I’m always writing about sports cars, convertibles, hip looking vans and the like, so I thought it was time for something different.

Last week I took a four- day RV trip through the Canadian Rockies with my good friend, Adeline. We drove from Calgary through Banff to Lake Louise and stayed in campgrounds along the way.

I was invited to experience Go RVing Canada along with Banff/Lake Louise tourism.

Driving an RV has been, believe it or not, a long-time dream. I was terrified that I would not be able to drive one, so it was a big stretch (literally) for me. Also, I wanted to spend time with Adeline. We had four days together to talk non-stop in some of the most astoundingly beautiful places I have ever seen.

Our Class C Mini Motorhome was 29 feet long and a few cars wide (8.5 feet wide). It slept six with a master bedroom, sleeping loft (cab-over bunk) full-on kitchen, bathroom and dining room. For a girl living in Manhattan it was plenty big. Plus, there was tons of storage spaces and cabinets—even a couple of outside closets for our suitcases and lawn chairs.

Driving the “rig” was actually a breeze. We didn’t even get any driving directions. Our only instruction was to turn wide. It didn’t even feel big until I had to turn into a gas station. I almost knocked over a gas pump, got stuck on a curb and then nearly backed into Adeline. True, it was a slug going up hills but I quickly caught on to using cruise control. For some reason that really pumped up the torque and I was actually flying.

More important than driving instructions were the directions on how to hook up the different hoses when we got to the campsite—electric, water and yes, even waste. At the end of four days I was feeling like RV WOMAN—turning nozzles, attaching hoses, flipping switches. (Not at all like the RV movie with Robin Williams!)

The truck itself was very bare-bones, nothin’ fancy, a regular dial radio and no GPS!! We did have a Gypsy Guide, a audio tour/satellite radio that gave us directions and history, but we kept getting lost because we were talking over it.

And on the question of mileage-the RV gets approx 12-13 mpg. Just know that it cost me $220 Canadian dollars to fill it less than ¾ full. But, along with the cost of rental (around $850 off season) it makes sense for a vacation.

Truly, how cool is to drive a “home” with all your possessions along for the trip. Kind of the same reason that I like cruising—everything is in one place. Need a sweater? No problem—go get one in the closet. Wanna’ snack? Hey, you can make popcorn (in the microwave) while your mate is driving. And traveling is such a breeze—no waiting lines, no suitcase schlepping, no security, no check in at a hotel.

And Canada…. Ahhh… The Rockies are mind-altering. We were there off-season so there was no traffic in the parks and the roads are well-maintained, wide and well-paved. I’d do it again in a nano second.

How can you do this?
Check out www.gorving.ca