It was an amazing experience for Pete’s RV Center to be part of Matthew’s wish for his family to have their own RV!

The pictures and video we took do not completely show just how excited Matthew was once reality hit him that the 2011 Limited Edition Passport 3220BH with all the fixings was going home with the family.

You can experience Matthew’s dream come true on the Pete’s RV YouTube Channel!

More pictures of Matthew’s big wish can be found on the Pete’s RV Facebook page!

The Vermont Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation did an incredible job assembling this wonderful gift for Matthew.

Additional thanks to Keystone RV Company for their generosity.

Matthew and his family will be camping at various Northeast location this summer. Happy RVing Matthew!

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation’s mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

Well done, indeed!

When eleven year-old Abbie McGinnis set out for a six-week RV trip with her parents and two brothers, little did she know just how much fun it was going to be. Abbie had camped before, but never for this long, or this extensively.

Packing up a forty-foot Discovery 39L Class A Diesel Motorhome, the McGinnis recreation vehicle offered the comforts of home and logical choice for taking on such an aggressive itinerary. The family was able to travel at their own pace, have “meals on wheels”, pick and choose where and when they bunked down for the night, and enjoy the flexibility to deviate from travel plan A to B (or even C!) with ease.

The trip started from Abbie’s hometown in Essex Junction, VT and traversed more than eight thousand miles of the United States, passing through or stopping in nearly twenty states. Along the way, the family visited with friends and took in incredible sites and national landmarks. Few people get to see in a lifetime what Abbie experienced in one trip!

During the six-week tour, Abbie and her family visited the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Yosemite National Park, the Great Salt Lake, Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls. They also enjoyed Major League Baseball games in AZ and CA, Sea World San Diego, Downtown Disney Anaheim, Las Vegas, Cedar Point Amusement Park in OH, and the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON. Impressive list of destinations to say the least!

Todd, the sales manager at Pete’s RV Center in South Burlington, VT and his wife Lisa decided to hit the road with Abbie and her brothers, Zach and Jake before it became too challenging to get the family together. “With Jake graduating from high school next year, and Abbie and Zach not far behind, we figured this summer was the perfect time to go on a cross country trip.” Todd added, “Taking the trip together was essential because it bonded the entire family to the experience.”

Thanks to Abbie’s grandfather and social networking websites, the McGinnis road trip is shared with friends and family everywhere. Dave McGinnis, treasurer of Pete’s RV Center, encouraged Abbie to keep a video journal of her trip and post updates on Facebook and YouTube. With the help of her mom, pictures and video clips were relayed back to the dealership, edited and posted for all to enjoy.

In her final video journal entry, Abbie described her RV trip as being “the best time ever” and recommended other families to give a go. As she so wittingly put it, “Family road trip!”

You can view the McGinnis Summer RV Trip on the Pete’s RV Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, and trace their travel route on Google Maps.

Pete’s RV Center Sales Manager, Todd McGinnis packed up the family in a 2006 Discovery 39L Class A Diesel Motorhome and hit the open road in June 2010.

Starting from Burlington, VT, he and wife, Lisa and kids, Zach, Jake and Abbie travel cross-country together for six weeks with stops including the Grand Canyon, Red Rocks, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Sequoia Nat’l Forest, Yosemite, Cedar Point Amusement Park, and Niagara Falls (plus several Wal-Mart parking lots along the way!).

In addition to sharing photos of their grand tour on the Pete’s RV Facebook Page, Abbie keeps a quirky video journal of their travels and tribulations. You can view the video clips at the Pete’s RV Channel on YouTube. The entertainment factor is “Class A”!

We also track the McGinnis family’s travels with the help of Google Maps where you can check out their travel routes, stopovers, points of interest and mileage log. They definitely rack up the latter with this cross-country expedition!

Enjoy their RVing adventure!

Over 750 National Park Services (NPS) will be on the receiving end of a $750 million dollar stimulus package desined to create jobs as well as restore and protect our National Parks.  Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, said that the NPS funding is part of a $3 billion dollar package the Department is infusing into the American economy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvesting Act.  Secretary Salazar was quoted saying “By investing $750 million to restore and protect America’s most special places, we are creating a new legacy of stewardship for our national park system while helping our economy stand up again.”

A March survey conducted by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association revealed that 55% of RV owners intend to use their RVs more then they did last year.  Only 4% say they will use their RVs less this year.  Most RV owners plan on using their RVs more this year because of how affordable it is to vacation in their RVs.  The majority of RVers surveyed said they will save a minimum of 25% over traditional drive or fly vacations.  A simular study by PFK Consulting found that family RV trips are anywhere from 27 - 61%  less expensive than other types of vacations.  With most Americans these days trying to squeeze every penny out of every dollar, RVing certainly makes sense for  budget minded families.  Used RVs typically start under $100.00 dollars per month and new RVs start at only $200.00 a month.  In most cases the interest on RV loans is tax deductible increasing the affordability even more.  Please call us toll free at 888-PETESRV (738-3778) so we can show you how you can vacation with your family this summer for half the cost of normal vacations.  Also please feel free to visit us at www.petesrv.com to view our selection of new and used RVs.

Some of the best camping my wife and I have done is in up-state New York, along the St. Lawrence Seaway.  the Seaway runs from the Atlantic Ocean, inland past Montreal and runs along the Canadian, USA border all the way to lake Ontario.  There is some of the best scenery you will ever see along the seaway.  If you like seeing the large inland ships go by or just watching all the water craft using it for enjoyment.  You can see the locks raising and lowering the watercraft as you get to each dam along the route.  The most popular is the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York.  You can cross under the lock through a tunnel and enter the national park.  It is where the large dams are, that produce electricity.  There is camping, a mariner, picnic areas and an overlook of the Dams with full story of the building of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

If you travel along the seaway you will reach Alexandria Bay or better known as the Thousand Islands.  There is so much to do from water sports, boat rides by all the islands.  There is a main street with all little shops and lots of things to do.  If you leave this area and continue along the seaway you will eventually get to Cape Vincent, which is where the seaway enters Lake Ontario.  All along the way is very scenic for you and your passengers.  You will pass all along this trip many private and State campgrounds.  If you travel another 30 miles along Lake Ontario, to the south, in Henderson Harbor, New York you will come across a campground called, ASSOCIATION ISLAND.  It is an Island with a causeway to it so you can get your camper out to it and the campground is the only thing on the Island.  It has lots of wild life to watch and a marina to keep your boat, and some of the best fishing around.  There is a restaurant and adult room, full hook-ups, and a swimming pool.  It is a really nice campground to stay at and relax for a period of time.

Everyone has their favorites so send back a note and let us all know about them

Louie, Sales

The Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival is having a special on 3day passes to it’s annual event through may 31st 2009.  The special price is $50.00 dollars for the 3 day pass.  They can be purchased online at www.flynntix.org or by mail.  Please make your check or money order payable to Haybale Entertainment.  Send a self addressed stamped envelope to:  2941 Shelburne Falls Rd., Hinesburg, VT 05461(All mail orders must be post marked no later than 5/31/09 to qualify for this special price.)