Frozen Dead Man Days is just one of many fun things RVers can do in cities across North America.

Fun Things RVers Can Do In Any City

Trying to find interesting, fun, offbeat things to do in most any city or area?

Let’s face it, as Xscapers most people would say that we’re a bit on the weird side. They may not be entirely wrong as we have chosen to live a somewhat unconventional life on the road. We left our homes and joined a traveling circus, so to speak. Given that we march to the beat of a different drummer, it’s safe to assume that we are almost always looking for interesting, fun, and off-beat things to do as we travel. How do we find the fun? Here are our top tips for searching out all of the above in most any city or area.

Convergences

If you are just hitting the road or recently joined Xscapers, a recommended first stop is attending a Convergence. Convergence Director J.P. Smith could easily be called Xscaper’s Director of Fun. Not only will you get to experience some unique activities in generally interesting places, but you will have an opportunity to meet a ton of people, find your own tribe members and hear about all of the places they have been and their recommendations. And let’s be honest, if you’re looking for fellow travelers to have fun with, a Convergence is more than recommended, it’s probably kind of a Duh. Just go. Go all in and you’ll understand. 

Just Google It

Entering search terms like “interesting things to do near me” or in a specific area can give you a treasure trove of fun and interesting places to see and events to attend. Summer is the peak season for events, fairs, and, festivals and with a little digging, you can go beyond the conventional state fairs, county fairs, and strawberry festivals and find some offbeat gems like The Oregon Country Fair (the dream of the 60’s is alive) and “Frozen Dead Guy Days” in Colorado. COVID-19 has unfortunately forced the cancellation of many of these events, but hopefully, things get back to normal soon or offbeat normal as in the case of McMinnville Oregon’s UFO Festival. Switching to Google Maps for an area search can also let you browse for interesting places especially if you click on “show imagery” to see photos.

Frozen Dead Man Days is just one of many fun things RVers can do in cities across North America.

Websites

Your Google searches will probably also lead you to websites like Tripadvisor with listings and ratings of things to do. Try the “Adventurous”, “Hidden Gems” and/or “Fun Things to Do” search or filters on either of those. Yelp has an “active life” category that can sometimes help you find interesting and fun activities in an area like a bar where you can drink and throw axes (what could possibly go wrong?). We take all the review sites with a grain of salt but Yelp is especially famous for this funny collection of users giving National Parks one star reviews.  If you are down with a discount (and who isn’t?)  Groupon offers cut-rate fun things to do in many area. Our favorites usually include beer and wine tastings, but a search of our current area in Bend, Oregon reveals we could also score a “Marijuana Edible Production Course” at a 96% discount. Atlas Obscura bills itself as “the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders” and is a great site for finding unique places. We also have a copy of the book on our Kindles.  For out-of-the-ordinary places to camp, a Harvest Host membership can let you access wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums and more across North America. Bonus – Xscapers get a 20% discount.

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Apps

Of course, there’s an app for everything and Instagram is a good place to start in your quest. The “gram” has been accused of loving places to death with geotagging leading to hordes of selfie-takers. Ditch the crowds and look for places off the well-beaten path. In general, we try to avoid crowded National Parks especially in peak season, and prefer BLM land and National Monuments. We like to follow regional photographers and travelers who take photos of interesting places we might want to visit. With the geotag backlash, many places are no longer specifically tagged so you might have to direct message the photographer to find out more details. Using the above-mentioned Google Maps and imagery search can also work to help decode a spot. When we find a place we like on Instagram, we use the save function for later reference. You can also search and follow hashtags for cities and regions.  The AllTrails app is often a good source for hikes and bike rides in less visited areas. Roadtrippers is a route planning app that includes roadside attractions and side trips that might be worth checking out. 

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Go Local

State and local visitor’s offices and websites can be a great source of information. If you visit a local office you will often find some friendly helpful folks who are happy to provide tips and info based on your interests. These could include scenic byways, farms, wineries, bikes paths and craft beer/whiskey/margarita trails (don’t combine with the byways without a designated driver of course!). Their websites will have a ton of links for ordering free maps and brochures but also let you download digital copies.

So these are some of the tools we’ve used to find things to do when we land in a new place. What are we missing? How do you Find the Fun? What’s the weirdest place you have been to? Let us know in the comments below and keep Xscapers weird!

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Author

Scott & Jaime Sichler

Scott and Jaime are originally from Oregon, but left to pursue corporate careers in Los Angeles, California. After 17 years, they ditched the rat race and sold their house to become full-time RVers. Since 2016, they’ve been traveling throughout the US and Baja, Mexico in their 2007 Winnebago Journey with their dog Crosby. They enjoy the outdoors and document their travels at AwayWeWinnebago.com 

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