What do we love most?

We are RVers and road trippers at heart. Since Craig began his stock photography business in the mid-1990s, we have driven over 125,000 miles in the U.S. by motorhome and car. We even spent 2-1/2 years fulltiming (living/traveling in our motorhome) in order to explore America more thoroughly. Clearly, we love the open road.

We also love to share ideas among our community of fellow travelers. As we developed a growing passion for history travel, we also felt a growing frustration with the inadequacies of conventional travel guides - they tell too little about historical destinations or miss important sites altogether. So we recently published the guidebook America’s Living History-The Early Years to share our travel discoveries. Our mission is to open your eyes to a fascinating form of travel and encourage you to take your own journeys into America’s past.

In addition, Craig is an active advisor
on Any time you want travel suggestions - whether scenic, historic or just plain fun - click on that website. He and others will be glad to help you.

What do others say?

Here's a sampling of what reviewers have said recently that is relevant to RVers and road trippers:

“From fellow Escapees Craig and Suzanne Sheumaker comes a wonderful, large format guide to 300 of the most interesting national heritage parks and living history museums.” Marcella Gauthier, Escapees Magazine

“Definitely not just another ‘coffee table’ book! The stunning photographs may catch your eye, but you’ll want to pick up this book and use it.” Lacy J. Williams, reviewer, Armchair Interviews

“...intensively researched and fully lived, this traveler’s guide to America and its early history is a vagabond’s delight. It is also very nicely organized beginning with the Northeastern states, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, each section with its own map. And then on to the Central and South, the Mountains and Prairies, the Desert Southwest, and finally the Far West. Some destinations in Alaska and Hawaii are also included.” Dennis Littrell, reviewer, Amazon.com

“What a wonderful travel book! For those seeking a vacation, adventure or just knowledge of our great country, this book is for you. You will find no Six Flags, Disney Worlds, or their ilk here. (Very fine places, I know, but not for everyone). The authors lead us to various out of the way places, and show us the roots from which we sprang.” D. Blankenship, reviewer, Amazon.com

“Profusely illustrated with some five hundred color photographs, regional maps and tourist details...thoroughly ‘reader friendly’ text composed of brief and informative histories of the various places, setting them into a proper context within the greater drama of nation building and development.” Midwest Book Review

“This would be a dandy book to pack up in the RV if you had miles to travel and no appointments to keep.”Anne Chalfant, travel editor, Contra Costa Times

“It makes me want to go out and buy a Winnebago, put some traveling songs on the CD player, say, Willie Nelson’s ‘Can’t Wait to Get on the Road Again’ or ‘Get Your Kicks on Route 66,’ pack the bags, attach the bikes, and gas her up!” Dennis Littrell, reviewer, Amazon.com

RV Journal Article Check out our article titled “America’s Living History” in the Winter 2007/2008 issue of RV Journal. It features several of our favorite living history museums and historic sites in the western U.S. The magazine is available free at most western RV campgrounds and resorts; RV retail, parts and repair centers; or online.

Traveling with kids? Keep in mind that family vacations provide a perfect opportunity to help children of all ages grow and find meaning in today’s complex world. We especially recommend history travel, having seen its value for our two teenage children on a cross-country trip (see Personal Perspective). While enjoying the experience, your own children will also gain a different view of life, one that can be applied to their world today with a little insight from you. See our news release History Travel Helps Children Find Meaning in Today's World for suggestions on how to use this out-of-the-ordinary travel adventure to help teach life lessons.

Ready for something unexpected? Check out our “In the Spotlight” feature on Illinois Historical Places. The state of Illinois has a way of surprising tourists. While there’s a temptation to focus on the many big-city attractions of Chicago, don’t limit yourself. Also head southwest to explore four very interesting destinations that disclose a long and diverse heritage. One is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). All tell compelling stories - about frontier settlement and Abraham Lincoln; ancient Native American mound builders; ill-fated French colonialism; or dramatic events in Mormon history.

Interested in ethnic culture? The American Southwest has a wealth of Native American and Spanish Colonial history as well as some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. See the “In the Spotlight” Southwest Road Trip for one of our favorite itineraries. This trip comfortably fits into a two-to-three week schedule. And yet, it includes three World Heritage Sites, four National Monuments, two to four National Parks (depending on whether you take the side trips), two Pueblos where Native Peoples still live the old ways, a tram ride to spectacular mountain views, an interesting group of Native American and Spanish Colonial landmarks and museum sites, tours in the spectacularly beautiful Navajo land, and a premier living history museum where early America comes to life. For more things to see and do in the Southwest, see our article Beyond the Grand Canyon.

Are You an RVer?

• Many of our readers are RVers who use this book to guide their travels. They take America's Living History-The Early Years on their trips, using it as a resource at specific locations or as an idea-generator for special places to visit.

• All too often, key historical sites either don't have a sufficient advertising budget, or they fail to get on the radar screen of travel guide publishers. While many RVers enjoy discovering such attractions purely by accident, they also want to avoid missing great places. America's Living History-The Early Years identifies these sites and provides addtional information that is not included in the typical guidebook.

• We've been told by one reader that the travel directions we provide are “more accurate” than his GPS device. (We took the routes ourselves and know they are reliable.)

Are You a Road Tripper?

• Road trippers have miles to go and schedules to keep. Whether they drive an RV or a conventional vehicle, they push to see as much as possible in the allotted time. For them, America‘s Living History-The Early Years is both a great research tool and a timesaver.

• Many road trippers want “the experience of a lifetime,” a complete escape from everyday life and an opportunity for exciting discoveries, unusual adventures and fun times. Our book features a wide range of visitor attractions.

• Road trippers tend to travel solo or with a friend/mate. And yet, they enjoy meeting people along the way. Historical sites provide many opportunities to interact with living history interpreters and like-minded fellow travelers.