Design Studio22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDTPassport America News Blasthttp://multibriefs.com/briefs/PASSPORT/PASSPORT.xmlenBirders like to talk about how much we appreciate every bird, even the most common ones we see on the feeder every day, and that may well be true. But the rare birds — the ones that take some blood, sweat and tears to find — those are the birds that get our hearts racing.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbcab5f12241A retired couple who are now serving as campground hosts in the Olympic National Forest have received high honors from the U.S. Forest Service. Bob and Karen Pauly have been volunteering at Seal Rock Campground in Quilcene, Wash., for the past three years and have been named Volunteer Campground Hosts of the Year for their hard work. They were presented with certificates and some new camping items at a special ceremony. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbc7de03e332Golf Card International has nearly 3,000 golf courses offering up to 50 percent off green fees! Minimum discount is 25 percent. Many offer FREE green fees. Some of the top rated participating golf courses include Badlands in Las Vegas that offers 50 percent off green fees, along with the Villa Roma Resort and Country Club in New York, which Golf Digest describes as "A little slice of heaven". Golf Card offers a one-year membership for $5922 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbbec7ed4e33Andy Isaacson, a travel writer and photographer, writes about his recent journey through California's remote northeast in an RV. "When I booked the RV online a couple of months earlier, I found myself signing up for not so much a mode of transportation as a set of desirable feelings, Isaacson said. "With a Cruise America RV," the website said, 'you can roam wherever your spirit takes you, throughout the US and Canada. And with a full kitchen in your RV, you can skip out on endless drive-through menus and enjoy more satisfying meals and snacks.' " 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbab895fe384Some 30 million Americans will hit the road this summer in their RVs. Whether you're a seasoned traveler, a retired couple looking to shake things up, or a family on your annual summer vacation, consider any of these top five RV parks in America. Some offer amazing amenities, while others feature breathtaking scenery and picture-worthy views.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbba7ea025ad5The Monaco name is familiar to many RV enthusiasts, current and aspiring owners alike. Monaco RV, a Navistar company since 2009, produces motor homes under the Monaco and Holiday Rambler brands. The 2012 Monaco Knight is an elegant diesel pusher includes all the creature comforts and storage required for a weekend jaunt or a long-term live-aboard stay.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbb988a03ed6Of all the amazing national parks in the West, Colorado's Mesa Verde is surely one of the most impressive. Mesa Verde National Park was established on June 29, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt to, as he put it, "preserve the works of man." It was the first national park of its kind. Today it is also a World Heritage Site. Recently voted by National Geographic as one of the top 10 places to travel in the world, Mesa Verde offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbba1c6f9407From basic tent trailers to luxurious motor homes, there's no shortage of options when it comes to choosing an RV. But before you start mentally calculating what you can afford, there's a more important question: what is your vehicle capable of towing? 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbb7d5da9038A new government study says 5 percent of vehicles involved in crashes experienced tire problems. The study warned that underinflated tires are at significantly higher risk of causing a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a study of crash data from 2005-2007 found that vehicles with tires underinflated by 25 percent or more were three times as likely to be involved in a crash linked to tire problems. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbbd6f434df9The road is truly home now for Dave and Chris Plumberg. While many retired couples like to spend winters by the ocean and summers in the mountains, few go "all in" as the Plumbergs have. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbc86341c1610Gas prices in the U.S. soared through early 2012, and amid forecasts anticipating $4 —or $6! — per-gallon rates, surveys indicated that Americans were scaling back summer travel plans, perhaps even looking to stay closer to home with a repeat of the staycation trend. In recent weeks, though, gas prices have dropped consistently and are expected to stay well below last year’s prices. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbba9be832af11There is air, there is fresh air, and then there is the brisk, briny, oxygen-thick air that rides in on wild ocean waves. That's the air you'll breathe when you round the tip of southern Vancouver Island and follow the Pacific Marine Circle Route. This 158-mile scenic drive begins in Victoria, hugs the western coastline to Port Renfrew, then travels across the island to Cowichan Bay before returning to B.C.'s capital.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbbb7ce068212For thousands of RV devotees who visit each year, the RV/MV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind., is the equivalent of a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley's Graceland. The 55,000-square-foot shrine to the RV industry showcases America's love affair with camping and the free-wheeling lifestyle that has spawned dozens of clubs professing their loyalty to all things Winnebago.22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbba7918b21913Teton County commissioners in western Wyoming will pay an attorney $150 per hour to oversee a Buffalo Valley property owner’s appeal of a land-use ruling. Commissioners agreed to hire attorney Mike Barton to handle an appeal hearing for Buffalo Valley RV Resort owner Harry Washut, who contends he should be allowed to bring recreational park trailers onto his property without special approval from county planners, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbc5de0c21c14Eighteen of Michigan's more popular state forest campgrounds are being added to the state campground reservation system this season. That's a first for the remote and rustic campgrounds that have always operated on a first-come, first-serve basis. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbc8fcd77d115It is an industry on the rise. The RV Corral in Eugene, Ore., is seeing customers return by the numbers. The industry was hit hard by the economy in 2008, but owners say this time around it is not just retired folks buying RVs. 22 May 2012 15:26:02 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4fbbaca720d3316