I use my cell phone for everything from texting, getting the news, e-mail, GPS, blogging, calculator, calendar, games, camera, video recorder, and even the occasional phone call. It’s a vital part of my daily life. I wouldn’t camp or take a road trip without my Garmin. Computers and technology are great, but there’s nothing like good ol’ tangible paper! Here are some of my electronic-free must haves and how I use them.

An atlas is a must have in my opinion. I have the 2019 Rand McNally Road Atlas and National Park Guide. I personally love the large size, although I could understand preferring a smaller one for ease of use and convenience. I like the detail in the larger pages. Because of the large size, I also prefer the spiral binding so that I can easily flip it all the way open, making it half the size and look at one page at a time. Because we’re visiting 33 national parks on the trip, I chose this atlas instead of getting a separate book for the parks. I highlight the planned routes and love that it shows rest areas on highways.

National Geographic’s 50 States, 5,000 Ideas is another must have. (Thanks Tom!) It has a few pages dedicated to each state and each Canadian province with pictures worthy of the National Geographic title. It also contains easy to read detailed information on the main cities in those states, natural landscapes, and the main attractions. I love the extra included tidbits such as must try foods from the area, yearly festivals, and hidden gems.

I have Passport America, so I also have the paper directory. The online version is the same thing, but I like to have the paper copy to cross reference and to access when internet is unavailable or unreliable. This is only something you would use if you’re a Passport America member, which I recommend if you stay at RV parks in your travel.

I use sticky notes on the pages of the corresponding state with the names of the places were staying, the dates, my confirmation number, and the date I made the reservation. I have this information else where, but it makes it easy to find if the information for each state is kept together. I use another color of sticky notes for information like unusual laws that I need to be aware of such as towing speed limits, gun laws, or rest stop regulations.

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*pic- Julian and Rascal, 2016