Dry, hot and barren!

These are the three words that usually spring to mind when we talk or think about deserts.

While on the most part, these assumptions rain true, some deserts actually turn out to surprise us.

In fact, deserts are fast becoming a popular destination to take an RV vacation. C’mon if the girls of “Sex and the City” can do it, so can we right?

So where are these deserts? Most of us have heard of the Great Basin and the Colorado Desert, but did you know there are actually quite a few more?

At Jurnii, we know you just want to go to one place to find out all there is to know about a topic…this is why Wikipedia is probably such a hit.

With this in mind, we have developed an ultimate guide to the deserts of the US, offering all the information about their location, size and where there is to stay in them.

So why not check it out and start exploring America’s great deserts.

Here’s a few to get you started

Chihuahuan Desert

Noted as the third-largest desert in the Western Hemisphere, the Chihuahuan Desert primarily consists of basins broken down by numerous mountain ranges. Several of its larger mountain ranges include the Sierra Madre, the Sacramento Mountains and the Guadalupe Mountains, all of which are great for exploring.

Colorado Desert

As a major part of the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Desert is home to many unique flora and fauna, while at the same time boasting countless barren, but exceptionally beautiful landscapes.

Common desert wildlife you may spot here includes mule deer, bobcat, desert kangaroo rats, black-tailed jack rabbits and red-diamond rattlesnakes.

Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert is home to mountain ranges, valleys, endoheic basins, salt pans and seasonal saline lakes, making it a land of vast contrasts and dramatic landscapes. Spring is a particularly beautiful time to visit as this is when the wildflowers come out and create a blanket of color over the desert plains.

- Chrissy

Want to see more? This is just a taste. Check out the full guide here.

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Here at Jurnii we like our things odd. In fact, we have dedicated an entire series of blogs to the weirdest, wackiest and most wonderful attractions of the US.

Now, we’ve taken it one step further and have branched out to strange festivals. Sure, attractions are nice and interesting to look at, but a festival allows you to immerse yourself in the weird and wacky and make your strangest fantasies a reality.

So why not take a look at our brand new guide to America’s Oddest Festivals? But in the meantime, here’s a taste of what you can expect:

Fruitcake Toss

Not a fan of fruitcake? Well there’s no better way to get rid of it than at the annual Fruitcake Toss festival in Manitou Springs. Either throw or catapult the damn thing as far as you can, before checking out the art show or taking part in a relay.

International Rotten Sneaker Contest

Definitely one of America’s more strange festivals, the Rotten Sneaker Contest allows participants to content for the smelliest shoes, with the winner having their prized possessions placed in the prestigious “Hall of Fume”.

Interstate Mullet Toss

If you get your kicks throwing fish around, boy is this festival perfect for you. Competition heats up every year in April, where the person who can throw a one-and-a-half-pound fish the furthest, wins the title of the day!

World Cow Chip Throwing Contest

Cow chip throwing is a popular past time throughout the state of Oklahoma but the concentration of experts can be found within the town of Beaver. The stories you will hear are all true, so when you visit be prepared to duck to avoid the need for facial reconstruction.

Pillow Fighting World Championships

While it may not be your traditional pillow fighting, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun. This festival is all about getting dirty…literally. Throw in some pillows, good food and hilarious entertainment and you’ve got yourself one festival you really don’t want to miss.

- Chrissy

Intrigued? Check out Jurnii’s guide to America’s Oddest Festivals to find out more!

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Taking a vacation in an RV usually involves a lot of planning, and what better way to do this than to pick up a few guide books. The market for RV Guides is huge so it’s hard to know which ones to choose.

To make things a bit simpler for our Jurnii readers, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 5 must-reads before taking your RV vacation.

So buckle up and get out those reading glasses, because you are about to be transported into the big, wide world of RV books!

1. 2011 Trailer Life Campground Directory

A guide to RV Parks and Campgrounds is essential while on the road. It saves the hassle of stopping to search on the Internet or asking around.

The 2011 Trailer Life Campground Directory is your one-stop guide to the best places to camp in North America and is somewhat of a bible to RV travelers. Aside from well-rounded information on RV parks, this useful resource also acts as a guide to the nation’s RV service centers, LP gas locations and the best tourist attractions to visit.

This guide is a must-have for avid RV campers.

2. Wal-Mart Atlas

While Wal-Mart may not be a campground or RV Park, the concept is basically the same. Perfect for tired and weary travelers, Wal-Mart is the perfect place to quickly stop for a night…and the best part is that it’s free!

The Wal-Mart atlas provides driving directions to more than 4,000 stores across the country, making it your one-stop-guide to America’s free camping.

3. 2011 RVers Friend

If you aren’t a fan of camping at Wal-Mart overnight, the 2011 RVers Friend is the travel guide for you. It lists over 6,600 Travel Centers across the US and Canada.

These travel centers (formerly known as truck stops) have all the basic utilities for a comfortable night in your RV, with some even boasting hook-ups and dump stations.

This guide will tell you where they are and how to get to them, making it essential for lovers of free camping!

4. National Park Service Camping Guide

The National Park Service Camping Guide provides detailed information on over 400 campgrounds in the 118 National Park Service Areas in the US. It is your one-stop-guide to everything you need to know about camping in these amazing places.

National Park camping is an extremely popular option in the US, so it pays to be prepared if you want this to be an option for you.

5. Interstate Travel Guide

If you are looking for one book that will quickly guide you to rest areas, welcome centers, scenic turnouts and RV dump stations along America’s Interstate Highways you can stop your search.

The Interstate Travel Guide provides you with all of this information, plus much, much more, making it the essential guide for those just starting out in the RV travel world.

-Chrissy

Think we have left out some of the essential RV Guide Books? Tell us what they are in the comments below!

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