A seven hour drive across the windswept nothingness of West Texas got me thinking. Not so much about Texas, but about a far away place that always leaves me a bit awestruck: France.

Long ago, on our very first trip overseas, we spent two weeks in France; moving from Paris, to Burgundy to the Loire Valley. I left that trip convinced I could spend another two years traveling the country without ever needing to visit the same place twice. There’s Normandy in the North, the Rivera in the South, Bordeaux in the West and Strasbourg in the East. Normally that would be enough for any area to claim tourism bragging rights, but in the middle of all that greatness France layers in castles, quaint towns, beautiful cities, historic vineyards, and majestic mountains. The diversity of the country is overwhelming.

Then there is Texas. Geographically it’s nearly identical in size to France, with both covering about 680,000 square kilometers. Could I spend two years exploring all of those Texan miles? Probably, but it wouldn’t all be enjoyable. Certain stops, like San Antonio, Austin and Big Bend, would please, but they’re tiny compared to all that real estate. We’d have to plan hard to chart a seven hour drive through France as desolate as the one we endured getting through West Texas. It may not even be possible.

The similarities in size got me thinking about something else, too. How often had I heard the expression “everything is big in Texas”? By most objective measures, however, France is bigger. Its population is nearly three times as large. Mont Blanc’s 4,810 meter peak towers over diminutive Guadalupe’s mere 2,667 meters. Its 4,853 km of coastline is more than eight times longer. Its castles are, well, France has castles. Even its economy is twice as large.

Everything might still be big in Texas, but most of it is quite a bit smaller than in France.

Texas certainly has its charms. But for this traveler, Vive la France!

It is believed Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque, New Mexico contains over 25,000 stone carvings created some 800 years ago. On our visit, I think we saw at least as many of these guys . . .

Last week’s post on White Sands National Monument reminded me of one of my favorite places. White Sands is neat, but Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes is simply out of this world.

Our love for subterranean spaces is something we discovered only within the last year. It began with our spelunking trip in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave where we learned there are better ways to experience the underworld than along paved paths. There’s just something unnatural about the aluminum handrails and colored ceiling lights that are the hallmark of developed cave tours. Far better, in our view, to turn on a headlamp and squeeze into pitch black sections few other people get to see.

Shannon descends into Carlsbad's Lower Cave

More recently we discovered just how lucky we were to even get on that first trip. Efforts to protect cave goers and cave systems severely limits group sizes and tour runs, making “wild” caving trips somewhat scarce. Many sell out months in advance. We were completely shut out at Jewel Cave and Wind Cave in South Dakota. Our first choices at New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns were also fully booked. We considered ourselves fortunate to land a mid-week jaunt through Carlsbad’s Lower Cave.

The Lower Cave tour isn’t as hardcore as our first choices, although it does require a rope assisted descent and 50 feet of steep ladders to reach. Part of the fun in these trips is the challenge involved, but only part. The real attraction is experiencing a cavern in its natural state: raw, untamed and just a little bit dangerous. Hearing only the gentle drip of water somewhere in the far-off darkness; seeing only as far as the light of a meager headlamp can penetrate, is a completely unique experience.

Each cave we’ve entered we found to be remarkably different from all the others. There is always something new and amazing waiting for us each time we descend, which is why we keep going back.

Of all the reasons people give us for not RVing, fear of driving one is the easiest to overcome. If you know how to drive an automobile then you already have all the skills needed to drive a modern motor home. Making the transition only requires a few adjustments, most of which you can practice in the car you drive now.

Mind your width

The average motor home is nearly three feet wider than the average car. If you’re used to positioning yourself in the center of the road when driving, you may find your motor home crossing the the right line because of its greater width. Veering too far to the right is one of the most common problems experienced by new motor home drivers.

Fortunately, the fix is easy. Simply practice driving closer to the center line in your automobile. Instead of centering yourself in the road, get in the habit of positioning the driver’s seat somewhere in the left half of your lane. Before long, driving that way becomes second nature.

Once in the motor home, adjust the lower convex mirrors so that about a quarter of the mirror’s surface shows the side of your rig. With the mirrors positioned properly, you can see where you are on the road from the driver’s seat. Check often to assure you’re driving between the lines and not drifting.

Mind your middle

When making turns, the back wheels don’t follow directly in the path of the front ones; they take a shortcut. With long vehicles, like RVs, the difference can be meaningful. If turns are not negotiated properly the back tires clip curbs and the middle section of the RV can swing into objects.

To prevent this, identify the objects you want to avoid hitting (curbs, street signs, cars, puppy dogs) and drive straight until your hips are past them. Only then crank the wheel in the direction you want to turn. As you turn, keep an eye on the side mirrors to make sure you’re middle and back wheels don’t hit anything. If it gets close, straighten the wheel out some and continue past the obstructions.

In some cases, when turns are especially tight, you may need to swing a little in the opposite direction first to give the RV a wider turning radius. Go slow and use your turning signals to let everyone else on the road know what you’re doing.

Mind your back end

While the middle of the RV swings in the same direction the frontend is turning, the back swings the opposite way. How much depends on how far the RV overhangs its back wheels. This is especially important to remember when pulling out of places with nearby obstructions and requiring tight turns: like gas stations and parking spots.

If there are objects close to your RV opposite from the direction you want to turn, try to drive straight forward until the back end clears those objects. Alternatively, turn slowly while keeping a careful eye on those objects in your side mirrors. The idea is to take wide, rather than sharp turns.

Before pulling into a spot always consider how you’re going to get back out. If leaving requires sharp turns, be sure the rig has enough room for both the swing of the back end in one direction and the sweep of the middle in the other.

Mind your speed and distance

Heavy vehicles take longer to stop than lighter ones. How long depends on a lot of things, but driving speed is a major factor, and one that you control. Slow down. You’ll save money on gas as a reward.

Increase your following distance too. The best way to avoid accidents is to maintain long distances between yourself and everyone else on the road.

A benefit of driving more slowly is that you’ll notice space naturally opens up in front of you as other drivers race off to whatever is so terribly important.

Take your time when changing lanes

Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and rearview monitor, if you have one. Engage your turn signal. Check your mirrors a second time. Then slowly move into the new lane. Give everyone else on the road enough warning and time to react to what you’re doing. You may have blind spots, but everyone can see you. Use that to your advantage.

If you can drive a car, you can drive a modern motor home

In my experience, driving a large motorhome is far easier than I ever imagined. If you can drive a car and you appreciate the differences in how a large vehicle handles, you should have no trouble at all. Just go slow and give all potential hazards plenty of space.