaker chassis and this ancient RV may have been one of a limited production.

Taking a look at the venerable hulk, it’s possible to see inklings of early RV models. The well-weathered Studebaker has the look of an army truck circa 1950 with a roomy cab and diamond grill-covered windows in the rectangular van-like cargo area. It’s safe to say that this early RV lacked the comfortable amenities of its modern incarnations.

Whatever the actual history of this supposed ancient motorhome,  the “Dulce Domum” painted on the vehicle’s side certainly expresses the sentiments of modern RV owners everywhere. It’s Latin for “Sweetly at Home.”

You won’t find used RVs as old at the 1929 Studebaker dinosaur found in South Carolina, but you will find plenty of comfortable, modern, new and pre-owned RVs in excellent condition for sale at great prices on RVT.com.

At an RV show you can check out all the top RV manufacturers and their most popular models under one roof. It’s a great way to comparison shop. See what’s standard and what new features are being offered. Walk through a variety of models and get a true feeling for the space available and whether it’s a good fit for you and your family. Bring the kids. They’ll have as much fun at an RV show as you will.

At an RV show you’ll find plenty of folks to answer your questions and fill you in on the latest advances in RV technology. You’ll also pick up plenty of useful how to and been there done that tips from veteran RVers. Use the show to create a shopping list of must have features, then do your shopping online at RVT.com where you’ll find hundreds of new and used RVs at great prices.

There’s nothing like a roaring campfire on a cool fall evening. Sitting around the campfire swapping stories and watching the stars are among the joys of RV camping.  But starting a fire in the fall can be a challenge. When the weather’s cold and damp, so is the wood. Campfire in a Can is the solution. Campfire in a Can provides a toasty fire that is safe enough to burn on a wood deck or patio carpet. Natural looking logs and an adjustable flame create a cozy campfire experience. Compact and lightweight, the long propane hose stores conveniently inside the canister, making it easy to store in your RV.

It’s pleasant to sit outside your RV and take in the colorful landscape. Red and yellow leaves drift slowly in the breeze, squirrels scamper up and down trees, the air has a special tang and crispness — ah, autumn! Tempachair keeps fall chills at bay. A portable, heated director chair that uses radiant heat technology, Tempachair keeps your backside toasty while you sit outside your RV enjoying the sights and smells of autumn.

Find these and many more products and RV accessories on RVT.com. Just click on RV Accessories on our home page for a continually updated list of products geared to make your RV travel experience exceptional.