Writing RV Adventure Books

by J.R. Swaim

In the pioneer days of America, iron men and stout hearted women loaded their belongings into a Conestoga wagon, hitched up a team of oxen, mules or horses, and headed out. These early road rogues crossed the plains heading for the territory of their dreams, the "promised land."



Their direction was usually west, to Oregon or California. These covered wagon vagabonds used crude maps or word of mouth instructions to guide them. Some made it, some stopped midway, some turned back, and some never lived to complete the journey.

Though they came from many different parts of the country and were of various national heritages, nearly all had one thing in common: they kept a diary or a journal to document the adventures and misadventures, the happiness and heartache, the fun and silliness, and the fears and terrors of their days on the trail. They even noted what they ate along the way and how it was obtained and prepared. Imagine that happening in modern day America, adventurers zig-zagging across the country attempting to see everything our nation has to offer, just like the pioneers did… well, sort of.

We are John and Beth Swaim, two novice explorers who set out to do that very thing, traveling around the country in a reality adventure to "find America" in our modern day covered wagon. Not just the well-known and commonly visited sites, but also those places often missed or passed by in the modern world of travel. These lesser-known places are neither gone nor forgotten; they exist and are still very much a part of the countries fabric, with stories to tell.


We use no modern day navigational devices like GPS; this is not permitted. We do it the old-fashioned way, and we get lost a lot. But, wandering frequently leads to many marvelous discoveries. The charting of the course relies on the "BPS" system, the "Beth Positioning System." My wife and trusted navigator uses an atlas, maps, and word of mouth directions or hand drawn instructions just like the pioneers to find our way.

As The 5th Wheel Turns book series (five planned) is the record of this adult pursuit of a boyhood dream to explore the modern American wilderness. We're never really sure where our adventures will take us but we are on an exciting and rewarding journey to somewhere out there. It was Robert Burns who wrote, "the best laid plans often go awry," or something like that. Though plans are often to go "that way," our track is sometimes pre-empted by a surprising discovery along the way or a sign pointing to something that sparks our interest.

We have two websites with more information about us and our books. The Xlibris promotional site. Our webpage.



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